Hello
I am a new sailor with a new to me 85 Hobie 16. I have a small issue I guess with my jib. It turns out that it is a furling jib with out batten pockets. The rest of the furling gear is gone. the boat has a regular old style jib halyard and a normal forestay.
Was that how it was intended to be rigged? Just with a drum and spinny bit at the head of the sail?
What would be the best way to repair the clew grommet? I thought I might make a triangular "clew plate" from sheet aluminum in the normal jib fashion.












Edited by generaldisarray on Apr 26, 2024 - 01:32 PM.

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James Maxwell
Hobie 16
Kansas City Mo
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Was that how it was intended to be rigged? Just with a drum and spinny bit at the head of the sail?

Every H-16 I've ever been on has had a fully battened hanked on jib. Furling parts are pricey but if you can get yours going without too much expense, go for it, otherwise do hanks. They will enable you to raise and lower your jib quickly and eliminate most of that bothersome flogging that wears the sail. However, the furler would enable you to roll up the sail while you're underway but who wants to sail a h-16 with just the main anyway? They wouldn't tack well and the weather helm would be too much. Have sailmaker do your clew plate. Get one with three holes so you have some adjustment because the H-16 does not have a fore and aft adjustment for the sheet leads.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Educated guess from H16 and H14-Turbo owner (short version; the long version is LONG!):

First of all, keep in mind that there's no telling what mods/hacks previous owners may have done to this older boat. If it ever really had a furling system, then it was almost certainly an add-on kit installed after the boat left the factory, and it probably worked pretty much as you've described (like the H14T)....drum on bottom, swivel (spinny bit) up top, and jam cleat on main beam for furling line. (The H14T has no jib halyard or regular forestay...the jib luff wire acts as the forestay.)

Furling gear will be crazy expensive if you can even source it. Assuming you have stock forestay and bridle wires, your best bet by far is to get a good used stock jib and battens. The stock jib is larger, has more shape to the roach, and will perform WAY better, especially off the wind. (That'll solve your clew issue as well). Furling on the H16 is complicated by the fact that, unlike most cats, the entire rig tension is set by tightening the jib halyard and the jib luff wire (not the forestay) carries that load. The jib luff wire is then so taught that there is no need for more hanks (there's only one near the top to aid in raising it).

If you want to keep the existing jib as a spare, try punching in a new (oversized?) grommet with some nylon webbing backing up both sides. Or source/fab a clew plate as you suggest. (I'd just get a stock jib and not bother.)

You could benefit greatly from some local, knowledgeable, hands-on help, and beachcat sailors are usually more than willing to provide it. Put your location in your sig and contact a nearby fleet rep (https://hcana.hobieclass.com/hobie-fleets/) to see if they can hook you up. Tons of valuable info on Hobie's Support pages (https://www.hobie.com/support/hobie-16/) also, and you can post questions/help requests on their H16 Forum, too (https://www.hobie.com/forums/).

Fire away with any more questions.



Edited by rattlenhum on Apr 28, 2024 - 10:04 PM.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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Furling on the H16 is complicated by the fact that, unlike most cats, the entire rig tension is set by tightening the jib halyard and the jib luff wire (not the forestay) carries that load. The jib luff wire is then so taught that there is no need for more hanks (there's only one near the top to aid in raising it).

[quote]If you want to keep the existing jib as a spare, try punching in a new (oversized?) grommet with some nylon webbing backing up both sides. Or source/fab a clew plate as you suggest. (I'd just get a stock jib and not bother.)

I forgot about that. And you're right, there is only one hank. But that makes me wonder, if one is absolutely set on having a furler on a H-16 why couldn't one just have a headstay that tensions the rig like all other cats?

Installing a grommet at the clew should be done by a sailmaker unless you have a hydraulic press designed for that particular task. A clew plate with three holes would be my preference if you want to do it yourself. It's a loaded area that could fail if mickey moused.

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Bill Townsend
G-Cat 5.0
Sarasota
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Bill: I've seen gazillions of H16s, and not a single one under sail with a furling jib. The ability to douse the jib quickly would be nice sometimes, but, if the H16 furling kit works like the H14T, it's pretty much a PITA in many ways. I think the short answer to your question is that, if one wants a furling jib, one should get a boat designed/built to carry it. Same with a spinnaker.

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Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16
Clinton, Mississippi
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