I'm a new owner of an '87 Hunter 23. Unlike our past boats, we bought this one "in the water". I've moved it into a slip where I can tinker with it. It's in decent shape but has some specific needs. One is, the boom seems to be very low over the cockpit. We actually have to duck a bit as it swings by during tacks and jibes. It looks as though it was lowered for some reason, since there's another set of holes further up on the mast where it looks like a gooseneck was attached. Also, there appears to be another foot or so of mast above the main when it is raised. Is there another H23 owner out there that could measure the distance from the deck to the bottom of the boom or other reference points? The other item of need is the jib, which is pretty much blown out - coming apart at the seams and pretty thin. It's on a rigid furling system which isn't going to lend itself to the kind of trailering we plan to do. I'm looking for a hank-on jib and I'm thinking a 100% jib would be fine for now. Based on my experience with other trailer sailers on our home waters, a working jib is sufficient 90% of the time. I'm hoping to find a used jib from one of the used sail brokers, but if anyone can recomend a size - or has something in good condition they'd like to sell..? Thanx all. Neil
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Hey, Swampyankee,
Congrats on your new purchase! You will love the boat, as well as this forum. I have learned so much here. As far as the particulars, my main seems to hang low also. However, when sailing, espicially in a good breeze, it seems like it is perfect. I know Denise just went through this, maybe she could help! Some others have also described this. Dont know what to think about roller furling vs hank on jib.I can see the pros and cons of both. We are very fortunate to have great sailors on this forum, willing to share thier experiences, and input with us. Peter, thanks so much, still experimenting and trying to sail like a Flying Scot!!! Mike Misko, Hows your season goin in Erie? Denise, hope your back on the water, loved your stories, and would like to see your tent, for lack of better wording!
Congrats on your new purchase! You will love the boat, as well as this forum. I have learned so much here. As far as the particulars, my main seems to hang low also. However, when sailing, espicially in a good breeze, it seems like it is perfect. I know Denise just went through this, maybe she could help! Some others have also described this. Dont know what to think about roller furling vs hank on jib.I can see the pros and cons of both. We are very fortunate to have great sailors on this forum, willing to share thier experiences, and input with us. Peter, thanks so much, still experimenting and trying to sail like a Flying Scot!!! Mike Misko, Hows your season goin in Erie? Denise, hope your back on the water, loved your stories, and would like to see your tent, for lack of better wording!
Jib problem solved
Well, I found what looks like a nice mylar/dacron jib of the right size (25' x 20' x 9.5') on eBay. At $200 it was cheap enough, and it should be miles ahead of what I have now. It's a hank-on which means I'll be removing the furling system. I've had good luck using downhauls on my other boats, so I'll set one up for the Hunter. I also downloaded pages from the H23 owners manual , which includes a nice profile drawing. I scaled it to 1/4"=1' and printed it out. It looks like they have the boom height drawn at about 2'3" off the base of the mast. Now to go down to the boat and compare it. Meanwhile, if anyone has time to take a measurement on their H23, it would be most appreciated. Neil
Well, I found what looks like a nice mylar/dacron jib of the right size (25' x 20' x 9.5') on eBay. At $200 it was cheap enough, and it should be miles ahead of what I have now. It's a hank-on which means I'll be removing the furling system. I've had good luck using downhauls on my other boats, so I'll set one up for the Hunter. I also downloaded pages from the H23 owners manual , which includes a nice profile drawing. I scaled it to 1/4"=1' and printed it out. It looks like they have the boom height drawn at about 2'3" off the base of the mast. Now to go down to the boat and compare it. Meanwhile, if anyone has time to take a measurement on their H23, it would be most appreciated. Neil
Mine measures
about 31" from the cabin top to the bottom of the goose neck. My has the Kenyon mast and I assume that the other brands of masts that were used are mounted at the same height but ????
about 31" from the cabin top to the bottom of the goose neck. My has the Kenyon mast and I assume that the other brands of masts that were used are mounted at the same height but ????
