Hello everyone. I just purchased a '95 Mircale 20 and need some advice on adding wings. I would like to add wings like the H17, TheMightyHobie18, and H21. I have been told there are some adjustable ones are available but don't know from who. Any ideas would be appreciated.
I would be very careful.:p I have a TheMightyHobie18 with wings and spin (my flying chase lounge). I also have a H 20 which is much less durable than the 18. The 20s are (at the old weight standard) light and much thinner glass than the 18s. The 18 has nice heavy solid glass lip (gunnels) to attach the wing supports to, the 20 is lipless and thin decks. I’m sure someone has tried your idea, lets see if they are also on the site.
The wings on the 18SX attach to the crossbars and not to the deck. Pretty sure you could get a set of those... although they are mucho expensive.
You might try Murrays. They have racks for Performance Cats. Maybe for a H20. Cost is $1100.
Wings are not rocket science to make. Even if you can not personally weld you can hire a welder cheaply. I never really liked full wings. They dig into the water and there is always someone who decided to bounce around on them when you are not around.
I made trap ladders instead. They were glorified rails that bolted into x-bars and extended up & out 1-2 feet. You can't sit on them, but the idea is to trap off of them. 8 hours of build time and $200-300 in raw materials (aluminum tube, bolts, non-skid, paint)
Why couldn't you build wings that were hinged at the hulls but supported by a cable to a pulley at the mast hound? The cable would have stops in it as it rolled through a pulley it would raise the leeward wing vertically in relationship to the hull. You could even predetermine the length of the cable such that when the windward wing would be at sitting height when the leeward wing was in line with the cable and the mast and you wouldn't need the stops. (i.e. the cable won't come out anymore).
Jake,
What you are describing sounds sort of like the big hiking wings that were on some of the Worrell 1000 boats during the development class years. I think when the windward wing was down in position, the leeward wing was raised up so it would not drag in the water. But I don't know how the system worked.
I don't think they trapezed off those wings, just sat on them, because they extended way out there. Looked kind of comfy, actually.
Carl Roberts and others from that era could explain how they raised and lowered. When on the beach, both wings were raised, so they were out of the way.
It sure was fun looking at all the experimental boats back then in the late '80's. Too bad the development class was not continued for the Worrell -- it was great for the designer-engineer sailors and it made things much more interesting for spectators.
Hi Don, Here's a pic. of a Mystere with wings. as you can see it can be done rather easy. these are mounted on a bolt that runs through the cross bar.
The beam is taking the load,not the hull. From what I've seen the beams on the Hobie 20 are capable of supporting the wings. A friend mentioned to me that Hobie in Europe offered a kit to mount wings on a 20. You might want to look into that. Again this was told to me by someone else so if you find out something definite let us know.
Have Fun
Mike
Well I tried to attach a pic but it's not working or I'm doing something wrong??
Trying to attach pic.
pics attachment hasn't worked since the server migration.
They have an army of small mammals working on the problem currently.
send me your e-mail address and I will forward an idea I am working on. Maybe you can help me finish the project.
Now that I can post a PIC, here's the one I was talking about. 
Wings on a Hobie 20 may stress things like they do on a Hobie 18. I have personally repaired 3 TheMightyHobie18 Magnums before they broke entirely in two: At the left front and right rear crossbars, cracks form under the lip, these turn to larger cracks-- then bango, a 3 part catamaran!
Turning the TheMightyHobie18 sideways and glassing up the cracks can be done successfully from inside if you want to save the hulls.... And if you have long arms. Neither of these boats were designed for such an excessive load, IMHOP--usually I see 4 porkers on the picnic tables.
Dave, were those hulls the infamous 84-85 hulls? My 18 had some small cracks and after I installed the wings they never got any bigger.
Do you have pictures? I am not visualizing this well...
Jonathan
Jon: just imagine the wings like on my boat, but the bench not being wide enough to sit on... just trap off of.
Got it - thanks!
Jonathan