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 Post subject: New To 14s
PostPosted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:41 pm 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:10 am
Posts: 119
Location: Plum Island, MA
Hi all 14 Owners,

I recently purchased an older 14T which the seller sold and had belonged to his father. He could never get it working well for him and his wife. She took a spill on it the first time and got scraped up on the shroud plate and would never try again.

At any rate the first time out I went with my daughter and we did a pitch pull but backwards due to weight distribution issues. I'm about 190 and she's about 130. I found out he boat is very sensitive to weight distribution. I also own a 16 and was really surprised by the lack of stability.

There are a number of issues with the set-up of the boat which I'm working out. I've got one minor question. How should the turbo jib blocks be secured on the tramp? The way my boat is set-up, the jib is continually getting caught on the mast. Any recommendations?

I'll likely lose 20 lbs or so, so I haven't really given up on the boat but because of the jib fouling issue I am considering sailing it in the original 14 configuration as a single-hander. Any recommendation regarding the weight balance issue I experienced.

Finally, the easy right system didn't work worth a darn. Does the righting line need to be pulled over the hull to get it to work?

Thanks,

Lee


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:22 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
The 14 is a very weight-sensitive boat, as you've discovered the hard way. Unless you aand your crew weigh <100 lbs, then it's a singlehanded boat.

310 lbs of crew is just too much. That's a full crew weight for a 16.

The jib blocks are attached via a wire that runs underneath the trampoline, from chainplate to chainplate. There should be two large grommets in the tramp, right over the wire. The jib blocks attach to the wire with a shackle through the tramp grommet.

I'm not sure what's snagging on the mast - are the sheets getting caught in the halyard cleat?

Until you're confident tacking the boat with the jib, I wouldn't take it off yet. The 14 is probably the hardest boat to tack without one.


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 6:59 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:18 am
Posts: 778
Location: Virginia Beach VA
hogwldfltr wrote:
Finally, the easy right system didn't work worth a darn. Does the righting line need to be pulled over the hull to get it to work?

Thanks,

Lee
Murrays sells a black one that is designed to be pulled over the hull. Hobie makes a blue one that pulls under the hull. You could probably get more leverage pulling over the hull but I suspect you would need to be pretty tall to reach over the hull to grab it. Are you sure you weren't trying to right it with the sheet ropes cleated?


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:31 pm 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:10 am
Posts: 119
Location: Plum Island, MA
sunvista wrote:
hogwldfltr wrote:
Finally, the easy right system didn't work worth a darn. Does the righting line need to be pulled over the hull to get it to work?

Thanks,

Lee
Murrays sells a black one that is designed to be pulled over the hull. Hobie makes a blue one that pulls under the hull. You could probably get more leverage pulling over the hull but I suspect you would need to be pretty tall to reach over the hull to grab it. Are you sure you weren't trying to right it with the sheet ropes cleated?


First thing I did was free up everything. Nothing was cleated. I started sailing 16s in '81 and sailing overall in '60, FWIW. The former owner said that it didn't work to well as well. I'll have to see if there is a way to get a better mechanical advantage. FWIW, I had no issue with two righting my 16 last week. Also a new boat to me. one difference on the 14 is the mast float. We ended swimming the 14 to shore to right it.


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:45 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:10 am
Posts: 119
Location: Plum Island, MA
MBounds wrote:
The 14 is a very weight-sensitive boat, as you've discovered the hard way. Unless you aand your crew weigh <100 lbs, then it's a singlehanded boat.

310 lbs of crew is just too much. That's a full crew weight for a 16.

The jib blocks are attached via a wire that runs underneath the trampoline, from chainplate to chainplate. There should be two large grommets in the tramp, right over the wire. The jib blocks attach to the wire with a shackle through the tramp grommet.

I'm not sure what's snagging on the mast - are the sheets getting caught in the halyard cleat?

Until you're confident tacking the boat with the jib, I wouldn't take it off yet. The 14 is probably the hardest boat to tack without one.


No wire came with the boat, apparently the prior owner was using a piece of line as I mentioned. Is that the Jib Block support wire? I'll try to find a place to purchase it.

Regarding the mast snagging, there are a couple of things going on. First there is a cleat on the front of the mast that shouldn't be there but I know the solution to that issue. Secondly the sail gust seems to be getting caught as it's coming across.

As far as taking of the jib, there is always jibing as an alternative. I'll try giving the boat another go soon. For the moment I'm also breaking in the 16.


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 6:57 am 
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Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:13 am
Posts: 16
Location: Mississippi
I have a h14, H14T, and H16. Just about the 14T. The cleat on the front of the mast is for the Main Line. The line(s) for the jib do sometimes get caught coming across. One solution is to cover the cleated line with some sort of sleeker surface. I use a knee brace. Some people use the leg from an old wet suit, but that has to go on the mast before it is stepped. Sometimes the jib line even gets caught on the downhaul cleat on the back, so a longer cover helps. Don't give up on the 14. Do get a proper cable for securing the jib. I do have a bob to prevent turteing. The righting system should be over the hull.


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Sat Nov 02, 2013 1:04 pm 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Fri Jul 02, 2010 6:10 am
Posts: 119
Location: Plum Island, MA
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm sorry to be so late responding to this thread. I thought it was pretty well dead. I'm thinking that setting up the mast the way a 16 is set-up is a better idea. Three cleats but the one in the front of the mast to the side like the 16s. One more question, do the 14s become more stable at speed or is there always the highly weight sensitive issue?

Image


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 Post subject: Re: New To 14s
PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 8:11 am 
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Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2003 2:48 pm
Posts: 229
Location: Hatteras Island, NC.
I think you'll find the 14 gets even more sensitive to weight at speed. With 2 people, I'm not so sure you'd even see speed, though! :P I'm around 170lbs and in higher winds have to trap out way aft and also be careful coming about to tack. One thing that helps out with the jib sheet hanging on the main halyard cleat is to carefully cleat the main so that as little of the cleat is exposed as possible- I put a few wraps of line before stowing the excess on the tramp. Also, if you keep a little tension on the windward sheet as you come through the wind it helps. That is an unusual looking trap rig I your pic. What is it?

Dave


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