Having trouble getting it up - the mast, that is (made you look)

[coelacanth2]

Picked up a plastic Hobie 14 last fall (I know, folks are getting the torches and agricultural implements ready for the "procession":D). Cleaned it up - $400.00 buys a shabby Hobie - put new straps on the trampoline, tried to get the mast up. I' m pretty strong, but short, with short arms, if it gets past vertical, I don't have the leverage, and it's not reliable to just muscle it to vertical (no you DON'T want to hear how many times during the 3 hours I tried I dropped the blessed thing). The manual says just pick it to vertical, drop it into the step, hook up the forestay and Bob's yer uncle 20 mins and you're sailing. Hawgwash. I'm thinking about making a clamp-on brace frame to locate and steady it during the uprighting process.
Does anybody have any suggestion or experience. The boy is eager to get some use out of it this year, as am I.

[Pernicious Atavist]

Yeah, done this! Is it on a trailer? If so, a lot of Hobie types install a post on the trailer post--sometimes just a clamp-on--with a block at the top and a cleat near hand. Pull your halyard through the block, raise the mast, cleat, attach your bridle. Done.
If not trailered, a post whose foot can rest securely at the base of the mast will do the same. It's a matter of having a way to decrease the angle of pull.

[SchoonerRat]

I used to sail on a 16. Procedure I remember is this.

First find a friend, it's a 2 man job. Secure the main halyard on the gooseneck. Seat the mast base on the step and put 1 man aft holding the masthead. Other man goes forward with the bitter end of the halyard. Aft man throws the masthead upward as hard as he can while forward man pulls the halyard.

Oh, BTW, don't forget to attach the shrouds and be certain they're clear before attempting this.

good luck

[Todd Bradshaw]

No problem. The first thing to do (and it's quite unususl for me to say this) is ignore the manual. From what I can tell, it's the same one they were using back when I was a Hobie dealer in the late '70's. By around '77 or '78 that realized that the method shown in the manual was rather difficult for a lot of people and bordered upon being just plain dangerous. So, they invented a small steel link system that would temporarily connect the base of the mast to the casting on the forward cross-bar and work like a hinge when raising or lowering the mast (and temporarily prevent mast rotation as you're raising or lowering the mast into position). The link is attached with a small bolt to the casting on the cross-bar and stays there all the time. If your casting has a small stainless pin crossing the groove in the back of the mast base casting (some do, some old ones don't) you will need to carefully tap the pin out, because those are the holes you will need for the bolt attaching the link. Use a nylock nut on the bolt so that it stays-put. At the link's other end it uses a pin, temporarily placed through both the link and that bump on the aft end of the mast base casting (where you will probably need to drill a hole if the boat is pretty old).

You lay the mast on the tramp and connect the heel casting to the mast link on the cross-bar casting using the removable pin, with the rest of the mast extending aft past the stern. Stick the little white teflon bearing disk in the hollow of the mast base casting (don't leave home without it). Then connect the shrouds to their adjusters on the side bars of the trampoline (most folks sail H-14's with the shrouds pretty loose). Now you start by standing aft on the tramp, lift the mast and walk forward as you raise it into position, with the link acting as a hinge on the bottom of the mast. Once vertical, all you have to do is have somebody lean forward on the mast to keep it standing while someone connects the forestay to the adjuster on the bridle up front.

If you will install a small block on the big shackle that connects the bridle wires and forestay adjuster then you can make it a one-man operation. You simply uncleat the main halyard before raising the mast, run it through the bridle block and keep it's tail handy while you walk the mast up. Once the mast is vertical, you snug up the halyard/bridle block system and cleat it on the mast. This will temporarily and securely hold the mast up while you climb down off of the boat and go forward to connect the forestay to the adjuster on the bridle with it's clevis pin. Once the pin is in, uncleat the halyard, take it out of the bridle block and return it to it's normal, in-use configuration on the mast.

Finally, remove the pin connecting the mast base to the mast link and store the pin. The link itself will swivel down out of the way (while staying connected to the base casting) and the mast will be free to rotate. Naturally, you did remember to stick the little teflon disk in the mast base casting before raising the mast, right? If not, start over.

To lower the mast after sailing you simply connect the mast link to the mast again, un-pin the forestay from the bridle, temporarily holding the mast up with either the halyard or someone standing on the tramp leaning on it, and walk aft as you lower it down to horizontal.

There is a PDF file that explains the installation process for retro-fitting the mast link system here:
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/21380001.pdf

FYI: On most old H14's, it's also worth installing the optional "Dolphin-Striker" kit if somebody hasn't already done it on your boat. It's a strut system that reinforces the front cross-bar, making it more rigid and a lot stronger. Right side of page, second set of drawings in the "front cross-bar section" - that gull-wing-shaped strut.
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/PARTS_14-16.pdf

[The Bigfella]

I'm not sure how the Hobie mast stays attach, but here's how we used to do it with the Tornado. Attach the two stays. One person to the masthead, other to the mast step, one hand holding the mast onto the step, the other hand holding the forestay. Person at the masthead walks forward, raising the mast overhead as they go whilst the person with the forestay simple keeps tension on all three stays and walks out to the bridle and attaches the forestay. Its a 31' mast on the Tornado - and I've never seen one dropped doing this. Taking it down is the reverse - although the person at the masthead would normally just stand well out and catch it as it came down - important to keep the tension on all three stays in order to control the drop.

[coelacanth2]

Had the little hole on the mast step casting, had the ear on the base of the mast, reasoned that it was a stabilizer for stepping the mast, found the appropriate pin, didn't have the mast stepping link, tore off one side of the mast step casting.
I had done pretty much as you-all had suggested - shrouds on and try to pick up the mast vertically and drop it in, because the casting was broken.I could get it welded, and probably will, but would like something to keep the side sway down. Going out to the barn to experriment. Thanks, all, I will keep you posted.

[The Bigfella]

Umm - I didn't suggest that you pick it up vertically - that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Walk it up whilst keeping tension on the stays.

[Todd Bradshaw]

First of all, a Hobie 14 mast is only about 19' long and maybe 30 lbs. It's stiff enough that it doesn't oscillate as it goes up and down. The shrouds are not needed for stability or keeping it center-lined as it goes up or down. They're simply there to do that after it's up and you're attaching the forestay. If you have a system to keep the mast's heel down (preferably the link) as you tilt the mast up from horizontal to vertical, this operation is a piece of cake for just about anybody fit enough to be sailing the boat.

Secondly, if the casting is broken, you might be smart to replace it while you still have a chance to get the parts. It's attached to the cross-bar with a few stainless pop rivets. Most boat dealers could install it quickly if you don't have the tool. At the same time, you could also probably get the link and be done with this problem and ready to get out on the water in the fastest, safest way possible.

[Salty Sailor]

One very important step to remember to help with this..
Point your boat down hill... less lifting angle and it will balnce nicely with rear stays pre attached.

[coelacanth2]

When in doubt, ask someone who knows...:o. I went through the little baggie of odds'n'sods the previous owner had taped to the boom in the trailer tube and found that cute little steel link shown in your link, Tod. D'OH!
Now to get a bottle of argon to weld the torn link holder.
Thanks, all