Tom, I think I owned a set of RBS tensioners once long, long ago. Maybe not. My memory ... Two downsides from my point of view: you have to shorten th...

... and after all that easy stuff, some TenTec luff caps epoxied on the inner end and quick release leach caps, I like the Hobie ones much better than...

Peter, We're dealing with my memory so ... your mileage may vary. The little arms have two positions, about 60 degrees (too narrow for fast boats) and...

Yeah, pretty much. Except if it were me ... oh the evil I have done starting out that way, I'd use West epoxy. Remove the shredded bit. Glue everythin...

In the spring I wax mine with some stuff for cars that comes in colours. You'd like black. It looks great and shiny for a while and then sort of oxidi...

Wherever they sell WEST system epoxy. Comes in a can for about $20. You get a lot in the can. A little bit really makes the epoxy black.

An old A-Flet trick that I always is to use two sets of lacing. You have to use pretty light line, 1/8" or 3 mm, lace up everything as described, down...

This edition of the Hotline has some instructions in bringing them back to better than new.

And if you have a grinder, I use a metal cutting wheel on a 4.5 inch angle grinder, you can grind flats on your 3/16 inch pop rivet nozzle and it will...

To repair the wing tubes you either have to go in from the top (inspection ports) or through the side (repair). I'd vote for the side but it's a job. ...

Well ... lemme see. The class rules say: g) Third sail parameters are: 7. Maximum luff 30 ft. (9.15 meters) Maximum foot 20 ft. (6.1 meters) Minimum ...

Glad it worked out for you. The 17 is my favourite Hobie. I got old and fat and ... never mind.

The trick is to take the tramp apart. There are some aluminum plug things screwed into the bumps in the hull. The crossmembers have to pull back about...

You've come to the right place! The sail has the max draft at 35% to 45% of chord and an untapered batten will have it at 50%. Doesn't matter if you'r...

When the Hobie 18 got to Miami they took him to a hospital because of the state of his feet. Every scratch soaking in salt water for a month and told ...

He definitely needs some help sailing that thing. Someone with a skill set just like mine and who lives in Canada. Hey! I think we have a match. Looks...

The West system guys now make some stuff called G-Flex that has enough flex in it to move with the plastic. I've seen articles in their newsletter abo...

The boat, a Wave, is still beside the house and not disassembled and put under the deck. I'm toying with going to the Nationals in Key Largo. If I do ...

Maybe this is a question, but there is some information in here too. I have never figured out why 7x7 is used for trap wires. I can see that flexibili...

Maybe this is a question, but there is some information in here too. I have never figured out why 7x7 is used for trap wires. I can see that flexibili...

The quick and dirty way is, with both rudders up and the tiller extension sideways resting on the sidebar, sight down the trailing edge of one rudder...

What is really interesting, for me, is that the boat in front, Artemis, which was on starboard tack when the collision occurred, was disqualified. Wat...

The point of the mast rotation is to control mast bend. Your mast will bend more, much more, sideways to the mast section than it will front to back. ...

If it's your comptip, and I'm betting it is, then you have the instructions. Drill carefully and completely. A couple of tiny little pieces of rivet o...

Exactly as golfdad75 says, "Cowboy up.". Happens fifty times on Friday at a regatta and then fifty times in reverse on Sunday. Don't let anybody stand...

As usual with me I'll answer what I know and not what you asked. I have no experience with the shroud extenders. But at 390 you guys should be able to...

Had to give up handing out lashings to the crew after the ... well lets just call it "the incident". There was no need of police involvement. Beside...

For what it's worth I painted my Hobie 21 about eight years ago. Still shiny and nice. I used two part urethane and sprayed it in my back yard. This s...

When I raced a Hobie 18 I was thinking of quitting because "sailing hurt my back". Then I figured out that lifting H18s hurt my back and I made a rule...

Well great! I just love "pretty dang good". I seem to remember $7 and $2.50 or thereabouts for the outer drum and the nylon thing. Have fun! Charles