I have a 1994 Hobie 16 and I can't get the teflon chip to stay in place on the mast step of this boat. When I step the mast I make sure that the chip is centered under the mast, but during the course of sailing the chip always manages to work its way back (toward the trampoline) so that it is way of center. As a result, when I go to lower the mast, the mast step pin will no longer align easilly with the "16" hole on on the mast step link and I have to use a hammer to tap it into either the 14 or 16 hole depending on how badly off center the chip is. This seems to happen every time regardless of whether or not I flip, how strong the wind is, etc. This boat is my 3rd Hobie 16 and I never had this problem with either of my previous two boats and I'm not doing anything differently. On my previous boats I would use the same chip for months and it always took to the shape of the mast base and stayed wedged securely and centered in place. With this boat, The chips slide off center and get shredded up with each sail. Any suggestions? Thank you.

I just happened to read another post not related to this issue that gave me an idea. This boat, unlike my others, has an aussie job halyard. Is it possible that I am unintentionally putting too much tension on the jib with the aid of the 3:1 halyard and that this is causing the problem. I am cranking down on the jib halyard pretty hard, just like I did on my old boats except now I have the aussie halyard so maybe I hsould be taking it a little easier. I never considered this. I'd be happy to hear any other ideas of potential sources for this problem or confirmation of my hunch if anyone knows.

I hadn't really thought about it before now, but how much tension should be on the jib... of course enough that the forestay goes slack... but how far beyond that?

Others have ground grooves in the mast step to give the chip something to bite into and stay in place. Hobie also sells a Molded Mast Step Bearing (part #1130) which is reputed to solve your problem.

There is some info here about how much to crank down on the jib halyard. I generally don't crank down all that hard.

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/v...=0&postorder=asc&start=0

From the 2005 Hobie parts catalog...



Standard on the H16 mast step. Works great.

Pretty sure I drilled the base, as Matt suggested, on your last boat, but I may be wrong. Regardless, I've tried to do it on every boat since.

I've been wanting to try one of those #1130 teflon chips.
Matt, are the new boats fitted with these?

The #1130 Molded bearing is not teflon as far as I know. Some kind of injected plastic. Personally... I don't like them. Too hard and thick. The "Chip Keeper" idea does the trick that the 1130 was intended to do other than being per-molded to a cup shape.

Thnak you to everyone for all the suggestions.

Flatlander John - At your earlier suggestion I drilled several small holes in a the mast base to give the teflon chip something to bite into. This hasn't worked for me with this boat. I've also tried setting the chip to the front so that it is in the center after I step the mast. It can be dead centered when I start, but it always manages to work it's way back. You may have drilled holes in the 1980 H16 I got from you John, but the 79 I bought definately didn't have any holes and the chip always stayed put. While it doesn't really solve the mystery of why this boat has this problem and my previous boats did not, I'm going to try ordering one of the delrin bearings (#1130).

I bought a delrin bearing once before and really stupidly didn't understand why it had the nub on the bottom, so instead of drilling into the mast base casting I cut off the nub from the delrin chip. I remember the nub being a pretty considerable protrusion.

Does anyone know??? - when you drill the hole to seat the molded delrin bearing, the hole doesn't need to be deep enough to actually go through the mast step base casting and into the front cross bar does it? I obviously don't want to make any hole in the front crossbar.

Tri x troll- Thank you for the jib halyard tension link - some useful info.

True, the delrin bearing is pretty thick. Is the "chip keeper" pretty similar to just drilling some indents in an older mast step base casting? Maybe I drilled the holes too shallowly. I'd like to avoid the $90 of putting the newer style mast bse on my boat if possible.

Quinn,

We use the plastic lids of a coke bottle for mast chips. IMO they work better than the teflon ones. The reason being that they wrap around the end of the mast base and then cant really go anywhere until you take the mast down. You have to crank on the jib halyard hard when you put in a new one to squash it to the right shape.

I believe you drill the stainless post dead-center for the nub of the 1130.

Can someone post a picture of the holes drilled into the mast base as a "Chip Keeper"
Thanks,
CP

Oi Quinn,

Have you given the coke bottle lid a try? Its definitely the way forward.

New style step casting with the "Chip Keeper"