Referbing Hobie 18 Thread

The chain plate or forestay adjuster is shown on page 10 of the manual, but it is hard to see due to the darkness of the picture and because it is adjusted to a very short length. The adjuster is just a piece of flat stainless steel bar with about 10 holes punched in it. It is a standard H18 part and is needed to properly connect the swaged fork fitting on the forestay to the roller furler.

sm

shot 2 videos for you
stepping and unstepping the mast

first one (step) the camera was not in the best spot (on another cat) but you can see MY mechanics with a helper on a safety line

second video is better angle of my buddy solo dropping it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRIxYQYnAAY&list=UUDFB19kzJwcRCJRH2jDRAcw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEHWujFuDsQ&list=UUDFB19kzJwcRCJRH2jDRAcw

goodsailing wrote:

how much would you estimate that your mast weighs?

50lbs. I can lift it and carry it around etc. It's getting it up through the crux standing on the tramp when it's hinged. I drained the mast, but the foam inside could be holding water...

As Dogboy stated, I think you're good on the water holding issue. I just wanted to make sure that variable had been properly removed from the equation since you couldn't get the masthead off (per your other thread). FYI...If your mast is all Al (not a comp tip), there should not be any foam in there except for the two relatively small plugs.

Edited by rattlenhum on Mar 30, 2015 - 12:13 PM.

MN3 wrote: shot 2 videos for you
stepping and unstepping the mast

first one (step) the camera was not in the best spot (on another cat) but you can see MY mechanics with a helper on a safety line

second video is better angle of my buddy solo dropping it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRIxYQYnAAY&list=UUDFB19kzJwcRCJRH2jDRAcw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEHWujFuDsQ&list=UUDFB19kzJwcRCJRH2jDRAcw

How did you get the mast that high up on the rear crutch going up. I see someone pulling on the forestay line too. Yes if you can elevate the mast up so that you can get under it, then you are beyond the crux. Good videos...

Mast hinge still isn't here yet, so Is it worth welding a 7 or 8' T handle to the beech wheel axle?

Edited by goodsailing on Mar 30, 2015 - 05:58 PM.

goodsailing wrote: How did you get the mast that high up on the rear crutch going up. I see someone pulling on the forestay line too. Yes if you can elevate the mast up so that you can get under it, then you are beyond the crux. Good videos...

ALL the guys i sail with trailer with the sterns facing the car for this exact reason.

you just roll the mast backwards and pin it- and you have this advantageous angle and room to get under the mast

Edited by MN3 on Mar 30, 2015 - 02:19 PM.

goodsailing wrote: Mast hinge still isn't here yet, so what are you using for arm on your beach wheels?

i have cradles - no arm needed -

Mast hinge still isn't here yet, so Is it worth welding a 7 or 8' T handle to the beech wheel axle?

I wouldn't bother. I place my wheels beneath the stays and, using the rope on the ends of the wheels, take about 3-4 wraps around the sidestay chain plate. The boat will be very easy to balance on the wheels at this point. You can just walk to the front and grab the bridle wires where they come together and move the boat around easily. I usually put the bridle wires behind my neck/on my shoulders and grab one in each hand. It's pretty easy to control the balance of the boat and move it around.

trailer with the sterns facing the car for this exact reason

What do you tie the line that's attached to the forestay if raising the mast solo? Is it wrapped around the front wires holding the roller fuller then back to the mast for tie off so that you can jump down and pin the forestay?

Edited by goodsailing on Mar 30, 2015 - 06:16 PM.

What do you tie the line that's attached to the forestay if raising the mast solo?

I don't use a saftey line if i am truly solo - however i will walk up and ask a "strong looking" beach goer for a little help "holding" my safety line. Once i am about to step i will tell them to go ahead and pull as i start to lift

when i solo step
I make sure my bows are at least slightly downhill if i can (for 2 reasons, 1 to assist in the angle. 2 so once the mast is up ... gravity will help it lean slightly /stand 90* to the boat)

after the mast is up i take the forestay in hand and walk out on a bow (all the while keeping tension on the forestay to stop the mast from falling)

