Hobie Cat Forums

I've got a 1995 Hobie 17 Sport and I've been having problems with the sail pulling out of the luff track where the comp tip and aluminum mast are joined. This makes it extremely hard to take the sail down after a day on the water, but I'm not sure if it's because the comp tip itself has pulled out of the mast slightly or if just the luff track has moved. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Looks to me as though the CompTip is not fully seated into the aluminum. Typically they are bonded-in with epoxy, so fixing this can be a challenge. You may have to remove the tang rivets nearest the joint. You have to pull the parts apart and then re-seat. May be more hassle than it's worth if you can use tape or something to help the sail past the junction.

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Matt Miller
Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Hobie Cat USA

Thanks for your help. The problem I've been having isn't actually with getting the sail up and past the junction, it's that it pulls out of the track sometimes while sailing. I then have to take the mast down with the sail on it in order to get the sail down, which is obviously a bit of a hassle.
If I were to remove the rivets, what kind would I replace them with? I've never used epoxy before, but how hard is it to re-seat the comp tip with it?

Is the sail coming out at the top (while sailing) and you notice it when lowering (catches on the aluminum)?

Hard to see, but it looks like there's damage to the Comptip track there. If that's there, then it's a problem - you'd need to replace the track.

Do you have the track update? (Short aluminum track section at the top of the Comptip.)

Yes, the sail is coming out at the top and I notice it when lowering because it catches on the aluminum.

There is also a crack in the luff track in that area, although I'm not sure if that occurred before or after I started having trouble with the sail popping out.

No, I don't have the track update but I've been meaning to order that. If I buy a replacement luff track will that be made of aluminum or will I have to get both the new track and the update?

The track update is about a 12" long section of aluminum luff track. It is the same profile as the plastic track. You trim off a length of the existing plastic track and install the update, so no need to purchase a new track. The update will keep the bolt rope in the track and prevent it from pulling out.

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