new member, new H18 owner checking in

Here's a picture of my new obsession.

I very much appreciate everyone's advice. And I have read the forum here in reverse order through page 11 or so. Lots of good reading for a newbie.

I have inspected the stay anchors and they look brand new. I believe the shrouds or stays are new as well. Rebuilt the furler, new jib sheet and wire halyard, plus the hoisting halyard and luff tensioner, new main halyard but not the smaller size. New rudder cams and plungers. New traveler slugs, boom cleats, outhaul, downhall, mast rotator, boom vertex, and various clevis pins and shackles, and new diamond wire/rotator mounting bolt.

The main sheet is frayed and should be replaced as it seems to move slow through the blocks. I'm thinking about a smaller size so decided to wait on that til I decide.

I didn't use a smaller main halyard but the new one was smaller than what was installed on the boat. The aussie ring with separate twist shackle and new halyard combined with some fingerless carpenters gloves seems to have solved my hoisting hassles. I hooked and unhooked it several times, using proceedures as Wyatt has described above.

The side stays look new, but the bridle wires are not as new. They are white vinyl covered and the shrouds are black. I think the bridle wires are much older and the crimp has a small crack on one of them. This must be replaced next I will assume. I purchased parts from Mariner Sails and their service was excellent with fast shipping.

So I need bridles and I guess I should get the forestay as well. I've read of the demastings others have had and hope to avoid that.

Plus I noticed two rudder bushings are upside down and it's metal on metal with no washers either, need to fix that. I think the rudder blade's mounting holes are elongated, to much movement in the rudder fore and aft without anything else moving. I had to adjust the bolts all the way up to have any overlap with the hinge axis while holding the loose rudders aft as the water would do. Should I fill and redrill the rudder mounting holes?

The picture was taken while replacing the parts and daydreaming about sailing. Not a good picture as the sun was setting too far before I got it back together.

Looks Good!!!
Put your plugs in and sail her.You can go broke from both time and money trying to make your boat showroom new.
Sounds to me like you have a good handle on what needed to be done and what needs to be done.Remember your bridals split the load of the forestay,I would replace them at some point but save money for a nice day on the water and enjoy your new project.
shawn
82 H18 #8211
Div. 3

That's what I was thinking too, Shawn. I guess the guys on the coast can sail almost anytime they choose. I'm waiting on a windy day on the lake now, and I can hardly stand it.

I've replace missing or worn parts so far, acquired some spare shackles and pins, and will get the rest shipshape soon, but it's ready to hit the water again as is.

Next time out I think I can tune/sail the boat better. I've read about de-powering and sailing in strong winds and I think I have set my boat up and sailed as if the winds were stronger than I was experiencing. Although I did get the windward hull a little light a couple of times, I never was on the verge of lifting a hull. I missed a day with 13-15 mph winds a few days ago while waiting on parts. I didn't want to go back out with things configured wrong and no furler. It was hard to control the jib while approaching my brothers dock with a tin roof edge near my sails.

Can't wait to sail again. The acceleration with no motor noise is a nice thing.

Yea, Its really cool to get out and just let go!Nice and peaceful but at the same time really fast!
Dont overthink the down haul ,the 18 sail will slide alittle bit but under medium wind you will only be de-powering the bottom4 panels of the sail.You will see what I mean with a bit of experience.Just make sure your m,ain sheet is running through the wheels fairly fast.I use 3/8 yale light on 72mm air blocks but my block setup is overkill.The yalelight does not soak up any water and runs through the wheels nicely.On a windy or gusty day a good main sheet is the difference from dry clothes and a wet captain.You should be able to drop the main and it should send the boom on a trip, if your sheet is hanging up or slow and you are out single-handing,your guna get wet!!! But thats half the fun(learning your boats quirks).
Shawn

I can't believe it, but I actually understood everything you just posted. And I finally realize why a main sheet that stays dry has been mentioned in the forum pages past often.

I'm so looking to get at it again!


Thanks and great forum guys.

Okay, I'm pumped! I recently bought an 18SX after being a 16 junkie for decades. I can't tell you how nice it is to be connected with this forum... so good to know there are answers out there!

Thanks! Todd

I'm having a ton of fun as a newb myself. Just went out for the sixth time yesterday. I can't pass up a windy day on the lake because they are few right now. So I went out single handed again, this time in a blow influenced by the gulf weather. It was a wild ride and included three capsizes. Some young guys on a pontoon party barge helped me right the boat, and hung around to watch and help again. I think I was entertaining them. I learned a lot yesterday and only have a couple of bruises on my over 50 body. I feel like I spent the day at the gym yesterday and over did it.

Main thing I learned is not to go out single handed in sustained 15-17 knot winds with over 20 knot gusts unless you know what you are doing. I definitely need to learn to use the harness and trapeze, but I've been working up to that. So much to learn and do quickly and precisely in strong wind.

In my "newbs fifth outing" post I asked if I was an accident waiting to happen, but nobody said "yes". Well, I answered that question myself yesterday, I am.

At one point I was headed back to the ramp because I had forgotten my gloves and my hands were red and fatigued. I was about ten or twenty yards from the ramp when a strong wind line and rain came over the dam right at me and prevented further progress. The wind had to be 30 knots but I knew it would pass in less than five minutes probably. Instead of being blown into the rip-rap (no beach at the dam) I quickly headed back out to the middle and assumed the safety position. Jib was furled at the time, main sheet released, and I was using the rudders to keep head to wind as I was being blown backwards. The lake was white-capping over the tramp. I was struggling some but not in a panic. One second of inattention when I looked back to see if I was backing into the far shore set up an interesting event.

The boat came about to run downwind so fast I was stunned, and off I went, for a little bit. I'm still unsure if I let it come about once it started or what happened. Things were happening too fast for my skill level. I started sheeting in the main but it was too late since it was fully released and touching the port shrouds it was in position to run downwind and it took off, until the rear of the boat lifted out of the water completely exposing both rudders. That was fun to look back and see. It stood on its nose and slowly settled over to port. And of course the wind immediately passed and all was calm. Another minute and I would have made it through it all without incident.

The other wettings were a result of not responding to gusts properly or quickly enough while running wind abeam with a big smile on my face.

Good times indeed.