First impressions on my T2

I picked up a new 2015 T2 last Thursday, it was an on the spot delivery and the boat other than having the cross bars and tramp installed was not preped. Having worked for a Hobie dealer before I just ask to load it up, put the parts in my truck and I'll do the rest.
Assembly was easy except for a couple of things.
My mast was set up for a normal jib not the furreler. So I have a cheat block and cleat on the front of the mast. I also have no cheat block for the down haul. I still off the front block and moved it to the right rear for my down haul. I taped over the front cleat for now, just in case I missed something and it won't catch the jib sheet. After stepping the mast, I find the standing rig a little too loose. I'm at the bottom holes of the shroud adjusters and the jib is maxed in furreler. It was a light wind day yesterday 5-8mph. The boat sails nice so far, couldn't fly but did not expect too. She points into the wind better than any thing I've sailed,takes off nicely when the breeze picks up. Two thing I'll be doing: installing the neoprene rail kit from the 16 on the outer butt sitting
area and additional hiking straps in the tramp for long legged people like me.

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Buxton
18' T16 Silent Lightning (16' T2 Hybrid)
11' H16 White Lightning
79' H16 Green Lightning

Similar here, with my 2015 from a dealer in nearby Ohio. It came with the furler which is great to have, so is easier to tack than the Wave in heavy winds. Mine's rigged with the shrouds on second-lowest hole (6th of 7) and forestay on forestay's 2nd lowest to furler's top of two, the rig is a bit loose, but it's worked fine in winds of 5-18 knots, and I can't quite get the forestay's 3rd lowest into the furler's top of two holes. I think I've got an upside-down pulley wheel-becket thing about 3 inches up from bottom of front of mast, right under a regular 3-4" cleat - haven't found a use for the pulley-becket thing yet - maybe it's for a spinnaker. I also added a strap along the centerline, hooked to the tramp lacing near the rear crossbar (where is doubled up) and to tramp lacing about 1/3 of the way forward - the two off-center straps weren't quite right for higher-wind hiking. Mast pin out while sailing with a safety line around the dolphin striker to keep the mast nearby if it pops out in a capsize. Still trying to figure why I have starboard-tack weather helm with port-tack lee helm. I also appear to have rudder hum only on the port tack!

And also, easier to, and more stable on, a fly than the Wave was!

When the T2 was first being released it was set up for a normal jib, from what I remember. The Cheek block and cleat at the front of your mast were for the jib halyard. I got the optional halyard in my box of rigging.That's the block I moved for my down haul, then taped over the cleat for now, I don't want my jib sheet getting stuck on it. As I'm typing this, I realize we can use that to tighten the rigging. Put a rope just above the jib pivot, up through the top shackle and down to the cleat. After setting up the boat, use the rope as a halyard, tighten it up and cleat it off. We can still use the furler and be able to adjust the mast rake.

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Buxton
18' T16 Silent Lightning (16' T2 Hybrid)
11' H16 White Lightning
79' H16 Green Lightning

I also have the block and cleat in front of my mast. It did seem odd to me, but I didn't question it and have been using it for my Cunningham. It works, but seems like it would be better/more effective on the side of the mast (maybe I'll move it during the off season). Are you guys using the sole side cleat for both your cunningham and main halyard? Obviously buxton moved his block, but otherwise how are you using the cunningham without using the block on the front of the mast? It seems like I always leave shore with the downhaul nicely set, but after I catch some decent wind I need to re-tighten it because the sail luff has stretched more in the wind or something. I'm wondering if it's how I route the cunningham, or if I just don't start with enough tension. How much bend do you expect to see in the mast?

Also, I definitely do have the jib sheets hang up on that front cleat every once in a while. I've also been sailing with the pin in. I'll probably take it out next season, but want to practice a capsize with it out before I venture out on Superior without it just to be sure. I have noticed the pin will snag the jib lines occasionally too. I like amfoyle's idea of a keeper line.

-John

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2014 T2
past: 1974 H14

I tension the downhaul until the mast tip begins to bend. As you noted, that pre-tension only lasts until the first good gust.

I also have taken to cleating both lines on the jib to keep them from catching on the mast base and forward cleat. It's going to snag somewhere as long as everything's in the same plane.

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1985 Hobie 14T
2014 Hobie T2

For the Cunningham, I did a mod. I left a 4" cleat that was in the lower end of the mast track, but moved it up a bit. To this I soft-attached a small Harken air block with ~3" of line through which the downhaul double-block feeds line down to, then back up to the double block, and then down to a 29mm Harken Pivoting Lead Block in the mast track below the 4" cleat. This allows very easy adjustment of downhaul if needed. Yes indeed, it's over-engineered! All on the aft side of the mast for symmetry.
I use the mast-front cleat for the main halyard: that fills it and prevents any jib sheet entanglement. Symmetrical too!
I've only a small use for the upside-down cheek block: I use it to limit the movement of a round-the-mast line that gets tied off to the dolphin striker as a safety because I don't use the mast pin while sailing.
The side cleat I only use during mast raising: I secure the the top end of the main-halyard to it after securing the bottom end of the halyard to the furler bridle to hold the mast up while I pin in the forestay. And feeding the line through/around it allows for a more controlled mast descent when de-rigging if needed.
So far, nothing with that set-up has gone awry.