I get down off the bow (boat still on trailer) and tie off the forestay to the furler ring *(portugesse turnbuckle)

to be honest this is my least fav part of solo stepping

to be even more honest, i utilize (cleat) my spinnaker halyard (that is already tied to the furler ring) this is about the same thing as securing the forestay and can walk out on the bow/off the boat with much less "fear" of the mast dropping

i ALWAYS look for people walking behind me as i do this, and will wait till there is no one in the "danger zone"

if there are people parked next to me, i will alert them to the fact i am stepping my mast, and they shouldn't worry but keep an eye out incase anything goes wrong

to be honest this is my least fav part of solo stepping

Sounds iffy. But what ever works. I'm launching at a place where there is usually no one walking around to grab for help, or to worry about being in the way. So consequently all tasks are solo. All worry is my safety as if I get hurt, I could lay there for hours before anyone found me. Really iffy.

goodsailing wrote: I'm launching at a place where there is usually no one walking around to grab for help, or to worry about being in the way

Then your safety is probably a concern, say you capsize and can't right the boat, or maybe you separate from the boat, etc.
Having your cellphone on a waterproof case and with you is a good idea, if there is good signal where you'll be sailing

Water proof VHF, signal mirror, helmet, cold water protection. I'll only be a couple of miles from CG station,.... not that I intend to make the call.

can't right the boat

Possibility, but I'm building righting pole.

or maybe you separate from the boat,

Biggest concern: I intend to sail close to shore, but getting separated from any sailboat, especially one that isn't coming back is particularly dangerous, hence, more emphasis on ability to withstand/ time/ etc cold water. I'd go out when its colder in the Laser as I know the boat. Best advise is sailing and getting familiar with the cat in warmer water when there are lots of boaters around..

goodsailing wrote:

to be honest this is my least fav part of solo stepping

Sounds iffy. But what ever works..

with my spin halyard attached to my bridal ring, it's not an issue at all

without one you will need a different system

Water proof VHF, signal mirror, helmet, cold water protection. I'll only be a couple of miles from CG station,.... not that I intend to make the call.

Quote
can't right the boat
Possibility, but I'm building righting pole.

Quote
or maybe you separate from the boat,

Biggest concern: I intend to sail close to shore, but getting separated from any sailboat, especially one that isn't coming back is particularly dangerous, hence, more emphasis on ability to withstand/ time/ etc cold water. I'd go out when its colder in the Laser as I know the boat. Best advise is sailing and getting familiar with the cat in warmer water when there are lots of boaters around..

--
Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig
H18
Building 19' Tacking Outrigger then Trimaran if TO doesn't work out.
Balt-Wa

Getting separated from your boat while sailing isn't frequent and is probably a risk that you can mitigate mostly with experience, as you say. I was talking about a more frequent one: capsizing and not being able to reach the boat again. Your capsized Laser will stay in place but your cat will go away faster than you can swim.

I was talking about a more frequent one

I understood you to mean separation from boat due to capsize. On a capsize cat the sail goes down and the tramp(sail) goes up etc. And not separation from boat from just falling off, although that could happen, rare. I agree. If you get good in a Laser you never get wet when the sail is in the water. 😆 I remember being towed behind a Hobie 16 in S. FL as a kid. I had on goggles and snorkel. FUN. Not sure now if I was able to get back to the boat or not, yet you probably could haul yourself back to boat with the line in your hand. I believe he just towed me to shore, down the line a few miles. Probably the best drift dive/snorkel I ever had. Yes, hold the sheet at all times!

Goodsailing - since you seem to like to fabricate, here is an option (probably overkill for your mast, but still an option)

my newest cat has a custom alum trailer. they fabricator added a track and an extendable yoke on the trailer mast yoke arm. The yoke can be cranked up the entire length to assist stepping the mast

If i was solo i would extend the entire way and park closer to the water and get the additional 10* of slope

pic one the yoke is not exrtended at all,

pic two i cranked it up about 2' .

I could have gone more but i had a helper pulling on a line tied to my forestay

I think we talked about yoke extension as you describe. At that height you'd be beyond the crux and could easily get under it to lift it. I'm held up due to the fact the mast hinge is not here yet, it was backordered. I plan on using the boom again utilizing my fabricated gooseneck holder. I can only get so close to the water from the parking lot and now beech wheels would be necessary so there's another fabrication or put-together project... under consideration and currently being discussed in other threads... wheels, sand types etc.

Success at last. The hinge came. And I used the H18 boom to raise the H18 Mast. (I wonder how many have done that since the advent of the Hobie Cat.) Here's all the pics in my gallery.

http://www.thebeachcats.com/pictures?g2_itemId=113043

Not sure why these pics don't show in posts?

