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 Post subject: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:06 am 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 3:00 pm
Posts: 68
After many years, recently got back to cat sailing from big yachts. So much more fun! That said, also so easy to get caught in irons when tacking. My last time out was exactly that way. Seems like it was just a bad day for coming about, and wound up jibing all afternoon. The wind was blowing hard enough to fly a hull. Seems that it is easier to come about in a lighter breeze. Any tips or tricks to make my tacks better? It was slightly embarassing and a definate blow to the ego with many years of sailing experience on my side. Thanks a ton.


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:30 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:13 am
Posts: 16
Location: Mississippi
There are lots of posts on the subjects with good advice. What Jerome Vaughn or Matt Bounds has to say would be good! My advice is to not worry about your ego. Go out there and do it over and over. You will force yourself to do it well. I keep my 14T on a very small lake where I have to tack constantly. The more you do it the better you will get. Now on a larger lake with my 16 I have no trouble. It's only because I did it so many times on the 14 on a small lake.


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:53 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:27 pm
Posts: 576
Location: Central Oregon
Don't throw tillers over. Gather speed, then carve a smooth turn gradually tightening as you come through the wind.
Let the jib get backwinded till your good and through. Pop jib over, sheet it on, then sheet main. Off you go.

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1980 H16


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 3:38 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:34 pm
Posts: 109
Location: Bellingham, Washington
As hobiesrock says, don't push the helm quickly, ride it through the turn in a smooth curve.
Release the Main sheet or the main sail will act as a weather vane and keep you head to wind.
Keep the jib set until it becomes fully back-winded, you will see it when it happens. Release the jib and sheet it in on the new tack.
You are correct, the higher the wind the easier it is to get locked up.

-Todd

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Todd
Hobie 21SE
Bellingham, WA


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2014 6:34 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:35 am
Posts: 261
Location: Memphis, TN
Other factors, and it sounds silly, but are your rudders installed and adjusted correctly? if they're backwards left (port) to right (starboard) or the tiller bar is adjusted too far out or in to where the rudders go into the water and turn side to side at different angles that will grind you to a stop quickly no matter how fast your going into the tack. I really suggest ya find an experienced hobie 16 sailor near you that can go over your boat with you and even take it for a spin to really see whats going on. Several years ago when i bought my first H16 ( after having sailed keel boats for 15 years ) I had the identical problem......the first several months i was just like " well.... I guess the boat wants to go this way no matter where i steer....... dang." I had to jibe all the way around backwards to get on a course that was only about 30 degrees difference of the direction i was already going, i had no help at all that first year and with other people on my boat saying where the hell are you going??? We need to go over there! - pointing finger..... sometimes my crew were pointing directly into the wind and were baffled when i got tired of hearing them and did what they said and then I smirked as we started sailing backwards. ( another Hobie 16 skill you WILL develop )

Until You get good, as you go into a turn, steer over slow getting faster as you go dead into the wind - un sheeting your main as you go around, like the others said - backwinding the jib till it pushes the bows completely to other course, sheet jib on new course then sheet in main and straighten tiller to build speed. It also helps if everyone onboard moves aft for a few seconds to get the bows up out of the water a bit, otherwise, up wind, keep the weight on the boat as far forward as possible. You want the stern to be above water an inch or so. If thats not possible with the total crew weight, do what I did and get a H20!!! Lol ....
With the dagger boards it turns on a dime :mrgreen:

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Tim Grover

Memphis, TN fleet 134
Hobie 20! G-Cat5.0 and 2 Hobie 14's
Photobucket now wants $100 to post pics on forums......... pass.


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:35 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 23, 2013 12:02 am
Posts: 165
Location: London
Here's how I tack and I am glad to say I having great success.
It's called a roll tack and weight distribution plays a big part.

Drive hard to wind (close hauled) main tightly sheeted.
Bare off slightly for more speed if required.
Both skipper and crew move as far back on the windward side as possible and turn into tack applying firm and constant pressure to the rudders.
Keep the rudders hard over through out the tack.
When the boat comes head to wind release a little main sheet, one or two feet.
When the main comes over and the jib fills on the new tack the crew releases the jib sheet and takes up the lazy sheet on the new tack at which point the crew goes diagonal to the opposite side front.
once the hulls are point on the new tack skipper heads over while going forward after passing or switching tiller while holding rudder hard over.
Sheet in and away you go.

By heading aft as you tack the bows lift up out the water while the windward stern digs in, this tend to help push the bows through the eye of the wind. It also causes a higher degree of mast rake which in-turn seem to help pivot the boat around. When going forward this tend to have the opposite effect and lifts the stern out while digging in the new windward bow which creates the effect of a tighter turn.

Since I have started employing this technique I have only been caught out twice but that was due to mistakes, prior to this I was having to back wind the jib a great deal often. Back winding the jib will get you through but its not the right way in my opinion.

It can also be employed when solo.
Hope this makes sense.

_________________
Hobie 14 Turbo (~1979)
Hobie 16 Carumba (1983)
Hobie 16 1990 (storm damaged)
Hobie 16 1996 (my latest)


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:08 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2012 3:00 pm
Posts: 68
thanks for the pointers... One more question- are the rudders different for port and starboard? They look totally identical to me but there is a noticable difference in the tillers.


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:04 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2011 4:27 pm
Posts: 576
Location: Central Oregon
Rudders are the same...the castings that hold them are not.

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1980 H16


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 Post subject: Re: Caught in Irons!
PostPosted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:53 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:26 pm
Posts: 572
Location: Harsens Island, Michigan
I leave my rudder assembly all together with the crossbar over the winter, but take them off the boat by just pulling the pins. They fold flat nicely for storage that way. If you leave them that way, they REALLY didn't want to fit back on the boat when I had right/left swapped. I took me a few beers to realize what I had done wrong, and when I got it right they fit back on like butta'.

One more reminder that if you have to force it, something isn't right.

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795
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