Help me help me, helpless helpless. New style rudder install

I saved a 85 H18 from some kind folks backyard who wanted it gone. Been sitting for years, great shape overall, I recieved the boat as hulls, crossbars, tramp and mast and standing rigging, everything else I've sourced new myself. I have the old style rudder castings and got the newer black rudders, but the holes on new rudders do not line up with the castings.
I have found the templates to drill new holes. I'm curious about options to updating the castings and not drill the rudders.
But updated lower castings require new lower gudgeon? Still have to drill.
What castings are comparable with the old boats?
Thanks!
I can't wait to get this boat in the water,
One other question
I got new line for the jib halyard and reusing the cable since it looks good. The line is 20 feet, how long is the wire supposed to be? And what's the tiny block for at one end of the wire? The manuals diagrams don't clearly explain this.
Thanks guys, Hobie on!

There are no lowers of the old style (Pre-1985) You have to move gudgeons and drill rudders for the new castings if you update.

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

It's to give a mechanical advantage when tightening the jib luff. You tie a small line around the thimble holding the block, go down through the shackle holding the jib tack on the furler, back up through the pulley and then cleat it to the cleat on the jib luff. You dont need much tension though unless it's blowing real hard. Even then it's not a huge deal.

From digging through Google, in learning. Thanks!
Kinda hard to understand when you can't get in the water

Be sure the forestay is taut before tensioning the jib luff. You do not want the forestay to slacken and the jib luff to take the full rig load while sailing. Tension the mainsheet to tighten the forestay... then tension the jib luff.

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

Is it correct that shroud tension does aid in setting forstay tension, must use mainsheet to tension forstay?
Attach halyard to boom and then full tension on mainsheet to then set forstay tension?

fast4est, When stepping the mast, pin the shrouds on the top hole of the shroud adjusters. Then step the mast and pin the forestay/bridle wires. You can either set the forestay adjuster before stepping the mast or after. To set it before (easier), remove the bridle wires from the bow tangs and pin the furler on the forestay adjuster plate where you want it, so that your forestay, jib furler and bridle wires are all attached to each other (and not the bows). Once you step the mast, you just have to go forward and pin the bridle wires to the bow tangs while someone holds the mast up. Then you have to use the trap wires to pull the mast back/down, tensioning the forestay and holding it in place while you move the shroud to a lower hole on the shroud adjusters. Keep both adjusters at the same hole position. Where you pin the forestay adjuster and shroud adjusters depends on what mast rake and rig tension you want to have. Tighter rig is better in heavy winds. Mast raked further aft is better for heavy winds and better pointing ability/upwind performance.

What matt was suggesting was that before setting the jib halyard tension, you need to point the boat into the wind while still on the beach/at the dock, get the mainsail up and then sheet in the mainsheet tight. This puts the forestay under it's normal load/tension when sheeted in tight going upwind. Now you can properly set the jib halyard tension. If you try to set it without the mainsheet sheeted in, the forestay is looser than it will be under sail and your jib halyard tension will be even tighter than you set it, and possibly put all of the forestay tension on the jib halyard and the luff of the jib and damage the jib or halyard.

I'll probably be chastised for it, but I've actually never done this. When trailer launching, it's very difficult to get in a position to properly set the jib tension. I haven't done any damage to my jib that I know of (no tears), but I probably have stretched out an already blown out jib.

_________________
Mike

'79 H18 standard 'Rocketman II' sail #14921 RIP
'78 H18 (unnamed) sail #14921
'08 H16 sail #114312
'97 H21SC sail #238

You can either use the main sail or the main halyard to "pre-load" the forestay when setting the jib halyard tension. If it's windy out, using the mainsail can be a bit dicey since you'll be sheeting in the sail tight on the beach. A better way is to set the jib before raising the mainsail. Hook the end of the halyard to the end of the boom and then hoist the boom up about 3 feet and tie off the halyard. Then pull on some tension with your mainsheet system.

This can also be done when setting the rig tension if you don't have someone to hang on the trap wires or need a bit more rig tension than you can get from someone hanging. Hoist the boom up as described above, slide it over to one side of the boat, and pull in the sheet hard. You'll see the shroud on that side of the boat go slack. Adjust the shroud to where you want it, set the clevis pin, and then release the mainsheet.

I also rarely do the forestay "pre-loading" anymore when setting the jib, but after roughly 30 years of sailing 18's I'd say I have a good feel for where the jib should be set without using the main blocks. For someone new to the boat, you would definitely want to pre-load the forestay so you don't break the jib/halyard.

sm

Thanks, yeah it definantly gets easier to do and understand after getting a couple tries at it. For trailering/storing I disconnect the the bridals from the bows, leaving forestay/furler left together. I leave the mast base facing the bow and shrouds connected at top hole. Once I raise the mast, I have someone walk the main halyard forward to get the bridal close enough to hook up to the bow, then set shrouds at 3rd or 4th hole down.

Mistake I have made now I know is I did not preload the mast/forestay before setting jib tension. Now I know, thanks!!! The manual makes it sound daunting but the process is pretty easy.