H23 Manual
The specs for the H23 are posted on the Hunter Owners web site under "Boat Info". I am pasting a link below to a web site where you can download/print the H23 manual if that might be handy for you. You would only have to watch for the boom on my late '85 H23 if you were standing up in the cockpit while coming about, or maybe if you were hiked out on the gunnels... but I don't let anyone sit out there when we are coming about anyhow. We reposition rail meat after we come about. My main goes all the way to the masthead unless I have it reefed. Somebody might have been dinking around with your boom position to try and use a larger main. The boom on mine is positioned less than a foot below where the slide stop clamps in... I'm going out today so, if I remember, I'll measure from the cabin top or some other good point of reference.
The specs for the H23 are posted on the Hunter Owners web site under "Boat Info". I am pasting a link below to a web site where you can download/print the H23 manual if that might be handy for you. You would only have to watch for the boom on my late '85 H23 if you were standing up in the cockpit while coming about, or maybe if you were hiked out on the gunnels... but I don't let anyone sit out there when we are coming about anyhow. We reposition rail meat after we come about. My main goes all the way to the masthead unless I have it reefed. Somebody might have been dinking around with your boom position to try and use a larger main. The boom on mine is positioned less than a foot below where the slide stop clamps in... I'm going out today so, if I remember, I'll measure from the cabin top or some other good point of reference.
Hey George
It's been a good year on Erie so far, but my 19 year old son is home from college and he and his buddies get it out there more than me
I could have a lot worse problems than that! We added a Garhauer soft vang and a boom kicker from the Chandlery this winter - and I highly recommend this combo. Also, we had Sailcare repair and recondition our sails, and they turned out beautifully. I fabbed a spinaker crane before we launched and we had fun with the chute last week, but still have serious learning to do in that area. We are using a downhaul on the jib this year, too. The last time out the jib dropped perfectly to the deck and was practically flaked and ready for the bag. For Father's day, the Admiral got me the WM $200 Dingy deal with the electric motor. The Dink surprised me how well it is built, but the motor is pretty weak. So far we've just gunkholed around our lagoons/marina with it, and had a lot of fun. We are using a jet ski battery and the charge lasted about 2 hours. All in all, a good year so far and it's only half over...that's the best part. How's the fleet on Moraine doing?
It's been a good year on Erie so far, but my 19 year old son is home from college and he and his buddies get it out there more than me
I could have a lot worse problems than that! We added a Garhauer soft vang and a boom kicker from the Chandlery this winter - and I highly recommend this combo. Also, we had Sailcare repair and recondition our sails, and they turned out beautifully. I fabbed a spinaker crane before we launched and we had fun with the chute last week, but still have serious learning to do in that area. We are using a downhaul on the jib this year, too. The last time out the jib dropped perfectly to the deck and was practically flaked and ready for the bag. For Father's day, the Admiral got me the WM $200 Dingy deal with the electric motor. The Dink surprised me how well it is built, but the motor is pretty weak. So far we've just gunkholed around our lagoons/marina with it, and had a lot of fun. We are using a jet ski battery and the charge lasted about 2 hours. All in all, a good year so far and it's only half over...that's the best part. How's the fleet on Moraine doing?the boom is low
on my boat too. Kenyon mast. Neil, try getting the mast rake more forward. That will help allot. I can't imagine ever being without roller furling. We have the CDI. 140 Genoa too! Love it! (til the wind kicks up!) I've found that in winds over about 10 knots, rolling the genny in to about even with the mast and reefing the main she still seems to get up to hull speed. even sailed with the tiller balanced a few times! when reefed the boom is really low..fixed that by tieing the reef line down to the boom. Someday I'll get a new or have the old main redone. fair winds! Denise
on my boat too. Kenyon mast. Neil, try getting the mast rake more forward. That will help allot. I can't imagine ever being without roller furling. We have the CDI. 140 Genoa too! Love it! (til the wind kicks up!) I've found that in winds over about 10 knots, rolling the genny in to about even with the mast and reefing the main she still seems to get up to hull speed. even sailed with the tiller balanced a few times! when reefed the boom is really low..fixed that by tieing the reef line down to the boom. Someday I'll get a new or have the old main redone. fair winds! Denise
Dwyer boom
I ran down to the marina and measured the distance from the deck to the bottom of the gooseneck on my boat and it appears to be 20". That seems to be about 7" or more lower than others. BTW, it's a Dwyer boom if it matters. The sail is a UK with no insignia which, I'm told, was made in '02. I'll strip the main and measure the luff to make sure I have the room to move the boom up. My wife doesn't want to sail with me until I make that adjustment.
