BalancingSteeringSail PowerTurningLaunchingRighting
Docking / Landing
Rudder Tuning Page 4-5
Trailering Page 5
LoadingTowing
Launching / Retrieving
Maintenence
Safety Tips Page 6
SAILING YOUR HOBIECATSafe and sane guideline for the beginner; and an easy reviewfor the experienced.
Always wear a life jacket when boating.
BALANCING THE BOAT
When sailing, sit on the upwind side of the boat (wind on yourback) just in front of the tiller, facing the sail. Balance yourweight further outboard as the boat begins to tip or heel overwith the wind in the sails. Tuck one foot under the hiking strapfor balance. Use your hand that is forward to hold and controlthe mainsheet. Use your hand that is aft to steer.
STEERING
Steer the boat by pushing the tiller away from you to turntowards the wind. Pull the tiller towards you to turn away fromthe wind. Keep the movement of the tiller to a minimum toprevent over-steering. This will help you keep the boat movingin a straight line as you pay attention to other watercraft andsail adjustments.
SAIL POWER
Face the sail in order to pay close attention to the trim oradjustment of the sail. When the front of the sail, just behindthe mast, luffs or flutters in the breeze, you lose power. Tostart moving, pull the sail in just enough to stop the sail fromluffing. There are also short ribbons hanging on either side ofthe sail. Follow the diagram of sail and course adjustmentsabove using the \"tell tails\" to get the most performance out ofthe sail for all angles of sailing. The tell tails react to air flowingover the sail and will help you see that the sail is pulled in tootight or too loosely. If you pull the sail too tight you will stallthe sail power. Ease the sail out until it luffs, then pull it in justa little until it stops luffing. You will adjust the trim wheneverthe wind changes direction or you change course.
WINDCCAloAEsNdeRe'l HTAu aauSSH leAIIHeCloLsds ToleC RIeNchachClose ReachedReaMediumMium ReachhcnBaroeuRaRd ddRaeonaricBwhnwoDRefer to the sail trim diagram below for approximate sailsettings for the different points of sail or directions you will besailing. Note the \"can't sail zone\". You cannot sail in thisdirection due to the fact that the sail will luff constantly whenpointed into the wind. If you get stuck in irons (or stop pointedinto the wind) you will need to reverse the rudder and push thesail forward to back-wind it. The jib should be back winded bythe crew to assist. This will back the boat up. Reverse therudders and let the sail out until the boat is positioned moreacross the wind (close reach). Then you can correctly trim thesail and start moving forward.
WINDFALLINGOFFCOMINGABOUTHEADING UP2
TURNING
To tack or turn the boat into and across the wind to theopposite direction (also known as \"coming about\"), follow thepoints of sail guide illustration and take the boat to the closehauled point of sail. This is when you are nearly 35 degreesfrom sailing straight into the wind. With the boat movingforward and not stalling, push the tiller away from you slowly.When the boat is pointing straight into the wind the boat willbecome level. Ease the mainsheet trim out just a little. At thistime move your body to the other side of the boat, switchhands with tiller and mainsheet and begin to bring the rudderback to straight. The crew should move across the trampolineat the same time. The crew is responsible to ease the jibsheet just after the main sail is released and sheet the jib ontothe new course before the mainsheet is trimmed. This actionby the crew will prevent the boat stalling head to wind. As theboat comes across the wind and falls off onto the opposite,close hauled point of sail, bring the tiller all the way back tothe straight position and pull the mainsail back in for theproper sail trim. If you stall pointing into the wind and youcannot steer the boat, refer back to the sail power descriptionconcerning getting stuck in irons.
When sailing downwind, the turn from one point of sail acrossto the other is called a jibe. The jibe is completed by turningaway from the wind (falling off) to the opposite point of sailrather than into the wind as when tacking. Care must be takenwhen attempting a jibe as the boat will be at full power andyou cannot easily de-power it without turning back into thewind. Also, be aware that the boat will be less stable in thismaneuver as the sail will now have to swing clear across fromfully out one side of the boat to fully out the other.
