Hi there - I just bought a 1984 Hobie 16 and I have a few questions
about rigging it.

To date I've been raising the jib before I raise the main. I was told
that the overall rig tension relies heavily on the jib halyard tension
so I've been putting as much force on the jib halyard as I can before
cleating it off.

The main is much easier to raise before the jib is up and tensionsed -
what is the reccomended rigging order? Main or jib first?

I'm missing the teflon washer that sits at the base of the mast - I
read about fabricating a temporary one out of a plastic milk container
- to date I've been sailing without one and have noticed that the mast
very rarely rotates. In addition to the lack of a washer, I think it
may be partially due to my jib-halyard tension. Could I possibly be
putting too much tension on the jib halyard?

My boat is missing the original downhaul and the gooseneck that I have
doesn't make it any easier to apply downhaul with a 1:1 line setup.
Reccomendations? Eventually I'd like to buy a better gooseneck and a
downhaul system.

My 16 has no boom vang - should it?

I've read about people sheeting the main "block-to-block." I'm unable
to do this - I can't come closer than 3-5 inches between the main
sheet blocks. Possibly due to too much jib halyard tension?

Lastly, I've read that a common problem with the 16 jib is the battens
getting caught on the halyards when the sail tries to switch sides -
I'm having this same problem. - (I've read about the hinging battens
that Hobie sells - I have more pressing expenses on this 16 to worry
about so I'll have to make due with what I have for now) - Is there
anything wrong with using a saw to shorten the actual battens?
Clearly they can't be so short that they can't be tensioned, but if
other people are doing it and having even slight improvement, then I'm
going to as well.

Thanks for your help,

Gabe Silverman

On 31 Aug 2003 00:28:38 -0700, (Gabe Silverman)
wrote:

Hi there - I just bought a 1984 Hobie 16 and I have a few questions
about rigging it.

To date I've been raising the jib before I raise the main. I was told
that the overall rig tension relies heavily on the jib halyard tension
so I've been putting as much force on the jib halyard as I can before
cleating it off.

The main is much easier to raise before the jib is up and tensionsed -
what is the reccomended rigging order? Main or jib first?

I usually raise the main first. You can still crank down on the jib and
cleat it off after the main is raised. You don't need that much tension
though. Yes, the forstay should be loose and the jib should take the
tension. But you don't have to put all your weight on the jib halyard.
Just pull it down hard and cleat it off.

I'm missing the teflon washer that sits at the base of the mast - I
read about fabricating a temporary one out of a plastic milk container
- to date I've been sailing without one and have noticed that the mast
very rarely rotates. In addition to the lack of a washer, I think it
may be partially due to my jib-halyard tension. Could I possibly be
putting too much tension on the jib halyard?

They're really cheap and should be available somewhere in your area. If
not, look for them on the web. Your mast should rotate easily and shift
position with every tack. If you're in very light wind and it doesn't
shift on it's own, it should be easy to push over manually.

My boat is missing the original downhaul and the gooseneck that I have
doesn't make it any easier to apply downhaul with a 1:1 line setup.
Reccomendations? Eventually I'd like to buy a better gooseneck and a
downhaul system.

With so many thousands of them out there, it's not surprising that hobie
16 parts and upgraded hardware is available very easily and not that
expensive compared to other sailboat hardware. Just do a google search
for hobie cat parts. Or you can get stuff right from Hobie. Everything
you need (parts diagrams, manuals, catalogs, etc.) can be found by
starting at http://www.hobiecat.com/sailing/accessories.html

My 16 has no boom vang - should it?

No.

I've read about people sheeting the main "block-to-block." I'm unable
to do this - I can't come closer than 3-5 inches between the main
sheet blocks. Possibly due to too much jib halyard tension?

Probably. If you're raising the jib first, pulling very hard on the
halyard and then having a tough time getting the main up, that could be
causing the problem. A popular aftermarket item is short blocks so you
can sheet the main in tighter.

Lastly, I've read that a common problem with the 16 jib is the battens
getting caught on the halyards when the sail tries to switch sides -
I'm having this same problem. - (I've read about the hinging battens
that Hobie sells - I have more pressing expenses on this 16 to worry
about so I'll have to make due with what I have for now) - Is there
anything wrong with using a saw to shorten the actual battens?

All you should have to do is when you're tacking, backwind the jib for a
short time and then let it fly over quickly. This will not only help
prevent the battens getting caught up but will also tack the boat
faster. In light wind, you'll just have to live with helping it over
when you tack.

Clearly they can't be so short that they can't be tensioned, but if
other people are doing it and having even slight improvement, then I'm
going to as well.

If yours are too long, go ahead and shorten them. But even as short as
they can get, they'll still sweep the halyards when you tack. That's
the unavoidable result of a full batten on a sail that overlaps the
mast.

Thanks for your help,

No problemo.

Steve