Hey all,
I'm still hoping to get an answer to my simple question....I ordered some replacement shrouds for my '80 h16 but they appear to be 4"or 5" short and cause a 5 deg rake in my mast. Where I ordered them did not ask the year of my h16. I now found a place that separated h16 shrouds... '71-'94 and '95-? I ordered a pair for the older cats but they are the same length as the first set. HELP!!!!! Is there a length difference between older and newer 16s? Is there a safe way to make the ones I purchased work?

Thanks,
ttcooper
Brand new to sailing
Learning on a 1980 H16 I bought on Ebay for $500. How sweet is that.

You could get longer chain plates depending on how short they are, I had the opposite happen with an 82 H16 so yes I think they are different lengths between the years. Check the Hobie Forums someone will know if not do a search for Matt Miller on that forum and send him a PM he will definately know. I would send the new shrouds back and contact the people you bought them from and see if they can make you some based off the originals if you still have them. The other thing to consider is your forestay maybe its the wrong length did you buy a new forstay with the shrouds?

The shrouds on an H16 have gotten shorter over the years as the mast was raked back. The current length available is 18' 10 1/4". The older longer shroud lengths are not available as far as I know unless they are custom made. The forestays have gotten correspondingly longer.

There is a Hobie wire guide here:

http://2010.archive.hobie…pport/pdfs/WireGuide.pdf

Early h16s had little if any rake but it is desirable to have some rake in the mast as all newer 16s do. The boat will point better and have less tendency to pitchpole.

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Dave Wilson
Hobie 16, Hobie 14
Tampa, FL
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On a hobie 16 you want the mast raked way back, it increases your speed and reduces pitchpole tendancies. When that became the rule of the day we got the shorter shrouds and just added a second 10 hole adjuster to the forestay. That should work for you too.

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Thanks all for the assistance. I measured the new shrouds and found them to be right at 19' so that would track w/ what DaveW70 said and confirmed by the wire guide.

I rigged my cat with the new kit and it certinaly is raked several degrees aft from orginal. It still has adquate clearence for the main block to function and for a couple old sailers to roll across the tramp. Better control and less cartwheeling???? Sounds like an upgrade to me. I'm excited to get it on the water and see how it acts.

Thanks again for the help,
ttcooper
Lake Isabella CA.