I briefly learned how to sail ( 8 days, maybe 40 miles) on a hobie 16 with a 6:1 main and watched and have pulled the rope to Sheet the Main in about as hard as I could. I'm not the hulk by any means, but running the math I am wondering now that I have a 10:1 main block.

So If I pull with 100 lbs (guessing) that's 600lbs on the 6:1 I learned with.
Now I pull with 100 lbs with my 10:1 that's 1000 lbs.

This is just guessing but you can see how quickly things add up. Now I'm new so I may be over tightening for no reason and that is why I'm asking.

2 Questions:

1: Do I need to pull that hard?

2: Should i be concerned with damaging something (pulling bolts out of hulls/ripping a sail? anything else?)

thanks

--
1988 Nacra 5.2
YouTube link to see boat in action:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLddinE6IorSrPpZrlvcwAjRzSIQsKYPG1
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You're using a 10:1 mainsheet on a Hobie 16?

sm

Yeah, 10 to 1 is definite overkill on a 16, it's most often used on hi performance 18 and 20s. 7 to 1 on an H16 might be reasonable. I doubt you'll do damage, maybe tear the main if it's old.

Dave

I have a 88 Nacra 5.2, I learned on a hobie 16. Still a noob. :(

--
1988 Nacra 5.2
YouTube link to see boat in action:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLddinE6IorSrPpZrlvcwAjRzSIQsKYPG1
--

The goal of sheeting the main is sail shape.
Once you get the proper shape, stop pulling.
Over sheeting will distort the sail and slow you down.
Nobody wants to go slow.


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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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klozhald

The goal of sheeting the main is sail shape.
Once you get the proper shape, stop pulling.
Over sheeting will distort the sail and slow you down.
Nobody wants to go slow.

Exactly.

The point is not to see how hard you can sheet in the mainsail. The point is to get the mainsail trimmed properly. You could use a 20:1 mainsheet system, it doesn't mean you're going to break the boat. Put some telltails on your mainsail and use them as a reference to see if you're sheeted in properly.

sm

csmonte

I have a 88 Nacra 5.2, I learned on a hobie 16. Still a noob. :(

So you bought a Nacra 5.2 and it came with a 10:1 main block setup? That's really just a lot of extra line with no real purpose, and it will make it easy to oversheet the main, which is bad. Also your mainsheet is going to need to be much longer than the stock length.

Did the 10:1 setup come with the boat? What brand/model are the blocks?

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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That's a good point those are some serious block for a boat meant to have a 6 or 7:1 main sheet... Now I could trade you for them with my 7:1 main sheet set and a daggerboard or some cash. :)

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Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2 "Lucile"
1986 Nacra 5.7 "Belle"
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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You could sell the 10 to 1 here on the classifieds, find a more suitable set up here too, and probably have some change in your pocket. Damon is right, you'll have a lot of excess sheet on the tramp, that tends to find it's way overboard.

dave



Edited by davefarmer on Aug 12, 2015 - 10:47 AM.

I ripped my old sails sheeting in hard using a 6:1. For yours, I would hope the sail is the weak link, but sails are not cheap!

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Ted
Hobie 16
South Carolina Lake sailing
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I'm pretty sure its exactly this. I bout the boat as is. lots of new stuff. it has a custom taper on the line so it has a smaller diameter running through the blocks. for now Id like to keep everything as is. sails are new also so should be good to go there. So sounds like again, I need to learn some things.

Thanks for the info, so its all about the sail shape and not muscle. I'll pay more attention to the tel tails, and keep the muscle on tap. I think I may of been trying to hard. I failed my sail day last sunday because I couldn't get out of a narrow cove with waves and 12+mph dead head wind. It kinda put me in my place. So back to school Igo LOL.

--
1988 Nacra 5.2
YouTube link to see boat in action:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLddinE6IorSrPpZrlvcwAjRzSIQsKYPG1
--

Yes every time you start to get cocky that boat will humble you a bit. It's why the saying 'learning the ropes' exists. But at least it isn't likely to cartwheel you into oblivion like a hobie 16. :).

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