Seems like my lines are always tangled when I need to respond quickly! Furler line is so small that it is always either tangled or knotted. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
My furling lines are also quite thin, they have to be in order to get enough on the drum.
Generally they run from drum to front beam, or mast base. The trick is to have a fairlead just in front of the furling line cleat. This keeps the line in place.
When the jib is out, I only have appx 1' of line left over. With that short length, there isn't many places it can go, or get tangled.
When I furl, the tail gets run around the mast base, & tied off, that ensures if the line comes out of the cleat, the jib won't unfurl & flog itself to death.
-- 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 --
Use the tramp pockets. You can stuff the ends of your main halyard, furling line, and downhaul line into the pockets when not being used.
Also for the furling line, when the jib is out (unfurled), there should be very little line left on the tramp anyway. Most of it should have been sucked up into the furling drum, so only maybe a foot or so of line to deal with which can easily be put in the pocket. If you have a lot of excess line, consider trimming it off.
There isn't much else to deal with on the H18 tramp except the jib sheet which obviously has to be left available. If you have a good crew, they will deal with the jib sheet and keep it from getting tangled. Also make sure the jib sheet isn't longer than it needs to be.
The furler line shouldn't be a problem while you are sailing, it should only reach slightly past the cleat when the jib is out, and don't sail the Hobie 18 without the jib. make sure there is a figure 8 knot in the end of the furling line behind the cleat so you don't lose it out the front.
The main halyard should be coiled and stuffed in a tramp pocket. The main thing most H18 sailors have trouble with is the jib sheet getting tangled at the mast base and on the jib blocks that flog around.
Make sure you have the bungee preventer rigged from your dolphin striker support up to the base of the diamond wires and back down to the support in an inverted V, this will keep the jib sheet off the mast base and rotation limiter.
What cleat. There is no furler line cleat on my boat. Also, Does furler line go under jib sheet as we had problems with this yesterday as I tried steering clear of freighter ships!
-- Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig (Sold 6/15)
H18 (Sold 7/15)
Building 19' Tacking Outrigger
Balt-Wash Area --
The stock furler cleats don't work worth a darn. Most H18 sailors upgrade to a cam cleat, lance cleat, or clam cleat mounted near the center of the front crossbar. In a pinch, you can tie off the furler line to the hiking strap or tramp lacing.