I bought an older Hobie 16 about a year and a half ago. It had been damaged in a wind storm, so I got it cheap and I have gone through the entire boat to replace/update anything that needed attention. So now I am ready to try my hand at this sport. My wife and I have been practicing with the boat trailered, and stepping the mast seems to me to be about the most dangerous thing that can be done with this boat. My wife is very small and just lacks the upper body strength to be able to assist much with the process, and I am not the Incredible Hulk either. I have read 4 books on getting into cat sailing, and all of them spend too little time dealing with this critical step. I welded in a system similar to one of the easy step systems utilizing the trailer winch, but it still is not too good. What suggestions do you have for me for an easier, and more importantly SAFE way to step the mast? Thanks

akinslow,



I've tried several different ways to step my mast solo...all ackward and on the edge of catastrophy. Last week, I finally spent 140 bucks on the EZ Stepper from Sailboats of Bakersfield. It is also available on-line at Murrys.



It is about a 7 foot gin pole with webbing and clips. I don't think that you could make it yourself for much less. It is a high quality piece of equipment.



Anyhoo, my mast went up so easily and safely. I can't believe that I went so long without it. The only thing that that I haven't figured out yet (but have a few ideas) is how to tension the shrouds solo.



If you get one, e-mail me for specifics and details for stepping...although it comes with instructions, they leave alot to imagination.



Tom Jordan

For specs on shroud tension go to http:// www.nahca.org you can find specs there.

Go to the about hobies section and then select your cat and finally select the tuning guide.

i tried using a winch system and found that it really applies excess stress to the mast. i ended up breaking the mast base and then the cradle, which i didn't replce because of the difficulty i just reinforced it. now i will only step by hand.



i hook up the stepper linkage then have my girlfriend walk the end of the mast up until i can get it to shoulder height while kneeling on the rear of the tramp. (of course you want to make sure all your shrouds are staight and the shackel is tight...lay the shrouds so they are on the inboard side of the rudders so they don't catch). then the work is all in the legs. my girlfriend puts some weight on the base of the mast to make sure the stepper rotates corretly (incorrect rotation can cause undue stress on your base and cradle) and i just walk the mast forward. it's not that tough to get it standing, and once you do, forward pressure will keep it from falling sideways or back. i continue to hold it until my girlfriend can hook up the forestay.



you should have no problem. i'm not very strong and only weight 175 and have no problem.

I would advise getting a new heavy duty stepping bracket from Murray's. You have to take it completely off the boat while you sail, but it makes the stepping really easy. The older brackets don't always rotate properly, leaving the ball on the bottom of the mast forward of the socket, and making you do some weird wrestling with the mast to get it right. With the HD bracket, the mast drops right in every time.



For single-handed mast stepping, I use the jib halyard to temporarily hold the mast until I can pin the outer forestay. It's pretty easy to hold the mast with one hand once it has been raised and use the other to tension the halyard.

to tension the shrouds solo raise the sail, travel out to the side you want to tension and sheet in. Don't tighten it too much or the mast won't rotate right. This works better than a person hanging from the trap wire so make sure you aren't overtightening. On a 14 or 16 you would have to raise the sail. On an 18 or other similar boats you can just attach the halyard to the end of the boom.

-Todd

I always raise my mast alone. I made a system using a winch that works great. I have been using it for three years with no problem what so ever. The one thing I had to do to differant to make it work is to use a 1/4 20 grade #8 bolt inplace of the standard stainless steel pin. I found that the termedous force on the sainless pin bent it and also spread the hinge wide open. You have to get a 2' long bolt because it has just the right amount of the non threaded part of the bolt. Then you have to get a standard grade 1/4 20 nut and drill it out just enough to slip over the bolts non threaded portion. You need this extra bolt because the non threaded portion is about 1/4" to long and the mast step hinge will spread open. The 1/4" bolt fits a bit snug into the hinge and mast base but it does work. first slip the bolt into the mast base and hinge. second put the drilled out nut on the bolt and then screw the but onto the bolt making sure you thread it up snug with your fingers. Now after you step the mast with the winch but before you connect the forstay to bridel you have to get the bolt out. I have found you have to back off on the mast a bit a little at a time. I go a just a click on the winch at a time. keep checking to see when the bolt comes loose and then take it out. attach the forstay and go sailing. Like I said this system has worked without fail for three years. I was going to try to get a 3/16 grade #8 bolt so it would come out easier but I have not found one yet. Also, never do this near other cars in a parking lot incase something breaks.