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 Post subject: Newbie Questions
PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 12:53 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2004 12:50 pm
Posts: 1
Hi gang, I'm looking into my first Hobie - have a 1988 H17 in my sights.

-can it be easily retrofitted with a jib? (newer sport models have one)?
-I presume by its age it would not have the newer boomless rig? What's involved in this conversion?

thanks.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 5:05 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 2:54 pm
Posts: 23
Location: Durham, NC
The Sport Cat is NOT the "new" model.
The Sport Cat (boomless, w/jib) has been around for a long time.

The H17 is a fun boat, but it cannot carry much weight.
If you put more than 300lbs on it, you quickly become a U-boat Commander.
Adding a small jib doesn't counter-act the additional weight.

I think that every 17 sail has a bolt-rope for the mini-boom.
But it performs much better with a boom.

The 17 SE(single-handed, no jib) is the racing Class.
The Hobie Class rules do not include the Sport version.

Just buy the boat and come racing.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 6:26 am 
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Hobie Approved Guru

Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
Older sails (pre-1993?) do not have the bolt rope on the clew of the main which is necessary for the boomless rig.

All sails after that do.

The boat is easily retrofitted with the jib kit, but it's $$$. The jib ads a significant amount of power, which can be helpful in lighter air. The 17 is notoriously underpowered, especially off the wind. The flip side to this is that it's a blast to sail when it's blowing. There is no other boat I'd rather be on when it's blowing 20+.

Sam's right about the weight. The boat is a slug with too much weight on it. Not to mention it was never really designed to carry two people.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 12:23 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Jun 30, 2004 6:39 am
Posts: 470
Location: Finger Lakes, NY
I have sailed Hobies for over 25 years starting with the 16 and I am now flying on a '91 H17.

I also looked into outfitting with a jib because the 17 is so difficult to tack- even under the best of circumstances- without a jib to back the hulls through the eye. :x

Here is what I found, hope it helps: You can order the the Sport Jib Kit and a Jib. That will cost you about $1200 with a colored jib. That's the easy part except that it costs about what the used boat cost :roll: I am hoping to find a used sport with a jib for about the same price..

If your main is pre-'95 mainsail and you want to convert your main to use the boomlet instead of the boom, you need to have the foot of the main cut higher on the luff and straighter to the clew. Then you have to add a batten pocket and batten to the foot of the main and a section of reinforced bolt rope about 30 inches forward from the clew to hang the boomlet on. In effect, the batten in the foot becomes your boom and supports the foot of the sail and the tackle. A sailmaker can do this for you for a small fortune of course :roll: - or you can buy a new sail for about $1000 to $1250 dollars. This may be your best option if your sails are used and abused anyway.

Personally, I think that you are able to get better overall sail shape with a boom and if your sail is in good shape, live with it, and on it 8)

Happy sails from the Church of the Latter Day Sailors- The Morons :lol:


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