21SC bolt rope

I am having trouble with the bolt rope exiting the track at the joint between the plastic track and the lower metal track section for 1st reef. Any suggestions regarding what is causing this and what to do about it. I have a new mast and never had this problem with the old one. When hoisting, the sail meets resisstance at the joint, and when coaxed higher, pops out of the track.

Another 21SC owner in my area just bought a new main from Hobie and is having the exact same problem. His is an early 90's boat and he never had the problem with his old sail.

Anyone have a solution for this? What about putting a slug at the top of the headboard?

thanks,
george vs

Take a look at the junction of the plastic to aluminum. Should be little gap and the aluminum should be flared just enough to allow the transition. Possibly the aluminum is flaired open too far. Tweak it back with pliers. If there is a gap between the tracks, you can force the sections down by adding a small piece of plastic (track) above all of the tracks at the top.

As far as a new sail in an old boat / mast? Perhaps the head of the sail is stitched flatter than it should be. Possibly not as bulked up. The slug idea has been tried and causes other problems. I would review the track junctions on that boat as well.

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

I am continuing to have problems with this. I have examined the joint as suggested. On my new mast (august 2003). the aluminum section of the track is smaller than the plastic section. There is no flare formed into the end of the aluminum section as on my old (2001) mast. When the bolt rope end encounters the edge of the smaller aluminum section, it hangs up there. If coaxed higher, the only thing the bolt rope can do is spread the flexible track section adjacent and exit the track. I have photos but haven't figured out where to post them.

Why did Hobie stop forming the flare into the ends of the aluminum sections? My bolt rope is getting completely buggered up from from this.

George VS

As noted above, if the flair is open too much... close it a bit. Since the flair is not enough... open it a bit to make the transition easier.

This is certainly a Hobie Factory workmanship issue and your dealer can take care of it for you under warranty. They will be told to do the same. Commonly with a pair of pliers. Not a big deal to do.

The original problems with the 21SC mast were too much flair causing a gap for the sail to feed out. They over compensated here.

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

It's not a matter of any kind of compensaation. there is NO flare at all in the aluminum section

I have lost all faith in my dealer. He can't even charge a credit card correctly, much less cut a shroud the correct length. A less obvious problem such as this would be completely beyond him, and I would have to bring him the boat and leave it for a couple of weeks. Plus four hours of driving and I would probably be charge a diagnostic fee for him to not fix it. Forget it.

I actually have done as you have suggested and dinged my new mast sections up with pliers and put a flair in the end of the aluminum sections. So far so good on the lower aluminum section, but the bolt rope still pops out of the upper one. By the way I even replaced the halyard with ultra low stretch. One of the first things I did, since the factory halyard elongated much too much and allowed the headboard to creep down the mast below the top aluminum section with the inevitable result. The new halyard has helped that issue but now this problem of the bolt rope exiting during the hoist.

I mentioned the slug idea. You mentioned that there are other problems that come up. I would be curious to know what they are. Double slugs fitted to the headboard seems like a promising solution from my vantage point.

Can you sell me a single continuous section of aluminum mast track? That would be ideal and would solve all these problems. Oh wait, that would be conductive and defeat the purpose of the comp tip. Oh, wait... the reason I had to replace the comp tip was that it exploded when hit by lightning because it wasn't conductive.

George VS

, OK, I may have this fixed. Introducing the flare in the lower corners of the aluminum bolt rope extrusions seems to allow the bolt rope to feed more or less smoothly during the hoist.

The final key was that I had a grommet pressed into the outer hole in the headboard and connect the halyard at the outer hole. This appears to introduce a better angle of pull on the headboard, which keeps it in the track.

No problems hoisting or reefing since making these mods.

George VS