1. What is the normal mast rake? I'm using new rigging from Saltydog, and with the forestay adjuster at its tightest, the mast is raked so that it forms an 80 dgree angle to the sidebars when viewed from directly abeam.
You want tons of rake. 80 sounds too upright. Check out the tuning guide:
http://www.hcana.hobieclass.com/site/hobie/hcana/downloads/TuningGuides/Hobie%2014%20Tuning%20Guide.pdf2. How is the halyard routed when it passes the mast tang? Is it aft of the shrouds, or between the shroud and the forestay?
Between the shroud and forestay, essentially straight down to the cleat on the front of the mast.
3. The Hobie parts list says the halyard is five feet long. I don't undersatnd how that could work. My halyard is cable which is just a bit longer than the distance from the mast-sailflare to the tip. I'm using a halyard which is about the same length as the mast, tied to the cable.
The parts list shows the line part is 22 feet, assuming you have a non comptip. Not sure where you got 5 feet from. Be sure you hook the slug under the claw at the top front of the mast, that's what holds the sail up.
http://static.hobiecat.com/digital_assets/PARTS_14-16.pdf#page=24 Does the gooseneck fitting end up below the flared mast section for feeding in the luff rope?.
Yes below. I downhaul just enough to pull the wrinkles out when sailing recreationally. I'm just barely into the black band sitcker on the mast.