H-18 Mainsail Lowering

I bought a 1984 Hobie 18 last September and I can't seem to figure out how to easily lower the mainsail. Everytime I try to lower I end up with open blisters on my hands from heaving on the halyard. I try to raise the main halyard ring above the hook but even if I do I can't seem to get the mast to rotate and disengage. I often end up taking down the mainsail after I step down the mast. Other times I just won't hook the halyard ring and suffer with poor performance. I know there are downhaul kits but are there any mainsail raising kits to make this task easier? I was also thinking of cutting part of the mast hook so I don't have the raise the mainsail very much over it to disengage the ring and hook. Thank you all very much for your help.
Matt

Hi Matt,

I bought my 1980 Hobie 18 last fall too and I'm a new sailor, so this response is a bit like the blind leading the blind... (Maybe some more experienced folks will see this and help out.)

I have had similar problems -- not so much with disengaging the ring when bringing the sail down as with engaging it when raising the sail. I bought a "Murray's aussie main halyard ring" from Murrays just last week. Basically it's a ring and shackle welded together. The idea is that you should then have more control when engaging and disengaging the ring, since it's a rigid system now. In the installation instructions they also tell you to "Drill out and remove the rivet and latching mechanism from the mast hook." Apparently the new boats come without this mechanism and work much better.

I've installed the new ring but I've only been out twice since, so I can't really tell you yet whether it makes a big difference. I have not yet removed the latching mechanism. Can anyone tell us about their experience with this?

Kirk

If your mast hook still has the movable top of the hook, I highly reccomend that you drill out the rivit and remove it. This is not likely. I also reccomend one of the Aussie halyard hooks that has a twist shackle welded on to the ring. This site probably has them. When you tie the shackle to the halyard, make sure the knot is in the right place so that it stops at the top block in the mast leaving the ring centered at the same level as the hook. Raise the sail until it stops and rotate the hook into the ring using the mast rotation limiter. Release halyard tension while rotated and pull down on sail to insure that it is hooked. McLube on the luff of the sail makes raising a piece of cake. To lower, reverse the process. Raise the sail to the stop, downhaul released of course, rotate the hook out of the ring and release the halyard with the mast still rotated. If you need to sail before you can get all this set up, I reccomend turning the boat over on the beach to hook and unhook the halyard ring, it's really not that difficult if your not alone...cheers, and good luck...Mal

For what its worth, I had similar problems on my n5.5. I found that the Halyard was smaller than recommended. I replaced the halyard with the right one (a tiny! bit bigger) and it has made all the difference. Now I can handle it, whereas before I had to wrap the halyard around the oar just to help me get the halyard hooked and unhooked...

I have the Aussie ring on my halyard and also have the flip-flop removed. I even use McLube but I still have a heck of a time getting the knot to reach the top of the mast block. I'll have to check my knot again and perhaps get a new halyard. Mine does seem to stretch. I put my boat in from a boat ramp so I can't turn it on it's side but it may come to that. Thanks a lot for the insights.
Matt

you might also check the bolt rope to see if it hasnt been recovered and the old cover not taken off...that happened to me on my H-18...made it almost impossible to get the sail up through the comp-tip

MSOPUM,

For what it's worth I've had my TheMightyHobie18 ('85) for about a month and a half. I have similar problems to what you are describing both in getting it to hook when raising it and with getting it to unhook when lowering it. I've found that turning the mast rotation limiter in the opposite direction usually does the trick. I don't know if this makes any sense at all. I don't know if this has anything to do with the direction you hook the ring with the twist shackle when you hook the main ( I dont think it makes any difference ). But anyway it seems to work. In fact it happened again today. Does this make sense to anyone??
PS. I follow the exact steps that MAL listed. WHAT A GREAT SAILING DAY TODAY WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fred
TheMightyHobie18

Howdy,
Attached is a picure of a little halyard grabber I made that might save wear and tear on your hands from yanking on it.

I haven't had much trouble clicking and unclicking the main. It might be because I have the original aluminum masthead rather than the comptip? It's also important to keep the bolt rope lubed with either parraffin or that McLube stuff.
David Ho
TheMightyHobie18 1067

I guess this is a major problem area for all TheMightyHobie18 owners; I went through the same trial/error on raising the TheMightyHobie18. I now have very little problems in doing either, and here's what I did:

1) a twist shackle on the ring.
2) I now use a quick pin in the top shackle. I make sure the knot from the bolt rope is facing to the port side. I make sure the quick pin button side faces the port side.
3) Once a year, I use McLube or some dry silicone on the sails. When I drop the mast for either racing or storage, I always rinse out the spiders, etc. Once a year I spray that track, too.
4) I take my time in raising the sail; make sure it never binds in the track. Make sure your mast rotator limiter is completely loose to allow the mast to swivel a little bit.
5) When it really won't click in, moving it to starboard, then to port seems to work everytime; I can't explain it either.
5) Lowering; have someone move it to starboard while take the pressure of the ring off the hook if it gets stuck. But normally, I can just put a little pressure on it, then it will drop.
6) For doing either, make sure your boat is pointed either into the wind, or just off by a few degrees.

