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PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:26 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:58 am
Posts: 593
Location: Knoxville, TN
The 1997 H-20 that I recently bought came with Robichaud battens. They are very narrow, only 5/8" wide. Are these the standard battens that Hobie sold with the boat? My problem is that I can't find batten caps to fit on the leach end. The boat came with no caps, the battens just had holes near the end that would require tieing and untieing after each use. I tried some Trentec 3/4 inch caps (Murray's #12-4080) and even though I glued them on with super glue and filled in the excess gaps with silicone sealer, they are still a little fragile. The super glue doesn't want to adhere very well to either the slick finish on the inside of the cap or to the fiberglass batten.

What do you experienced H-20 sailors use for batten caps and how do you get them to stay on? Were these skinny Robichaud battens original equipment? They have a nice taper to them and I think I'd like them if I could find a good batten cap. Alternatively, I've thought about going to wider H-16 battens since good end caps for them are plentifull. I don't know if I'll get as nice a pocket with H-16 battens and I know they'll be a little heavier, but I don't think it would be enough extra weight to make a difference. I could be wrong. Any thoughts on Robichaud battens, end caps, or using H-16 battens would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

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H16 Seabreeze #112205 (Richard Petty Signature Edition)
H14T Fantasia #47787
San Juan 28


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:53 am 
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Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:04 am
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Location: Clinton Lake Kansas
My 0.003 cents (current value) :roll: Hope someone else chimes in as well.

The battens you have are the ones you want. Judging by your sail number you have an Elliott-Patterson (EP) loft sail. As far as I know, the newer, flatter cut, mains have a somehow different batten, so if you "upgrade" to a new, or newer, sail you'll also need to purchase the current battens offered by Hobie.

Don't get too caught up in tensioning battens like we did with the dacron sails on 16's. Mylar sail's battens need to be snug.

As an aside, we started sailing the boat much faster, and more competittive, when I stopped worrying about things like batten tension and sheeted the main in WAY tighter than I ever did with a dacron main.

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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:17 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jul 02, 2005 9:47 pm
Posts: 614
Location: San Diego
Battens can be a complex issue. The wrong batten can look great on the beach and horrible on the water. The issues revolve around the stiffness in the leech and bend under load. Too soft a batten may look good on the beach, but under increased windspeed and load, the shape may shift towards the leech and invert the sail shape (flat luff, rounded leech). Usually the sail maker matches the batten to the use/sail. The Hobie Cat supplied battens are foam core to save weight and increase stiffness. I have found the stock battens to be superior to some of the alternatives offered in the market.

By the way, I don't adjust the batten tension ever (good and snug) so batten caps are not required.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:55 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:58 am
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Location: Knoxville, TN
Thanks for the comments. I'm concerned that if I tighten the battens so that they're snug using the holes originally drilled in them and leave them snug when I'm not sailing - as I know I will because I'm too lazy to untie knots after every use - then I'll eventually stretch the sail out. That's why I'm looking for a batten tip that I can tighten up quickly before sailing and then loosen again quickly when I'm done. I'm new to the H-20 and am getting back into sailing after being out for many years, so my concern could easily be without merit. Do you guys think that leaving the battens tied snuggly will harm the sail? :?

Thanks,

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Mark Van Doren
H16 Seabreeze #112205 (Richard Petty Signature Edition)
H14T Fantasia #47787
San Juan 28


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:38 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 4:14 am
Posts: 37
Location: Sioux Falls SD
Mylar doesn't stretch as bad as dacron, so don't worry 'bout loosing them as much as dacron. I have the oversized adjustable batton caps, just fill with a bunch of silicone, stuff it on, and don't worry about it. I have had two sets of sails in 8 years, and it works just fine.

Paul


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 Post subject: battens
PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:24 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:00 am
Posts: 52
Location: Northern VA
I never loosen mine up; maybe on the last sail of the season. The only one I have in TIGHT is the very top. I've heard that one likes to be tight to make up for the comptip tending to flatten the sail too soon. However, that batten is so short that it's hard to get much bend anyway. I've also heard that the 16 starting point of "tight enough to hold the bend" when you snap them up (sail on the tramp) is a little too much for the 20. Anyway, my 10 year old sail has pinholes and minor delam spots, but no apparent deforming.

I wouldn't even think about using 16 battens unless I had a total beater with NO battens left. Way too heavy and too stiff. That mast is heavy enough; you don't need more weight up in the air.


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:57 pm 
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Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
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Location: Jersey Shore
I can't speak to all the 20 sails made, but as far as I know, the stock battens were a fiberglass/foam core sandwich which came pre tapered. Not RBS solid fiberglass battens. These were what my boat came with and what I recall seeing on other boats. These foam core battens were probably considerably softer in the tip than solid RBS battens (which, from your description, sounds to me to be identical to what RBS made for windsurfing sails for many years).

On the 20, we always used considerably less batten tension that what we use on 17 and 18 sails. I only really ever put in enough tension to just take out the wrinkles along the batten pocket and then a pinch more. And I always left the tension on except maybe at the end of the season as another poster mentioned.

sm


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2011 7:40 am 
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Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2007 8:39 pm
Posts: 26
Location: Ingleside, TX
I am looking for a #2, from the bottom, batten. I have the Elliot Patterson sails on my 1995. Does anyone have an extra laying around??

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