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Hobie 16 mast rotation
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Author:  Brakio [ Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  Hobie 16 mast rotation

I have an old 1970's Hobie 16 with old main blocks and all aluminum mast. one, I noticed that the mast always rotates (sometimes hard) to the stops (left or right) and is never in another position. Is this normal? Also, I have replaced the shrouds and attempted to rake the mast, but now it grinds past the stops and rotates beyond where it seems it should. Is this a problem and do I have to worry about de-masting if it over-rotates?

Author:  Benfrancis [ Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie 16 mast rotation

I have the same problem, my stops on both the mastbase and mast step are really worn, the mast looks like it over rotates significantly. I know H16's don't point well
but mine seems really bad. I actually have better parts which were donated to me, but ............

To prevent excessive racking my hulls / tramp / castings cannot be dismantled. The old mast step seems to be throughly corroded to the striker post. As does the better one I have. The striker wire / rod thing is firmly corroded in place.

I saw some mention through google of people building up the rotation stops but no details.

Has anyone installed a mast rotation control / limiter ? I have no need to stay in class rules.

Author:  AntonLargiader [ Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie 16 mast rotation

I think if I had that much corrosion going on, I'd want to get it cleaned up so I could see if there was structural damage.

Author:  MBounds [ Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie 16 mast rotation

The mast is supposed to rotate stop-to-stop. There are no adjustments - in keeping with the simplicity of the boat.

However, old boats weren't designed to carry a lot of mast rake. Over the years, the design of the mast step has changed subtly to allow the extreme rake now favored in the class.

If your stops are worn, and the mast is over rotating, there's no real risk of the mast coming out of the step, but performance suffers. You can't point as high, and the sail is de-powered. If you carry a lot of mast rake, the mast base is wearing against the aft edge of the mast step.

The fix is to replace the mast step with a new one. They are angled aft to accommodate more rake, and the rotation stops are much beefier.

If you're still having over-rotation issues, then replace the mast base.

Building the stops back up on old castings is generally not successful - the stops take an awful beating and rebuilt stops don't last very long.

Author:  Benfrancis [ Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie 16 mast rotation

So if you had to change a mast step and had the choice of getting the long striker rod out and changing the whole deal or getting the old mast step off the striker post and screwing a new one on which would you choose.

Corrosion makes both of them look pretty tough but i'm not sure which one to focus my attention on.

Author:  ronholm [ Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie 16 mast rotation

MBounds wrote:

Building the stops back up on old castings is generally not successful - the stops take an awful beating and rebuilt stops don't last very long.



I have an aussie jib halyard setup, and what I usually do is let it get pinched in the mast base so the thing doesn't rotate as far... :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

:lol:

Yeah.... It takes an awful beating... :evil: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Author:  richandpat [ Fri Jun 21, 2013 1:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hobie 16 mast rotation

Since both the older style mast step and the mast base get worn over time, I think both should be replaced. That way the stops on both will match up.
I had mine replaced on our 1979 H16 about 2 years ago. I still have my all aluminum mast and I don't rake it back. Both the newer mast step and mast base are beefier and work perfect without the mast being raked back. Replacing them is a big job; especially if you have a lot of corrosion. We bought our boat years ago to go sailing and to do small maintenance and repair jobs; not to do large, difficult jobs. If I had to replace these about every 5 years, I probably would've done it myself just to get the learning experience so that the next time would be easier. The original ones lasted about 30 years. The ones I have now should last longer. I don't think I'll be around another 30 years, and If I am I'll probably just be dreaming about sailing from some nursing home.
I think you should have both replaced by someone who has done this before - like your Hobie Dealer. Pay the big bucks and have it done right the first time. Then go sailing.

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