Questions from a new H18 owner

Hi-

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a used H18. It's a little bit of a dream come true for me as I have wanted to own one of these boats since I was a kid sailing them at summer camp.

The boat is a 1989 SX. The hulls are solid, and there is only a tiny amount of leakage in the daggerboard trunks, which I plan to get sealed by a boat shop.

The boat is in working order, and we have taken it out a few times already. The boat has a few issues and I have already begun purchasing parts to start repairs/upgrades. The steering system could not be in worse shape, the cams are jammed in the down position so the rudders obviously do not lock down, the aluminum rudder pins are worn very thin where they contact the gudgeons, there is a ton of slop in the bushings, the tiller crossbar is bent, tiller yoke attachment is falling apart, basically everything that shouldn't move is loose, making for a less than pleasurable driving experience. I have ordered new cams, new bushings, rudder pins, crossbar, yoke, etc, basically I have to replace everything but the rudders, castings and tiller bars.

The other big issue was that the wing seat legs on one of the wings were sheared of in a trailering accident. I've obtained replacement legs (very expensive), and the wing seat attachment parts kit, as it appears the wings were never properly mounted in the first place (no struts, strut attachment fitting, none of the angle lock down thingies

So far, my questions are:

1 - Is it worth upgrading the rudder gudgeons to the new one-piece casted version Hobie uses now? My boat has a separate upper and lower stainless steel gudgeons.

2 - I have read some posts saying that standing rigging on older boats should be replaced. Is there a specific way to tell if I should replace my rigging, or is this just based on the age of the boat? Does this also include the trapeze wires? We don't plan to use the trapeze until we are more comfortable on the boat.

3 - The tangs on the boom that connect the mainsheet blocks look bent inwards toward the center tang, is this intentional? And is it worth upgrading to the low profile harken double block system? If I do get that mainsheet system, all the load will be on just 1 tang, is this OK? Or does a heavier duty tang have to be attached to the boom?

Also, if any Hobie sailors here live in the NY area and would like to meet up to offer any advice, or just go sailing with us, send me a PM.

Thanks,
James

HI James, Welcome to the world of hobie cats! and especially the Hobie 18. It's a fun boat and you'll enjoy it a lot.
as to your questions:
1) if you need to replace the gudgeons, then it wouldn't hurt to have the newer one piece system and it does offer more strength and spreads the load a bit better.
2) Standing Rigging: Inspect them carefully. check the top and bottom where the wires are clamped.. make sure there is no broken wires, no rust showing etc. If they are covered... make sure there is no tears or breakage with also may show rust or broken wire. If they look good, you're probably ok leaving them (89 is not that old) depending on the use you're going to give it. Light to moderate air, you'll be ok... if you do a lot of heavy air sailing, I'd consider it. Also, I would suggest changing the Shroud anchor pins, just as a matter of procedure. They should be changed every 5-10 years, again depending on use. It's not fast when they break. Yes, it goes for the trap wires also, same idea. Make sure you put them on even if you don't use them right away. It's always easier driving the boat from the wire.
3) A lot of us run the low profile system on the main blocks. With the appropriate size of line, the newer blocks will run out a lot easier when letting the sail out. also, new blocks have better strength advantages etc. When you go to that system, using one tang is not an issue. Again, most of us sail with it that way.

_________________
Paul Evenden
NRO, RMMCC, CJ

A couple comments/opinion....

1) I wouldn't worry about replacing the stainless gudgeons if they are in good shape. The latest version of the stainless gudgeons are plenty strong. I would replace the rudder pins with stainless pins. These will last indefinitely and will not get worn down causing breakage.

2) 25 year old standing rigging - I would replace it, every piece of it. It is going to be a bit of an expense, but SOP when buying an older boat. Same goes for the anchor pins as stated above. These have a track record of breaking. The new ones are supposedly much stronger, but your original 1989 pins are due for a change. Trap wires, I would just give a thorough inspection. Really what you're looking for is frayed wire strands where they enter the crimp fitting. If the trap wires are clean, they can be used. There is much less load on the trap wires than on the standing rigging.

3) For the mainsheet system, I agree, a low profile system will run smoother. A good compromise is to just get a triple block for the boom attachment since most of the friction of the stock system comes from the three single boom blocks. If you go the triple block route, you will be running off the middle boom bale only. If you're worried about breaking the bale, you can pull off one of the other two bales and rivet it just behind the middle one to double it up for more strength. Also make sure you get an appropriately sized mainsheet line if you want it to run smoothly. I believe 3/8" diameter is what we're running.

If you're looking for some assistance with setup, etc. you may consider going to some Hobie races. This is one of the best ways to learn about your boat. What area of NY are you referring to?

sm

James,

As far as buying replacements and upgrades goes, it comes with the territory on these boats. Mine's 10 years older than yours, and I created a list of things I wanted to repair, replace or upgrade when I bought it. That list has seemed to continue to grow... the more things I fix or upgrade, the more I find that needs to be! A lot of them are convenience items, though... all part of owning a boat.

1) I wouldn't worry about the SS gudgeons, if you can secure them more firmly, they should work just fine. If you bought SS pins, they won't wear like the AL ones.

2) If you sail with older rigging, you may be on borrowed time. However, if your boat is a fresh water boat, sailed lightly, or you continue to sail it lightly, it may be alright... the issue is that you just don't know, and dismasting is a scary thing. I know it's not recommended, and I'm sure srm would scold me for it, but I've been rotating through rigging replacement on my boat. It's just easier on the wallet, and the old rigging shows no sign of wear and has held up pretty well for me. If you're not going to use the trapeze just yet, don't worry about replacing them. musicman is right, the boat is much easier to handle from the wire, once you get a feel for it. But with wings, you'll already have the advantage of some extra leverage.

3) The low profile double block system is nice in that it's easy to set up and there's less friction in the system, but plenty of people still sail with the old system. The boom bales are intentionally angled, I believe.. or at least mine are that way... but I would save new mainsheet blocks for later on, and focus on tightening up the steering system for now.

Where in NY are you? I sail out of Buffalo, NY all the time

_________________
Mike

'79 H18 standard 'Rocketman II' sail #14921 RIP
'78 H18 (unnamed) sail #14921
'08 H16 sail #114312
'97 H21SC sail #238

Thanks for the replies, guys!

A big order of parts just arrived today and stainless rudder pins were part of it

I will give the standing rigging a once-over, everything looked solid at first glance, but I should look more carefully. I might wait until the season is over to replace it, but it would definitely give me more piece of mind.

Unfortunately I am no where near Buffalo, I live near Huntington on Long Island. The boat has been and will continue to be sailed in saltwater most of the time.

James

Depending on how much you're willing to drive, you are not too terribly far from some of the regattas in division 11. You might consider checking out some of the regattas here. They are a great way to learn and our H18 fleet could use some new blood. If you come out, we'll be sure to help you out and get you up to speed.

http://div11.hobieclass.com/

sm