Rookie questions

I'm a rookie to the used Hobie 18 I just purchased. I've read Hobie U, Booklets that came with boat and visited as many sites as possible. I can not find answers to: 1) Setting mast rotation arm, How and Why? 2) As a rookie, do I consider bowing the batons or just leave them snug?

Mast rotator toward the side stays for most applications. More to the back for fuller sail and more toward the front for flatter sail.
Snug the battens, over tightening them stretches the sail if left.

Okay, not only am I a Sailing Rookie, but I don't have the " lingo" yet. Whats "toward the side stays "? And what do you mean with "More to the back for fuller sail and more toward the front for flatter sail.". The Mast Rotation Arm has a short rope to the Boom cleat... Do I cinch this down, or do I leave a certain amount of slack? When sailing, do I adjust the mast rotation manually or just let it move within the slack of the rope?

I 'll just snug the batons, thanks.

The rope you're speaking of is the mast rotation adjustment rope. The tighter you cleat it, the less your mast will be allowed to rotate and vise versa. Yes, you do let it move with the slack of the rope. The more slack you have the more the mast will be allowed to rotate. "Toward the side stays" means that the aft portion of your mast (where the mainsail track is) is pointed at the side stays, the wires that hold your mast up. Think of your mast as the leading edge of your sail and adjust it's rotation to conform with the shape (or foil) of your mainsail. What ncmbm is referring to here is de-powering of the rig in heavy wind. "more to the back" would refer to less mast rotation, the aft of the mast pointing towards the stern of the boat and "more toward the front" refers to lots of rotation meaning the aft of the mast is pointing more towards the bows of the boat.

Tom

Thanks for your answers... That really helps. Before I ask any more questions (don't want to be a bother), is there a book or a dvd you would recommend that gives really good detail on how to sail a Hobie 18 (1979). Items I'm looking to cover are

Rigging tension including mast rake
How, where and why to set the sails, mast, travellers and all, based on direction of (apparent) wind.

I'm very much the "I need to know the why" kind of person. I've already read Hobie U, Owners manual, and other simple manuals.

Thanks

I think the best one to read would be Catamaran Sailing: From Start to Finish.

_________________
1992 Hobie Cat 18 #16943
Hobie Fleet 198, Rapid City, SD

Catamaran Racing for the 90's by Rick White
and
The Hobie 18 Performance Manual by Phil Berman (if you can find it, it's out of print)

Both would answer a lot of your questions.

Another good option would be to find a fleet in your area or attend a Hobie race. First hand experience with people that know what they're doing will provide you with a ton of good information quickly.

sm

Don't forget to add sailing to your studies. Sail, read, sail, read, repeat.