I ran down to the marina and measured the distance from the deck to the bottom of the gooseneck on my boat and it appears to be 20". That seems to be about 7" or more lower than others. BTW, it's a Dwyer boom if it matters. The sail is a UK with no insignia which, I'm told, was made in '02. I'll strip the main and measure the luff to make sure I have the room to move the boom up. My wife doesn't want to sail with me until I make that adjustment.
What Jerry said
Just got back from the boat and remembered to measure. 30.5" from the cabin top to the bottom of the gooseneck attachment on my Kenyon rig.
Just got back from the boat and remembered to measure. 30.5" from the cabin top to the bottom of the gooseneck attachment on my Kenyon rig.
Ahoy Swampyankee
Welcome aboard, there is lots to learn. When you have some time, check out the Forum Archives. Much has been written about these boats over the years. I have a few comments based on your post: Why doesn't the head of the mainsail go all the way to the masthead? It should. Check the shackle end of the halyard. You may have a knot or other restriction that's jamming in the masthead (the clearance is pretty tight) before the halyard gets all the way to the top. If that's not the problem, run the mainsail all the way up the mast WITHOUT the foot in the boom. If the tack cringle lines up with the tack pin and the rams-horns at the gooseneck, then your boom is at the right height for your sail. The sail may not be stock, so if you relocate the boom to the stock position, you may have to buy a new (stock) mainsail. You are right about the stock jib working fine most of the time. I've used my 140 genoa only twice in the last three years, the rest of the time I use the stock 110 jib. Bear in mind that a larger headsail requires either a second set of blocks farther aft than stock or genoa tracks with adjustable blocks. Happy sailing. Peter H23 "Raven"
Welcome aboard, there is lots to learn. When you have some time, check out the Forum Archives. Much has been written about these boats over the years. I have a few comments based on your post: Why doesn't the head of the mainsail go all the way to the masthead? It should. Check the shackle end of the halyard. You may have a knot or other restriction that's jamming in the masthead (the clearance is pretty tight) before the halyard gets all the way to the top. If that's not the problem, run the mainsail all the way up the mast WITHOUT the foot in the boom. If the tack cringle lines up with the tack pin and the rams-horns at the gooseneck, then your boom is at the right height for your sail. The sail may not be stock, so if you relocate the boom to the stock position, you may have to buy a new (stock) mainsail. You are right about the stock jib working fine most of the time. I've used my 140 genoa only twice in the last three years, the rest of the time I use the stock 110 jib. Bear in mind that a larger headsail requires either a second set of blocks farther aft than stock or genoa tracks with adjustable blocks. Happy sailing. Peter H23 "Raven"
Max Hoist
Peter, With the main hoisted to full height with a tight luff, looking aloft it appears to have a foot or so of room to hoist. I was going to strip the main from the boom and lay it out on the ground to measure it, but your idea of dettaching it from the boom and raising it to the masthead is a bit simpler and easier. I can measure the distance between the boom and the foot of the sail at that point and add maybe 6 inches and that should be the proper height for the boom. Since the main is relatively new, I suspect that someone had been using a larger main from another boat for a whiler and had moved the boom down to add the proper distance. I'm willing to wager that boom ends up at the 30" height that folks have been reporting. I'll keep youse posted.
