Hobie Cat Forums

While trying to step my mast yesterday twice it would pop off of the mast ball even though the pin was in. Has this every happened to anyone? How can this even happen? Do I need a new mast ball or new pin? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

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Wherever you go . . . There you are.

Hobie uses the same system on the 17 (and I think Tiger too). I've always found it to be dependable. I would check the plastic ball for wear. You could even use a caliper to do a dimensional check of the ball diameter. Most likely the ball has worn, so it's probably easiest to just replace the ball. Also, check the pin to see if it's bent (I assume you're using the correct diameter pin). Otherwise, it's a fairly straightforward system.

Also, keep in mind that the 31ft mast has a lot of leverage on that mast step when it's in the down position. Do you have a helper holding the tip of the mast while you step? You kinda have to since the diamond wires don't allow you to rest the mast on the back crossbar.

You actually don't even 'need' to have the pin in on these masts, as long as you keep forward pressure on the mast, it should stay on the ball (although it's definitely safer to use the pin).

sm

Do you have the mast rotated 90 degrees? make sure the pin is straight and the correct diameter. I've never had the mast pop off the ball before.

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Brad Stephens
Brad@sunjammers.com
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SSSHHHH. Don't tell anyone. I don't even use the pin in mine and it has never popped off the step ball. About 50% of the div 3 sailors don't even have one from what I've seen. Something's wrong with the technique.

This might help:
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/index.html

Scroll down to the H20 Section and download the asy manual.

Go to page 10.

Feel free to call anytime. 831.359.5918 Same # left o your machine the other day. I'm happy to help.

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Sail Revolution
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Yes Jeremy - I know that you don't use a pin that is why my 20
front cross bar has this big dent in it from you dropping the mast on it
(Jab, Jab - you know I will never let you live that one down )

Sean -yes make sure that you are at 90 degrees when you raise the mast.
It also helps to have a winch rigged up so there is a pulley at the top of your mast stand on the trailer - most of the sailors in Division 3 have some type of crank system to help take the load off when raising or lowering. I can send you a picture of my trailer if you would like

Sean - have you checked your mast base?

Jeremy - remember when I first got my 20 used in 2005,
the mast base was broken and the replacement one chipped so it would slip off the ball (MAST BASE 50416011 ). Once this was replaced, it has worked ever since - and I do use a pin all the time.

hope this helps.

- Dwight

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Dwight Manning
Hobie 20 #916 San Jose CA 2000 Alter Cup boat
Hobie 18 #916 Santa Cruz CA 1989 Worlds Boat
Hobie 16 #16 San Jose CA (Jordan) 2005 Custom Main
Hobie 16 #54466 Calling Lake Alta Tequila sunrise

The FXone uses a similar step/ball. I don't use the pin, but I tie off a safety line if it does come off the ball.

Actually that's not how that happened at all. When the previous owner had your boat (2000 +or- when I worked for O'Neills) , we were lowering the rig and I was catching. I instructed him to rotate the rig 90deg and he lost control of it and dropped it un-rotated. The pin was in. The back of the mast base hit and dented the fwd crossbar and the ball popped off. He was nice enough to let me use his boat for the boat show since I didn't have a 20 in stock and I told him I wanted it to look new and would get him a new crossbar free of charge. He felt so bad about almost smashing me with his rig that he called my boss and said that under no circumstances should I install the crossbar. He wanted the dent there to remind him to rotate it.

Hobie bought the crossbar back when I bought O'Neills. I always kinda felt like I should make it good on my word with the dude but he wasn't having it. And that is the story about that little dent in Dwight's fwd xbar. And that's what happens if you don't rotate the rig.

I don't use the pin, but you should.

J

Amen, your forward pressure can fail

There's a lot of 20's sailors around here who are proponents of using the pin. Ours popped off the ball once (w/pin in) and my son "caught" the mast on his shoulder Left a helluva bruise and lucky it didn't smack him in the head! I "should have" instructed him better on the getting the hell out of the way if a mast is coming down.

I bought a new ball, but never put it on, you could see that the mast was rotated just right for the pin to slide out from a previous dent.

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

Perhaps a new ball might be a good start. Are these things easy to install?

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Wherever you go . . . There you are.

Extremely easy to remove/install. The plastic ball is threaded onto the steel striker post, so just unthread the old one and put on the new one. You may need to use a wrench to get the ball on / off. Slip-jont plyers will work, but they tend to chew up the ball. A strap wrench might be better.

sm

Has anyone ever tried using a metal ball for the base of the mast?

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Wherever you go . . . There you are.

Dude...rotating mast, metal on metal ball? The base casting is aluminum, have a suggestion for the ball metal material? PLEASE DON'T ANSWER THAT!

Plastic ball is what you want, with a squirt of teflon to lubricate. We're all in agreement that you, like me, somehow lost downward pressure causing the mast to jump off the ball. It happened to me too...once.

As stated, the winch and pulley on the mast stand is a good way to apply forward pressure on the way up, AND DOWN.

Take your time, and stepping will become second nature to you.

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Sheet In...Max Out
www.fleet297.org
sailflatlands at gmail dot com

I think I should clarify my lack of pin statement so people don't get hurt. The pin and consequently the thin aluminum tabs on the mast base that the pin goes through are not designed to take the weight of the mast if one were hoisting it incorrectly. The pin is simply there to, as John said, keep the base on the step if forward pressure were to ease momentarily. To me, if the base steps off of the ball, either something happened that shouldn't have (i.e. someone lost their balance and eased forward force) or an incorrect technique is being employed (i.e. the mast wasn't rotated, not enough forward pressure, etc). So, to keep the base on the ball you have to primarily use the proper technique, the pin is your secondary line of defense.

Yes, use the pin. But realize its limitations. My point in saying that I don't use it was just to illustrate the point that if all else is right, the pin is not needed to keep the base on the ball.

J

pleaswe see post mast stepping problems for a solution to your issue

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Tom & Nancy Page H20 803

i would be sure to put the pin in or at least have someone hold the mast at the base.