Hobie 18 Magnum Wings

Do I need to add the brackets (#91490010) and fore & aft struts (#68160001) to my Magnum wings to stiffen them up and reduce frame/endcap breakage. What is the Maximum load capacity for the Magnum wings. I already have the hull anchor plates on the boat.

Thanks in advance.

Magnum or SX? There is a difference. The reinforcements were created for the SX style wings. Magnus were only built for a short time in the mid 80's. They are a welded (one piece) wing that is as long as from crossbar to crossbar. The SX wings are much longer and are riveted together. The seat is a long ring that extends forward and behind the legs. Almost as far aft as the transom.

If you have SX wings - Yes, they should be reinforced.

If they are Magnum... no.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

FYI, Hobie max. recommended load for SX wings is 550 lbs. Have had three folks totaling 450 lbs. on our Magnum wings during some 20 gusting to 30 m.p.h. weather, their maximum load rating never crossed my mind and I noticed no flextion at all. Matt, are you saying that the shorter, welded Magnum wings are stronger than the SX:?:

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

[quote="John Eaton"]FYI, Hobie max. recommended load for SX wings is 550 lbs. Have had three folks totaling 450 lbs. on our Magnum wings during some 20 gusting to 30 m.p.h. weather, their maximum load rating never crossed my mind and I noticed no flextion at all. Matt, are you saying that the shorter, welded Magnum wings are stronger than the SX:?:[/quote]

I think the shorter ones are stronger. That's what I have but I still don't overload them. We had the 18 out last Saturday for the first sail this summer and dumped. It happened quick, a big gust just tossed us over and a second one blew us over as soon as we righted but the second righting was a success. It was a great day!

The shorter ones were stronger...

After beefing up the system over the years, likley the current sx wing is plenty strong.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks for the info. Yes they are the Magnum wings. I will check the flex when I get them on the boat. If I notice any fore & aft movement I will add the brackets & struts, inexpensive insurance. Lake Michigan isn't very forgiving, and still cold about 50 Degrees in July.

DOES ANYBODY HAVE A DETAILED PLAN I CAN USE TO BUILD MYSELF A SET OF MAGNUM WINGS CHEERS PEPSI

Before I purchased my used wings I looked at making a set for myself. I determined that if I was patient I could eventually find a used set for what I would have in materials for a home built set.

Put the word out and be prepaired to travel to pick up a set or pay a trucking company to deliver them, (About $200 shipping from NH to MI). Costs vary but used ones become available as the older H-18 hulls go soft........

_________________
1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net

CHEERS AND THANKS, But i enjoy the challenge of building a set, if i could just get some pictures of were they mount ex,,detailed pictures of mounting points. CHEERS PEPSI

Just to add to the confusion ... the H18 MAGNUM wings were made in two slightly different versions. There was a support crossmember added later that goes from the "BIG" Main Tube to the "SMALLER" Support Tube ... try and find a set w/ this extra support piece as the failure mode is for that small tube to bend out of column .... then the wing collapses downward.

Improvements ????

1) Have footstraps of 2"-3" nylon webbing sewn onto the wings tramp material .... (if you can keep you wieght "aft", you can literaly drive the boat underwater and recover!!!)

2) Use SS Bolts 1/4"X20's w/ Nyloc Nuts to "Bolt" down wings ... this reduces movement of the wings up and down/fore and aft .... (thunk,thunk .... thunk, thunk ... thunk: the sound of the wings moving up and down as you drive over waves when on the wire when singlehanding)

3) Latteral Support- Since when you are trapped out w/ your feet in the footstraps and you drive hard into a wave, you "load" the Magnum wing lateraly through your body's enertia to keep moving and the boat's sudden/rapid de-acceleration ... I have installed some lateral support using 1/8" alsteel/vectra/spectra (you could use 3/16" if you feel the need). You can either drill small holes through the gunwale, like the daggerboards or like I did I installed a shackle in place of the lowwest clevis pin on the side stay, face it forward and tie a line from the inside corner of the wing (at the weld) down to the shackle. At the "aft end" I've tied two pieces one forward, one aft through holes drilled through the gunwale ..... Note: Besure to leave enough room between attachment points so you can crawl back on the boat after a capsize under the wing... I grab the underside of the wing and throw my legs onto the boat (think of a WWII B17 pilot getting in through the "nose hatch"). It keeps your trap hook from damaging the hulls. The lines angled aft are the main "load carrying" lines .... the one angled forward in mainly so you can tension the aft angled ones, Ok.

Story: My 13yr old niece Megan had never been on the boat when I've flipped it ..... last year at a local YC's Annual Regatta while double-trapped off of the wings we stuffed it ... hard ..... VERY HARD .... stood the boat straight up and down on her bows .... w/o our feet in the footstraps ...... Let's just say we were the talk of the "Dinnertable" that night .... quote from the Wick Smith/PRO (who races Comets) " I've never seen anything like it ... you guys went FLYING .... your crew went flying way out in front and you must have been thrown 20' in the air". I assured Wick that it was no big deal .... tho the my view was brief but impressive !!!!! ( Oh Sh___T , WAAAaaaaaaaaaaa ............. )

Megan was ready to sail the next race .... she's tough!!!!

Sail Flat, Sail Fast, Sail Safe

These upgrades are simple and cheap ....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11