luff track on comp tip

I noticed a problem with my 83 project boat. The base of the luff track on the comp tip side doesn't line up very well with the base on the aluminum side of my H16 mast.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

The base of the luff track on the comp tip side is raised about an 1/8" over the aluminum side of the luff track. There's also a 1/2" gap between the two luff tracks. I can slide the luff track back down to deal with the gap, but then the uneven bases really seem to create a barrier. How do I deal with these two issues? They make raising the mainsail much harder if I have any tension on the battens, and it seems like it's damaging the sail at the luff rope.

You can see some bondo underneath the joint of the luff track. Is excess Bondo underneath the luff track forcing it too high? Or is the Bondo only on the sides of the luff track?

Pat

The gap between the aluminum and Comptip track isn't that big of a deal, but the Comptip track should align with the aluminum track.

You need to clean out all the Bondo that's keeping the track from lying flush.

You should also bevel the edges of the plastic and aluminum tracks at the transition so the sail doesn't hang up on the edges.

sm

Does removing the excess Bondo require removing the luff track? Not sure if there's Bondo beneath the track too. From what I can see, I don't get the purpose of the Bondo. Is it to shim up the comp tip luff track so it's even with the aluminum track?

Pat

The short answer is that there shouldn't be any Bondo there at all.

Somebody did a messy installation job.

Thanks MBounds for the info. Are you saying that the Bondo serves a purpose for the comp tip install, but it was sloppy work that got it near the luff track? If that's true, I can remove the Bondo under and right around the luff track, and it shouldn't cause problems as long as I work gently around the comp tip connection. Or am I misunderstanding something?

Pat

I believe what Matt meant was that there should be no bondo whatsoever. The comptip should just be riveted right to the mast. Perhaps the comptip/mast ended up leaking and they tried to seal it using bondo, or they were worried about it and used bondo to prevent it from leaking. Or perhaps they just wanted to make sure it was really secure.

The DIY method of Comptip installation uses Bondo (as recommended by Matt Miller), but there should be none outside the joint itself. This is just a sloppy installation.

It is somewhat common from some glue / Bondo to squeeze out and end up in the luff groove. I always check that during install and when done properly the tracks should be masked off to prevent it.

The only concern I'd have is if they did a repair on the CompTip track groove... That would be a different issue.

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

What kind of repair would you do to the comp tip track with Bondo?

I cleaned up the Bondo around the Comptip luff track this weekend. You were right Matt Bounds, it was a messy job someone did and I removed globs that clearly served no purpose (like inside the aluminum track). I think that Matt Miller was also right that there may have been some other purpose the Bondo was intended to achieve, because the lip that holds the luff track had a number of chips. I think I gained maybe a 1/16" by removing the Bondo, but the Comptip luff track is still nearly 1/8" higher than the aluminum track. It's not just the base of the track, the Comptip luff track is noticeably higher on the outside too. Is there any way to get the whole Comptip luff track to sit and stay lower? That also may have been the original purpose of the fix, but I wouldn't think Bondo would work well in tension to pull the luff track down. I guess I can work to build out the lip (with Bondo!) to cause the luff track to sit lower. Or hold down the base of the Comptip luff track with epoxy. Any suggestions? Or is something fried that needs replacement?

Pat

My h18 has a similar gap and it has been that way since I bought the boat new in 2001 and haven't had any problems with raising and lowering the sails. I wouldn't worry abought a 1/8" gap.

Randy

_________________
2001 H18 w/SX wings & spinnaker #16740 (purchased new)
1989 H18 w/SX wings #14565 (purchased new, sold 2000)
Would buy another if Hobie would build it.

I'm not so worried about the space between the two luff tracks, but that the Comptip luff track sits at least an 1/8" - 1/4" higher than the aluminum track. And on the inside, the base of the Comptip luff track sits around an 1/8" higher than the base of the aluminum luff track. It creates a barrier to raising the mainsail if I have any tension on the battens. No tension on the battens and I can pull it up okay, but I have an older sail and the boat responds better when I add some curve to the sail.

Pat

The problem with the Comptip track is that there's almost nothing that sticks to it.

If you can push the Comptip track down, so that it's flush with the aluminum track - but it just won't stay there - I suggest using a very short, #5 to #7 flat-head wood screw to physically hold it down. You need to be careful drilling the countersink so that everything is perfectly flush, but it should work fine. Put a dab of thickened epoxy in the hole to seal it completely and keep the screw from backing out.

That sounds like a crazy idea and I think it will work. Thanks MBounds. I'll give it a try. I'm hoping I can hold apart the plastic luff track just enough to get a drill bit in there. Or actually, if I bevel the edges of the luff track (as suggested I think by SRM) then that might create a little bit more space to help get a countersink drill bit in there.

Pat