I just bought a used Hobie 16 that has been sitting for a couple years with the mast up and I need to move it this weekend.
I am relatively new to sailing and this is my first boat.
I need to take the mast off tomorrow and I have never done this before... any tips? There was no trailer with this boat and I plan on transporting it on a flat bed trailer. I'm grateful for any advice that could make this move as easy as possible. Thanks

Before lowing make sure there are no overhead power lines that could possibly interfere with your lowering of the mast!

If you don't have a mast step link:

1. Get someone to help you. ("The Help" going forward.)
2. Get a chair or step ladder and tip the boat on it's side so the top of the mast rests on the chair.

Note: Make sure the surface the boat is on is not going to damage the boat when tipping it on it's side.

3. Have the help stabalize the the boat while you remove the shroud pins and forstay pin.
4. Grab near the base of the mast and pull away from the boat.
5. Lay the mast down and assist The Help tip the boat right side up.

If you do have a mast step link:

1. Get someone to help you. ("The help" going forward).
2. Install mast step link.
3. Tie a line to the forstay wire eye making sure it's clear of the chainplate.
4. Have The Help hold this line while you remove the forstay pin. Make sure The Help has pressure on this line before removing the pin. The Help is acting as the forestay once it's removed.
5. Get on the trampoline behind the mast and have The Help slowly lower the mast toward you by easing out the line they're holding.
6. Once you have the weight of the mast, keep it in a semi upright position, then have The Help go to the back of the boat to prepare for your lowering it.
7. Slowly start walking backwards bringing the mast down with you until you reach the back of the trampoline.
8. Bend your knee's to lower further at which point The Help can take the mast and lower the rest of the way.
9. Have The Help hold the top of the mast parallel to the boat until you can remove the mast step link.
10. Remove shroud, forestay, and trapeze by unscrewing the shackle 2/3rds up the mast.
11. The mast is free and can be removed.

Not everyone has "The Help" around so I'm sure someone here can tell you a way to do this solo.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the tip. I'm heading to the lake right now, I'll let you know how I do. I know I have some work cut out for me!! It's tough finding Cat people in this part of Ohio.
-John Cooper

It's hard to find cat sailors in most parts of Ohio, but they are out there if you look around. What part of the North Coast are you located?
Jack Hoying
Fort Loramie, Ohio (Mid-West Ohio)

Sandusky Sailing club has about a dozen Hobies dry sailed there. Great bunch who are generally happy to help out others.

Kim

I'm still up here in Oregon.(Ohio)

OCRA (Ohio Catamaran Racing Association) knows where most of the active cat sailors are around the State. Go their website, www.sailocra.com. Click on "About OCRA" to find a list of contact people for various locations.

Mr. Kim,
Glad to hear there are still cats at Sandusky. Are they doing any racing? Are any of you going to be in the Sandusky Steeplechase? Any of you coming to Bay Week? Hope so.

When Rick and I belonged to Sandusky Sailing Club back in the '80's, we had a fleet of 40 Hobie 18's.

We are at Put-in-Bay for the summer. 419-285-3505.

I'll be sailing my WR 17 tri to Bay Week early Monday morn. Will be up there till Friday. I have a daughter racing a CJ. You should see my yellow tri in the harbor somewhere. Not sure yet where I'll dock it. 419.680.0099

Recount on the Hobies. Closer to six. Racing is still strong with the Interlakes. My first year at the club and havn't participated in any of the racing yet. No racing on part of the Hobies as far as I know. Must have been quite a fleet back there in the 80's. Close to midnight and I want to get an early start to PIB. Hope to see ya up there.

Kim

Mary,
I wish I would have accessed this forum sooner. We were just at the Bay a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you everyone for your help. My wife and I are all too excited to get this cat wet, however due to our inexperience and the fact that we want to do some restoration on this one, we may not be in the water until next season.

I'm greatful for any tips we can pick up on and I will stay tuned to the forum. Thanks again,

John Cooper
Akron Ohio

I'm in Akron. We sail Thistles at Berlin Yacht Club. This is the first boat that I've owned and I'm looking forward to learning how to sail her. Any advice that you can send my way would be appreciated.

-John

Dry Sailed? You lost me. I would love to crew on a cat to learn from someone with some experience. (Even if it's my own boat.) If anyone is interested in breaking in a couple newbies let us know. My wife and I have a little sailing experience, but we are starting from square one on the catamaran.

John Cooper

John,
I sailed Thistles when I was a kid, and I think cats are a lot easier.

Rick is originally from Akron, and a long time ago we raced on a borrowed Prindle 16 at the Berlin Yacht Club, back when they had a Prindle fleet there.

Drysailing just means that you keep your boat at a club, stored on land as opposed to in the water. I don't know of any beach cats that are kept in the water, so the term is kind of redundant.

In the old days, '40's and '50's, everybody at our club kept their Lightnings and Thistles, etc. in the water at docks all summer, which was very convenient, because you could just arrive at the club, jump on your boat and go. But eventually somebody figured out that if he kept his boat out of the water when he wasn't sailing it, it was a lot lighter and he could win races. So then everybody started keeping their boats out of the water. That's when the term "dry-sailing" started, I guess. Too bad, because it was a lot easier the other way. And it didn't matter as long as ALL the boats were heavy.