So, I am new to the H 17 and the comp tip mast. I now read it needs protection and I store mast up. Any ideas?
Is it possible to paint this item to protect it?
Thanks.

How (and why) did you get a comptip in New Zealand?

Anyway, I don't think it is anything to worry about. We have Hobie Waves that have endured the South Florida sun for more than 10 years without any kind of covering, and the comptips have shown no ill effects -- well, except for the one that Rick dropped on a concrete dock. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The CompTips "need protection" about the same as the hulls, or your car's paint for that matter. The CompTip is similar and will fade and degrade over time. Maybe a UV protectant or wax from time to time, but a cover on the Upright mast is not practical.

The Hobie 17 was designed with a CompTip and has always had one.

Sorry, Matt. I just assumed it was made in Australia and Europe, as well, where a comptip would not be required.

Really?

From the official Hobie 17 class rules:

3. MASTS
Each mast shall have a black band around it as
supplied by the HOBIE CAT CO The black band
shall be located between the rotation control
and gooseneck 26 ft. 10 in. (8.18 m) from the
top of the mast not including the mast cap.
Boats manufactured after 1 January 1995 may
only sail in European class competition with an
all aluminium mast.

Basically, the comptip is just plain old fiberglass colored black. With an automotive UV inhibitor and a good waxing each spring mine stood up fine mast-up all summer.

Tom G

Many thanks for that.

As far as comp tip is concerned I did not know that all 17s were not. I have not picked the boat up yet so maybe it is alli. It is tapered...do the tapered ones come in alli?

No, only the comptips. Sorry.

I've never seen a 17 in Aus or NZ without a comp tip. Given the above rule specifically refers to Europe i think you'll find that was the only place without them.

When you say "sorry". Is the comp tip a crappy alternative or something?

I think the computip was nice. Narrow section at top allowed for a lot of bend so you could flatten the sail when you needed to. Just honk down on the downhaul and flat she goes.

Doug

What about the situation of the boat when flipped.. Does the thinner, heavier section tend to let the boat turn turtle quicker and what of the wings?
Do they help with buoyancy or hinder in this event?

That's a good question about wings. I have always wondered how much harder it would be to right a boat when you have to raise a submerged wing as well as the mast.

If it makes a difference its probably pretty small. I think having wind push against the one sticking out of the water, and boat slipping through the water would put pressure on the submerged wing. It might be helping prevent a turtle.

Does anyone know if it helps to throw the righting line over the wing in the air?

Was about 50/50 righting the boat on my own. Never went turtle but once the mast settles it can be a slow patient process pulling it back up even with a righting bag.

Always felt the wings added resistance to righting (compared to my H16) although, Karl you tossed out an idea of leveraging the wings that I had never considered.

On the comptip with a square top. Many times I watched the top of the mast overpowered and bending off with a high wind. Make sure your sailmaker understands how much flex is in that tip.

Sail fast, Tom G

So fair to say an alli mast is a better deal and I should look for that.

Also, the wing would ad resistance if it was nit the right way on to the wind. The wind would keep pushing it back over.

I think all the H17's were built in the US and then exported - with comptips - no? I think that was what Matt was trying to say.

Just a hunch but after digging about I understand that the comptip was added after legal hassles and pitched as an upgrade and retro-fitted.
I suppose the decision to go to boomless was also supposed to be upgrading the boat. Having sailed a boomless boat for some time I can think of lots of reason that this is not so.
Is it true these two changes were made at the same time?

Ignore that question. After a little more time on Google I see the 17 was designed with the comptip.

So, let's see. The comptip has been designed at start with the 17 but in Europe they are sold with all alli masts.

I have to deduce the all alli mast is the better bet.

How are people finding the boat once flipped with the taper?
One of the things I love about my Nacra14 is that I could go turtle on it if I tried because of the large mast volume. A discussion I found on google suggests the comptip creates problems because of the two piece mast and more possibility for leaks.

I don't mean to sound like a woose but I do not like having to ask others for assistance at sea.

Any and all righting experience on 17s much appreciated.

The Hobie 17 was designed after the comptip was required, so, as Matt Miller said, it was designed specifically for a comptip mast (unlike the earlier Hobie models). So no Hobie 17's were built that did not have comptips (unless some were built in other countries, which I don't know).
(Well, your last post jumped in ahead of this, so I see you have already researched that. If the 17's weren't actually built in Europe, and if they had aluminum masts, I wonder whether they imported just the platforms and put on aluminum masts??)

Anyway, regarding the righting of Hobie 17's, I know that one thing that seems to work really well is shroud extenders. I have seen it in action with a Hobie 17 sailed by an elderly gentleman. If you use them, just make sure your mast is captive enough to its base that it won't hop off the ball when the boat rights.

(I don't know whether extenders are class legal, but it is probably irrelevant in your situation.)

P.S. You said, "One of the things I love about my Nacra14 is that I could go turtle on it if I tried because of the large mast volume." Did you mean you could NOT go turtle on it? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />