H14--how do it get it stiff again?

I just picked up my ebay H14 Turbo and I'm delighted with it overall-- sails, tramp, rudders are all in very good, usable condition. The hulls feels rock solid with normal keel wear.

One big problem that I know is a common issue--fair amount of movement between the hulls; ie you can pick up one bow and it moves 3 inches before the other bows moves.

How do I correct this problem? Is it just a matter of disassembling the pylon/tramp connections and re-tightening them all with new hardware?

Thanks

There are a few things you can do to get it stiff again. I will avoid the obvious jokes...

First, you need to look at the tightness of the tramp. You want the tramp tight, very tight. Enough that the side bars of the tramp deflect about and inch or so in the middle. You can do this by pre-deflecting the side bars before you lace the tramp. Again, there are plenty of posts in both forums on this subject

Second, you need to check out the pylon to casting joints. You want these tight. Some are already tight and others have lots of slop in them. If they are sloppy you will need to shim or glue them. I prefer shimming because it can easily be undone. I don't like permanant "fixes" for this problem. There are plenty of posts on this forum and the Hobiecat website forum about shimming and gluing these joints.

One thing to be wary of is the bolts that hold the pylons in the corner castings. Don't overtighten these. The bolts tightness does not affect the rigidity of the boat. They are only used to keep the pylons from falling out of the castings. If you over tighten them, you can crack the castings. ($$$) What you want to see is a snug fit between the through holes and the bolts. This will help eliminate any slop in these joints.

I hope this helps.

What do I use for shims?

I definitely need to relace the tramp very tight.

Eric,

There are a couple of different materials you can use for shims. Hobie Cat sells a kit that has a number of brass strips that you hang on the upper edge of the pylon before re-assembling the boat. I've also used strips of vinyl house siding. If you cut them right, they come with their own "hanger" - just clip them on to the pylon and re-assemble. The vinyl deforms to better fill the gaps than the brass does.

Either way, you'll end up renewing the shims every couple of years. The only semi-permanent fix is epoxy. But even then, if you grease the pylons before re-assembly, it's still relatively easy to take the boat apart without resorting to a torch.

A word of advice - DO NOT use a carpenter's hammer directly on the castings. Use a wood block to spread out the blow, or better yet - a rubber mallet or dead-blow plastic hammer. Broken castings are easy to replace, but it's an aggravation you don't need.

Matt when do you put the grease on?Do you put it on top of the soft epoxy?

You would want to grease the surfaces before you apply the epoxy. This way it won't stick to the casting or the pylon. It will only fill the void(s) in between the two parts.

I still prefer the shims. It allows for adjustment without having to start all over again. If you do decide to epoxy, make sure the hulls are level both along thier axes and across the hulls. You want the boat to be as "flat" as possible. I think I explained that well enough.

That was a very good point about hitting the castings.

When I glue boats, Its turned upside down. Squared, leveled and then pour the epoxy into the gaps. You can choose to grease or not. I don't grease and have been able to get boats apart with some heat from a propane torch and a dead blow hammer. I think for old boats this makes them tighter. I also use a file or sanpaper to clean up the casting and pylon to give the epoxy something to stick to. The last one I did I put a very thin coat on the pylon and casting before assembly to be sure the epoxy was everywhere. The boat ended up very tight.

Any suggestions on what epoxy to use?

So you assemble the boat upside down with the tramp on the ground?

Any secrets to getting it square?

West system Epoxy with some filler. Assembly the boat with light coating of epoxy as mentioned. Then turn upside down.Tramp toward the ground. Measure diagonal across tramp frame to get the same number. Hold in place with line. Pour epoxy into gaps (a little at a time) and let dry. Don't use the quick set hardener so you have time to work.

Thanks.