Loosening shrouds every time you step the mast?

Can you leave shrouds in third or fourth hole down from the top or do you need to loosen to top hole and then retighten after front stay is connected? Having trouble reaching and connecting front stay. First time stepping the mast , sorry just a nubie.

Loosen 1 shroud every time it will make your life easier. Taking one shroud to the top hole will do the trick.

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Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

I have shroud tensioner/de-tensioner that I open every time I raise my mast.This gives me less tension and makes raising my 21SE mast by my self doable.My daughter uses my winch to assist me once my mast is 1/3 the way up and she puts the pin in the forstay while I hold the mast forward.Sometimes while going to the lake for a solo sail,I just ask anyone at the park to help me and it takes less than 5 minutes with help.I do use my tensioner/de-tensioner to right my boat if I am light on crew,but I have not capsized in at least a decade.I have a wind directional on top of my mast that breaks every time I flip and I hate replacing that but I do carry an extra one for I does happen.... Bill 404 21 SE

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Bill 404 21SE

Tensioner/ de-tensioner?

Called an extender in the catalog...

# 10049 shown on page 18 of the 2010-11 Parts Catalog

Its an "over-center" sort of lever used to loosen and tension a shroud.

I just sit in my trap harness to pull the mast to one side for wire adjustments.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

What is a good starting point for tension? Fourth or fifth hole down? More ? Probably many variables.

Hole location is not an indication of tension... yep, way to many variables. Rough estimate: You should feel the shrouds... grab the wire and pull/push. Should feel rigid. Maybe 2-3" max lateral motion.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Matt,
Lateral motion of the mast head?

Wire in your hand... Out of column.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I have only had my boat out a few times since I bought it so I am not sure I am doing this correct - any sugestions would be welcome.

I have been putting the forestay all the way into the roller furler with just one hole below the pin for the shackle that attaches the jib tack. This is with the shrouds in the very top hole for mast raising. I then by pulling on the trap handles I can move the shrouds down one hole. I need to remember to do this before I raise and tension the jib. The pulling on the trap handle and then getting the pin out and in the new hole for the shroud is a two person job so I have been thinking about buying a shroud tensioner to speed up the setup process.

My question is how much mast rake do most people use on their H18 (1983 vintage)? I have seen that the H16 likes a lot of mast rake but the H18 sails better with minimal mast rake.

Also how many people use a shroud tensioner to speed up the setup process?

Thanks Matt, I think I've been running mine too loose.

Base the mast rake on the mainsheet system once fully rigged. I would rake back to get the blocks close together when fully sheeted. Within a foot or closer for sure.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

The tensioning lever is not widely used just for rig tension. It was mainly for re-tensioning a rig on the water after using the shroud extender for righting after a capsize.

Use the main halyard or trap wire pulling the mast to the side being adjusted... or travel the main all the way out and sheet hard (caution on wind issues of course).

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Tips on how to rig...

When I take my mast down to trailer the boat, I rarely unattach the rigging from the mast or the boat (only at the end of the year). I leave the shrouds and trap wires attached and coil the wires on the tramp, I then jam the trap handles (dogbones/handles) into the dagger board case. To keep the wires on the boat put them under a foot strap, and lash them to it with a bungee.

Before you drop the mast un-tension one of the side stays to the top hole of the chain plate and leave it untill the next time you set up the boat. Leave the other side, as it gives you a referance for what hole the pin needs to go in when you raise the mast the next time.

When you raise the mast attach the forstay in any hole, it wont matter, you will tension it accordingly in the next few steps.

Re-tension the side stay so it is the identical to the other side.

Take one of your 4 trap wires and head to the front of the boat put all your weight on the trap handle, you can use a trap harness if you need to. move the forstay as far as you can into the furler and repin in the top hole of the furler. I always use the bottom hole for the jib, to keep it as close to the boat as possible.

I add a short piece of line to one of the trapeze wires, take it forward and while pulling it taut, I use my thumb to "mark" the line where it touches the pin that holds the bridle to the bow tang.

Then, while holding the "mark" I made I walk it to the back and once again, while pulling it taut, I touch it to the outer curve of the deck where it rolles over to the lip, behind the rear cross bar and on the outside of the boat. This gives a refrence that is the same for all hobie 18's no matter what the shroud lengths are.

A medium air starting setting should be about 4 to 6 inches behind the back of the rear crossbar. Further forward for lighter wind or heaver crew, and further back for more wind or lighter crew.

Raking it further forward will reduce your pointing ability, but give you superior performance downwind.

Raking it further back will improve your pointing ability but reduce your downwind performance.

Adjust the shrouds accordingly and keep them fairly tight, the 18 is not a sloppy boat like the 17 or 16.

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