RAISING THE SAILS

1.Point the boat into the wind before you begin this operation.

2.Lay the main sail out on the trampoline. Insert the battens into the batten pockets starting at the top of the sail and working your way down. The batten has a tip on each end. The end without any holes goes into the sail first. Slip the batten in until it seats into the batten pocket protector at the leading edge of the sail.

3.Thread the batten tie through the aft batten tip and the sail as shown in Figure 33. Secure the end of the batten ties with a figure eight knot.

Figure 33

4.Attach the twist shackle on the end of the main halyard to the grommet in the headboard and feed the sail into the sailtrack in the mast. See Figure 34. Note the metal ring connected to the twist shackle. It will engage the latching mechanism at the top of the mast. (see Figure 34a). Continue to raise the sail by pulling the main halyard out from the base of the mast.

5.It is recommended that you lubricate the leading edge of the sail with paraffin from time to time to reduce wear from the sail track. It will also make it easier to raise the sail.

6.Raise the sail until the metal ring above the halyard shackle engages the halyard hook at the top of the mast. Store the excess halyard line in the pouch on the trampoline.

7.Tie the downhaul line to the tack of the sail and lace the downhaul as shown in Figure 35.

8.Attach the outhaul car on the boom to the clew of the main. See Figure 36.

9.To lower the main, untie the downhaul and slide the leading edge of the sail up the sailtrack a few inches. Next pull hard on the main halyard and the metal ring and the top of the sail will overrun the halyard hook, rotate the mast to the starboard then release the halyard.

Figure 34

Figure 34a

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Hobie 18 SX, 18 SE manual Raising the Sails