18SX vs. Tiger

can you solo upright one? can you use the side stay extenders.. are they avail for the 18?

This has been a very interesting thread. I would like to know how long it takes other H18 sailors out there to rig there boats from raising the mast and de-trailering the boat to sails up ready to go. 45 mins to an hour is about the best I can do with the help of one other person. I trailer my boat with the rudders off and I remove all of the wire rigging since my mast comes off once I get home so the boat will fit into the garage (hang the mast from the garage ceiling). I also remove the jib and roll it up inside the main although I've seen quite a few sailors leave it on the forestay which I prefer not to do. I do leave the jib halyard attached to the mast by tying it off to the mast rotator. Does anybody derig their boat in a similar way and beat my time by much?

H18M Windraider

My first time rigging last weekend it took me and my wife about an hour. I take the rudders off and leave the shrouds on.

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Jeff
Hobie 18 "Blue Jeanne"

I leave my rudders on but remove teh tiller cross bar. I upgraded to the Miracle 20 system (IMHO well worth the money). I also leave all the shrouds on and remove the jib. It takes me and my fiancee about an hour to get the boat rigged and off the trailer.

Our biggest problem is that we have not sailed it enough for her to remember how everything is supposed to go so I end up doing all the rigging myself. She also has a strange inability to use ring dings.

I think with some practice two people who know what they are doing can have the 18 rigged and off the trailer in about 20 minutes. This is of course for rec sailing without all of the tuning needed for racing.

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Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO

We're very methodical and take our time, it's a forty-five minute process. The H16 takes twenty-five minutes.

From the storage yard, mast up, it takes thirty for the 18. Primarily because we do a lot of rigging in the water, tied to a dock, and the covers have to be removed and replaced and we do not leave our jib on the boat in the yard.

We can all say it only takes us so long to set one up, but lets face it, a catamaran takes a considerable amount of time compared to a monohull of the same size, but is the performance payoff worth it. Obviously!

If you have the opportunity for mast up storage I would highly recommend it. We pay $35/month, compared to other parts of the country this is probably dirt cheap, but it has greatly enhanced our sailing experience and is well worth our money. The trip to the lake is a little faster and at a lower cost for fuel. Also there is some wear and tear on the hulls during trailering. Oops, I gotten off the subject line of this thread.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

Commenting on John's last post.

I also keep my Tiger at the Yacht Club. Mast up rudders on (covered), boat covered, spinnaker off (in the box but still stuffed in the snuffer). It takes me no longer than 20 minutes from trailer to water. I have timed it. When I sail with Eileen we can do it in less time. She knows her way around the boat and she is pretty good with ringy dings.

It does allow more sailing opportunities. There were some members of my club that thought I was sailing everyday. I was not but I live about 5 minutes from the boat and do not even think twice about sailing for an hour. In the summertime, sun goes down about 8PM. Let's see...after work, windy, warm...dinner can wait.

Now comparing to a monohull. I think you need to compare apples to apples. If you do I think that you will see that a monohull is about the same setup as a catamaran. Why wouldn't it be? There is a mast to step. Sails to put up. Boat comes off the trailer. Spinnaker has to be paid attention to. You may say that putting on an extra rudder is the difference. I will give you that if that is all there is.

By the way watch someone put together an I-14 or a 505. I would say that they are comparable boats to the Tiger or any Formula 18. I can beat their setup time hands down. If you are looking at a Laser then that is more akin to an A-Cat which can be set up pretty fast single handed.

Later,
Dan

Dan,

Good point, my mono history is jaded. Earlier this year we owned a two-man windsurfer, with a spinnaker, called a Vector (Vanguards' answer to the I14?) and that is what prompted me to think....if I'm spending this much time setting up, why don't I get a faster boat that's easier to sail.

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hobiejohn at earthlink dot net
Fleet 297

It takes me about 45 minutes to rig my Hobie 18 from trailer mast down to sailing. At $35 per month for mast up storage I would take a spot for two boats. Up in MI where I live, if you can find room for your cat, prices are $600 and up for mast up storage for 5 months. I guess thats why it sits on a trailer in my yard.