Peter, With the main hoisted to full height with a tight luff, looking aloft it appears to have a foot or so of room to hoist. I was going to strip the main from the boom and lay it out on the ground to measure it, but your idea of dettaching it from the boom and raising it to the masthead is a bit simpler and easier. I can measure the distance between the boom and the foot of the sail at that point and add maybe 6 inches and that should be the proper height for the boom. Since the main is relatively new, I suspect that someone had been using a larger main from another boat for a whiler and had moved the boom down to add the proper distance. I'm willing to wager that boom ends up at the 30" height that folks have been reporting. I'll keep youse posted.
I guess so...
I checked the HOW Photo Forum and found a few shots of H23's submitted by owners. Almost all the pics had the headboard anywhere from six inches to a foot below the masthead, so I guess that's the normal position. Here are a couple: http://album.sailboatowners.com/detail?photo=1395 http://album.sailboatowners.com/detail?photo=1382 It sounds like moving the boom up may be the answer for you. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
I checked the HOW Photo Forum and found a few shots of H23's submitted by owners. Almost all the pics had the headboard anywhere from six inches to a foot below the masthead, so I guess that's the normal position. Here are a couple: http://album.sailboatowners.com/detail?photo=1395 http://album.sailboatowners.com/detail?photo=1382 It sounds like moving the boom up may be the answer for you. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
Even more so
Last nite I removed the foot of the main from the boom and raised it to the masthead. I pulled down on the tack and measured from the tack down to the tack pin on the gooseneck and got a whopping 18"! Looks like I can move the boom about 12" or so, which will put me just under the sail slug slot. Funny how there is another set of gooseneck mounting holes in the mast about 26" up, but not at the 30-31" level that most folks report. Don't you just a good boat modification mystery?
Last nite I removed the foot of the main from the boom and raised it to the masthead. I pulled down on the tack and measured from the tack down to the tack pin on the gooseneck and got a whopping 18"! Looks like I can move the boom about 12" or so, which will put me just under the sail slug slot. Funny how there is another set of gooseneck mounting holes in the mast about 26" up, but not at the 30-31" level that most folks report. Don't you just a good boat modification mystery?
Use the upper set..
Use the upper set of mounting holes, that's were she belongs, and get yourself a new main. The one you have on hand is your only real problem. It's not an H23 main sail. No mystery there, a previous owner picked up a used sail cheap and moved the boom. He then picked up yet another used sail and was too lazy to move the boom again.
Use the upper set of mounting holes, that's were she belongs, and get yourself a new main. The one you have on hand is your only real problem. It's not an H23 main sail. No mystery there, a previous owner picked up a used sail cheap and moved the boom. He then picked up yet another used sail and was too lazy to move the boom again.
Not the original boom I suspect
I finally got that dang furling system off my forestay - a little awkward trying to do it with the mast still up. Drilling out the rivets in the foil sections was a pain! Afterward, I turned my trusty cordless drill on the gooseneck and drilled out the pop rivets holding it on. I'm beginning to suspect the boom and gooseneck are replacements because the gooseneck didn't quite fit the angles of the mast extrusion and I can see where it was spread open to fit. And the "original" mounting holes don't line up with it either. The boom and gooseneck are Dwyer brand. Anyone else's boat using this brand of boom? At any rate, I measured up another 10" and it seems like a good place - well above our heads while sitting, and hoistable to standing headroom using the topping lift. And the luff of the sail, which is correct to OEM specs, should be 6 - 8" short of max hoist, as shown in most photos of the H23. It's been interesting sorting out the rig on this boat, but I look forward to doing some proper sailing this weekend!
I finally got that dang furling system off my forestay - a little awkward trying to do it with the mast still up. Drilling out the rivets in the foil sections was a pain! Afterward, I turned my trusty cordless drill on the gooseneck and drilled out the pop rivets holding it on. I'm beginning to suspect the boom and gooseneck are replacements because the gooseneck didn't quite fit the angles of the mast extrusion and I can see where it was spread open to fit. And the "original" mounting holes don't line up with it either. The boom and gooseneck are Dwyer brand. Anyone else's boat using this brand of boom? At any rate, I measured up another 10" and it seems like a good place - well above our heads while sitting, and hoistable to standing headroom using the topping lift. And the luff of the sail, which is correct to OEM specs, should be 6 - 8" short of max hoist, as shown in most photos of the H23. It's been interesting sorting out the rig on this boat, but I look forward to doing some proper sailing this weekend!
