storm sail

A friend was selling a 1977 Hobie 14 and I wasnt really sure I wanted it but took it anyhow. What a completely wonderful surprize it has been sailing it and now I would have a very hard time parting with it. It seems to be a great "easy to own and set up" solo sailing boat and Ive been extremely pleased with both the speed and the wind range it will handle (Im even getting the high wind tacks down sort of).

Anyhow, one of the reason I originally bought it was to let my 9 and 11 year old boys take it out but the boat lives on a high mountain lake in Colorado which can have some big wind and waves and I think the boat might be a little over thier heads despite both of them having a fair amount of sailing experience.

However, Im wondering if there isnt a storm sail available that I could possibly have a seperate boom on so that either sail could be easilly put up and when the kids used the boat, I would rig the small sail? From what Ive seen so far, they would have a blast and I almost feel comfortable with the boat as is but not quite... (the lake is at 8700 feet and it never gets very warm).

There is no production "storm sail" for a Hobie 14, but I could see using some smaller boats sail on it to make that work.

The old Hobie 16 mains could be "reefed" and that reduces sail size. Perhaps adding some grommets and sail patches to the 14 sail would be the way to go.

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

The sail on my 14 Turbo had a reef point just above that second batten from the bottom, i think this was added after the sail was bought. It works quite well, you might consider getting a sailmaker to add a reef point.

Thanks! Why didnt I think of that..

I may try this myself (or at least would like to understand what I want someone else to do) but Im thinking a gromet near the mast and one near the clew of the sail "at the reef line" with the sail material under the groments substantially beefed up. Then a few tie off strings sewn along the sail reef line - probably dont need backing under the sail tie offs.

The halyard has a "stop" that secures into a sort of cleat at the top and when reefed, this wont be doing anything but I dont beleive this will be any problem at all. If it is, I would just beef up the rope a little which is used to pull the halyard so that I can still get a good low stretch tie off.

I imagine the stop on the cable halyard would make it very difficult to reef out on the water. When Im taking the sail down, I have to get out in front of the boat to get the halyard stop out and the boat probably doesnt have enough floatation to support doing this on the water. Im wondering if I really need that stop on the halyard...

well heck, after thinking about the halyard stop for more than a second, this boat would be easy to just beach if you needed to reef the sail. So the stop wouldnt really be any problem. I dont think Id want to try it out on the water single handed in the conditions where you were likely to want to do it anyhow (ie, the Hobie 14 has great range as is so its probably going to be some pretty big wind and waves, you always wait unitl its too late to reef)

my halyard also has a second stop that has been fitted so that when locks like the normal one with the sail in the correct position for reefing. I am sure that you could adapt your halyard in the same way.

Exaclty... you need two substatial grommets, one on the clew and one on the tack. Then a few smaller ones just for holding up the loose sail around the boom.

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