Last Labor day at one of our annual Utah Sailing Association get togethers, a fellow sailor took several of my boys and their friends and even the wife out for rides on his Hobie 20. At one point I helped him push off and he had me hook up his main line rig just before he took off and he a very unique setup that I kinda liked. He said this is how they do it in San Diego.

On my boat the main blocks are just hard shackled to the bottom of the boom and the traveler which I assume is pretty standard.

Well his was shackled to the traveler but on the top block he had a hook similar to the one pictured below.



On the bottom of his boom he just a double loop of line that was about 10" or long that was basically a pig tail like I think Andrew was talking about a while back. All he did to connect his main line rig to the boom was put the hook through the line and let is hang.

He sails this Hobie 20 solo a lot and my wife said when she was out with him he would just unhook his main from the block and let the main fly loose while he adjusted or did something then he reconnected and took off again. Since my wife was more passenger than crew he was pretty mush soloing anyway. There was pretty good wind that day and he was sailing with just the main only but had asked her if it was fast enough for her because he still had 2 sails to go if she wanted.

I really liked the idea behind this if only for disconnecting while on the beach. Has anyone else seen this setup or used it and how did you like it?

I have since swapped the top shackle on my main block with the quick release one I had been using on the forstay until posts here made me decide to quit using it. That allows for similar use but still could drop or lose the shackle and nearly as easy as just unhooking the hook


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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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Dustin,
That's a pretty common set up. You can connect the upper blocks to the boom via the boom strap, or the line like he has. His intention might be to get the blocks closer together, shortening his mainsheet. You can use the hook, a shackle, a snap shackle, or a soft shackle, to connect the main blocks to the boom. Soft shackles are becoming more popular and I use them and like them.

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Philip
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i currently use a hook on top and a snap shackle on the traveler. I do have a 8 inch pigtail to lower the blocks to reduce windage and to reduce mainsheet.

a word of caution, those s-hooks can bend. be sure to get a big one. I used a small one for years on my Hobie's without problem but when i upgraded to a bigger boat and 8 to 1 blocks... it bent like butter.

PS the snap shackle is not in this pic as my gf removed the ring-ding from it last week (not supposed to do that) and it came apart, i found all the parts but haven't had a chance to re-assemble it.

Just goes to show you what a newb I am. That was the first one I'd seen that way so to me it seemed unusual but instead I'm the one doing the it the hard way.

I really like the idea though. If ya gotta deal with something on the boat you can unhook and deal with it.

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Dustin Finlinson • Magna, UT
Member: Utah Sailing Association
1982 Prindle 18
1986 Hobie 17
1982 Prindle 16
1980 Prindle 16(mostly)
1976 Prindle 16(mostly)
Check out "Prindle Sailors" on Facebook.
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Just goes to show you what a newb I am. That was the first one I'd seen that way so to me it seemed unusual but instead I'm the one doing the it the hard way..

LOL... these are upgrades.. not stock equip... someone had to show us.... and many racers wouldn't dream of using them... extra weight, extra gear to fail... etc

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I really like the idea though. If ya gotta deal with something on the boat you can unhook and deal with it

just so you know... IMHO, on the water repairs that need you to remove your main/boom from your traveler is not preferable at all. you now have lost all control of your cat sine you just disconnected your engine...

unless life and death... i would suggest you limp over to the shore vs releasing your main. it can be VERY VERY hard to reconnect once you have handled your repair, exp in med to heavy air...

i once had a quick pin fail on my h18 that disconnected the foot of the sail (clew plate and outhaul). the clew plate had worn the hole bigger. of course it failed in heavy air,.. right next to a sea wall... so i had no way to steer away from the wall... my crew fought for 2 or 3 minutes to get me some power so i coult tack.. i got it at the last second....

kirk: "Scotty.. I need more power!"

Scotty: "I'm givin' u all the poooo-er she's got, Capt!"