I am having issues with the self-tacker and Tiger jib application on my TheMightyHobie18. The sail will tack but I can't control the travel. I have learned via mbounds that the tiger forestay is 8" closer to the mast than my TheMightyHobie18. This seems to be the root of my troubles, but I'm not certain. My clew is 9" from the mast currently. By adding 8" to the foot of the jib the clew would be directly over the tacker, it now is in front of the tacker. Can 8" be added to a jib? Does the jib on a F18 nearly touch the mast? I know my Fox's jib almost touched the mast, a H16 jib hits the mast. Any thing else I should consider? The jib is as high up the forestay as it can go and still the angle isn't correct, mast is raked back as well. Please help!!!

Ok,

stop trying to re-invent the wheel and get an F18.

Find an F18 that can sit on the beach all summer and not need repairing and I'll consider it. My boat stays at Myrtle Beach on the beach, not on the trailer like your boat. People climb on it, party on it, etc. I go in and out 10-15 times a day when sailing so the bottom sees a lot of sand wear. The TheMightyHobie18 is the best design for my primary uses. I guess if I only sailed at regattas like you do a F18 would hold up well but my boat sees 10 times more water than "Undecided" does. Why you gotta dis something you can't understand?

do you have a traveler line on the self tacker?

Thank you Jake! In the Hobie instructions they say nothing about a line to control the car so I assumed sheet tension would adjust the travel. Just got off the phone with Trey who pointed that same thing out to me. Seems Hobie would have included that info in the install instructions. Thanks again!

Didn't you install a Performance Catamaran's self tacker? Kinda hard to blame Hobie isn't it? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

The only blame is to be applied to my ignorance of exactly how these systems work. I was totally unaware of a separate line to control travel. Hope to get on the water this weekend, 20kts forecast for Sat.

When the conversion is done, doing some benchmarking runs with a proper F-18 might be fun. How close in performance will a semi-F-18 like yours be compared to an Infusion or similar..

Agreed, it will be fun to compare. With the TheMightyHobie18 jib she seemed to be able to run with Jakes' boat upwind, downwind he dusted me. The big jib effected main flow under spin, it would almost backwind. The smaller jib should help. The self tacker install is really an attempt to make the boat easier for my wife to crew. Plus it has been quite the adventure for me. I couldn't sleep last night because I was really afraid I had made a huge mistake. I feel much better having learned of the additional line to control travel.

I understand your needs. But you're spending a lot of time and money trying to shoehorn a concept into reality when in fact the simplest solution is to get a beater beach TheMightyHobie18 (throw a spin on it for your kicks) and a racing F18 to take to regattas.

Regardless of the boat chassis, I wouldn't want to race a boat that was kept on the beach and subject to the treatment that you've described.

If people "jumped" or "partied" on my boat, the next day there would be a big "GTFO" sign on it somewhere, enforced by some caltrops.

I hope the criminal court would have something to say about caltrops used that way, even in the US. While you are at it, why not just rig a claymore mine on the boat. "Front toward enemy" seem to be a concept you understand and like.

If someone want to convert a H-18 into a semi-F18 after due warning, why not? Comparing the respective performance of the platforms afterwards will be a learning experience that will further the understanding of the F-18 platform.
I think this project looks like fun, even if the result will not be an F-18. Anyone with the initiative and will to go trough with projects like this have my admiration. Is it a smart thing to do? Well, that certainly depends on what is expected from the results. Not everybody are full time racers.

Too much collateral damage. I'd be spending more time cleaning guts off the tramp and patching the ball-bearing-sized holes in the hulls to actually go sailing.

But caltrops now, would be perfect!

You should park your boat on the beach in Myrtle and try to keep folks off it. A sign like you suggest would draw unwanted attention and have poor results. Last year I was able for the first time to get law enforcement to help protect my boat while on the beach. They actually were happy to throw people off it and arrested several under age drinkers as a result.
I have made very minimal expenditures to convert my boat. In fact I have less than 3k in the whole deal, including the initial purchase of the 18. Still have a solid standard 18 mast and full set of sails and rigging. I could convert it back at anytime. I couldn't begin to buy a F18 for that little money.

hi where are you based? the uk?

i got a dart hawk for £1700, and my brother got one for £2000, i know ppl are a bit stuck up about the dart hawk, but if you look at the results they do well in the uk, if you sail them well you will beat the new boats if you don't you wont, the hulls are as nice as anything (otherwise the ex40 wouldn't have coppied them) its only realy the self tacker and snuffer which you can add that makes much differance,

as for a hobie 18 conversion why not? right weight 180kg, right length 18', get one for £1000(with a trailer if you are lucky?), £200 for a tornado sport sale, £150 for a spinnaker and pole and bang £1350 you can take on any beach cat on the water, if you can sail that is