Good Luck,
Wyatt

I'll add some and reiterate some key points.

First - make sure that the sheaves in the mast, top and bottom, are in good shape. On the H-18 they don't have any bearings in them and they wear. Once they wear it's very tough to raise and lower the sail - the sheaves stop turning and it's all friction then. Check them at the beginning of each season, more often if you sail alot, and buy a few extra to have some spares in your box. Make sure that your halyard is not too thick - since it can be a pain on the hands, sometimes folks go to a heavier line, but heavier line will bind in the sheaves. The knot for the halyard on the ring needs to as compact as possible, otherwise it will interfere with the operation of the hook. I use two half hitches cinched up against the ring. As pointed out previously - when you hook the ring to the sail, make sure the bulky part of the knot is to the side opposite of the hook on your mast, meaning it should be to port - again, this it to keep the knot from interfering with the hook (sounds trivial but it does interfere). Make sure the bows are to the wind, and your rotation limiter is free. Clean the track on your mast, spray it with lube. Also, how tight are your battens? Overly tight battens can make the caps at the luff rub against the mast itself.

Hope this all helps...

The knot you need to use, as mentioned before "as small as possible", is a buntline hitch. Randy Smyth's website (smythteam.com) has a picture and how-to-tie. The less bulky side of the knot is the side to put against the mast. The more bulky side faces away from the mast. Before raising your main make sure it's going up the mast in that orientation.

Replace the stock sheaves with brass ones. You can find some cheap brass pulleys in a hardware store, surplus store, etc. that are a similar size and will accomodate the diameter of your halyard. Hacksaw the sheaves to free them from the brass pulley and use those. Nylon sheaves will wear through and you end up pulling the halyard across the pin.

To save the skin on your hands you need a hand cleat that will give you a good grip on the halyard: http://www.windance.com/default.asp?windance~shownewitem~CH_184 (In June, I lost one in the sound behind Tristan Tower at Pensacola Beach if you want to go looking for it.)

Sailkote to the bolt rope and sail track needs to be applied two or three times per season.

Good advice - smaller, compact knot is better.
Then check the knot each time you raise it - to make sure it won't come undone, just when you're trying to lower the sail.

Yes........ Agree..... Small knot, small line to fit sheave (not too small) and good sheaves! I even went so far as to do away with the knot all together and use some tiny hog rings. When using hog ring pliers and the right size ring you can get the combined rope to about the same diameter as the single line. I only put 3 on there. No problems anymore after 2 years.

I have had all of the afformentioned problems as well. To the point where I was always flipping my boat over on the beach to take down the sail. Major pain in the butt if you sail a lot.

I cant agree with lubing the track. Maybe a little. But dont over do it or you may find yourself lowering your sail out on the water if you flip it over and the bolt rope pulls out of the track while you are in the water.

Good luck!!

AJ
Nacra 6.0 Express

when all else fails, it's much easier to place the boat in a soft area (grass or sand) and put it on it's side. First check for clearance for the mast. With one person standing to the side of the boat holding the righting line and the other person on the opposite side with the trapeze ring in hand, trapeze person should walk out as far as he can and start to pull down. This will easily roll the boat over on it's side. The person with the trapeze line helps you balance the boat so it doesn't come crashing down. Walk it down with the mast, get to the top, unhook the ring manualy, and step the boat back upright. It's not the ring solution but I bet it's easier than dropping the mast with the sail still hoisted.

Basd on my own experience, I would definitely buy McLube, the largest spray can cost abot $ 14 but it lasts for a long time.

Just spray the sail guide in your mast and the boltrope and voila, all your problems will be gone. The sail will go up and down w/no effort whatsoever. Good luck / Rafael

Can somebody explain the "small knot" thing to me? It seems to me that a large knot is preferred due to it stopping the halyard at the proper height for the hook and ring... Also, has anyone actually had the luff pull out of the track due to overuse of McLube....Mal

Don't roll an older hobie 18 on its side! I have seen 2 older hobie 18's with hulls hard as rocks, They were rolled over, riged on the beach and this caused the hull to delaminate on the side in the middle of the hull!!!!


Doug Ramsey
Hobie 18
#4383

Mal,
The reason you want a small knot is so the ring can be raised above the hook to easily disengage them. I ended up buying a new halyard and tieing a buntline knot as suggested. I went sailing yesterday and I engaged and disengaged the ring on my first try. It was great! I think I am still going to replace the sheaves but I was very happy with how much easier it was by making the knot smaller and using a costlier halyard with less stretch. I put Mclube on my sail frequently and I've never had a problem with the luff pulling out of the track.
Matt

Thanks Mat, I suppose the idea is to raise the sail/ring above the hook not just so that it is even with the hook. I never thought of doing it that way... Then when unhooking I suppose the unhook is done when you raise the sail, not necessarily when you rotate the mast; that just gets the hook out of the way on the way down or "in the way" on the way up. I need to get the binocs out and watch the process with that in mind. Again thanks....Mal