Some good tips guys. Not sure why the rachet stop released on the winch. It's rusty. Perhaps I knocked it some how... I've looked at those rings/pins....

Hi, I got the sail up today and it went up a lot easier than expected. 1. I move the blocks for the side tensioners further aft and made them dimetri...

Just tape up the spreader ends and all the little cotter pins really well. Done. Tks!

One of the diamond wire rollers was broke when I bought the boat, and I busted the other one when raising the mast. Part #2 that I destroyed by accide...

Thanks Dave. I scoured this site and the web pretty good. At first, without thinking about using the boom, I built wooden pole from 2 x 4's but felt...

Check this site out, pretty cool tool to compare the stiffness of different tubes. /blockquote> At second glance, this is for square tubing, which ma...

Quite honestly you are so intent your way is the best way your head is up your... Go ahead and put together your custerf@&$ and waiting to se your cat...

You will note on page 3 of the ez mast stepper manual there's a mast hinge comprised of straps which might add to stability of the gin pole holding it...

It probably seem like more over -thinking than there is really. I'll try that, but hope the mast crutch that holds the crank won't break off. :-O T...

I got a disguarded water pipe, just happened to the the length shown, stuck it in the oven at 300 until pliable (don't forget tin foil on the racks be...

Re-stringing the main sheet system each time with a longer hoisting sheet would be a PITA. Got that right, especially if you've not done it. You must ...

I was just suggesting a better finish! Ah gosh... jeesh, chop saw, drill press etc.. throw a bunch in the powder coating machine and you'd have many p...

H18 spinnaker pole mount (which is the H18 gooseneck mount) should work fine. What was shown in the earlier post is a Getaway spinnaker pole mount. Th...

Somebody has to say it.. This hose clamp and square tube... they just don't belong there... You know it works, test passed, you made your point.. Now ...

condition you to "haul"your boat the beach by hand I wonder if you set your boat on mylar sheets, you could glide it across sand. Don't laugh. (See vi...

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...

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 th...

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 moveme...

but I really just copied the catraxs right down to the bearings. Where are you guys getting the rims and the hubs (2" bore) for the nanco's tires?

The area were I will be sailing is soft sand. I got the Laser dolly stuck there (lawn mower wheels) and couldn't get the boat to the water. Cat is eve...

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 ...

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

Well here's the beach:

Check this site out, pretty cool tool to compare the stiffness of different tubes. /blockquote> That is cool. I took a 3 ft section of 1" 4130 and ...

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.) ...

lots of time on the water. + After 50 hours of stick time, and 100 tacks, and 5 righting, you'll feel more confident. In learning any boat, first runs...

There are no 2" bore hubs that will fit a 4 bolt 4 circle rim.. the reason you machined one. 4130 aircraft tubing, 1" .156 wall is pretty stiff, 1.4 l...

Here's what I'm thinking Rims Hub: Nanco wheels same ones on Cattrax Or buy the tractor supply rims& wheels with 20 x 10 x 8 tires and use...