Am new to sailing and have become quite accomplished at tipping my 1981 Hobie 16 over and not very accomplished at righting it. I sail on a 350 acre lake that has two good size islands that seem to do weird things with a good sailing wind. Opps not again! I weigh 140 pounds and sail alone and I just don't have enough weight in the "trunk" to right it. A water bag has been sugested but it doesn't appeal to me, right now anyway.

Been looking at a Hobie Solo Upright System which is quite pricey when considering it is just four or so cables and some fittings. But, if it works, at this point it would be worth it. If anyone has used this system, I would really appreciate your feedback.

Also, I would like to understand the consept behind this system. I get the leverage aspect of it, but I'm not clear on the gain of lengthening the shroud. I was thinking that an alternative could be to attach the trapeze wire to the shroud adjuster via an extender wire and have a very similar set-up as the Solo Upright except the shroud would not be lengthened. Messing with lengthening the shroud and then getting it attached to the adjuster again after righting seems like it could be a hand full.

http://www.hobiecat.com/f…viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3092



I would recommend a bag. not hard to use .. good to learn how to



Edited by MN3 on Mar 07, 2013 - 02:17 PM.

I also recommend a bag. Really easy to use. I just throw mine over my shoulder, but you can also use a block and tackle setup.

--
Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
--

If you only weigh 140 lbs, even the large Murrays bag isn't going to be enough weight for righting a Hobie 16 in all conditions. You may need multiple aids (or a Hobie 14!).

Extending the shroud changes the angle of the mast relative to the hulls so that the righting action is already underway and your weight is applied more directly to the required righting moment. Extending the trap wire doesn't do anything. I have no experience with the Solo Upright system, but the leeward shroud is pretty loose even when not extended. I don't think it would be difficult to reattach after extending once you get the loose shroud to leeward.

--
Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
--

I would start with a mast float and a large righting bag. Between those two you should be able to right the boat better than 95% of the time. A lot of righting is also finesse, so it is good to practice in light air. In heavy air with the aid of the wind against the tramp it tends to be easier to right.

THe righting bag is fairly cheap from Colorado bag company, the hobie bob is fairly expensive, but you you can start out with a couple of large boat bumpers attache to the headboard of your sail if you want to see how they work. I would resist the shroud extenders just because the mast isn't really captive on a 16 so it could unstep itself while you are righting.

--
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
--

Quote

THe righting bag is fairly cheap from Colorado bag company,

That is what I use on a 19' Nacra, when solo,(I'm 170 lb).

Quote

I just throw mine over my shoulder, but you can also use a block and tackle setup.

I also throw it over my shoulder. The problem that arises is the bag must be filled with water before you throw it over the shoulder, & he devil is often in the details. I find that if the wind is light, I need quite a bit of water in the bag. It is difficult to hoist the bag up,(it can't be "just clear" of the water, or it goes in the lake as soon as you start to hike, it needs to be hanging at your mid spine level) get it over your shoulder, then keep it from sliding off as you also try to hold the righting line & hike out to the horizontal position. It is important to get horizontal, if you only go 45* you are not achieving enough righting moment.

I found a small 3:1 makes life much easier. The black "S" hook attaches to the bag, the shackle to a predetermined spot on the righting line. You need to experiment a bit, with the boat flipped on a calm day, to find where it needs to be attached, so it is in a usable position. Don't wait til all Hell breaks loose to try & figure out where to attach it.
Now, with the Cat flipped, toss the righting line over the upper hull,(either with the bag already attached, which is harder to do in a stiff wind, or toss just the line, then clip the bag to the loop or small piece of line at the spot on the righting line you have predetermined to work). Drop the bag into the water & fill. While standing on the hull, hoist it to the middle of your back & cleat. Step inside the line, so the bag is now against your back, grab the righting line with both hands & hike. Notice the knots in my line. They were also predetermined, so that you can go hand over hand til your body is horizontal. It is important to "plank" not pike. The further from the hull you get the mass, the greater the righting moment.
Two small but important details.
A) Secure the bag well, especially if it remains attached to the line. If it deploys at speed, well...
B) Secure a 5' length of thin line to the BOTTOM outside of the bag. You will end up at some point drifting with a full bag, like a sea anchor. With the line, a child can collapse & retrieve it, without it, you will only do it once.

--
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
--