After 1.5 hour drive I got to sailing sight at 8 am. . I rigged the boat after replacing one of the shackles on the boom that was lost via transport, good I had spares, and was at water’s edge by 11 using my 2 wheel set beech wheels.I took my time not to forget any of the 100’s of tasks. Low and behold the jib halyard was threaded wrong through the diamond wire so after 10 minutes trying to figure out some sort of how to get the wires on the other side of the diamond I just threw a rope up there with the halyard tied to it and pulled it down the right way to free it. I raised the sails. No issues. I had my righting pole, small oar, bottle of water etc. I maneuvered the boat to the water with one set of wheels, the cat trax wheels and one cone on the edge got stuck in the daggerboard well. I took effort and maneuvering to release it. The plastic cone was cracked/ but still usable if I decide to keep cones--they got more in the way than anything. No damage to well walls. I got the boat into the water and into the wind--THEN
Both hands got horrible cramps, like my thumb on my left hand retracted uncontrollably back to my wrist. I had to PRY my thumb back to normal position with my other hand. You may have experienced this yourself fiddling with all the parts your hand muscles give out. I had thoughts that I might not be good idea to launch if I had problems with my hands. After all I had to control an unfamiliar boat. People on the beach right near me were watching my whole process--from car to water. I could almost hear what they were thinking…. will he do it. I thought to myself---F it and jumped on it and headed up wind to the Bay Bridge, center of the narrowest part of the Chesapeake Bay. Open water. I wanted to be up wind from put in, in case of problems.
Conditions were: Wind 14 kn constant no gusts, steady ideal for my purposes. Waves 1-2, Sunny and 75 degrees.
Sailing: Pretty anti climatic to say the least. I didn’t deploy the jib as I wanted to practice all points of sail to know I could maneuver in any direction plus I didn’t want the extra labor in dealing with the jib getting use to the tiller and sheet. I sailed block to block and let out to full. I found dealing with the traveler cleat somewhat cumbersome. Lines were hard to distinguish since they’re the same color. Had to sort through lines to determine which one was sheet/ traveler line. Tiller got hung on raised traveler cleat due to I never got off my butt so low angle caused some hangups. Huge reversal of blocks on jibs if you are not closed hulled. It was pretty easy to tack. Jibs were OK. I found being closed hauled down wind was faster than an open sail. Boat was fastest nearly perpendicular to wind. After 2 hours of successful sailing going any direction I felt pretty confident, but got tired. My water was out. I was hot/ not the right cloths: water cold, air warm. So knowing the labor I faced I headed back in. The launch/ landing area is a 50’ strip between rock jetties. I put it right in up wind. Had little problem getting boards up but no problem. Got off the boat:
Now for the fun part. It was an absolute PITA getting the boat out of the water. The people on the beach who were watching me were gone. I got one passer by, guy smoking helped me get it out of the water. He left suddenly: at least its out of the water he said. Maneuvering the beech wheels were a real problem. He left: Boat was now completely out of the water on a 30 degree bank about the length of the boat. Impossible for me to push up to more level ground. Got another man… we rigged the rear wheels to keep them from moving back as we pushed forward. Took much time as my rope was too long. We both pushed the boat through the sand and all the way to parking lot where there stood the park rangers car:
She said: I don’t believe we’ve ever had a small craft as large as this one in the small craft launch area--even though Hobie Cat is mentioned on their website under the small craft launch area. She also said: Do you need any help and I said NO. Boat was in easy access to my trailer, in fact we pushed the boat up the ramp and it was sitting in the parking lot on quad beech wheels after speaking with the ranger.
Mid way via derigging the boat an older lady who was with a family at a picnic table brought over a bottle of water. She said: that’s a lot of work you’re doing. We stopped playing cards just to watch you do all this, getting the boat ready. They watched me sail etc. I gladly took her water and talked with her a tad more. As I was leaving they were packing up too and her husband asked: how many more time are you going to be doing this yourself? I looked at him in the eye and said: Maybe never. We both laughed. Yea, people are curious about idiots trying to tackle more than they can chew but this one proved if you set your mind to it, you can nearly accomplish anything. I did everything except for 5 minutes of work from passerby which would have made it impossible solo. (How about that idea of a motorized quad wheels or simply use a static 12mm arborist line and drag it up the 8’ 30 degree bank with the trailer. It’s only 50 ft from the edge of the hill. I’m done thinking about it solo.
