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 Post subject: Diamond spreader tips
PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 11:56 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:54 pm
Posts: 2
Hi,

Can anyone point me in the direction of some tips for tensioning my diamond spreaders please? I've recently had to replace one of the bottle-screws (turnbuckle), and I'm really not sure quite how best to re-tension them

Thanks,
Alan


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 4:09 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:57 pm
Posts: 152
Location: Southern New Jersey
I use the 12", 24", 36" method the is described in the Hobie 18 Performance Tuning Manual by Phil Berman. The topic is described in Post:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2142&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=diamond+wire+tension

OR

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2254

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John Latimer
'79 Hobie18 - Magnum
Sail#4854


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 8:52 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:04 am
Posts: 818
Location: Clinton Lake Kansas
Alan,

The most economical method to get them close to equal tension again, is as described with the bungee around the wires. This is done (obviously) with main sail not hoisted, leaves both hands free to measure distance from the mast to each wire and adjust turnbuckles to make equal distance. Prior to, ensure the mast rotates freely and adjust shroud (sidestay) tension following diamond adjustment.

The other method is to borrow a Loos tension gauge. This device measures and gives you a numerical reading to compare each wire.

Now once your sails are up and your making fine tune adjustments you should be able to keep them close by counting turns (that's why I say borrow the Loos guage, they'll never be exact). Adjust your tension for the days' (crew) weight, wind (strength), and wave (choppy or smooth)...the three W's

John, thanks for looking up those old posts :)

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www.fleet297.org
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 Post subject: Diamond Wires Adjustment
PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 9:21 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:06 pm
Posts: 610
Location: SE PA/ Chesapeak Bay
Guys,

Please note when Phil Berman wrote that excellent H-18 tuning guide the H-18 had a solid mast!!! and the sails where cut different !!! This then requires a totally different tuning set-up for the diamond wires then as discribed by Phil, Ok.

The mast is obvious: comptip ... all-alum ... but the sails. I can show you sails starting with # 1400, 5458, 9458 (Blue Hawaii), 12000s, 16000s and a new (last year) 9458 (all white). They are all different!!! Please note that the "new" sail is excellent and I am very pleased with it !!!

Currently in Div 11 we are running just a hint of mast prebend with diamond wire tensions in the area of 300lbs on our Loews guage. I'm sailing (w/ my 13yr old niece) at a crew wieght of approx 305-310 lbs and generally we have 6-10 knots at races, Ok.

Sail Flat, Sail Fast

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:42 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:11 pm
Posts: 115
If you take a sight up the masts and it is straight, then your diamonds are equal. I like the 12 24 36 method from Bermans book. No he does not have a comptip but I think that is irrelavent since the diamonds attach below the comptip. As for "Hobie" sails being different than one another, that is not uncommon. I suspect there have been a few different suppliers in the 18's long history. You will also be very hard pressed to find in print from Hobie the dimensions of their sails. Probably because of this very thing.


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 Post subject: Sail Suppliers
PostPosted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:16 pm 
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Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:09 am
Posts: 3
Location: San Diego, CA
In the early days Coast Catamaran contracted with McKibben Sails to manufacture Hobie sails. When the company moved to O'side they set up their own loft.

Before computer controlled cutting, pre 1995, sails were cut by hand on mylar patterns.

Mylar patterns were made by taking the master, generally the original designed sail panels, and re-creating the draw and cut lines of each panel on the mylar (very thick, 10 mil) with extra thick masking tape (pattern tape).

Sail panels were made by laying the cloth on the pattern, lines were drawn by tracing over the pattern tape and edges cut by running the scissors along the edge of the tape.

Over time new patterns would be made.

Every time a new pattern was created there was always a chance of small (please read millimeters) differences between patterns.

Every time a sail was produced "the old fashioned way" there was always going to be a difference between sails (again, please read millimeters in difference).

So many sails were produced over the years that, yes, there were differences in sails.

Since 1996 all sails produced by Hobie Cat USA have been plotter cut. The design is now locked in.

The only noticeable performance differences over the years would be from the different sailcloth used. In the early years it was produced by Bainbridge, then Dimension, Texlon and now Teijen. A multi colored sail would have fabric from many different lots all with different stretch characteristics.

I learned one thing early on in my sailmaking career, "a millimeter is the difference between a good day and a bad day"


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:25 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:54 pm
Posts: 2
Thanks for the advice, I'll have a play with this and see how it goes. Next race is on the 17th weather permitting, my first on a Hobie 18!

Alan


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