Oj
Last summer I bought at well used, but still ok, Hobie 16. The performance i wonderfull, but the abillity to sail high against the wind is quite lousy compared to other dinghies.
The absence of center board is of course a reason, but never the less I still feel there is more to get out of my HC16.
Has anyone any tips to improve the windward capability of a well used HC16?
Stiff operation of the hulls/trampoline? Tightning the rods in the rig? Other possibilities?
Mast rake is huge on the H16, the new boats have different shroud lengths to allow for more rake. On the old boats the skippers would add an additional chainplate to the forestay to extend it to allow for more rake. When the main is sheeted all the main blocks end up "block to block" with the boom near the rear beam. Looks extreme but with light crew and correct positioning the H16 can go very close to the wind.
I am in the same position as wavesandsmiles, trying to learn all of the tricks to sailing a hobie 16. The nacra I have sailed on really impressed me with it's ability to point to the wind. I am wanting to experiment with mast rake, but I have to get my rudders adjusted properly first. I have a great deal of weather helm even with the rudders locked down with no rake. I love my hobie but I wish it would point to the wind like that 5.8.
When a member first starts posting they are a "Lubber" meaning inexperienced seaman, as in Landlubber, and gets one star.
After 100 forum posts you get promoted to "Mate", kind of a generic term for a useful person aboard and get two stars.
After 1,000 forum posts you get promoted to "Chief", a person who can be expected to be competent, and get three stars.
After 100,000 forum posts you get promoted to "Captain", a leader of men who others aspire to be, and get four stars.
After 1 Million posts you are promoted to "Admiral", feared and admired by all, a combination of Chuck Norris and the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man in the World". "His personality is so magnetic, he is unable to carry credit cards. Even his enemies list him as their emergency contact number. He never says something tastes like chicken. Not even chicken. Once he thought he was wrong… that was the only time he was ever wrong."
The best Chuck Norris line ever was, "I'll hit you with so many rights, you'll be begging for a left"
-- Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap --
I too, am in my second season of sailing the H16. Last year, I experienced severe problems with heading up in winds over 20 kts or so, and responded by increasing mast rake a couple of notches. (Couldn't head up, couldn't heave-to - basically no control. Got blown up-river until I beached it.) This gives the boat a lot of weather helm in lighter winds, but generally a lot more control under normal conditions.
I was having the same old problem yesterday, when I finally realized that I always have the problem at the same place in the river. It's the point at which I usually want to tack to head back to the harbor - and avoid being swept into a narrows full of fishing nets and high currents. (VERY high currents yesterday - the river is at or near flood stage.) Could never get up enough speed to make it through the tack, before running out of blue stuff. Usually had to do a rather exciting jibe to avoid hitting the brown stuff. So it belatedly occurs to me that maybe it has more to do with the current at that particular spot. I'm heading up-wind and down-current.
My thinking is that as the boat turns in line with the current, the headway needed to complete the tack is effectively lost and the rudders have no effect. (Naturally the prevailing wind is 180° opposite the current.) The spot of doom is right where the current (and the wind) picks up to shoot into the narrows. Does this sound likely? In sailing classes, they talked a lot about currents altering your course, but never mentioned that they could make you lose control of the boat!
As Damon has already said, rake rake rake it back!
Adding to the forestay however can only go so far before your side shrouds bottom out and or your mainsheet blocks end up starting to cross each other.
You can get smaller blocks to allow for pulling down a little further OR, and this only works with the older style masts and not the comp tips.
You can get the whole mainsail raised an additional 4 inches by moving the crimp on your main halyard 4 inches closer towards the shackle. On the bottom end you'll have to untack the sail from the gooseneck and extend it down below the main track cutout on the mast.
Thi does make it more difficult to get the halyard locked into the mast tang.
How are your keels?
My boat got heavy usage and have lost the keel shape it should have from dragging on the beach. As it flattens out from wear you will definately lose ability to point as high and slip like crazy. When I repaired it by building the glass back up with a harder resin the keel can be reshaped and made even better by adding more to the keel.
I'm not sure what the class rules are on this but if your not racing it, who cares.