I broke down and bought a beast last weekend. I'm coming from a hobie 16 that i love and am not scared at all to capsize and push it to the edge, i'm just too heavy for it; ~210# , its cool solo but i drown it with any crew so I bought a Miracle 20. The deal couldn't be beat.
Anyone out there migrate from a smaller/simple cat to a somewhat complex racing cat? Looking for ideas on improved rigging, non stock mast rotator setup, recommendations on better sheets and lines, tips for less clutter on the tramp, maybe an easy/middle/pro guideline for the four way jib rigging, adding a jib furler. I've seen H20's with magnum wings on them…. i'd love to install a set for recreational sailing locally.
The hulls are completely solid, no cracking anywhere and the bottoms are clean with almost no wear at all, daggerboards look like new…. looks like the boat was well cared for. Over the next several months i'll be replacing all the running rigging and will be shopping for a great harness, 38-40" waist( XL?)…… from what i gathered these boats stay on one hull a lot!

Are there any tried and true "mandatory" things to get? I'm already excited to get it on the water as soon as temps even think about warming up here in the mid south.

Tim Grover

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Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi
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Hey, what about some pics for us to drool over? :)

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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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Cleaning up the tramp is a little tough on the 20. There's a lot of stuff due to the jib block arrangement. There are a couple things you can do though. For starters, does your tramp have a flap/pocket that covers the middle area of the jib block wire? This is something that was added by Hobie a few years into production (probably around '96 to '98). This helps to reduce tangling on the cable running across the tramp. Another thing I would recommend would be to change the inboard/outboard jib block adjustment line. I believe the stock arrangement was to have one continuous line for both adjusters. The reality is that this is an adjustment that isn't made frequently (i.e. you would only change it if there's a major change in wind conditions) so doesn't need a continuous line. I'd recommend cutting the line into two separate pieces and trimming it so that there's only 6" to 8" of tail sticking out when the jib cleats are in their inboard most position (in line with the hiking straps).

There are a lot of little rigging tweaks you can make to customize the boat to your liking. For the rotator, I eventually set my boat up so the rotation adjustment was off of the boom rather than out at the hull. The problem with the stock rotator system (led out to the hulls) is that it has a tendency to get pulled all to one side. It also isn't in the right spot for the crew to easily adjust when going around a race course.

For the barber hauler lines, one thing we did was tie a bungee between the barber hauler block and the barber hauler cleat (at the end of the front crossbar). The purpose was to keep the barber hauler block from sliding all the way back against the jib block when the barber hauler was released. If the barber hauler block slides against the jib cleat block, it can cause the jib sheet to bind.

If you're racing, you'll probably want to install a positive mast rotation system. Most people use a system similar to the H17 system which has a heavy bungee which is run out to the bow tangs.

20s are fun boats and sometimes I miss having one. They are a beast and can get wild in a blow. Downwind in breeze will be a new experience - just remember to turn DOWNWIND in the puffs (easier said than done when you're going like a bat outta hell and both rudders decide to ventilate!).

sm

dude if you're going to wreck the boat with magnum wings get a hobie 18 or something that doesn't work for one design. we're building a fleet of 20's in charleston. come race with us or let us know if you need to dump the boat sometime!

Dump my new H20!?? Wreck it with wings??! You're nuts.

Dude....IMHO, Hobie Dumped one design when they discontinued ALL 17's, 18's AND 20's...... everyone i know owns a 17, 18 or 20 so screw that, i'll do open class racing or not race at all. I could care less about official Hobie sanctioned races ( as have 99.9% of the Hobie sailors that were around only 20 years ago ) Ive been to official Hobie only, class rules regattas in the US, Maybe 40 boats tops............out of hundreds of thousands of hobies sold in the US over the last 40 years so I'll feel free to add wings if i want. Especially if it will make a woman or two and/or kids get off a jet ski or pontoon boat to sail on my boat.

I have a nice 1981 H16 for farting around on the lakes but its much to old, heavy and non competitive to race against newer hobies with light crews ( or solo ) and i don't want to dump >$2000 bux into it to improve it's sails ect and barely make a difference, Hence the H20. That's better than a smaller getaway. Just need the occasional wings to get parents, kids and new sailors out, i'll remove them for races.

Tim






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Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi
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Quote

Wreck it with wings??! You're nuts.

+1

Once you try wings, there no way back...


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Jack B
Hobie 17
BC, Canada
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9deQFO2le0


I rest my case. That is all.




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Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi
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I didn't see the hostility in fitz's post. He just wants more 20's to join their fleet. Heck if you want to add a keg dispenser (coastrat has one) go ahead.

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Nacra 5.2
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Easy fellas!