To start a jibe, turn the boat away from the wind and let thesail out slowly. Keep the turn going at a steady rate and beginpulling the sail back in as the boat nears the straight downwinddirection. This will help prevent the sail from slamming all theway across when the sail fills from the opposite side. Duckbelow the sail to avoid getting hit as the wind fills the sail fromthe opposite side and swings across the boat. Attempt tocontrol the speed of the sail while it crosses the deck bymaintaining some tension on the mainsheet. Then ease themainsheet out quickly as the boat turns past the downwinddirection onto the new point of sail. Trim the sail correctly forthe desired point of sail.
LAUNCHING THE BOAT
Launching the boat is easiest when the boat can be pointedinto the wind to keep it de-powered and floated into deepenough water to lower the rudders. It is possible to launch inshallow water with the rudders partly up. Try not to steer withtoo much force on the rudders until you lock them in the downposition. Keep the sail loose and trimmed out completely untilyou can power up and steer away from any obstacle. Trim thesail in quickly to get the boat moving forward and steer awayfrom the wind slightly to prevent stalling into the wind. When launching from a beach where the wind is blowing fromthe beach towards the water you simply keep the boat pointed
into the wind. Drift backwards with the rudders in the upposition and your weigh towards the front of the boat. Stayforward as the boat drifts into deeper water.You can hold thesail out to catch wind backwards to increase reverse speed.Then move to the rear and lower the rudders. It will be easiestto lower only one rudder while moving backwards. Then lowerthe other when the boat begins to move forward again. Beaware of the intended direction you wish to sail when loweringthe rudder and steer the boat as the rudder drops into thewater. There will be a lot of force on the rudder to turn oneway or the other when going backwards. Plan ahead and steerthe rudders so that they will be pointing in that direction beforedropping it into the water. Steer the boat while goingbackwards so the bow turns away from the wind and towardthe direction you wish to sail. As the sail begins to fill withwind, the boat will slow then begin to move forward. Trim inthe sail and off you go.RIGHTING THE BOAT
If you tip the boat over, staywith the boat. The boat willnot sink and is easy to right.It is not necessary, but it iseasier, to right the boat whenthe bow and the mast arepointed into the wind as inthe following diagram.
There will be less windresistance and bettercontrol in this position.Be sure the mainsheetis released, then swimaround to the bottom of theboat. Skipper and crewshould climb up on the hulland stand up. Using therighting line (installed above)skipper and crew pull the righting line that is against the upperhull and hold the line while slowly leaning back away from thetrampoline. Lean to approximately 45 degrees for bestleverage. As the mast and sail lift out of the water and theupper hull begins to drop back into the water, drop down toyour knees then into the water. Hold onto the righting line nearthe crossbar or the crossbar itself near the hull that you werestanding on. This will prevent the hull from being lifted into theair by momentum which could cause the boat to capsize onceagain. Be well aware of the hull and crossbar coming downover your head. Holding the crossbar or righting line will alsoinsure that you remain with the boat when it is righted. Climbaboard and continue sailing.
3
DOCKING
Docking the boat properly will prevent damage. Always dockand rig on the leeward side of a dock (the side the windreaches last). Come in slowly and always be aware of thewind direction so you can properly de-power the boat whenneeded. The stronger the wind the more difficult the dockingwill be. Until you feel confident, you may want to practice witha friend who will remain on the dock and help slow you down ifnecessary.
BEACH LANDINGS
Landing on a beach is simple. The idea is to reach the beachin the point of sail nearest straight into the wind as possible.This will assure that you can properly de-power the sail oncebeached.
Approaching a beach when the wind is blowing from the beachout towards the water will require some planning so that youmaintain power. Turn into shore just before the hulls orrudders touch bottom. Plan so the final tack towards thelocation you choose to land is the tack that is nearest straightinto the wind. Get a little closer to the beach than you need onthe pervious tack to account for wind shifts in direction andspeed. This will give you a little room for error. This will allowyou to point a little further away from the wind after the tack togain speed before heading up into the beach to de-power atthe last moment.
When approaching a beach when the wind is blowing onshore,sail in towards the beach from either side of the landing spot.Sail in just short of touching the bottom with the rudders. Allowsome distance to turn the boat out towards the water and intothe wind just out from the landing spot. Turn sharply to headinto the wind and stall the boat. Raise the rudders and driftback onto the beach.
