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PostPosted: Mon May 13, 2013 6:52 pm 
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Hey guys. New here, so I'm hoping you guys can help me out.
For starters: I single-handing my 1976 H16 quite frequently. Rarely do I have any crew with me. I also sail in an area that is extremely gusty, and high in elevation. I'm mainly sailing mountain lakes. The bottom line is that I find myself needing to reef and change my sail plan almost constantly. In the morning, i'll sail with the jib and main without issue, but as the day wears on, the wind gets ripping and I'll need to depower. Typically i'll reef back the main for starters, then drop the jib.

So here is my question: What do you guys to take down the jib while you're over water? I've tried on light-wind days to take down the jib on the water, and I almost always end up falling in, and loosing my shackle. Reefing the main isn't too tough, but the jib is a whole different ball game

So any thoughts? What do you all do?


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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 10:36 am 
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Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
get you a Jib Furling setup.


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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 10:57 am 
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Location: SE Michigan
Since I'm totally new to this sailing thing, so I can't really help you, but I can tell what the nice guy I bought an H16 from told me.

He installed the rolling furler jib, and used it to depower when the wind was too strong.


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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 3:54 pm 
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Reef the main on a H16 ??? Sail a H16 with no jib ??? You guys are better than I !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 4:16 pm 
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My '78 has reef points in the main. It's not too hard to do in general, but the one time I did use it I didn't have the foot tight enough and tore the leech badly. With practice I can see it being feasible.

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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 4:53 pm 
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Oh, you can do it. But I've never been in conditions (have been in 20 to 30+ mph) that would cause me to consider reefing the main or wishing I didn't have a jib. Don't have those skills yet, and even if I did, I would never consider using them........

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Last edited by DavidBell47 on Tue May 14, 2013 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 6:11 pm 
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Location: New Brighton, PA
I have to agree with David. I solo 99% of the time and have never reefed my main or drop the jib. I've sailed Lake Erie w 5' waves and 25+ winds. Nervous? Yes! But still sailed on, it really helps improve my skills. Our locale, Lake Arthur, has a lot of gusty stuff so you have to be able to read the water and see the wind coming.
Are you new to sailing cats or just new to the forum?

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PostPosted: Tue May 14, 2013 7:37 pm 
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jworsnop wrote:
So here is my question: What do you guys to take down the jib while you're over water? I've tried on light-wind days to take down the jib on the water, and I almost always end up falling in, and loosing my shackle. Reefing the main isn't too tough, but the jib is a whole different ball game'


The forestay on most H16s is usually fairly loose. The forward tension on the mast is usually applied by the jib halyard making lowering the jib highly impractical. The exceptions are "if you run a really tight forestay, which I do. I do this not so I'll be able to lower the jib while on the water but I do it in the event that the aussi jib halyard breaks. This way, even if the jib halyard breaks, the mast will still be held up in an erect position. Additionally, I would never intentionally sail the H16 without a jib. Another reason would be tacking ability. Backwinding the jib is 1/3 of my ability to tack the boat.

Note in the pic below how much further forward the mast is on "Sciatica" than on the boat next to her. A mast as loose as that one, if it were on the water, might present a problem.
Image

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PostPosted: Wed May 15, 2013 8:49 am 
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Location: Black Hills South Dakota
It is really hard to drop the jib out in a blow head down wind get to shore, and do your sail work, sailing with out the jib works well, but remember when you drop it to take the halyard forward to the bridal chain adjuster attach it then tension the rig. Roll the jib put it under the front foot straps on the tramp and go sailing. If you get caught in a blow and cannot head down wind at all try sheeting out and pinching to get to shore but those sails are gonna flog like hell.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:53 am 
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A reefed main is cool - all the ocean transits do it. :)
And hopefully that is enough de-powering for most situations.

I was out in weather I shouldn't have been a couple years ago and ran from the wind with the jib alone and me on the aft windward hull. It worked for my situation.

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:13 am 
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You can drop the main while you are on the water? How? I have to stand on the beach in forward of the hulls to get the halyard bead out of the clip.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 3:16 pm 
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New to the forum. been sailing cats for about 6-7 years. I sail in the Tahoe area. Let me assure you all: the wind starts at light and variable in the morning, to gusts of 40 mph in the afternoon.

KarlR wrote:
You can drop the main while you are on the water? How?

I removed the 'clip' at the masthead. Forget the correct name. I wanted the ability to reef while on the water. It still takes some technique though.

I'm surprised more of you guys who solo aren't reefing. I don't rely solely on it, but It has saved my ass a few times that's for sure.

buxton wrote:
I've sailed Lake Erie w 5' waves and 25+ winds.


That's a fairly standard day out on Tahoe for us. 5' is a bit higher than normal, but we get pretty close.
AntonLargiader wrote:
Don't have those skills yet, and even if I did, I would never consider using them........
Sadly, the wind is not nearly consistent enough to be able to utilize those skills.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 1:37 pm 
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I am new to the forum but not to Hobies. Had a 14 for years and am now surfing ebay to buy a Hobie. My question is this. I weigh 190...more than before...and can't make the decision on 14 versus 16. Can I take a teenager (140 lbs) on a 14 and still have fun, or do I need to go to a 16? The other side of the question is can I EASILY rig and sail a 16 by myself? Hmmm. Live on Lake Erie and sailing would be either inland or on the Lake...and yes, Ihave been rescued on Lake Erie.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:32 pm 
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Location: Los Angeles
190 lbs ??? The H16 is for you. Also, rigged my 16 solo all the time. Got to the point that it was easier to rig solo than it was when having help !!!

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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 3:56 pm 
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Location: Tri-Cities, WA
Been there, done that. I sailed a 1987 H16 mostly solo for 20 years. A furling jib is a good upgrade. You can furl partially or completely. Sometimes I would furl all but about a square foot (or a bit less) of jib and cleat the sheets with the jib loosly centered This would help with tacking the boat, with a slight detriment to performance (not usually a problem since in these conditions I'm being overpowered big time anyway). I occasionally would reef the main, but I always did it on the beach. I felt the boat performed better with a reefed main and jib, than with a full main and no jib, but have no data to substantiate. Good Luck


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