Raising the main on the water

Hi, all. I am new to the forum, but have been sailing Hobies for some years now (for pleasure). Having moved to a new location on the lake I sail on, I have a problem I wonder if anyone can help me with.

I can no longer beach the boat due to large rocks (boulders) and a steep slope. Launching off the trailer is impossible in any wind (how ironic) due to the configuration of the launch facility (a long narrow channel formed by docks). I tried that once, and it was a near disaster, although it might have made America's Funniest Videos. So, my only real option as I see it is to moor the boat, and I don't want to leave the sails up.

I am about to sell the boat because I have not figured out how to raise the main sail on a moored boat.

Anyone have any good ideas!

Thanks, David

How deep is the water where the boat is? I have kind of the same situation but I can stand in waist deep water and rig to boat with no trouble. Mooring the boat is unusally not a good idea the boat takes quite a bit of punishment on a moor. I built a small lift so the boat sits out of the water. Is it possible you could build a track that is anchored by the rocks but it would allow you to slide the cat up the tack to keep it slighly out of the water. Anyway just a thought.

O.K. I assume you have trouble dealing with the halyard hook on the mast top while balancing on the tip of your hull holding on to the forestay….
Two ideas…
Make the mast rotate in one fixed position – the front of the mast needs to point to the bow you are planning to stand on while dealing with the halyard. To keep the mast from rotating you might have to tie a rope from the gooseneck to one of the corner castings.
The other idea is more invasive… You could dump the existing main halyard setup. Replace both - SS wire and rope with some low stretch (may be 3/16… IIRC the pully in the mast top looks like it would accommodate 3/16) rope. The rope should be equal in length with the SS wire and rope halyard together. Do not use the SS hook and “ball on halyard” setup on your mast top any longer. You could raise and lower the main from your tramp ! This setup might have some negative effect on mast compression and bending curve of the mast. You might want to discuss this with some one who knows more about that. If you do not race - you might not care.

Patrick

Roy and Patrick - thanks for the ideas.

I had thought about some kind of ramp for the boat, but the lake is routinely drawn down over the course of the Summer by about 4-5 feet (it's a power dam lake), and I figured that faced with moving the ramp each visit to the lake I'd quickly give up. Great idea though! Water gets deep fast, and I'd have to moor far enough out to allow the boat to "swing" (avoiding the docks tied to shore).

I think I will try Patrick's suggestion of aligning the mast first. I guess I will also have to change to hoisting the main without the boom - something I've never tried, but seems well worth a shot.

Thanks for the tips!

I used to raise & lower the sails in 10' of water all the time. The trick is to sit on or near the front starboard casting to help feed the sail with one hand and pull the halyard with the other. Once the main is up I walked out on the starboard bow to lock it in place. Raising the jib is a bit easier.

I didn't "moor" the boat so much as attach it to the dock using a line and a spring clip (like below) and I'd just clip onto one of the bridle wires for the 2-3 minutes it'd take me to raise & lower the sails.


Any more specific questions don't hesitate to ask.

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Warm regards,

Jim

Hey David,

Don't sell the boat over this!!

I bought my 71 last fall with three other friends and have a very similar situation at a dam that was build first for flood control, secondly for irrigation and lastly for recreation so it fluctuates at lest 15 feet over the summer. The dock is a cabled set of floating plastic blocks and we've never known any other way to raise the main than to temporarily tie off to one of the prindle wires (as Jim suggests) and let the boat settle head into the wind. With one guy guiding the luff the other stands on the dock hauling the halyard up and then cat walks from the prow of the closest hull to the mast to set the cable (you have the halyard to keep youself upright and assist in balancing).

BTW - I had my first righting experience Saturday when my friend was out with his fiance' and turtled it. She was picked up by a friendly boater who brought me back to the boat. This new part owner was out for his first solo run and in desperation while waiting for me had loosed the main halyard and then though better of it. Once righted, we needed to raise the final foot or so and re-set the halyard. Even with a wet sail and track (maybe because of the wet?) I was able to stand right next to the mast on the front crossbar and and pull the halyard down and set it. Way too easy I thought - but I'm ready to try it again next time.

I did discover that raising the jib on the trailer without clipping into the clew plate saves some trouble for the same reasons. When we're ready, we clip in and away we go.

I've only had it out about 8 times so am still figuring it out.

Mitch

Have you thought about putting a motor mount on your boad and using the ramp? I'm talking about an eletric trolling motor. Just a thought I think thats whats it coming to for me.....

-steady winds,
Chris

Just a thought, but your problem I guess would be to keep your weight on the tramp while pulling on the main halyard at a bit of an angle forwards...

Maybe put a small block on the bridle, or even where the bridle joins the tip of one hull, and haul the halyard via that? Anything that pulls away from the mast a bit.

Regards,

Danny
New Zealand

I have a similar problem, in that the launches I use were really designed for, and crowded by, power boats. After a few scary close calls and high-stress launches and landings, I no longer bother trying to sail out from the ramp area.

I get the boat all ready to go, but leave the sails completely down. Then I launch the boat off the trailer and use a paddle to make my way out of the launching area and a few hundred feet away from all the other boats, and well upwind of any disaster areas, like rocks or moored yachts. Give yourself some room to think and deal with unexpected little problems.

To raise the main, I haul it up as much as I can from the tramp, and then walk out on one hull to get it to clear the clip, and hold it tight as I walk back in. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get it to catch, and it can be fun if there are lots of big waves tossing you around. The jib is much easier of course.

I guess my main advice is to get a paddle, and use that to get to a safe place to fiddle around with the boat. A motor works, too, but it's a lot more to deal with, and cats paddle really easily. Tuck the paddle in the center lacing when you're sailing. Paddles can also come in really handy if something goes wrong with your usual power source...

Oh come now, what could possibly go wrong with the regular power source.....

btw, I have two paddles on board at all times...

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Raizin' Hull
#638
CCMQ6749M82H

first voyage on my hobie, two of the stays broke, and down came the mast, across the bay from my house. Got a little workout that day, but didn't mind. After all, i've now spend $12 the boat that was given to me!!!!

Adam

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Adam

'7? Hobie 14

I raise my main on the water by standing on the forward cross bar just in front of the mast, and she goes right up, boom attached. A little flick of the wrist and she seats in the fork. What I don't understand is how raising the jib is easier. It's nearly impossible to tip toe out on the bow, hook in the hank, shackle off the bottom and raise the jib clear of the water. Is there a trick?

I don't know your particular situation but we used to keep the hobie on the dock when we arrived at the lake we would launch it for the weekend and moor it. We raised the sails on the dock making life much easier. One guy can launch it and a strong guy can pull it up by himself. Of course if your docks are fixed height in a lake like you described it would be difficult. We always have floating docks. Good luck. --Matt

Adam

Where in Massachusetts do you sail? I have a 70ish 14 as well in NH that I trailer back to Wilmington MA for fall and spring sailing.

Eric

we just started using a mooring line to keep our boats from getting beat up so badly by being dragged up and down the beach six times a day and we have to drop and raise the sails when we leave for lunch. we always drop the jibs and sometimes drop the mains but the water is only about waist deep, even so the added challenge of the boat mooving makes getting the barrels popped a great challenge, it is also difficult to keep the jib out of the water with one hand and raise it with the other, but it is possible. on many of our boats you have to go way in front of the bow of the boat with the main halyard to get the barrel into the hook so i dont know how you would handle that without getting in the water, but i would certaintly use a mooring or even drift while rasing the sails (after you do it from the mooring a few times) before i would sell the boat.
Sail dont Sell

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The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails.