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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 10:50 am 
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Location: Charlottesville, VA
I bought this as part of a recent order and figured I'd describe it for anyone who couldn't find much detail on the web.

Shown below are the parts that come in the kit (x4). Cat's paw NOT included.

The strap has an over-center buckle and extends to a maximum (hook to eye) of exactly six feet when the handle is flipped to tighten the strap. The handle tightens the strap by about an inch after the length has been adjusted. The fixed end of the strap is sewn around an eye which has about a 30º bend in it (difficult to see in the picture). The bolt, washer and small nut are for fastening the fixed end to the trailer.

The separate metal bracket gets fastened to the pylon bolt using the larger nut, which is thin so that it can replace the existing one whilst using the existing bolt.

Image

Problems:

1) The provided hardware for mounting the fixed end is not long enough to go through a 2" box section; it is for a single thickness of metal only. Not a big deal, but 2" box section is pretty common for the area this is intended to be fastened to. The catalog photo shows it bolted to the roller assembly, but the instructions indicate that it should go farther inboard than that.

2) the special narrow pylon nut does not fit my boat. My old '78 might have 1/2" thread nylon nuts on the pylons, but my '00 has 3/8" SS Nylocs.

Image

3) The bracket for mounting to the pylon is simply butt-ugly with sharp edges.

Image

So, if I can't use any of the hardware, it comes down to paying $21 for each of those nice straps. Then I have to buy $22 worth of climbing wall anchors for the pylons, longer bolts to mount the fixed ends, and either buy longer pylon bolts or grind the existing nuts thinner. This is not what I had in mind when I bought a kit, so as much as I like the concept it just might just have to go back.


EDIT: corrected name of buckle type; it's an over-center buckle.

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'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


Last edited by AntonLargiader on Sun May 26, 2013 4:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 2:12 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 7:32 am
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Location: Lake Gaston, NC
Be careful with ratcheting tiedowns. I've seen (and fixed) more than a couple of hulls that had the support under the pylon damaged by having ratcheting tiedowns cranked down too tightly. All you need to do is hold the boat in place, not compress anything.


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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 2:23 pm 
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Location: Charlottesville, VA
Good general advice, but these are not ratcheting tie-downs.

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 4:55 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:11 pm
Posts: 5197
Location: Detroit, MI
Use a loop of line around the sidebar and over the casting to hook the strap into - the clips in the kit are heavy, and as you said - full of sharp edges.

This is by far the best system to keep your boat on the trailer, but you can buy the straps by themselves (look for "bow tie down straps"), buy your own mounting hardware and use the loop described above and shown in the link here - viewtopic.php?f=14&t=13831


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PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2013 3:12 am 
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I'd seen that thread; nice setup. Looks like I may have to learn splicing. :) Used to do it all the time with twisted line, but never got into splicing braided. I suppose I could splice some twisted line straps just for that old-school effect.

Another option is the use of stainless shouldered eye nuts (due to the lateral loading I'd want the widest shoulder possible). They're smooth, not too heavy, but probably not available in Nyloc. Since this fastener isn't supposed to be very tight, I'd probably be relying on blue Loctite.

And of course the climbing wall anchor is an option also, but unless they are very thin I'm back to the thin nut problem again. Too bad the ones with the Hobie kit aren't right. When did that pylon bolt size change, was it when the corner castings changed in '95?

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


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PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2013 11:02 am 
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Location: Central Oregon
I had to buy longer stainless bolts for use with the climbing anchors.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 5:14 am 
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Location: Charlottesville, VA
hobiesrock wrote:
I had to buy longer stainless bolts for use with the climbing anchors.


Were you able to find bolts that were unthreaded for most of their length? If so, where?

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:19 am 
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Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:13 am
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Location: Bend, OR
I detailed my climbing anchor install in my thread here. I know hobiesrock was able to find 1/2" anchors that didn't require drilling.

Replacement bolts were no problem at all, any decent hardware store should have them in a high enough quality for this application.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:09 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2012 6:56 pm
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Location: Durham NC
This kit seems like a total waste of time and money. Just get any old straps with hooks on them.

