Ill start by saying thanks in advance to this forum and its members!! At 34 I caught the sailing bug on my annual Caribbean trip with a fun little Hobie wave about a year ago(so pardon my terms, i am still learning, but defn a lifetime sailor from here on out and wish I woulda done this YEARS ago!). As soon as I got back I purchased a 1987 Hobie 16 and went through the motions of bringing everything up to date. Chip at Whirlwind Sails did an excellent job on my new main/jib and keeping me in the loop through the process. I sailed through the winter on my local lake (only 2 miles from my business so it makes life easy!) and learned quickly how to right a cat in the cold water but I am continually learning how to sail.
the 16
Ok now onto the good stuff. Found a 1995 Hobie 17 (SE i think, that has been converted to a Sport? Maybe someone can look and tell me) and the gentleman gave me a GREAT deal, i learned on here what to look for...and minus a few dings on the front crossbar from improper mast hoisting, it is amazing shape. Wing mounting holes dont leak into the hull, no cracks crossbar, the bottom of the hulls have NO damage (i had to reglass the bottom of my 16 and that was no fun...thus the black hulls), dagerboards are nice and springy (he stored them in the down position!) and boat was stored undercover with comptip out of the sun and rudders removed. Reason for 2 boats? Because as much fun as the 16 is, in a the higher winds with the Whirlwind sail it is constantly flying hulls and i was always trapping and also I wanted something i could sail solo and the wings are amazing cause I get a bit lazy (maybe my tax return was better than i thought
.)
First impressions from the last weekend (winds where 10-15 mph, with gusts 25), AMAZING!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!! Once i left the little cove that was protected from the wind, she took off downwind (something i wasnt used to in the 16). I was chasing down and walking past another 16 on the lake.
I thought for sure without the jib it was gonna be slower. It also seem a little easier to sail, maybe b/c i didnt have to trap and the wings make nice seats/backrests?!?!? Playing with the mast rotation, downhaul and outhaul was a new learning experience too. On to the questions:
First pic of 17 (i didnt hook up the jib cause I wanted to shake down first and i defn didnt wanna be righting all day due to my inexperience).
I am assuming this is the 7:1 block setup? overkill? Seemed to work great.
A:I am assuming this is the jib 'tension' line? Once you release the roller furler this will bring the back of the jib in as needed? Again sorry if those arent the correct terms! Also, I am used to the H16 jib system which is why I am confused with this.
B: How to these tracks work with the above?
C: Is the righting line run properly? it is run through the dolphin striker on the front crossbar.
I am fairly certain this is supposed to have 2 small blocks and attach to the rear of the jib like the H16 setup? If not...HELP!
Mast rotator bungee? The bungee is shot, but I can replace. Please explain how this works and if it needed?
Another pic of downhaul/mast rotator. Dont mind the pinkish/red line around the rotator, i figured that out
PLEASE let me know if you see something that isnt correct and thank you for your help in advance!
Just for reference