mast setup??

hello...i was wondering if anybody can post a detailed explaination on setting up the mast on a hobie 15?
i cant seem to get it up with 2 people.
thanks

sorry i cant resist.

They have a little blue pill for that.

Seriously, I can raise the mast of my 16 with one extra person (two total)and a bad left hand.

The thing that i have found most useful is to stop think about how to position your body in the starting position so you can move fluidly into your next and then final position with out looseing momentum.
haveing person # two start the mast helps. that is to say have said person walk the mast as far up as they can on the ground before you grab it and start to lift. once you take over the lift have them scurry around and help guide the mast into the base.

good luck

Hmmm... Since most of us here on the forum are limited to the Hobies sold in the US we do not have much experience with Hobie 15's . Granted they look a lot like a 14 or 16 and the stepping process should not be very different.
Like rwehuman, I can step a Hobie 16 mast solo (if I have to). Let us know what problem you encounter (as in specifically) and someone might be able to help.

Patrick

hi all, thanks guys for the relpies and as Patrick asked..i will list some problems i am currently having.
1. Once we get the mast stepped, we dont really know how to get it all the way up, becouse myself and my dad tried to lift it into position and we couldnt.
2. We tried to lift the mast using the main halyard (my dads friend's bright idea)..and they broke one of the cleats off of the mast (currently fixing that).
3.This problem is solved rite now....the jib was short of 2 - 3ft to the bow wires (Sunsail did not give us the jib halyard...common mistake).

We tried another way: mast down, turn the hobie on its side on the beach, one person holds the mast in the same line as the mast step, and the other person attaches the shrouds, once the mast is securely in place, we turn it right side up. would this work good?

Any replies and help greatly appreciated!
Thank you.

1. Once we get the mast stepped, we dont really know how to get it all the way up, becouse myself and my dad tried to lift it into position and we couldnt.

Hmmm, what is the limiting factor? Or what is it that keeps ou from lifting it up the last bit? Are the shrouds to short?
Here is a different question - do you know what a step link is - and how it is used?

2. We tried to lift the mast using the main halyard (my dads friend's bright idea)..and they broke one of the cleats off of the mast (currently fixing that).

The brocken cleat gives me a weird suspicion... Are you trying to step the mast vertical next to the boat and than lift it in the vertical position to its place in the mast base? Do not try that ever! There is a good chance you will hurt yourself several bystanders at least one car and the mast when it comes down.

3.This problem is solved rite now....the jib was short of 2 - 3ft to the bow wires (Sunsail did not give us the jib halyard...common mistake).

Not sure what the length of the jib has to do with the mast stepping problem? The length of three wires (forestay, two shrouds) is critical for the mast stepping. The jib might become an issue once the mast is up.

We tried another way: mast down, turn the hobie on its side on the beach, one person holds the mast in the same line as the mast step, and the other person attaches the shrouds, once the mast is securely in place, we turn it right side up. would this work good?

Yes ... not the easiest way but that would work as well. Especially if you do not have a step link.

Patrick

Thanks Patrick.
but its not a stepping problem, the problem is raising the mast after it is stepped.

I think we should just go with the easier way of turning the hobie on its side, becouse it seems to work better than anything else we have tried.
hopefully we can get it sailing this weekend

There should be no "raising" of the mast. The stepping link is a small piece of metal that you use to connect the mast to the mast step base while it (the mast) is still down. It acts like a hinge so when you start picking up the top end of the mast the bottom stays in place. Be sure you have the side stays (shrouds) connectd to the boat before you start lifting the mast.

Your best bet is to find somebody local like a Fleet member and have them help you.

Sam

I suggest contacting Hobie Cat France. They market the Hobie 15. There should be an assembly manual available for download.

www.hobie-cat.com

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