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PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:06 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:55 pm
Posts: 37
Location: Scottsdale AZ
Ok I finally got mad and decided I'm sick of leaving the Tiger home and taking the little boat because I can't find crew! My mission is to singlehand with just Main or Main & Jib when winds are light. That being said I ordered a Mast Stepper III which Hobie says can be modified to work with the Tiger. Has anyone tried the the Stepper III with a Tiger? Thoughts?
Thanks

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skennedy
2003 Tiger


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 2:19 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 5:48 pm
Posts: 276
Location: Boston Ma / Newport RI
It would probably work fine, the only thing that's sortof a problem is resting the mast on its side, which puts a diamond wire on your traveler track, not a great idea to scratch up either one. If the boat is on the ground ( chocks and beachwheels) try using a plastic saw horse to support the mast so it's not bouncing on the diamond wire. 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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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:45 pm 
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Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:45 pm
Posts: 1668
Location: Northfield Minnesota
Just use the spin halyard to hold the mast up so you can attach the forestay to the bridle. Tie off the halyard to the bridle, life the mast, cleat the halyard, voila!. Its how I've done it on all of the spin boats I've had.


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:28 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:46 pm
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Got the stepper III to work with FX. Tiger should be similar.

There were several problems/issues that must be solved.

1. As Tall Guy says you have to have something to rest the end of the mast on. I built a tripod.
2. Instead of the slug and the ropes attached to the slug, I use the trap lines and tie the trap lines off to the gin pole bridle lines. Obviously you have to modify the ropes that come with the kit or use some different line.
3. I had to work the clamp on. It'll go but it has to flex some to fit around the mast.
4. I got a winch that reverses and that has a ratchet lock for both directions. It was $40 or so. Then put a roller on the trailer tongue for the line to thread around before it goes up to gin pole. Did this to get more angle on the pull. Did this at suggestion of instructions...
5. Here's the kicker: The distance of the trap lines (or lines from the slug) to the ends of the crossbar when the mast is horizontal must be the exact same length as the distance of the trap lines (or lines from the slug) to the ends of the crossbar when the mast is vertical. Unless you choose a point that is equidistant, the lines will be way loose at some point and way too tight at another point. Make sense?

There are a number of ways you can get around this...

What I ended doing was putting two eyes straps on the ends of the crossbar to attach the lines to. I attach the lines from the gin pole to the eye straps. In the gin pole lines, I tied an Alpine Butterfly loop and run the line through the eye strap and back to the Alpine loop and tension the lines with half hitches (like a trucker's hitch). I did not use the metal loops that came with the kit. There is nowhere to bolt them to as there is on the Getaway. Obviously I do not use the continuous rope that came with the kit.

I tied a second Alpine Butterfly in the gin pole lines higher up that I attach the trap lines to. I put a small piece of line with a Bowline on one end through the trap thimble and then back through the Alpine loop and back to the Bowline and tension the trap lines with half hitches (like a trucker's hitch).

Everything has to be centered and equally tensioned or as you raise the mast it will drift to the side and scare the hell out of you. Also, unless everything is centered and equally tensioned, drifting to the side will cause the mast post threads to dig into the mast base and scuff it up bad.

It's goes like this... Put the clamp on. Attach the forestay to the gin pole. Attach the winch line to the gin pole. Put the gin pole on the clamp. Tension the gin pole lines to the eye straps. Tension the trap lines to the loops on the gin pole lines. Check everything for tension. Crank the mast up. Hook the boat bridles to the forestay and take stepper off. I've used it enough to be more comfortable with it.

Just like you, I have a Wave and big boat and I end up having to take the Wave out and it's frustrating. I give Hobie an A+ for giving me something to exercise my brain on (that's sarcastic). Frankly, if you don't like all this nonsense, I'd return the kit fast.

Karl has good suggestion using the spin setup. Reason I don't do that is my tramp has bad saggy problems and juggling a mast on that tramp...


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:55 am 
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Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 10:52 pm
Posts: 110
There is a post complete with pics but I can't find it - anybody??

You arrange the forward mast carrier on the trailer so that it is telescopic and can be extended upwards about 4 feet higher than when on the road. Mount a block just under the yoke that the mast sits on. Mount a small winch at a convenient point on the carrier mast. Load a rope onto the winch, and take it up and through the block, exiting the block to the rear.
Fix the end of the winch rope fairly high on the mast remembering, that you will have to disconnect it later so use a halyard maybe.
Locate your mast fore/aft with the base on the support if you can. You will need sideways support to stop the mast swinging sideways. It's good if someone can assist at this point by making sure the mast is on the step, that it is not going to go sideways and that it is raised about 30 degrees. You only need someone to help for a couple of minutes.
Wind the winch and the mast will come up with little effort. You can also use the winch to drag the boat onto the trailer if you are light-handed.
This works, and it cost me about $50 so set up.


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 8:11 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2011 7:06 pm
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I purchased an electric winch and attached it to the tongue of the trailer. I prop up the end of the mast using a six foot ladder and use the spinnaker halyard to raise the last. Easy and only $39 from Harbor Freight.

dk
'01 Tiger - Big T


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