Hi,
First time buyer of a Hobie 18, pre 1987. I like to sail solo, I'm wondering if its possible to right a H18 by lowering the main and furling the jib then leaning out on a rope over the windward hull.

rottoboat

Hi,
First time buyer of a Hobie 18, pre 1987. I like to sail solo, I'm wondering if its possible to right a H18 by lowering the main and furling the jib then leaning out on a rope over the windward hull.

rottoboat, Welcome to TheBeachcats.com and to the Hobie 18.

No, trying to drop the main sail while the boat is floating on it's side is not a good idea. If you could even accomplish such a thing before the boat went turtle (upside down) do to your weight in the wrong side of the hulls, it wouldn't really help you right the boat.

Main thing to do with the sails is to make sure the sheets are not cleated. If the main or jig are sheeted in and cleated they act as big water scoops, adding tremendous weight to the mast.

Righting a H18 solo requires either
1. A really big skipper
2. Great technique and high winds (the 45 degree method)
3. Water bag for more weight
4. well engineered righting pole or solo right rig.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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If righting your cat is your main concern:

find crew or at least a helper and practice it a few times in a controlled area

I used to carry 2 large righting bags with a single 3:1 purchase.
unfortunatly the hardware i was using couldn't handle the load and i watched both bags float away .... expensive day


carry vhf, anchor and flairs at all times


Is that Hobie Gary?

robpatt

here's Gary, the original inventer of the thing, rightin a H18 solo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCbihZsXESg

Ps the stick looks pretty cool.. but looks like it can't be used in shallow water

MN3

Is that Hobie Gary?

robpatt

here's Gary, the original inventer of the thing, rightin a H18 solo...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCbihZsXESg

Ps the stick looks pretty cool.. but looks like it can't be used in shallow water

Yes That's a great video, shows several things besides demonstrating the Solo Right. Gary has some capsize skillzzz!

That video was from September 11, 1999 back in the hobielist days. Three years before I launched this site.

Shallow water wasn't a problem, as the boat comes up the Solo Right would float to the surface.

If the water was so shallow you couldn't get enough leverage you could just walk out to the end of the mast since the water would be ankle deep.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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I've split this topic into a new one. Please don't restart two year old topics, it's confusing.

--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Thanks for the quick replies sailing buddies,
I'm used to high performance dinghies and much larger cats where the problem doesn't apply (except catastrophically).
Umm, is it any use to have a 4 litre (ten gallon) water bottle attached to masthead re preventing turning turtle on a H18?

if you are afraid of turtling ... take your mast off your boat and throw it in a lake or ocean and test for bubbles. seal any leaks with marine grade silicone. this should prevent you from turtling.

looks like if that solo right hit bottom durring righting it would split my boat in 1/2 like a screwdriver in a paint can lid

Quote

Shallow water wasn't a problem, as the boat comes up the Solo Right would float to the surface.

i have capsized in 3-4' of water many (many, many.....) times. It's not any easier to solo right in that water level. Walking out to the end of the mast isn't helpful (solo) either, as you try to lift your boat slides away.

Quote

If the water was so shallow you couldn't get enough leverage you could just walk out to the end of the mast since the water would be ankle deep.

Gary also had a pretty ingenious set of homemade beach rollers (pcv tubes and boat bumpers) to pull his cat up on catalina's rocky beaches



Edited by MN3 on Aug 29, 2013 - 01:26 PM.