comptip mast? how important

I've got a old but stiff as hell H16, and I'm thinking about campaigning it next year (anyone here from Sandy Hook Bay Catamaran Club???). Anyway, I'm planning on upgrading the rudders and sails, but is the new rig neccessary to be competitive? What else is neccessary?

This is on a couple of 16 year old's budgets...

I'll throw this out there too, what's the competetive weight? Will we be quick at 320?

_________________
"I'm just tryin' to keep everything in balance, Woodrow. You do more work than you got to, so it's my obligation to do less." Augustus 'Gus' McCrae

You'll need a Comptip to be class legal. By rig do you mean the shrouds and forestay? If they're old it might be good insurance to replace them.

Minimum skipper/crew weight for the 16 is 285 lbs. 320 will make it tough in anything but heavy air but lower boat speed can always be suplimented by good tactics.

If you're new introduce yourselves around, ask lots of questions and listen. You'll probably have a few veterans make suggestions and help you rig your boat properly.

Good luck and have a good time.

_________________

I mean the actual spar itself. Looks like we won't be racing the hobie.

Wtf is up with all this sailing for midgets? 285 combined? We haven't been that light for 2 years. I know it was meant as a couple's boat, but christ, that's light even for most couples.

Looks like it's back to monohulls...

_________________
"I'm just tryin' to keep everything in balance, Woodrow. You do more work than you got to, so it's my obligation to do less." Augustus 'Gus' McCrae

I sail at 320 on a H16 all the time, no biggie, yea you will get beat by lighter crews on light wind days if they sail as good or better as you do!

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Ballywho,

It's a minimun. It's not a requirement.

Happy Sailing,

David

How old is the boat?

Reason I'm asking is that the one thing you can't fix on the boat is how much it weighs. Minimum is 320. Good boat years are '84, '85 and '92 - present. '95 - present have most of the latest go fasts - integrated traveller tracks, better sails, etc.

If you're talking new sails and rudders, that's like $2K right out of the box.

I wouldn't buy new unless you were planning to race. If you're planning to race competitively (and SHBCC has a very competitive 16 fleet), I'd spend a year learning the boat without spending too much money on it, then buy a new one.

320# crew weight is a little heavy, especially in chop, where the lightweights will eat you alive. In heavy air, though, you'll have them for lunch. Light air & flat water, it doesn't make much difference.

The 16 is a great "girlfriend" boat - the physical demands on the crew are not that great. Just don't send her around the forestay in a pitchpole the first time out.

This is where I always mess up! I send them on a trip, but this one is still around, so its not always bad news

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

How much would it cost for the comptip to retrofit an old mast?

comptip is $490+freight and install, unless you do the install your self. Not sure if Hobie still has any upgrade deals going or not, we have not done a retrofit in like 3 years.

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

How much is a comptip mast from Hobie?

My goodness! That is more than half of what I paid for my boat, but it is what it is. Looks like my boat isn't going to be class legal .
Thanks

Not to contradict the rules, but you can probably get away racing without a comptip for quite a while before people complain (usually when you start winning and certainly if you go to a National or Regional event).

It might be better to start looking for a junk boat with a comptip already - Hobie did upgrades on a LOT of old boats when the ruling came down that they had to. With some hunting you should be able to find a boat with dead hulls or missing parts with a retro-fit comptip mast for far cheaper than a new one.

-Tim

*edit: I can't spell

_________________
Tim
Unofficial Fleet 72 Communications Officer and Div 4 Webmaster
http://www.hobiefleet72.org
http://www.div4.hobieclass.com/

As Matt Miller will tell you, if you are doing a retrofit (not a replacement) of the Comptip, they will "encourage" the dealer to sell it at cost.

Installing it is no big deal - remove the mast tang, cut the mast (getting a straight cut around the mast is not difficult if you know the trick), insert the foam plug and plate, caulk them in place, then glue the Comptip in with epoxy.

Let it cure straight and undisturbed overnight, then re-drill the tang holes and re-rivet the tang on. Rig the new halyard and you're done.

Thanks for the replies. I may look into finding a junk boat, or contact my dealer and see what they have to say. I don't expect my 83' 16 with original sails and recent delam work to ever be competitive, but I would love to start attending regattas and learning about Hobie racing. My girlfriend, who affectionately calles herself "first mate", would like to get into racing as well, which is fortunate considering she only weighs 100 soaking wet. Quite a contradiction to my 240, but what can I say, tall=heavy. I'm sure I could shed some of it. Thanks.
James

Don't you just hate it when when soneone who's done it so much that they can do it with their eyes closed tells you, "it is no big deal." I mean, it may not be but it seems to me that there is a lot that could go wrong. For me, at $490 + freight, I don't want anything to be off. Of course, if I can find one for half that price, I might be a little more encouraged to try it myself. Some of you guys have made working on Cats an art form and you are my heros. You've been doing it for years and it's really simple for you. This is just my second year sailing and although I've got the bug, there's still a lot to learn and mistakes can be costly. I have enough mistakes in tool box to build another boat. I mean, I am mechanically and structually inclined so the word "TRUE" has a lot of value. It's my antidote to waste. Can anyone tell me what I need to watch out for in the retrofitting process? Unless I can't make a mistake retrofitting a comptip, it seems like I won't know if I've made one until I raise the sails and sail the boat.

Happy Sailing . . . .

P.S. and thanks Mike