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Mgoetz
Joined: 06 Jun 1997
Posts: 54
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 Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:11 am Post subject: |
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After this summer's light winds, I've seriously considered getting a Hobie or buying my brother's Prindle. But I've always been concerned about being on my own and capsizing. My experience is that they can go over in a hurry when it's gusty and they are difficult to right without enough counterweight. Mechanical aids I've seen seem cumbersome - perhaps there is something better that's been introduced?
I also have thousands of dollars of now obsolete kite gear that I never mastered - anybody want a 2 line Cabrinha or a C shaped Airush? The release mechanism for both kites is the knife tucked into the back pocket of the harness. It's a bit rusty now but, in a pinch, should still get through at least one line. |
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johnson_brian_j
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| mgoetz wrote: | After this summer's light winds, I've seriously considered getting a Hobie or buying my brother's Prindle. But I've always been concerned about being on my own and capsizing. My experience is that they can go over in a hurry when it's gusty and they are difficult to right without enough counterweight. Mechanical aids I've seen seem cumbersome - perhaps there is something better that's been introduced?
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I'm not sure about the Prindle, but Hobie makes a float that can be attached to the masthead to keep the mast from sinking in a capsize. I weigh about 155 lbs, and with the masthead float, I can right a Hobie 16 by myself without too much difficulty.
Hobie also makes some smaller boats such as the Wave and Bravo, which should be easier to singlehand than a 16, though I've never sailed them myself. |
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Mgoetz
Joined: 06 Jun 1997
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks. I'll look into the float - I've only seen them used on a Wave. Do you use a righting line or just hang from the top pontoon until it pops out of the water?
I sail on the Delaware Bay and can leave the hull of a Hobie on the beach so it's an ideal place for sailing. Kiting can be tricky since the prevailing summer breeze is off-shore or side-off. [/quote] |
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johnson_brian_j
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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| mgoetz wrote: | | Thanks. I'll look into the float - I've only seen them used on a Wave. Do you use a righting line or just hang from the top pontoon until it pops out of the water? |
That's with a righting line. Basically an elastic rope looped around the trampoline supports. I've never tried just hanging from the top hull. |
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bred2shred
Joined: 02 May 2000
Posts: 989
Location: Jersey Shore
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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I'm almost positive you can mount the mast head float on any of the hobies. I've definitely seen them on 16's. The mast head float doesn't necessarily help you right the boat, just keeps it from turtling. It could actually make it a little harder to right since there's more weight at the mast tip.
There are several types of righting assists- shroud lengtheners, water bags, or righting poles. Or the standard old righting line (although it should be solid, not bungee). I've never heard of just hanging off the top hull. I don't imagine it would work too well since what you're looking to do is create leverage which hanging dosen't do. If that's how you tried to right the boat before, I'm not surprised that it didn't work.
sm |
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johnson_brian_j
Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| bred2shred wrote: | | I'm almost positive you can mount the mast head float on any of the hobies. I've definitely seen them on 16's. The mast head float doesn't necessarily help you right the boat, just keeps it from turtling. It could actually make it a little harder to right since there's more weight at the mast tip. |
That's true, but the problem, especially for the singlehanded sailor, is that without a float, the mast starts to fill with water almost immediately upon capsizing. In my experience, it's difficult to swim around the boat and get into a righting position before the mast becomes at least partially submerged, adding a lot of extra weight (including the weight of the water on top of the sail -- think about uphauling a big windsurfing sail with the masthead underwater). The weight of the float itself is negligible.
| bred2shred wrote: | | There are several types of righting assists- shroud lengtheners, water bags, or righting poles. Or the standard old righting line (although it should be solid, not bungee). |
Yes, many different types. What I've used is just an elastic loop around the trampoline supports. Using an elastic rather than fixed line allows it to be tight around the supports while sailing, but stretches to provide more leverage for righting. Again, a windsurfing uphaul is a good analogy. |
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Mgoetz
Joined: 06 Jun 1997
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| I've tried to right a hobie with the righting line but there just wasn't enough counterweight. I jet skier came by and gave the mast top a rather gentle lift and it popped right up. So the float on the top probably would do the same. I'll give it a try next year. Hopefully, there will be better winds for windsurfing. |
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bred2shred
Joined: 02 May 2000
Posts: 989
Location: Jersey Shore
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | without a float, the mast starts to fill with water almost immediately upon capsizing |
Youch! Mast in the water=problem. Water in the mast = BIG BIG problem! Your mast should not be filling with water at all! A Hobie mast is intended to be sealed air tight. If you're getting water in it, you should find the source of the leak and fix it. If your mast fills with water, you may not be able to right the boat even with two or three or four people on board. There should be a foam plug in the top and bottom of the mast, and if your mast has a comptip, that gets a plug as well. All of the fittings should be well sealed with silicone caulk.
| Quote: | | Using an elastic rather than fixed line allows it to be tight around the supports while sailing, but stretches to provide more leverage for righting. Again, a windsurfing uphaul is a good analogy. |
I assume you mean your righting line has a bungee return. Trying to right the boat using a piece of bungee would be extremely challenging. The righting line needs to have a positive stop just like a windsurfing uphaul. Your uphaul is not a bungee, it just has a bungee return.
sm |
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bred2shred
Joined: 02 May 2000
Posts: 989
Location: Jersey Shore
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I jet skier came by and gave the mast top a rather gentle lift and it popped right up. So the float on the top probably would do the same. |
The mast float might help, but I wouldn't be surprised if you still have trouble. Here's the problem with your theory: When a hobie is capsized on it's side with the mast tip on the surface of the water, the mast is not horizontal, it's actually pointed slightly downward. The mast/rig has maximum leverage AGAINST righting when it is horizontal. This means that the boat actually gets harder to right before it gets easier. Many times I have seen people try to right the boat, the mast tip gets a couple feet above the water and then plops right back down.
Realy all you can count on the mast float to do is prevent you from going turtle.
sm |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935
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| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject: |
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| JRuffus wrote: | Sounds like LeeD needs some hapinees in his life..
I will diagnose him as an individual who is not overall happy or secure with hiself. Lacking self confidence, and probably got his lunch stolen at skool  |
I dunno ... his spot-on if generalized kiting comments put a big smile on my face.
As for diagnoses (and other such presumptions about others' personalities, careers, motives, etc.) ... they're worth about as much all these stupid fabrications making the rounds about Palin (e.g., book bans, creationism, wolves, dinosaurs, parentage); they say much more about the accuser than about the accused.
You guys are welcome to disagree with others' opinions or dispute their facts, but as long as this forum still means $#!+ to me and an attack dog poster still has any credibility, I'm going to express and try to enlist others' revulsion against the turds he leaves on the lawn. When incorrigible lawn-shitters self-destruct into obscurity or caricature, they get PLONKed. Now that iW has abandoned responsibility for this park, it's up to us to pick up or bury the dog shit before it looks like the defunct Hatchcam cesspool.
Mike |
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