It was a great day and I finally got the boat in the water and went sailing. I’d like to experience this boat again in greater wind using the jib and trap, but probably won’t do that solo. WAY TOO MUCH WORK FOR ME. I’d have to have at least two others, and a cooler as this boat is more like a party boat. Nice stable platform in moderate wind. Wind direction could pose problem getting out of that narrow beach…. a motor to drive it from motor boat ramp through the channel to sailing area would be less work…. or perhaps buy a bigger boat at marina where with a stocked frig might get more interested parties ( who are not interested in pushing a boat around) to hang out and have fun…. so many options… so little time.. this is a team sport I fear. Next up--building the team perhaps or looking for that C&C with a cabin.
Thanks for your help..
BTW: left the park at 5 pm home by 7 as I has DC/Balt work traffic... wife took me to dinner sensing I was hurting...
Edited by goodsailing on May 16, 2015 - 12:16 PM.
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Goodsailing
Laser-Standard Rig (Sold 6/15)
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Building 19' Tacking Outrigger
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Hobie cat 18 FIRST SPLASH--Park visitor: That's a lot of work you're doing
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Posted: May 16, 2015 - 12:08 PM
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Posted: May 16, 2015 - 01:17 PM
Yeah, trailer sailing, particularly just for the day, is a lot of extra work, especially solo. Those who do it regularly work out numerous systems to simplify the process, and use winches and other mechanical methods to ease the physical loads. Repetition will improve the process, skilled crew helps too. Often the extra effort, of rigging from fully broken down leads sailors to search for places to keep the boat mast up, on a beach or on the trailer. Don't give up, keep pondering systems and aids, and cultivate crew, there's a lot of streamlining to be had, from the day you just experienced.
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Posted: May 16, 2015 - 01:45 PM
Dave is exactly right. A beach can make all the difference in the world. I would also caution you not to underestimate the Hobie 18. It's a bull in heavy air, and that jib is huge and will be necessary for tacking as the windspeed goes up. Please don't give up, you have already done all the hard work!
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Peyton Adair
Prindle 18 classic
Hobie 17
Hobie Wave
Wichita KS
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Posted: May 22, 2015 - 08:08 PM
Can't wait to get this in the water above 15kts...
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Posted: May 22, 2015 - 11:28 PM
Don't get over confident until you have some more experience on a H18. Been sailing H18Ms since the late 80s mainly on inland lakes where you can get gusts but if you cant lift the raise the mast without a which then you are smaller than this 180 lb senior that wouldn't even thought of taking out my H18M solo without experience in 15 knots but I do have 25 years singlehandedling that boat so I can. Solo, you can easily get over powered and it will bite you in the butt.
Edited by NeubaurRL on May 23, 2015 - 10:02 AM.
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Randy Neubauer
Apple Valley, MN
2001 H18M
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Posted: May 23, 2015 - 11:15 AM
I"m 200lbs. On several occasions I attempted to muscle up the mast solo and failed. It is not necessarily the weight but how awkward it is. As previously described, getting around the crux was simply too difficult. Besides, I'd prefer to save as much energy as I can to sail. You will note muscles in my hands were nearly maxed out upon entering the water etc. So saving as much energy before entering the water might be a good idea. ( you might wonder how much energy you'd have after struggling to right the boat sole in cooler water etc...)
I'd like to experience being powered up. At 15kts the ride was pretty boring. Suppose to be 18/gusts 25 in few day and I might give it a whirl. If the boat performs nearly the same at 15 as it does at 18 with gusts then I suspect I won't have a problem. Boat was pretty forgiving as compared to Laser. I let go of everything on the Hobie and it came to a halt. Not sure if that would work 18/25. Inland lakes? I'm out in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay which has more dynamic sailing situations I would imagine than lakes. Years? I think hours at the wheel might prove a better bench mark. I have only 3 at 15kts and at 3hrs @ 15 kts I got so bored I headed in. Getting the boat out of the water was more of a challenge.
I also think righting the boat solo might prove more of a challenge than sailing the boat powered up but I'm prepared for that having made a righting pole. We'll see though... this is all experimentation at this point.
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Posted: May 23, 2015 - 11:36 AM
You will note I never put the jib out. Also one said it was hard to tack without the jib when wind gets strong. Perhaps for me, a reasonable sailing trip might include manuvering the boat in as much wind as I can without a jib to learn where tacking maxes out. I'm gathering from what is being talked about is that there's a fine line between controlling direction as opposed to the threat of being powered up unexpectedly which would add to threat of capsize. Can you actually tack without a jib in 20kts or is that impossible. Also, aside from obvious answers, how would one depower from being overpowered. Let go, sheet out etc. Will one hull be out of the water at above 18kts full sails. Can you effectively sail the boat in any direction at 20kts with both hulls in the water might be the question. Who really cares about being powered up if both hulls are no where near the tipping point. Is not that the point.. being powered up and going fast? Not understanding the intripedation about being powered up.
Edited by goodsailing on May 23, 2015 - 11:39 AM.
