Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 12:30 pm

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2018 3:49 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue May 22, 2018 3:12 pm
Posts: 15
Location: Denver
Hey there! I'm new, but been lurking around a little bit. This forum is a literal treasure trove of information.

I learned to sail on my grandparents' old Barnet butterfly. If you haven't seen them, they're fun single-handed catboats based on a 12-foot scale of the C-Scow. Very simple, not terribly fast, but exciting in the right conditions.

Last August I started looking for a sailboat of my own, and started out looking for butterflies (since I'm familiar with them). There were a couple outside my price range, then I spotted a 1978 Hobie 16 from a guy off of Craigslist. The boat had no soft spots on the hulls and the tramp and (I believe original) tequila sunrise sails are in great shape, so for $400 I figured I could at least resell the sails for at least that much (based on the condition), so I went ahead and grabbed it. So far it's been a great boat to sail. Even flew a hull a couple weeks ago, which isn't an easy feat in Colorado (We don't have great wind out here along much of the front range).

I did need to invest in a couple of parts, including a couple new mast cleats, a new mast-head, and mast base. I'm also wanting to replace the shrouds and the jib halyard soon-ish, but those are lower priority.

Eventually though, I'd like to get a trap system. The boat didn't come with one when I bought it (at least not as far as I can find), so I have literally no parts for the trap at all. Pictures I can see lead me to believe that the wires hold up the shock-cords, which is what you hang off of while out on the trap; is that the case? It seems to me like it would stretch the shock-cord out a lot to have your whole weight supported by it, which is why that seems wrong to me, but I could be misinformed or incorrect here (about a number of things).

Can someone help me out with that? Alternatively, if someone has a boat out in Colorado/Denver area and would be willing to teach me in person, I'd be happy to supply a 6-pack or similar compensation for a quick lesson or two!

_________________
1978 16, "Bifrost"


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 12:52 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 1:30 pm
Posts: 380
Only used a trap once or twice but the shock cord just holds the line to the cat so its not dangling if i remember right. You clip in just above the cord slightly below the t handle.

Also if you are not flying a haul that much I don’t think a trap would be that useful.

Once again i am no pro at traps and I haven’t sailed a 16 in years so lets see what the smart people think.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 12:56 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2014 1:30 pm
Posts: 380
From matt

“The trap wires have a wire thimble (loop) on the end. A line passes through that. The J&H is tied to the end of the line. A bunjee ties to the other end (and goes under the tramp to the opposite side of the boat). There would be a small black "rope lock" on the line to set the length that the J&H pulls down to (your trapeze height adjustment). Your harness should have a hook on a plate or spreader bar. The hook points down. When you sit on the side rail, you pull the J&H trap handle down and hook to the bottom of its loop. The bunjee pulles back on the J&H / line to keep tension on the system connection to your harness. This helps to keep it hooked as you move around getting out on the wire before you load you weight onto it. “


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 4:26 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:35 am
Posts: 438
Location: Opelika/Lake Martin, Alabama
Great explanation. Some people like the old style "dog bones" instead of the J&H handles also.

_________________
Marty
1984 H16 Yellow Nationals Redline, "Yellow Fever"
Lake Martin, 'Bama.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed May 23, 2018 6:42 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
This pic shows a typical trap setup. The bungee cord retracts the trap ring which is attached to a single line. There is a plastic stopper attached to the opposite side of the line to allow you to adjust the height of the system. When you're hooked into the trap ring, all of your weight is on the line/trap wire. The bungee cord simply keeps the system from swinging around when not in use and would not be able to support your weight.

Image

sm


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 5 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group