Always keep the boat pointed into the wind while beached andkeep the sail trimmed out and un-cleated.
RUDDER TUNING
You may adjust the rake of your rudder blades on your Hobieboat. The amount of rake in a rudder blade affects the \"feel\" atthe tiller. Basically, more forward blade rake neutralizes thepull on the tiller and less forward rake increases the pull on thetiller. Tuning blades for a comfortable feel is a matter ofindividual preference but a close to neutral \"feel\" generallyprovides the best steering. The following sketches are of aHobie 16 rudder assembly but the adjustments are the same. 1) The first step in making any rudder rake adjustment is todetermine the existing rake. This is done with the rudderassembly hanging on the boat's transom, blade down andlocked. Using a straight edge or snap line, extend thecenterline of the rudder pivot pins down, across the leading
edge of the blade and draw apencil line along that length.Measure the distance from thepencil line to the most forwardspot 12\" down the blade from12\"
the bottom of the casting..
1-1/8\"
Aft for more pull onthe tiller
Forward for lesspull on the tiller
Rudder blade rake is pre-set at the factory to 1-1/8\". Thisamount will be best for the average sailor and is a goodstarting point from which to begin any adjustments.
2) To make any adjustmentto the rake, unlock the tillerarm from the rudderhousing and leave itunlocked.
3) If you wish to increase
Screwthe amount of forward rake
in the rudder blade, turn theSketch Brake adjusting screwcounterclockwise using a
3/16\" Allen wrench. Determine the increase in the rake byextending a new line from the centerline of the pivot pins. Re-measure the distance from the pencil line to the leading edge.Continue to adjust and measure until you have the desiredamount of forward rake.
4) If you wish to decrease the amount of forward rake turn theadjusting screw clockwise using a 3/16\" Allen wrench. Checkthe decrease in the rake by the procedure in step 3 above .5) Next, while holding the rudder forward against the lowercasting, carefully latch the tiller arm down onto rudder housing.Loosen the adjusting screw on top of the tiller arm about 3/4turn. Slide the adjusting screw forward (toward bow of boat)until it stops, then retighten. See sketch C.
ScrewSketch C4
6) Hobie Cat rudder bladesare preset to break awayfrom the locked downposition at 17-26 pounds bytesting with a line around therudder blade seven inchesabove the lowest tip of theblade. Once the rake ischanged, the breakawaytension should berechecked. The tension maybe adjusted by turning the3/4\" internal screw in thehousing. The screw tensionsan internal spring. Turn itclockwise to increaseand counter clockwiseto decrease the tension.
TRAILERING
CAUTION: Boat and mast should be securely attached totrailer with adequate tie-down straps. Failure to do so couldcause extensive damage or serious injury!
LOADING YOUR TRAILER
The weight of the boat, equipment and additional gear shouldnever exceed the manufacturer's rated weight capacity. Properdistribution of the load is of vital importance. Too much weighton the hitch will cause \"tail dragging\" of the towing vehicle,impairing steering and raising headlights into the eyes ofoncoming traffic. Too little or negative weight on the hitch, andthe trailer will sway or \"fishtail\". The solution to properdistribution is often adjusting movable gear. A morepermanent solution is to shift the axle position before takingyour boat to water the very first time.
TOWING
Extra caution is necessary when towing any trailer. Theheavier the rig, the more time required to accelerate, pass,and stop. For this reason, the maximum speed for vehicleswith trailers is less than without a trailer in most states. A longrig requires a larger turning radius. Curbs and obstructionsshould be given wide clearance. Most boats on trailersobstruct the rear view of the driver. When this happens, anadditional rear view mirror on the right side of the towingvehicle is required by law.
The trailer boatman should be familiar with traffic and highwaylaws relating to the towing of trailers. Towing a Hobie hasparticular hazards that should be mentioned. A Hobie is verywide. Obstacles should be given plenty of room when you arepassing them. Tie down straps or lashings should be ofsufficient size and diameter and placed on all four corners.
