Capsize Guide and Mast Ball

Hello All,
just bought one of these beautiful beasts (a 21 SE) from Scotland and spent 13 hours yesterday towing it down to Kent, England (got a lot of sympathy from truckers for towing something wider than a shipping container!). Would like some guidance on righting a capsize. I understand it is tricky and would like to get the consensus on the best technique and any extra gear I need for this. All comments appreciated.

Also, do i need a new mast ball ? Mine is a bit chaffed. Is it suppose to screw on the dolphin striker post firmly or just sit there. Mine is removable by hand once screwed on?? Would it help if I epoxy it on ? Are they readily available in the UK??

Mine has three trapeze wires per side. Is that above average ?

Kind Regards,
Martin

You will want:
Hobie mast ball part no. 30110001

Murrays Big Cat Catamaran Righting System sku# 01-8293
$75.00 each

cobagco on Ebay New Red Righting Bucket for hobie nacra prindle cat
Brand New
$55.00

And some kind of block and tackle to pull righting bag out of water like: Murrays Cat Righter Uphaul: Cam-Cleat 4:1
$140.00 ea


Johnson Marine Quick Release Lever 1/8 Wire 1/4 Pin
View Larger
SKU: SJN 14205
Brand: Johnson Marine
about $70 each...you want a pair of these and you will need your shrouds shorten to accommodate the extra length.

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Bill 404 21SE

If your sailing with small kids....three trapeze per side is fun but you will seldom need all of those wires.

With a catamaran that wide you may seldom even need to get out in the trap unless the wind is really blowing. So I feel two traps per side will do.

The less stuff in your face is better.

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Bill 404 21SE

Thanks Bill, that's really helpful. A couple of questions though:

With the shroud lengthening technique how much does your shroud end up being lengthened by ? And does the loss of rig tension make the mast vulnerable to popping off the dolphin post?

The pigtail adds another 16 inches to the shroud length, allowing the hull to go over center. If the ball and mast base are in good shape, it should be captive. The pin in the base holds it on. You need to read the thread on Aquarius Sails owners group that describes the method in detail, emphasizing that the mast is to be into the wind before righting, because once it goes over, you want the wind blowing the mast tight, tensioning the still tight shroud. Otherwise, if you right the boat with the wind against the lengthened shroud, it'll be a flopping, crazy mast that is near impossible to re-pin.

Will try and find link to post as it was really good.

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ChuckC
H21SE- 408

Here's the link. Gotta forgive Bill Robert's (who passed away last year or so) as he came across gruff. But, the guy knew what he was doing for sure and gives a great write up. Worth the read:

https://owners.aquarius-sail.com/phpbb3 ... ield#p4613

I'll get you pics of my set up in the next day or so, once rain allows.

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ChuckC
H21SE- 408

Fix your ball. I found out my threads were worn out when the mast and ball popped out while preparing to step the mast. Worse yet it could have let loose while trying to right the boat.

Yeah - that's more than just "pretty important" - that's a disaster waiting to happen. And, the balls are cheap and plentiful. Either Murrays in the US or Hobie Europe (I think) across the pond should have them. They are the same ball used on other Hobies, not just the SE.

Chuck

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ChuckC
H21SE- 408

Thanks for the pointers. My mast ball is super wobbly. Is it normal for the top inch of the Dolphin Post to have a reduced thread diameter or is mine worn out ? Chuck it would be good to see photos if you could.

This is interesting! The top of my Dolphin striker is also "worn". The threads are somewhat flat and look evenly worn down. The old mast ball was "super wobbly" too. I had a really hard time fitting a new mast ball and I thought I had the wrong ball but it was probably the right one. Eventually I damaged the threads of the new ball and screwed it on there anyway by putting a lot of force on the top while turning the ball. After a while the ball was stuck on there but I have no idea if I reached the bottom of the threads or not. Most likely not. Here is a picture of the end result. Unfortunately I don't have any other pictures. I will inspect for sure the next time I take the mast down. Since I am storing the boat mast up that may be a while.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mskfvqByavs9b9A66

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Hobie Cat 21SE #376

Exactly right. Mine came with three trapeze wires as well but I removed one of them to have less stuff in the way but I am considering refitting it for the kids. But two wires should be plenty.

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Hobie Cat 21SE #376

Dhaglund,
My dolphin post looks exactly as you describe with flattened threads. I am having a hard time finding a new mast ball in the UK where did you get yours from?

A new one came with the boat when I bought it.

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Hobie Cat 21SE #376

Well that's weird! My dolphin striker has good threads; I can't envision how the threads under the ball part would get worn on 2 boats. That would imply a common flaw. I do know my mast base contacts the threaded portion sometimes, but I think more from raising and lowering mast. The assembly also was squeaking last time out. That was maddening.

Have had weather/timing issues all week; I'll see if I can get better pics over the weekend between squall lines from this tropical storm coming in. Will be tuning and cleaning up a new addition - a Suzuki DT-2 outboard I picked for $350. Looks like it's hardly used at all and has been sitting in a garage for 25 years. Has them old-fashioned things called "points" on it... Been a long time since I set timing and points! But, I find the time to get close-ups. Bill Kent helped me set up my shroud extenders - big thanks there.

On the ball - I had zero problem threading the ball on and don't recall squared threads. Mine is an 89; maybe a year change thing to keep the ball tightly screwed down??? I ended up wrapping the post with a TON of teflon tape to tighten the fit, actually. Got the ball from Murrays.

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ChuckC
H21SE- 408

I had a look at the mast ball when I sailed yesterday. The mast ball rotates on the post and the mast rotates on the ball, mostly the first. So I assume the threads on the ball are gone and I will have to revisit this issue.

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Hobie Cat 21SE #376