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PostPosted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:49 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 6:31 am
Posts: 94
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
I am waiting for the spinny...... can not wait to see pictures as this in a month or two will be high on my agenda :mrgreen:

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Richard Stephens
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 6:56 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 4:46 pm
Posts: 169
Location: Bakersfield, CA
One thing I've added to my boat to protect the sterns when the rudders are "thrown" or "forced" all the way over to one side or the other is these adhesive rubber "bumpers" which can be bought at any hardware store. They're approximately 3/4" in diameter and are made of clear silicone rubber. They adhere very well to the hulls if you clean them well before attaching.

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Tom
H18M


Last edited by thundley on Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:08 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:31 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:13 am
Posts: 135
Location: Shepherd, Michigan
Finishing touches...hope to dunk it in the lake this weekend!

I rigged the boat in order to determine optimal angles for my roller furling setup. The cleat has been modified to conform to the crossbar profile. My two overriding concerns were: 1) improve upon the stock system; 2) maintain an extremely low profile / rounded edges in order to retain safety in the event of a (rare) pitchpole. I considered a lance cleat but they have metallic edges and a taller profile.

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I am pleased to say that this worked fantastic in static testing. Hope to never test the pitchpole situation.

SX wing weight loading sticker, for reference:

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Harken Carbo Ratchamatic blocks all around. FSE Robline sheets and traveler. Kept with a 7:1 class legal (inline) mainsheet stack. I also have an 8:1 setup that I have used on other 18's on the heavy days.

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This is (in my opinion) the perfect spot for these quick shackles.

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Separate traveler line tied to mainsheet. Different color for visual reference, and can be untied in the event that the mainsheet gets swept overboard and caught on a rudder on a heavy day. Prevents uncleating / unthreading the traveler in order to retrieve the sheets.

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Upgraded aluminum Clamcleats on the boom. Simple and work well.

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Downhaul: Similar to the 5:1 available through Murrays, but better. Slightly wider to fit the newer / fatter Hobie downhaul grommet in the new Hobie mainsail. Pivoting exit block at the bottom. Attaches to the sail in seconds & does not require re-threading the line at each rigging. All Harken blocks. The aluminum cleat on the mast in the second picture is the factory Hobie cleat and is not used.

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Another view:

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And finally, some sails. Custom color pattern, class legal Hobie. I wanted something cheerful that would still look good with a white jib (down the road when the multi colored jib is worn out) Pattern with the striped jib is a definite nod to yesteryear...I like it. Also, I wanted to get as many of the tell-tale windows into white fabric as I could...provides a nice viewing contrast.

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Lets go sailing! Finally!


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 7:18 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:35 pm
Posts: 313
Location: Lake Champlain, Vermont
Very cool. Better than new 18. Thanks for posting pics, its very helpful for lots of people (me on putting my sx wings on).

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H18, H17 & Various motor boats


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:33 am 
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Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2003 7:14 pm
Posts: 461
Location: West MI
I want to thank you for sharing your "new" boat and gear with everyone on the forum. We all know how much this labor of love took to assemble, not to mention the cost. Due to your documentation other 18 sailors will now know what "upgrades" they can make to make to their older boats.

KEEP THE SPIRIT AND CLASS ALIVE!

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1989 Hobie 18 Worlds Boat, Magnum Wings & Spinnaker
1987 Hobie Holder 20 #273

dale.vanlopik"at"att"dot"net


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:27 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:06 pm
Posts: 49
Location: Olathe, KS
Fantastic post. It is cool to see an 18 in such pristine condition.

Did Hobie pick your sail number as this is a brand new boat or did you get to pick that?

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Paul


2020 Getaway
http://www.fleet297.org


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:52 am 
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Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 10:02 pm
Posts: 177
Location: Hanover, PA
Did a double take yesterday at our local lake as saw those exact sail colors pulling up to the shore. Very eye catching layout! Too bad it was on a Prindle though. Enjoyed your posts and can't wait to see pictures of yours under sail.

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'95 H16 sail #101148
'89 H18 SX/ sail #1053 w/ Yellow hulls


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:41 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:13 am
Posts: 135
Location: Shepherd, Michigan
Maiden voyage today. Near perfect weather, everything worked fantastically. Winds built from light single-handing conditions to two-up near-hull flying with my wife; perfect flat water. Hobie 18 wing sailing...doesn't get any better than this. I'll post another reply with some technical analysis and a few more pics later on, but here is some eye candy for now:

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:57 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2010 7:13 pm
Posts: 188
Location: Charleston, SC
Great looking boat on a great looking blue water lake.

Question on the downhaul. where did you find it? I have the Murrays and I like it except for the width.

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1984 Hobie 18


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:36 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:39 am
Posts: 92
Nice looking boat! I'm sure it sails as nicely as the construction!

Can you or someone due me a huge favor and measure the tiller crossbar length? The one on my boat is bent and I want to replace it and simultaneously upgrade to the Miracle 20 rudder attachments but finding this length online appears near impossible (Matt gave a "well, 76" will probably work" answer, but that's not good enough IMO).

Thanks!
-Sam


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 6:43 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:13 am
Posts: 135
Location: Shepherd, Michigan
To answer the prior two questions: I assembled the downhaul myself from individual components.

Tiller crossbar: "About 76 inches" will probably be about right. I trimmed mine to 75" so that I could dial my rudder alignment in and still be in the middle of the adjustment range. It really depends on a variety of factors...such as how long your tiller arms are (since they angle in towards each other), how close to the centerline your rudder gudgeons are mounted, and even if your rear crossbar has flattened a bit over time...all of these dimensions vary from boat to boat. Your best course of action will be to check your rudder alignment before installing the Miracle 20 tiller ends permanently in the tiller crossbar and shorten if necessary.


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:16 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:13 am
Posts: 135
Location: Shepherd, Michigan
More photo's of the first sail...

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Rudder system is fantastic, best I've ever sailed. Very little pull on the tiller, but the boat will eventually head to weather. Gives a bit of time to use both hands on other chores as needed with very little correction needed once back off 'autopilot'. Very much appreciated when sailing solo and adjusting a daggerboard, mananging multiple lines at once, or even unscrewing the top off a bottle.

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This next photo is pretty cool...you can see a lot of reflection into the water. Torch Lake in Michigan...beautiful clear water lake.

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Boat felt light and fast, as expected. My wife & I played for a bit with a Prindle 18 that was on the water, being sailed solo by a reasonably skilled sailor. We were easily 300 pounds heavier (assuming an average weight P-18) but were a bit faster. Neither of us were really pushing too hard, so it is safe to assume the difference is in the new sails, hulls, foils, etc on our 18...

Neither hull leaked a drop, and the roller furling cleat setup that I installed is great, especially when singlehanding. The time spent fitting the daggerboards paid off; they worked almost as if on ball bearings.

A local floatplane flew by on a low pass and landed. A couple on a pair of jet ski's said to my wife & I that "we looked great out there". It was a good day.


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 9:01 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 10:49 pm
Posts: 17
Location: San Diego
The boat looks great. Sure looks like it floats higher in the water than all the older ones I'm used to seeing.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:59 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2010 2:24 pm
Posts: 112
Location: Todd Mission, Texas
Great looking boat. Could we possibly get a parts list for the Downhaul system?

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Jeff
1986 Hobie 18 #13031


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:26 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 8:08 am
Posts: 75
Location: Houston, TX
Simply amazing. It is refreshing to see such a beautiful boat actually being used. Great work - enjoy it!


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