Not sure why these pics don't show in posts?

Goodsailing, good job on getting the pics into an album.

The problem you had with inserting the pics into the forum is one a lot of people have. You have to get the url of the actual image and not the url of the page the image is on. Then put that url between the Image tags with the Image button and not the URL tags with the URL button.

I fixed the link to your album in your last post, basically on that one you had a link to your album index enclosed in the image tag instead of the url tag.

Glad you go your mast up!

good job on getting the pics into an album.

But not getting the mast up with the boom? HA...
OK, on to the next project in dealing with this H18

Congratulations! I guess you are thinking in a definitive second goose neck now, or will you leave that one? (corrosion?). How about just a hole in the mast? If it goes through the mast base casting I guess it would be strong enough, the only concern is that the pin doesn't come out during operation?

Edited by Andinista on Apr 08, 2015 - 06:10 AM.

well done

Thanks guys. Yea that little thingy is going to rust, it already is in fact. On that 21 footer posted above they had a hole in the mast just for that purpose. I thought about drilling a hole in the mast, then try and find some type plastic cup that would fit inside the hole to accept the boom gooseneck. Sorry Hobie didn't think of it..But then you'd be left with a hole. The steel is pretty common and I have enough of that to last the next 20 years or so, longer than I'll, or my estate (HA) keep the boat... so I'll just switch it out when needed. That band did compress the mast sleeve a tad but it's low enough that it won't interfere with raising sail. Actually, the pressure kept the goosneck in place. I thought the boom would come out once horizontal, but with the cunningham line around it did the trick. I've since rigged 2 lines to limit sway: I attached two small pulleys mid hull on each side of the trailer then through a center block, on the trailer too, to attach 2 quide lines that will be attached to the trapeze wires. This way when you tug on the "sheet" with one hand you can apply tension to either side of the mast, pending wind, slope etc to keep it lined up.

You'll need to complete two pinnings of the bridal/forestay upon raising as the boom gets in the way. Notice pic of boom in horizontal... You can leave everything rigged after lowering for next stepping. You have to change out sheet in the blocks as you need more rope than sheet, the most time consuming.
After the mast went up with ease, I thought... jeesh.. that was easy.

Thanks again for all your help with that one...

Edited by goodsailing on Apr 08, 2015 - 11:01 AM.

The spinnaker pole mount for a Hobie 18 is a gooseneck fitting. It gets riveted to the front centerline of the front crossbar. You could mount one of these fittings to your front crossbar as a permanent bracket for your mast stepper and engage the gooseneck fitting on the boom into that fitting when you step the mast and it should work perfectly. I don't think it will matter if the bracket for your gooseneck is mounted to the mast base or the front crossbar - it should work in either location.

sm

The spinnaker pole mount for a Hobie 18 is a gooseneck fitting.

It must rotate 90 degrees. From the pic I saw of that fitting, won't allow the movement needed. Actually the suggesting of drilling a hole in the mast base through the plug is a good idea. It could also serve as drain hole if your mast leaked.

For those who don't want to drill a hole in their mast....

OK now on to fabricating a part that involves a hose clamp, and 1" piece of metal tubing and since this is sailing hardware.... $125 Guy's just love gadgets... 😆

Added: rubber plug to fill hole in mast you drilled. $14.99 👿

Edited by goodsailing on Apr 08, 2015 - 08:11 PM.

Won't rotate... if this is the fitting you're talking about.

Added: only if you mounted to the xbeam as shown, would not rotate. If you mounted to the mast, not sure the radius, it would rotate the proper direction. Good thought though. Be nice just to pin it so it will hold..

Added: Just thought...BUT then your blocks wouldn't be orientated correctly. Won't work....

Edited by goodsailing on Apr 08, 2015 - 08:28 PM.

Just thought about this: you could run a screw driver through there, which would hold the boom in place... Never thought of that till this morning...

Purchase a hobie 18 gooseneck yoke for 24.95, mount it on the front of the mast then you can just pin the boom into it. It's not going to rust, you are thru cobbling something up and most of all not drilling a hole in the mast.

QuoteThe spinnaker pole mount for a Hobie 18 is a gooseneck fitting.

It must rotate 90 degrees. From the pic I saw of that fitting, won't allow the movement needed.

Even if you could find the right piece, I wouldn't mount it on the beam, it would put a lot of stress on that connection when the boom is vertical.