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Posted: May 23, 2015 - 02:44 PM
Hope you carry a radio so you can call the coast guard when your overconfidence and bravado bites you
BTW my sailing not only is inland lakes but national regattas held in Pacific, Atantic and Sea of Cortez since 1990 so I've got the hours.
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Randy Neubauer
Apple Valley, MN
2001 H18M
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Posted: May 23, 2015 - 03:13 PM
NeubaurRL, Not dising your experience. I don't see that if 15kts was boring wanting to sail in 18 or more is overconfident. Now perhaps sailing in 4' waves blowing 20+ with gusts to 28-30 prior to even seeing if my righting pole works solo might be over confident. How about with a crew? Perhaps no so overconfident. So tell me how do you capsize the boat in 15kts to practice righting the boat for those more windy days. Fact is, the likeliness that I'll capsize the boat will be most likely during days 18-20. CG is right around the corner and I always carry vhf, and as I mentioned before I intend to capsize the boat with crew, so that I might practice, try to right the boat myself, but will have help if needed. What kind of day will that be? Most likely a day I'll struggle to keep the boat upright yet due to wind, or gusts, failed. So then we'll practice righting the boat. I don't expect to die doing this and could probably call another boater over or even swim to shore if needed. Is there a way to tip the boat over in still water with crew.. Will hanging off the traps ease the boat over. If so then we might try that on a calm day, otherwise, I'm pretty much tasked with being confident that I can deal with the unexpected, or expected which ever come first, but I"m really anxious to learn about "getting powered up."
The key thing is: will I be able to sail the boat back in one piece, without injury to the put in, in any conditions, even after a couple of dumps. That is my main concern. Would be getting bit if I couldn't. Not capsizing.
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Posted: May 24, 2015 - 09:28 AM
you might be in the wrong sport - your boat should be very powered up and flying a hull, and throwing spray at 15 knots - 15 is sailing heaven to me -
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Posted: May 24, 2015 - 09:36 AM
YES
upwind - 1st thing is limit mast rotation. 2nd downhoul the snot out of the sail 3rd outhaul, 4th travel out but stay sheeted tight
downwind - travel out, point close to ddw (watch that boom)
depends
no - you can't sail a boat directly into the wind in any windspeed - that being said, yes a knowledgeable skipper can easly handle 20knots -
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Posted: May 24, 2015 - 11:12 PM
but that was with main only. no jib . no tilting of hull out of the water.
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Posted: May 24, 2015 - 11:13 PM
Yea we know y ou cant sail the boat up wind in irons.
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Posted: May 24, 2015 - 11:15 PM
I was out there for 3 hours and tried desperately to get the hull up. Maybe there's lead in my hulls
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Posted: May 25, 2015 - 03:57 PM
Goodspeed, If you're bored on a Hobie 18 in steady 17MPH/15 Knots of wind (read: moderate whitecap conditions), my suggestion would be to read up on the mainsheet tension, traveler, mast rotation and downhaul. "Catamaran Racing From Start to Finish" is an excellent book from former Hobie World Champion Phil Berman. The conditions you described, which are good conditions in the Chesapeake, are ideal conditions for your boat. You should be flying a hull easily in those winds. even if you had crew onboard.
Like you, I sailed my 18 solo probably 80% of the time. With the jib deployed you aren't likely to get caught in irons unless you make a mistake. The jib can also be helpful in tacking the boat, especially in big swells. Did you raise the mast by yourself? I did that once and won't be doing it again. I've also experienced the jib halyard getting tangled up on the wires - total PITA! Tape or bungee your trap wires and jib halyard to the mast when raising. Another thing I found helpful when raising the mast is to pin the hinge and rest the free (aft) end on a 6' step ladder about 10 feet behind the boat. Much, much easier as you don't have to "navigate" the diamond wires whilst in a deep squat on a bouncy tramp. I recommend replacing the broken cone on the end of your Cat Trax. The cones also help keep the wheels aligned under the boat and you don't want that pipe or cracked cone poking a hole in your hull.
One last bit of advise - when moving the boat around the beach solo using the "Oxen" method via the bridal wires, make sure you first loosen the furler sheet or you risk breaking the plastic furler housing. Been there....
Fair winds!
Edited by BrianCT on May 25, 2015 - 04:59 PM. -
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Posted: May 25, 2015 - 10:17 PM
BrianCT
I didn't have the jib deployed. I suspect with more cloth up I might have gotten a hull up. Just wanted to see if I could maneuver with only the main up. Yes I put the mast up myself using the boom. See my pics for details... real easy. I removed the cones. One was cracked and it got stuck within the daggerboard well. Fortunately no damage. Good tips. I'll have the jib up tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.
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