Hobie Cat Forums

I am considering dropping my hobie 16 into the water from a dock with a boat lift (crane). Can this be done? what's the best way to attach the boat to the crane. Any other advice, comments, concerns, pictures of current set-up, pictures of this being done?

Yes, you can do it.

The center of balance is just behind the mast. Use 4 ropes to the pylons. Two short up front and 2 long ones aft. They should reach the crane hook about 5 feet above the tramp and a foot or so aft of the mast as I recall.

I would use the jib halyard to pull the rig forward and tight.

Been a LOT of years since I did that, but it worked.

_________________
Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

Matt's advice is correct. We have a couple regattas that have the option of using a hoist to put the boats in and the hoist works very well. It saves trying to back a trailer down a (slippery) launch ramp; just be careful not to bang the mast on the hoist's boom too much.

I don't have a harness (for lack of a better or correct term) but have borrowed other's, and a good one has all four lines connected to a stainless ring which is placed over the hoist's hook. The ends of the lines had carabiners for looping around a corner and back onto itself.

Just roll the boat on a trailer under the hoist, hook up the harness, and drop the boat in the water. Piece of cake.