What are your limits?

Amen, Brother Brogger! Amen!

Brian C

What are limits?

Are you talking about those things that involve basic calculus? or the opint at which you stop sailing?

If its the later of the 2 i stop sailing in about october, cause the water gets to cold, but otherwise, unless its not a tornado or hail or snow ill be sailing!

Single handed 5-18 (If it ain't blowin I ain't going)
Crewed. I'll stick it out until the crew feels uncomfortable.
Anything under 5, and I REALLY REALLY just don't like putting the effort in.

So I lay on the beach with a beer and a book, just waiting for the wind to come up.

My limits have gone up alot recently. It is all about when you feel comfortable and when it is fun for you. It if gets to the point where it isn't fun then go in.

Add more purchase on the downhaul (I know not class legal) and really crank down on it, that will help immensely in big winds.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

Oh yeah!!! It would be great to see my comptip bent like a question mark.

How much purchase can you get on those original masts? (Not talking about breaking it from the Downhaul, that would almost be impossible on an all aluminum mast). One of things I though was funny was how much easier it seemed to downhaul my new boat with just the original downhaul, then the old boat. Then I noticed what the top of the mast was doing and went... OH....[/i]

Sorry, I forgot about the comptip. I have a solid mast and don't worry about that.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!

As stated in a few different posts it really depends on how comfortable you are and your crew (it there is one) is. It's not so much the constant wind speed for me, but the gusts. I have soloed in over 20 kts many times on my H16. That said, it was steady with little or no gusting and the waves where 3' or less. I find that larger waves can make the sail less than pleasant if they are close together. Then they just beat you up and keep your speed down.

Temperature - Water about 50 deg or more and air at least 60 deg. I would also wear a wetsuit. If I waited for warmer conditions I would never have sailed when I was living on the North Shore of Boston since the water rarely gets above 60 most of the year.

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Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

6:1 Downhaul is Class legal on the 14 and 16 now.

Actually... a CompTip is preferable in higher winds. Better twist at the top.

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

limits?
My friends and I listen for the small craft advisories and the triple hand my 16. It can be kinda sketchy but we learned how to right the boat really fast!
my only advice is prepare to spend time in the water. Around here that means wet suits.

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1979 Hobie 16

I do not know what the wind speeds were, but last summer, we (4 of us all 185lbs +) went out on an h18 and almost got blown over backwards during a Tack.
That day was nuts!!!!!!

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Happy Sailing,

David

Looks like hell of a lotta fun. Even with all of the resin I just pumped into my 14 I dont think the hulls would withstand that sort of pitch-pole.

http://static.hobiecat.com/linked_images/ni ... etiger.wmv

That boat bounced off the bottom. Probably didn't do that tiger any favors hitting the bottom at full speed.

in reality the worst that will happen is you will flip the boat over. I got a mast float that has saved my ass. limit is not in my vocab

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1979 Hobie 16

That tiger didn't hit the bottom, the spinnaker pole would have been bent if it had! They just drove the bows down really hard and then they popped back up, I am sure that some wind getting under the sail might have helped the lifting.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!