Hobie Cat Forums

Ok, So I've been at it quite a bit this season and learning as much as I can. I'm even keeping a sailing log for each time I go out. So far I have capsized 4 times and I have yet to succeed at solo-righting.

-I have learned how to "roll" the hulls (should I capsize in shallow water) and get the mast out of the mud.
-I have determined that my mast is either sealed or "mostly" sealed, since it floats just beneath the surface. (I don't have a Bob, nor a desire to get one.)
-I have even succeeded at staying dry in a capsize by riding the hull.
-But, I have not righted by boat by myself, though.

Both sheets are unlocked and travelers are freed. I ensure the righting line is over the higher part of the upper hull and wrap it just below my shoulder blades and lean out as far as I can. (By the way, I weigh about 180lbs). I position myself in-line with the mast. Nothing happens. (I know I can get a righting bucket, but I haven't yet; I would like to avoid cluttering my tramp, if possible.)

Also, how do you point the hulls into the wind while capsized? I don't know how to control that.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is there something I'm not doing at all?

Advice appreciated. Thanks.

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Fair Winds and Following seas,
Scott

I only capsized once. In the Gulf of Mexico, alone and only weighed about 165 lbs or so at the time.

This is what worked for me:
1. Uncleat the Main
2. Pull the jib sheet up to the top block and cleat in
3. To point the hulls into the wind, you swim it. Lay down on the hull and just start paddling with your arms, or slip off into the water and kick.
4. Use the righting lines and start leaning out as far as you can and pull.

If it is very light wind then cleating the jib up may not help, basically your trying to get the wind to start filling the jib which will help lift the hull and main up out of the water.

You're light by about 100lbs. That's the main problem. Get a water bag (they can fit in a tramp bag clipped to the tramp lacings and stored on the bottom of the tramp for zero clutter), a righting pole, or a crew.

I would not recommend sheeting in the jib (or any sail) to right the boat as once you pull the boat up, the jib is going to power up, turn the boat downwind, and make it want to take off. Also, sheeting in the jib to the upper hull would force the mast down into the water if the bows are turned into the wind.

Sometimes loosening the downhaul (in addition to the traveler and sheets) will make it easier for the sail to spill water. You can also take your righting line and wrap it around your harness hook to support yourself. This will take most of hte strain off your arms. But the main problem is your lack of weight. If it's windy enough, you will probably be able to right the boat, but in light wind it isn't going to work.

sm

To turn the boat you can also often just shift your weight close enough to the bow to drop it in the water and this will help rotate the boat into the wind.. You want to point the boat on a 'close hauled' course... With the bows about a 45 degree angle to the wind..


I am 6'5" 210lbs at the moment.. I can't right the 16 in less than about 8 mph of wind.. sometimes on the puffy days I have to wait for just the right gust.. Loosely sheeting the jib as suggested on the upper cleat does help me somtimes..


You also need to find a method to easily get your body right flat to the water.. and be able to controllably keep it just above the water as the boat comes up.. Get as low as possible... my 210lbs is just barely enough sometimes.. Your 180lbs might struggle...


But yeah.. I right mine solo on a pretty regular basis... I (4-5 times last Sunday out screwing around)


The one time I did go down without enough air to pop it up... I ended up lowering the main sail about halfway down the mast... She popped right up... But it wasn't much fun to re-hoist it on the water solo...



Another trick. I have thought about but never tried... If you are really close to popping it up but just can't... Let off the jib halyard tension... This should hep the main spill water... as well as letting the mast rake back... Theoretically I think it should work.. but I have never tried it to know how much of a difference it might make... Just be careful.. This would increase the risk for dis-masting slightly....


If I were you.. I would get a bag or a pole.. or something..

I'd consider the shroud extenders system. I got it last week and took it out 2 days ago and it worked amazingly. I'm 210lbs but it came over to easily that I'm sure you could do it at your weight.

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-Zach
Hobie 16 for sale
West Lafayette, IN (school)
Melbourne, FL (summer)

get a righting bag. i weight 150 and solo my hobie most of the time. no matter how windy it is, i can never right it without the bag, but with it is a piece of cake. every time i blow a jib or pitch pole it comes out and i have never had any trouble at all righting it by myself. i don't even need to rotate the bows into the wind by swimming. all i have to do is stand even with the dolphin striker and it will rotate on its own.

Do you have any links of this? I haven't seen the or know how they work.

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Fair Winds and Following seas,
Scott

Solo Upright System

Basically, when you capsize you reach up and unpin the top shroud extender. It allows the extension to increase the length of the shroud and rotate the upper hull down more. This shifts the weight of the upper hull past the center of gravity (excuse my terrible physics. I'm an electrical engineer).

I took mine out and it was very easy to do. The main concern with this system is that the mast will pop out and dismast. The kit comes with a wire to keep the mast in and I don't see how it could come loose with how tight mine is. It can also be tough to re-pin the shroud once the boat is up but as long as you get it into one of the holes, you can tighten it up back on shore.

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-Zach
Hobie 16 for sale
West Lafayette, IN (school)
Melbourne, FL (summer)

This has got to be one of the most talked about topic on this site. It sounds like you are doing everything correctly and just need a couple of things to be successful everytime. Yes-you do need to get the bows into the wind. If you do not the wind will be pushing down on the sail and you will never get it out of the water. Like ronholm said, just shift you weight forward and the wind will push the back of the boat around. What you are doing is changing the pivot point of the boat forward and also lifting the back of the boat so that it will clock around like a wind vane. Have the righting line in your hand and get ready to lean back. This will not be a gentle motion. When the boat is generally pointing into the wind or at least 45 degrees to the wind (wind between the mast and the bows) fall back on the line and really horse that baby. If you are not just above the water, then take it out from behind your back and hang onto it. You need to get almost horizontal to the water. The initial pump is the most important. You need to break the suction of the sail in the water. It will be slow at first, but if it is moving get ready because the next step is diving under the upper hull to catch the other side so it won't just keep going and capsize the other way. If it is not moving, climb back up and try again. Don't be afraid to really crank on that line and jerk the heck out of it. This is part of the fun of a hobie day. Good luck.

Interesting to note. I thought it was lean back and wait, it would eventually come up. I didn't know I had to be a jerk out there, also!

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

ASDASC,
if you have all the weight in the world, then yes, lean back and wait. But if you are not 2 people and weigh around 180 you are going to have to be a jerk. Helps if you are a Big Jerk.

I should be fine then!

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Steve
1979 Hobie 16 "Orange Crusher"

I guess I'll try Yanking on that thing then!
-Might check into a righting bag, too. If so, do I need some kind of pulley system to pull it out of the water?

Thanks for the advice...

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Fair Winds and Following seas,
Scott

You don't really need a pulley system, but some of the weaker sailors use them.
Once you pull the bag out of the water and throw it over your shoulder it stays there will little effort.

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

Holly crap I can`t even get up from bed anymore !!! My sons tell me I am too old for this, but still I find some force to do it, but the H16 righting, that's another 20$ !!!!!

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Every second that passes cannot be recovered, so make good use of every one of them that you have left.