Mike Misko
Mike, things are great down here at Moraine! Lots of windy days, so far. Perfect for the 23! Do you really fly a spinnaker? Would really like to hear more about that from you or anyone else who fly's one on an H23. Should I start another thread? I should have asked on the "Ask all sailors" Do you fly a kyte?, topic, but I think I'm too late.
Mike, things are great down here at Moraine! Lots of windy days, so far. Perfect for the 23! Do you really fly a spinnaker? Would really like to hear more about that from you or anyone else who fly's one on an H23. Should I start another thread? I should have asked on the "Ask all sailors" Do you fly a kyte?, topic, but I think I'm too late.
Kenyon Mast
I haven't read anything on it that says so, but the mast looks like the OE Kenyon mast. It has that distinctive angled profile, taper to the top, and the base casting that allows the internal halyards to come out at the bottom. The rig itself is a 7/8 fractional with backswept spreaders.
I haven't read anything on it that says so, but the mast looks like the OE Kenyon mast. It has that distinctive angled profile, taper to the top, and the base casting that allows the internal halyards to come out at the bottom. The rig itself is a 7/8 fractional with backswept spreaders.
H23 Spinaker
Hi George - we've only flown it a couple of times, but yes, we are using a spinnaker. The boat came with a spinaker pole, A "D" ring on the mast to clip the pole to and a topping lift running through a sheave installed in the mast (somewhere near the steaming light). The strange thing was, we had no spinaker crane at the top of the mast and no spinaker halyard. It kind of looked like a PO retrofit that was never finished. The pole definitely has a home made quality to it. The first time we flew the kite, we used the jib halyard - generally poor results. Before we launched this spring, I took a steel bar roughly 1 " x 10" x 1/8 thick and drilled holes in each end, in an inch or two. I ran one of the bolts that holds the main halyard housing in place through one end of my bar/crane. I used several washers on the inside of the housing to keep it centered (but it still isn't as tight a fit as I hoped for). I hung a simple block and swivel from the other end and ran a light weight line through it for the halyard (5/16, I think). Works well all in all but I'm pretty clumsy and inexperienced using it. I'll try to get some pictures posted. It would be great to hear from others (esp Peter Suah) regarding using a spinaker on this boat. I also was interested in the comment a while back by someone flying their parachute style spinaker as an assymetric by using a pennant to the bow instead of a pole to the windward side. No bites on that one though. Not sure if we need a separate thread, or just keep going here - we're still generally on topic and Swampyankee doesn't seem to mind.
Hi George - we've only flown it a couple of times, but yes, we are using a spinnaker. The boat came with a spinaker pole, A "D" ring on the mast to clip the pole to and a topping lift running through a sheave installed in the mast (somewhere near the steaming light). The strange thing was, we had no spinaker crane at the top of the mast and no spinaker halyard. It kind of looked like a PO retrofit that was never finished. The pole definitely has a home made quality to it. The first time we flew the kite, we used the jib halyard - generally poor results. Before we launched this spring, I took a steel bar roughly 1 " x 10" x 1/8 thick and drilled holes in each end, in an inch or two. I ran one of the bolts that holds the main halyard housing in place through one end of my bar/crane. I used several washers on the inside of the housing to keep it centered (but it still isn't as tight a fit as I hoped for). I hung a simple block and swivel from the other end and ran a light weight line through it for the halyard (5/16, I think). Works well all in all but I'm pretty clumsy and inexperienced using it. I'll try to get some pictures posted. It would be great to hear from others (esp Peter Suah) regarding using a spinaker on this boat. I also was interested in the comment a while back by someone flying their parachute style spinaker as an assymetric by using a pennant to the bow instead of a pole to the windward side. No bites on that one though. Not sure if we need a separate thread, or just keep going here - we're still generally on topic and Swampyankee doesn't seem to mind.
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