I went to ace hardware and easily found ss bolts of the right length and diameter plus locking nuts. Then ordered 12mm climbing anchors petzl p38150 to be exact. http://www.karstsports.com/31541.html#.UehlI8u9KSM

I have 1/2" bolts on my boat. If you have 3/8" you may want to use 10mm. Try also http://www.fixehardware.com/shop/hangers/fixe-ss-3/8-bolt-hanger-marine-grade/

I used to be an avid climber who found himself in nc, so now I sail. Petzl is good stuff. There are marine grade anchors out there if you do lots of salt water.

As far as securing the strap to the trailer I just look for any hole/slot/recess/bolt that's around and will fit the hook on the end of the strap.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:20 pm 
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The straps themselves are very nice; I think they are BoatBuckle straps that are custom made for Hobie. IMO the over-center design is better than cam-buckle or ratchet, as it holds one adjustment forever: hook it, flip the lever, and it's exactly where you want it. Hobie selected the straps very well; it's the rest of the kit that's poorly thought out.

I have anchors already; I was asking about bolts that are unthreaded for the correct length. Haven't looked at the hardware store yet but most bolts I see are threaded for more of their length than the pylon bolts are. I can just use the bolts I have, and either grind them a bit thinner or use blue Loctite. At least one of them can be used without modification.

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:31 pm 
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Location: Satellite Beach, FL
I know a guy who always kept his front straps at a fixed length so that he just hooked the front straps on, pushed the boat hard forward , and then tightened the rear straps. This is simple and it ensures that your boat is always at the same spot on the trailer.

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:48 am 
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Don't know if I would want to put those on my Hobie...Just another sharp edge to hurt you if you flip. And sooner or later you will flip..... :D


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 9:31 am 
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I try to be tuned into things like sharp edges. Granted, it's pretty hard to get to the inside of the pylon but if the boat is flipped and you're climbing onto the lower hull you might find a way to touch it or slip and step on it. If I had my druthers, the bolts would be button-head cap screws with acorn nuts. The climbing anchors aren't nearly as sharp but I think the least sharp anchor would be an eye nut. I don't even like the sharp corners on the rudder bolts.

Fixed-length straps, heck yeah! I'm all over that; it's why I like these straps. Tell the crew to tie down and there's really only one way it can be.

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


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 Post subject: Update
PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 8:30 am 
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Some water got into the box and I got some corrosion on the buckles, so I had to keep them. I was given some climbing wall anchors, which still have some sharpness to them so I will replace them with 'eye nuts' at some point. I bought longer SS bolts and ground them down a bit; they have more unthreaded length than the originals and I am currently using them with the original Nyloks. I also bought some 1/2" bolts to bolt the straps to the trailer crossbar. I haven't drilled the front yet, but I had an existing hole in the rear crossbar so I just installed those. Tightening the straps I saw this:

Image

The pivot rivets are very loose, almost like there was a spacer in there that has deteriorated. They cock so far sideways that they are almost under tension. Carrying all of the load when the trailer hits bumps, I can't say I'm very enthusiastic about that. I am going to have to replace those rivets with something more solid, peen them over more, or something. They are solid for the most part with a hollow end that is rolled over. The other two straps, never used, are that way also.

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'00 H16 #104691
'78 H16 #32692 ex-rental [gone]
Old Holsclaw trailer
My Hobie 16 pages


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 12:18 pm 
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Location: Columbus, Indiana
I still use the tie downs that have a loop on one end that you wrap around the pylon and pull the strap through itself and than the other end had a long "J" hook that grabs the square tubing on the trailer. Now engage the cam lever and slide a oval ring over the lever handle and your done. They called these IMMI Tie Downs, part number 1790. I have used these since '89 on my 21SE and '85 on my 16. Very durable , simple to use and takes seconds to engage................ :)

Remember to cover your boat once you get home and your equipment with last and last.......... :idea:

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