Hobie Cat Forums

So, when you are about to go over, obviously the first thing is to unsheet the main, but do you turn up into the wind or turn down wind? While from a wind perspective, turning into the wind should dump the sails the fastest, it would also allow the momentum of the mast to keep flipping the boat.

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

Some times at the very last second, right before your lee rudder comes out of the water and you have already dumped the main a hard lee ward turn can stop the windward hull from going all the way over, the main sheet must be free and the main on its way out. Ive done it and it prevented me from capsizing. The window this is effective is very very small, I got lucky. I still have not capsized my 18.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

I've gone over many times, although only once in the last three years.
(And mostly on H16's while training students.)

My experience with this is to dump the main (and traveller if you have time) and turn downwind...I've taken water up to the front cross bar this way, but not gone over.

Try it under controlled conditions, it's amazing how much abuse the H18 can take.

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1989 Hobie SX18 Sail # 1947
'Only two things are infinite, the universe, and human stupidity. But I'm not sure about the former.'

If I weigh 235 and Im walking on bottom inside hull trying to grab the righting line I'm worried my weight will damage the fiberglass sandwich. Will it?

Please tell me they will handle that no problem. I just did a bottom job with 2 layers of glass. So the hulls have no soft or thin spots.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

I had to right a hobie 14 while weighing 240. No problems. I was 26 at the time and the boat was 2 months older than me.

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Jeff
1986 Hobie 18 #13031
1977 Hobie 16 (As soon as I can get it out of a field...)

Im still scured.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

Will you break the hull? Hard to say as all boats are not created equally. My 1990 H18, I feel confident that I could jump up and down on the sides of the hulls and probably not do any damage. My 1985 H18, I don't think so. The '85 also weighs about 30 or 40 pounds less.

My advice...do your best to walk with your feet towards the edges of the hull - near the curve of the bottom of the hull and near the hull/deck seam. These are the strongest areas of the hull. If you walk on the broad flat areas of the hull, particularly near the tip of the bow, you could overstress the hull. You are also likely to feel the hull flexing under your feet if you stand somewhere you shouldn't. If you hear crunching, better move those feet quick...

sm

Thats what I needed to hear AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh. Thanks srm
Water was pretty warm in Mission Bay San Diego yesterday, I may flip my boat soon and find out.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

The reason I am so careful about not flipping is that the bay I sail in is only chest deep all the way across, and most of it is less then waist deep. It is a mile wide and 4 miles long. On the plus side it is all nice sandy bottom, good steady wind, and flat.

I am afraid that I will stick the mast, boom, or even a hull.

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

That sucks its so shallow cause I bet it gets really warm and it would be fun to wipe out in such warm water. Its nice you don't have dagger boards to destroy you boat when you hit sandbars.

I just recently wet sanded and waxed my dagger boards and they were so slippery they would not stay in the up position easy, they felt like handling ice sheets. It was tough to land on the beach single handed.

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ALLEY CAT 1984 RED LINE HOBIE 18 MAGNUM
Sail # 10505 or 277

One problem with doing a pitchpole in shallow water is you can drive a bow into the bottom which can put quite a stress on your boat's frame.

Several years ago I was on a screaming broad reach towards my beach, trying to keep my leeward bow from submerging when my rudders hit bottom, it was enough of a lift of the stern, that my bow went under and then I pitchpoled in about 30" of water. The bow hit the bottom and the boat pivoted forward. As a result, it caused a crack in the fiberglass boot around one of the rear pylons.
My friends were impressed with my pitchpole, but I knew that I needed to call it a day and get it repaired.

The following video shows a great pitchpole in a shallow canal:
NISSAN HOBIE CAT PRO TEAM SUR LE CANAL DES SAINTES 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJQqRZvniRY

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Tim
82' H16
Sail # 88863
Panama City Beach, FL

Mecky, With no soft spots you should be totally fine. I'm 225# and I've had my 18 on her side several times with no issues (except for being able to solo right the boat and I built a righting pole for that). Avoid standing on the daggerboards and walk gingerly on those hulls because they can be *very* slippery.

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Irie, mon....
'82 Hobie 18 SE with '85 Nationals Prism (White) sails
'73 Laser HID# 3463

Actually the daggerboards and daggerboard trunks are one of the strongest areas of the hull. You can stand on the daggerboards to get a little extra leverage while righting (I wouldn't go out on the tip of them, but it won't hurt to stand on them right where they exit the hull).

sm

Yes, it got up to 85 degrees in the bay last summer! It is great to dangle a foot in the water while running. Once I get out of the bay it gets deeper, with maybe an average of 15' and some spots over 20'. I am not worried about a pitchpole in the deeper water, other than getting the mast stuck in the bottom.

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

If you do use the daggerboard to right the boat, make sure that your toes are on the hull and your heels on the daggerboard. If the daggerboard does slide back inside, you do not want to get your toes caught there.

Sealing the mast is a time consuming and slightly difficult job. But is imperative if you sail solo and/or offshore. Same importance as hull plugs/bungs.