The mast support on a trailer is subject to a lot of side-to-sidemotion and consequently may fatigue where it is welded to thetrailer. All this can be reduced by tying a line from each bow tothe mast support. This will stiffen the rig up and prolong the lifeof the trailer.
LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING
Prepare boat for launching at the top of the ramp or parkingfacility. Remove all tie-down straps, check boat plugs andfasten boat painter. Do not release winch line until the boat isin the water. Back trailer to the left if possible; backing leftgives better launching visibility. Avoid dunking wheel bearingswherever possible. Never leave the towing vehicle unattendedon the ramp with only the parking brake set. If vehicle must beleft while on the ramp, set transmission in \"park\" or first gear,in addition to setting the parking brake. In retrieving your boat,make sure that the boat is properly placed on the trailer. Pulltrailer up steadily to prevent spinning the wheels.
TRAILER MAINTENANCE
Lights: Most state laws require two red taillights on the rearthat may be combined with the stop and turn signals. Vehiclesover 80 inches in width require clearance lights. If lights aredunked, waterproof light fixtures should be used. If water isallowed to enter, the lamp may crack and short out the entiresystem. Water also promotes contact corrosion. Always carryspare lamps. The wire coupling to the towing vehicle shouldbe high enough to stay dry. Never rely on the trailer hitch forground connection. Four-pole connectors should be used.The mast should not extend over three feet behind the rearlight assembly.
Wheels: Tires should ALWAYS be inflated to manufacturer'srecommended pressure. Always carry a spare wheel and ajack that fit the boat trailer. If wheel bearings are alwaysdunked, waterproof bearings and caps should be considered.If water is allowed into the hub, lubricating grease will floataway and bearings will burn out or seize, causing damage anda safety hazard. Waterproofed bearings should be inspectedprior to each boating season, others more often. Special careshould be given when traveling on unimproved roadways withsmall diameter wheels.
If a spare wheel is not available, a spare wheel bearing setshould be taken on long trips in case the grease seal has beenbroken.
FRAME AND ROLLERS
Rust should not be allowed to accumulate. Remove rust andrepaint with anti-rust paint. Some trailers offer galvanizedcoating to prevent rust. Rollers should roll freely and shouldnot have checks, breaks or flat spots.
TOWING VEHICLE
Most vehicles are limited in towing capacity. Towing heavyloads places extra demands on the engine, transmission,brakes and other systems vital to the vehicle. Towing\"packages\" are available through most auto dealers and5
should be considered for heavy boats.
CAUTION / SAFETY TIPS
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Watch for overhead power lines.Never rig,trailer or sail the boat near overhead power lines.Contact with a power line could be fatal.
Sail to your experience.Do not try to do morethan you can.Do not take the boat out in the surfand do not head out for the ocean unless you are areal professional.
Wear a life jacket.Wearing life vests while sailingis important for everyone. Due to the large numberof novice sailors that have purchased the boat, it iseven more important to review this safety issue.Wearing a life vest is a smart thing to do. Also, asailboat could sail away by itself if a person were tofall overboard. The best advice to a sailor is to staywith the boat. If they happen to fall overboard, orwhen righting the boat, they should hold onto theboat and not let it get away.
Learn the right-of-way rulesand when in doubt, give wayto others.
Adhere to car roof rack manufacturer's weight limitations and tie down suggestionswhen car-topping the boat.(The combinedweight of the boat hulls and mast is approx. 150lbs.)
When trailering the boat be sure to tie the boatand all the loose parts to the trailer in a securemanner.Stop and check the tie downs often.Hobie Cat does not recommend leaving theboat in the water on a mooring.Accelerated wearto the boat and rigging will be experienced.Damage to the hull material is possible. Limitationof the mast rotation and tensioning of the riggingare required to lessen this wear. Inspect riggingoften and tape rigging rings and shackles to preventloosening.
HOBIE CAT
4925 Oceanside Blvd.Oceanside, CA. 92056
Phone (760) 758-9100 Fax (760) 758-1841
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For your nearest HOBIEdealer for help and information call:or1 (800) HOBIE - 49 / www.hobiecat.com
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