OK, Im looking for open minded opinions and conversation.
Im in the thinking stages of this potential modification.
I have an Bimare 18HT and if you have followed the 18HT thread you would have read that Im contemplating making an 18 sq out it. Thats not the question here though.

A question that has come to mind is widening the beam or using wings and staying with the stock width?

There are good and bad points for both:
Widening: trailering, loss of stiffness, changing all rigging,
Wings: what type??? weight, waves hitting, boat could be returned to stock quickly.

The widening isn't too complicated. New beams, rigging etc make it work.

But wings? Which type? I wouldn't be concerned about long distance comfort.

I've seen the "hiking bars" on Hobies over seas. They don't seem like they would add much to performance. I could be wrong. They look very easy to rig though.

Aussie 18 Skiff style/ Why not a condensed version?

The Hobie 21,18Sx seem to big, heavy etc.
(put a set on a 6.0 years ago. When the wind was up they were great. Not so good in light air too heavy, broke a mast - pre NA mast)


The original H 17 or 18 wings smaller, lighter have some potential.

Why haven't wings become more popular in the US?
Obviously not for every boat or class but?
So, lets hear it, about wings, hiking bars etc, that is.

Oh, you mean the heavy scaffold type wings not the aerofoil type!

The HT doesn't seem to be the type of boat where you want to be going beyond the design stresses.

My vote would be for wider beams. That would be the best potential for a "different" boat, regarding potential speed improvement.
My experience with the Hobies, 18 and 21, was that the wings did not really add much in the way of speed. First, with the wings all you are doing is adding leverage when the wind conditions are high enough to justify going out on the wings. In most conditions it was generally thought that the wings only added weight, no real advantage.
Now when the beams are extended you are not adding weight (much) but you are immediately changing the leverage equation. I would guess there would be a big advantage to that, so I would start there. The boat I sail has a 16 foot beam, and I am continually amazed at the effect of leverage.

I understood that the 18HT already suffered from a lack of volume in the hulls making it pitch-pole prone and subject to rear beam slap. Widening the platform will encrease the pitch-pole tendency.

I really enjoyed the wings on my TheMightyHobie18 Magnum. But mostly in a recreational sense: they are a great place to take a nap, make wonderful dive platforms for six year olds and even make for a more comfortable drivers seat when the water is chilly.

Not so much for racing...

On the H17 they were useful but awkward when racing.

I can still remember one chilly winter day at the Texas City Dike around 1990 that Dwayne had a TheMightyHobie18 magnum called 'Double Trouble' and let me and Dean Pakune take out his TheMightyHobie18 mag.

The purpose was to double trap off the wings in heavy air. (I owned a P18-2 at the time). He rarely trapped and not in these conditions.

Double trapping was fun, we had a blast. It was like driving a boat that was in Nebraska, while you were in Omaha. It was interesting,but I liked the performance of my then P18-2 much better.

My magnum had the first generation wings, much shorter than the later versions. It allowed me to single hand in higher wind ranges but if you slipped while on the trap you could get caught under the wing while the boat was still powered up. Don't ask...

Ed,
Bill Vining has increased the beam on his HT to around 9', and has cautioned against going wider. I agree with others that wings add weight that's a disadvantage in all but big wind conditions. Good for recreational comfort though. I also agree that bow bouyancy is limited, so any increase in beam(or wings) is going to make it more tenative to drive hard downwind in a blow. It's also a lightweight boat, and any of these changes will increase the loads on the rig and platform, possibly beyond what these structures are designed to take. My advice is to sail the boat a year or two before doing any such mods. Bill's rear beam lift is pretty desirable for this boat.

Dave
F18HT
Stealth F16
ARC 22
Flight Risk

I have designed a set of wings for my N20 but haven't fabricated them yet. They will be similar the the Aussie 18 skiff wings but not as wide and will angle up and out so there will be good clearance with the leward wing. They will be alluminum and not carbon with an open mesh. If you go this route, keep in mind the leverage that's added WITHOUT being trapped out. When you're on the wire, your body weight is adding to the mast support. Keeping this in mind, I'll be adding an tenshionable/adjustable running stay to the wing. Not sure how soon I'll be starting this project but will post pics when I do.

http://2010.archive.hobiecat.com/media/pdf/euro_wings.pdf

Check out the 2 Euro wing ideas. There is some merit to there simple design. Could improve upon the idea.

In regards to the concern of snuffing bows or over taxing the rig, maybe simple wings like these are the happy medium. Probably not too expensive to try and fabricate as well compared to new beams and rigging.

One thing I've thought is if I stay with stock width the windward hull can get out of the water quicker thus improving speed. Widening the boat means it will take more wind to get the windward hull out of the water. You are stuck with that width and righting moment. Wings, built light and engineered, allow weight to be moved from edge of hulls to as far as 2' away (wider)from the side of the boat. Improved hiking.

When I had my 18 sq, there were many times when other boats on the lake espcially newer, modern cats could fly a hull sooner. It wasn't until the wind was cranking that my 11' width became an advantage.( Also I have to admit it was an old Nacra Sq and not exactly light by todays standards)

The goal is to safely single hand this boat and be competative in a handicap fleet in most wind conditions. If its an 18 sq great or just races to a number fine.

Thanks to all for the feedback thus far! Keep the thoughts and opinions coming.

Don't do it dude! Spend your money on something that will be beneficial to your future.

Like, for instance, Birkenstock Shoes!

Actually, I'd rather you see you adapt some F-20 banana boards to your boat...

I think it's usually not the case. When you are on the wire, the tension of the windward shroud is reduced. I think that only when your weight overcomes all the windward shroud tension -at which point you start tensioning the leeward shroud- you start adding more force on the mast base. But I think that doesn't happen in regular conditions, it's very clear when it happens because the mast moves windward and you see the shroud next to you getting loose, on my boat I've only seen that when somebody is on the wire being unnecessary (low wind).
To me the only factor that produces more down force on the mast base is the increased leverage, regardless if the person is hanging from the mast of from elsewhere. I don't see how would the additional stay help.

I was meaning the amount the windward shroud, and attachment at the hull as well as the hull, were designed to take safely. I never meant that your body weight would make the windward shroud go slack. If it does, then you need to re-tension your rig.
However, I do see how the additional stay will help, so I will be adding one. In a nutshell, the boat was designed for a certain width and x amount of leverage to keep it flat.

I see. I think the wing effect on the boat can be reduced to an increase of the crew weight, of something about 25%. Depending on the crew weight it's not necessarily a problem.

The age of the boat is probably a bigger factor.. the other day I demasted, the plate that holds the shroud adjuster came out of the hull while I was sailing. Clean cut of all four rivets. I wasn't on the trap, which is the worst condition for this little piece.