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 Post subject: raising main sail
PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:20 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:38 am
Posts: 3
I'm a new 1985 hobie 16 owner. I've been having a lot of trouble raising the main sail. The first 19-20 feet go up easy it is the last 3 feet of sail that we have trouble with. The last 3 feet takes about 1/2 hour "kills your hands". Does anyone have any suggestions?


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:21 am 
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Location: Oceanside, California
Sailing FAQs: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewforum.php?f=18

Sail Hoisting FAQ: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=371

Most important part for a 16...

Quote:
Hoist Technique:

Keep the batten tension to a minimum. Hoist the sail slowly, while feeding into the mast opening. When the sail gets about 3/4's of the way up, begin aggressively feeding at the bottom opening and reduce the amount of halyard effort. If the halyard is pulled tight when the sail is not being fed into and up the track, you will have problems. The sail luff will pull taunt and the curve shape will bind in the (straight) mast track. Lower the sail slightly and begin feeding again.

The best way to feed the sail is to stand in front of the mast and reach around either side to "sandwich" the sail between two hands (above the feeder opening) and push the sail up the track. Pull with the halyard, only the slack created, then feed again. If the sail binds, lower slightly and begin feeding again. This technique can be done by one person, but is certainly easier with two working together. It is VERY important that the person on the halyard only pulls the slack up the mast and does not get ahead of the feeder.

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


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:36 am 
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:48 pm
Posts: 276
Location: Boston Ma / Newport RI
I don't know if it was in the FAQ, but also clean your masts luff track and use some Sailkote or similar dry lube to ease the sail up. Wear gloves too, but it should never take a half an hour. It takes me that long to go from driveway to water! Good luck!

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Blair T

I love these calm moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven...


'02 Hobie Tiger USA 1152


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:21 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 8:15 pm
Posts: 436
Location: Washington DC/Chesapeake Bay
Tallguy is right, use a screwdriver to push a wadded up towel through the track. You'll be amazed at the gunk you get out. Hit it with the Sailkote and voila.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'


Last edited by Jman6631 on Tue Jul 20, 2010 6:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 4:58 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:13 am
Posts: 27
Location: Connecticut
Eendman,

I was having trouble with mine and took the advice from the guys here. I took the mast down, cleaned out the luff track and sprayed the luff track and the luff of the sail with sail-kote and it goes up easily!

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~Tom in CT
81' H-16

Image


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 3:05 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:32 am
Posts: 424
Location: Lake Gaston, NC
The luff of the main has a curve in it. Yours is getting stuck because the lower part of the curve always wants to go towards the stern and the boltrope is getting jambed into the jaws of the feeder. The '85 has a sail feeder on it. Squeeze the jaws of the feeder together with some big pliers until the sail just barely goes in it, and it will go all the way up without a hitch.


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:27 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 8:15 pm
Posts: 436
Location: Washington DC/Chesapeake Bay
Tom King: A "sail feeder?" What is it and is it available to retro fit an '81?

Thanks in advance!

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:06 am 
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Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:35 am
Posts: 13
Location: Norfolk, VA
Yes, it can be retrofitted.

Sail feeder
http://www.murrays.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MS&Product_Code=50-80100501&Category_Code=


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:43 am 
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Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:20 pm
Posts: 493
Location: Clearwater, FL
I have a Florida Sailcraft Sail Trax sail feeder and it works great.

I am not sure whether they make these anymore, but there is one for sale currently on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hobie-Cat-Sail-Trax-Bolt-Rope-Guides-Florida-Sailcraft-/120598061251?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Boat_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item1c143460c3

It doesn't have edges on the top or bottom of the guide to snag the luff tape (like the one from Murrays), so it makes it very easy to raise or lower the sail single handedly.

Image

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Tim
84 H16
82 H16
87 H14T
Tortola Sails: 115222
Blue Prism Sails: 88863
Clearwater, FL
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Last edited by Tim H16 on Tue May 18, 2021 8:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:41 am 
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Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:13 am
Posts: 27
Location: Connecticut
I have a sail feeder like the one from Murrays on my 81 and it works great!

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~Tom in CT
81' H-16

Image


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:52 am 
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:32 am
Posts: 424
Location: Lake Gaston, NC
The one in that Murray's link is the one that was standard on the boats for a while in the mid to late '80s. It works great with a little tuning. I never saw one set right to start with. One thing you have to be careful of when installing one, is to be sure the screwdriver you use fits securely in the head of the screws and don't put too much torque on it. One problem with them was that any "meat hooks" left on the screw heads from an ill-fitting screwdriver would rip the cloth around the boltrope. If you deform the screw head, make sure you smooth any snags off with a Dremel grinder before you ever slide a sail in it.

I prefer that design over any of the others.

You have to fine tune the opening size. If the sail can just barely fit in to start with, there is no way the boltrope can get jambed on the way up. I used big Channellocks to squeeze the jaws together and a hard Maple wedge to open them if I squeezed too hard. You don't want any "meat hooks" on the feeder either. It was not hard to do at all and I tuned several hundred on new boats I assembled when I was in the business. None of my customers ever had a problem pulling the sail up. Also, if you can pull it up easily it greatly simplifies being able to latch the main on any of the different boats. If makes it easy to change batten tension on the water or drop, and raise the sail for any reason with any batten tension.

Any boat with a properly tuned feeder allows the sail to be pulled all the way up without having to touch the sail and with very little effort. I never had to lubricate a sail to get it up the mast.

I showed the guy in charge of warranties and such how to do this back in the '80s, but I guess someone forgot how to do it. I was surprised when they took the flappers off the hooks on the 17 -21's.


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:28 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
80100501 is the Hobie feeder. It's in stock and available through Hobie dealers.

We went to NO-feeder and a single side cut away mast slot some years ago... MUCH better, but if you have an older mast, feeders are good. Watch out when lowering the sail. The bottom of the rope can get caught in the feeder and tear the sail.

Tom, the only good thing about the flopper on the old halyard hooks was the ease of releasing and lowering the sail. Most issues were encountered when hoisting due to the slim margin for error in hooking the sail. People just didn't get it... and even when you did... just a 1/2" too high on the hoist and the flopper dropped and kicked the ring out. Much less frustration without them.

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


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:26 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 8:15 pm
Posts: 436
Location: Washington DC/Chesapeake Bay
Hey thanks Tim H16 and kswis001, I'll look into these. My mast is stock '81, so it's got the double cutaway.

Tom King: My plan without knowing any more about these yet, was to pop rivet them in. Low profile, smooth...any reason why I shouldn't?

MATT: Wouldn't happen to have a picture of 80100501 laying around would you?

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:44 pm 
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Location: Oceanside, California
That was on the Murrys link shown above: Image

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


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 Post subject: Re: raising main sail
PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 7:20 pm 
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2008 8:15 pm
Posts: 436
Location: Washington DC/Chesapeake Bay
Ok they're the same, gotcha, wasn't sure.

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'81 H16

If it ain't a blowin', I ain't a goin'


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