Hello, I have a question to ask about my Hobie 16. Why is it that the boat is designed so that when you go into a tack that the jibs battens hit and catch on the mast and it's cables running up and down it. Unless you have enough wind it always catches and makes for difficult tacking. Seems like they should have designed it so the jib battons do not come into contact with the mast so it can flip to other side without a great deal of effort in light winds. Please enlighten me as to what to do about this. Thanks.
right, the jib is a pain in light air, thats one reason i have a roller furling jib. i save my battened pain in the a.. battened jib for racing 'cause its FASTER! in fact deadly down wind when a 16 will walk past otherwise high performance cats, i think the battens work like little whisker poles and help improve sail shape off the wind. my friend al (hobie guru) has his jib battens cut as short as possible and uses tape from one side of the sail over the end of each batten to the other side (about 8" on each side of the sail) to reduce friction.
ya...thats just something you have to live with. i switch back and forth from a roller furling jib to the battented jib depending on wind conditions. but one thing that will help if you don't already have them, are the little black plastic halyard clips that rivet to the mast and hold the halyard lines in place. then (even in light air) when you're going through your tack, let the jib backwind for just a couple seconds longer than usual, till the main is really full, and if you let the jib sheet out fast enough you should have no problem popping all the battens over.
also if you don't already have them get some jib battens that have a break in them about 6 inches back from the cap. they are hinged so when the ends of the battens smack that mast when you are tacking they break to allow the battens across then snap back straight.. they still provide all the support that any non hinged batten would but just allows easier tacking and prolongs the life of those battens.
When I sailed my H16 last year, I switched to the "Super flexable jib battens", available at Murray's and other places. They are made from thiner materal and they slide right over the mast in light winds. Best of all, they retain sail shape nicely. Not race legal, but worth every penny!
Jack Hoying
P-18
Fort Loramie, Ohio
I encounter the same problem with my jib. In light wind my crew has to stand up and pull the jib on the new tack.
Someone posted an idea with the "little black plastic halyard clips that rivet to the mast and hold the halyard lines in place" ... I tried to find them but I had no luck so far. Could someone point me in the right direction?
It also camt to my mind to shorten the battons a bit (about an inch or 1.5 inches) just enough to be able to still tension the battons well. What is the word on this idea.
Any other ideas???
Thanks,
Patrick
I use a soft PVC stitched on to the sail, they are sewn over the batten pockets and extend past the end of the battens. This covers the batten ties and the knots and battens dont get caught on the jib halyard. They work fine in all but the very lightest of air. They also protect the sails. (you know how they wear thru at the pockets). It is also a good idea to sew the pvc on the two batten pockets on the main sheet where they rub on the sidestays. It will last heaps longer.
I've always trimmed my battens as short as I possibly can - they stick out less than ½". The loose end of the tie is tucked back into the batten pocket.
The main halyard is looped behind the gooseneck which keeps it out of the way. I have an Aussie jib halyard which stays pretty much out of the way by itself.
The secret in light air is to push the battens across, not drag them across from the leeward side (which almost always seems to leave the top batten hung on a halyard).
From the new windward side, have the crew kneel, reach up and grab the end of the lower batten and push forward and to leeward. The sail will bow to leeward (with the wind's help) and pop free on the leeward side. Works every time! 
I moved over to the U.S. and have to sail with a US mast.
Before I barely had problems with my 2001 Hobie 16 from HCE.
Then I also converted the US mast with a fairlead very high up just under the Aussie halyard system, so that the downleading part of the halyard is pretty close to the mast.
Then I attached a camcleat at the centre front on the mast. This is a selfcleating one as HCE delivers the boats.
Thus there is no prebending of the mast to either side, nor the battens get caught in the halyard.
Works fine.
Fritz
VA Beach
this cam cleat.Is it for the jib halyard?If so can the stock U.S. mast cleats be converted to this or simply move the existing cleat to the center of the mast.What is the advantage of a cam cleat?
We use a Schaefer Self Jamming Cleat, parts no SC 7078 for 18.25 $ seen at apsltd.com
Advantage, the halyard line does not slip and you can adjust it easily because it is self jamming.
Fritz
Did I say this is a standard set up in Europe, so class legal.
Fritz ,do you have to relocate the cheek block on the mast, for the jib halyard.
thanks Mike
I used to just cut strips of plastic coke bottle and tape them to my battan ends so that they stuck out over the tightening tab and they never caught at all. Worked like a charm.
No, you don´t. Your blocks are high up in the mast with the Euro Halyard (Aussie Halyard). The last part runs through the fairlead and then down to the cleat. I still have the old ones at the mast, they do not bother me.
If you need more let me know and I will see if I can get a picture once this storm is over.
The no 58 boat shows the blocks on the top of the mast.
Fritz
2nd pic
I run the old style jib halyard,so I guess I would also have to move the cheek block on the mast to line up with the cleat.Does that sound right?
Appreciate the help
No, do not move your blocks. You need different ones. Have a look at Murray´s 2003-2004 catalogue page 30 at the bottom. There you see the set up for the Euro/ Aussie halyard system. This shows what parts you need.
Some more tips are under http://www.ccff.de/ Technikseite with English tuning tips. But no halyard things.
Fritz