TimF: Unless I'm mistaken, you're the guy whose trying to build interst in your area, especially among youths, through H20 class racing. And you're doing a great job of it from what I hear. That's cool! But Tim is spot on regarding class racing in our region...it's pretty much non-existant.

TimG: I know you'll have a ball with the H20, whatever you do. But be aware that, in open (Portsmouth) racing, you have to adjust your number for any mods that aren't class legal. My point is that, while Portsmouth racing is "open," it's still based on class rules to an extent, because the numbers were supposedly derived from class legal boats (or appropriate adjustments made for non-class legal). You should see if H20 sailor M. McNeir is planning to do the Hobie Mid-Winters East in April at OSYC next year. He can show you how to set that thing up! (And maybe some of TimF's gang will join you!) Also, our club member that you met on the H20 has been sailing really well....and he actually lives in Memphis. He could probably help, so let me know if you need contact info.

Peace, brothers!



Edited by rattlenhum on Nov 26, 2013 - 05:49 PM.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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Hey Jerome! nice to hear from you :0) I'm sure i'll be at the Hobie Mid-Winters in OSYC ( is it there every year? )

Was that Andy's H20 I crewed on there in Jackson for the hospitality regatta on sunday? I real liked his boat, he had a new square top main but he didn't care for it due to all the flex on the 20 comp tip mast. Really inspired me into the H20. Any crew i can muster on my H16 for any out of town regatta plus me is gonna be over 400# no matter what, throw us on top of a 30yo H16 and you get the picture
So far i'm amazed with the H20, rode like a bentley in 5-10 mph wind lol and turned on a dime, pointed well as well.
I'm keeping my 16 and outfitting it with my new hot pink main sail this spring. Anyone in the area are free to cruise my H16 anytime, i'll set it up and have it ready to go on the beach at arkabuttla in N, MS every weekend.

I love to sail and help others, Showing and getting new people into cat sailing is my goal. I did get three new H16 sailors into sailing and into catamarans last year all on my own. I'll add three more in 2014. The H16 is my Favorite but i'l have the H20 to push and challenge my personal sailing level to the max. I like the idea a double trapping in 15 mph winds and doing some offshore distance sailing with the long big hulls of the 20. i feel so lucky to have found a 20 thats in near new condition minus a port transom fix (i like a project so no biggie anyway) I stuck with hobie cats because we have a great local Dealer; Rooke Sails. I want to support local sailing business.

In an older post, i didn't mean to come off as abrasive, keeping in mind i've been sailing for 25 years, just never had a catamaran or the money to finally pick it up as a hobby and be able to spend well over $2500 on a newish boat, several beaters, hundreds here and there, but the words " wreck" and "dump" thrown at me considering how much I've come to love sailing and promoting it the last four years and already feeling like i missed the "peak" regatta years and fighting an up hill battle getting new people into sailing too just rubbed me wrong All good!

There's a really nice 2000, H20 in Colorado for $4000, 2 mains, 2 jibs, the guy will deliver 1200 miles for $500. It cost me that in hotels and gas to pick up my H20 in North Carolina 12 hrs each way from Memphis so that seems like a great deal!!
BTY, Shout out to Jeff King. Stellar nice guy. Very Pro, helpful and a pleasure to do business with. Courtesy of thebeachcats.com! Help him find a Prindle 16

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Tim Grover
1996 Hobie Miracle 20
Two Hobie 14's
1983 G-Cat Restored
Memphis TN / North Mississippi
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fxloop

I love to sail and help others, Showing and getting new people into cat sailing is my goal. I did get three new H16 sailors into sailing and into catamarans last year all on my own.

Rock Star!

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Sheet In!
Bob
_/)_____/)_/)____/)____/)_____/)/)__________/)__
Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
AZ Multihull Fleet 42 member
(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Tim: Glad you're enjoying the H20!

I'm not sure, but that could very well be Andy's old boat that's at our club now. Current owner, Joe, lives in Memphis, but spends a lot time down here with friends/family and just found it easier to keep the boat down here. Let me know if you need his contact info.

I appreciate your efforts and excitement at getting folks on the water and look forward to sailing with y'all more next year I, too, missed the glory days of catsailing and was past prime before getting into it. Have spent a lot of blood, sweat, and tears on our little club and with its members, and it's very rewarding that we have a full house!

As I understand it, the Hobie MWE at OSYC is currently just for 2014, but there is some effort going on to make that a recurring thing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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rattlenhum

I'm not sure, but that could very well be Andy's old boat that's at our club now. Current owner, Joe, lives in Memphis, but spends a lot time down here with friends/family and just found it easier to keep the boat down here.

Andy still has his Hobie 20 in Memphis, he's an actual racing rock star so if you can get Andy on your Hobie 20 he could advance your learning curve a lot.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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