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PostPosted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:58 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon May 09, 2005 10:25 am
Posts: 4176
Location: Jersey Shore
The halyard ring with the smaller ring on top is worth it. This is what comes standard on new boats. The reason it's better is that the knot for the halyard no longer gets in the way of the hook.

Also, you really should ditch the flapper on the halyard hook. There's a reason Hobie did away with that a long time ago- it's more trouble than it's worth.

Tips for getting the halyard ring to hook/un-hook:
- *most important*- have the boat pointed directly into the wind.

- Set the halyard/ring up properly (with the knot on the inside towards the mast). Read the Hobie FAQ if you need.

- Understand how the system is supposed to work- To hook the sail up, you hoist the sail up all the way to the top, crew rotates the hook toward the sail, release the halyard to lower the ring down onto the hook (keeping mast rotated), crew releases rotator . To un-hook the ring, hoist the sail all the way up, rotate the hook away from the ring, lower the sail (keeping the mast rotated), once the ring is below the hook crew can release rotator.

sm


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 Post subject: Hooking a H18 Mainsail
PostPosted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:52 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:06 pm
Posts: 610
Location: SE PA/ Chesapeak Bay
Yes if you have a 1/4"dia Halyard line it can get in the way, and a 3/16"dia line is plenty strong enough to hoist the sail with. You can actually go smaller dia yet if you wish. I use just basic Yale or New England Sta-Set(?), nothing special for this application.

SRM gives a excellent discription of how to Hook or Unhook a H18 main ... but take note that he mentions "CREW". W/O the flipper, it is now a TWO person operation!!! I can raise and lowwer my mainsail by myself.

The "special" ring works well but has a BIG issue. When they weld the little "hoop" on the ring the ring's metal strength is compromized because the welding/heating/cooling process. I usually see one or two a year that have fractured at that point next to the weld under load ... and of course this happens during a race. The first indicater is when the mainsail "falls"down 6"-12". ( I am still using the origonal simple ring that came w/ my boat in 1984.)

A new halyard should be cheaper then one of those fancy rings ... so I would recommend that you try my ideas (of course) as it is the most cost effective and reliable solution in the long run ( I am a cheap/frugal bast--d).

To unhook the main w/ a flipper just simply "YANK" the sail up the last several inches ... the flipper should drop down over the notch in the hook, allowing the ring to pass over the hook. Make sure your flipper moves freely and doesn't "stick" anytime. And the comment about the orientation of the halyard coming from aft over the ring pulling it forward slightly is "KEY", make sure you do this when you put the "secret twists" in the halyard!!! And make sure you are "head-to-wind as mentioned earlier. w/ the mast rotation centered

To make this process easier make sure you clean the "luff track" and spray/lubricate the track and mainsail w/ SAILKOTE. That is the biggest problem I think most people have ... the mainsail binds in the lufftrack, making the hoisting/hooking/unhooking/lowwering of the mainsail difficult. If when you let go of the halyard and the sail just hangs there or drops only a-little-bit then you need to lubricate ... lubricate ... lubricate! The mainsail should just "zip" down w/o the halyard holding it up ... it will take 3+ lubrications just to begin with then maybe after that every 3rd or 4th regetta ... it depends on rain/sun/# of hoists, etc etc.

Remember ... "In order to finish first, first you have to finish". I have try to make my boat as reliable as possible.

Harry

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11


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