February 5, 2011 (Final Day in Hopkins Town: Part 2)

As promised, this blog entry will provide you with a little basic information and standard terminology relating the art of sailing and some additional background about the Hobie Cat company and its founder. In sailing, it is helpful to understand what sailors call the "points of sail" --sometimes called sailing positions-- which relate to the angle between a sailboat's heading and the direction of the wind. There are three basic courses: 'beating' (when the wind is from straight ahead or the front);  'reaching' (when the wind is coming from the side); and 'running' (when the wind is coming from the rear or "astern".

When sailing on a "beat", the boat is as close to the “eye of the wind” as possible (about 45 degrees). The mainsail is pulled in, with the boom slightly over the transom. If the boat is pointed too close or high to the wind, the forward part of the sail will “luff” and flutter, causing a loss in speed. Progress when sailing "against" the wind or "windward"  is done by “tacking”-- changing the direction of the boat from one side of the wind to the other. The boat is “close-hauled” on the “port tack” when the wind is coming from the left, and is close-hauled on the “starboard tack” when the wind is coming from the right.The boat is on a reach when the wind is “abeam”-- or at a 90 degree angle. If sailing on a reach, you are at an angle between close-hauled and running. The sail is out at about 45 degrees, making it one of the most pleasant (and most efficient) ways to sail. When running, or sailing "with" the wind, the wind is blowing from astern, and the sail is out at 90 degrees. Just to complicate things a little more, there are intermediate points of sailing. These are: · close reach (which is between a "beat" and a "reach"); and · broad reach (which is between a "reach" and a "run") It's a good idea to become familiar with these points of sail and how the wind acts on the sails. If you do, you will always know how to “trim” your sails, and hopefully make it to your destination.

Changing Direction · In order to get anywhere, you also have to know how to turn the boat and change course. There are basically two maneuvers that let you do that. To reverse the course you can do a “come about” --which is relatively slow since the bow passes through the “eye of the wind”. During a come about the skipper calls out ready about, and then “hard-a-lee” since the tiller is being pushed to the leeward side of the boat. The boat turns into the wind, and the sail, the skipper, and some of the crew change sides.    Another way to turn, is a faster maneuver called a ”jibe”. This is where the back of the boat turns across the wind. Since the wind is behind the boat, the sail flies from one side to another. You have to be careful to control the sail during a jibe, making communication especially important between the skipper and the crew. The commands for a jibe are; "ready to jibe", and "jibe-ho"!

A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls (or "vakas") joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of "akas". Catamarans can be sail- or engine-powered. Catamarans are a relatively recent introduction to the design of boats for both leisure and sport sailing, although they have been used since time immemorial among the "paravas"-- a fishing community in the southern coast ofTamil Nadu, India, and independently in Oceania, where Polynesian catamarans (outrigger canoes) allowed seafaring Polynesians to settle the world's most far-flung islands. In recreational sailing, catamarans, and multihulls in general, had been met by a degree of skepticism from Western sailors accustomed to more "traditional" monohull designs, mainly because multihulls were based on, to them, completely alien and strange concepts, with balance based on geometry rather than weight distribution. However, the catamaran has arguably become the best design for fast ferries, because their speed, stability and large capacity are valuable.

Hot Shot Hobie Catters Can Do This!

A Hobie Cat is a small sailing catamaran manufactured by the Hobie Cat Company. Begun as a manufacturer of surf boards in the late 1950s, Hobie (named after Hobie Alter, the company's founder) began manufacturing catamaran sailboats in the late 1960s and has become the largest manufacturer of small catamarans in the world. Today, Hobie's line of products ranges from surf boards to catamaran sailboats to kayaks, though the Hobie Cat Company is most famous around the world for its catamarans. Hobie also designed a very successful monohull, the Hobie 33.

After sailing on the world's first ocean-going catamaran, the Manu Kai, Alter patented the idea. In 1967, he designed the Hobie 14 Catamaran. Alter wanted to make a boat that could be easily launched into the surf. In 1969, Hobie released the Hobie 16, the most popular catamaran ever and the most competitive catamaran class in the world. Over 100,000 Hobie Cats are sailing around the world. The Hobie 18 in 1976, Hobie 17 in 1985, Hobie 21 in 1987, Hobie 18SX in 1989, Hobie 17 Sport in 1990, Hobie 20 in 1991, Hobie 21 Sport Cruiser in 1992, Hobie Wave in 1994, Hobie TriFoiler in 1995, the Hobie Getaway in 2000, then the Hobie Bravo in 2002. More Recently Hobie has started making glider RC planes.

The Hobie 18
Many people consider the Hobie 18 the quintessential “beach cat.” The Hobie 18 was designed to be not only fast but also rugged. It is designed to be sailed by a crew of two, but can easily carry four passengers when cruising. Experienced sailors can sail the Hobie 18 solo. Unlike the smaller Hobie 14 and 16, the Hobie 18 uses a symmetrical hull design. Although this design gives the 18 a speed advantage, it requires the use of daggerboards when sailing close-hauled or reaching to prevent slipping. The typical configuration for the Hobie 18 is with both a main sail and a jib. The jib on the 18 is set up on a rolling/furling system that wraps the jib around the forestay when it isn’t needed. A double trapeze system is also standard equipment on the Hobie 18. Optionally the Hobie 18 may be equipped with wing seats (similar to the 17). Wings were available on the Hobie 18 in two fashions. The shorter wing "spanned" from the front to rear crossbar on the Hobie 18 Magnum, while the Hobie 18SX sported even longer wings. These wings reached aft to the stern and forward approximately 20 inches ahead of the front crossbar. Additionally, the SX model had a mast approximately 19 inches taller and high aspect mylar sails. Wings of both types, magnum and SX, are in much demand today due to the added comfort and space provided. They add about 40 pounds. Much to the dismay of many Hobie enthusiasts, the Hobie 18 is currently no longer produced. Length= 18', Beam= 8', Mast = 28' 1" (SX version is 29' 6.5") Sail = 240 sq ft (22 m²). Weight = 400 lb (180 kg) Hobie 18 Magnum Wing seats (mid 80's style) add 39 lb (18 kg).