Front Handle Hole from Hell!
Converting the Hobie T2 to a T16
When it comes to upgrading the Beautiful but under powered Hobie T2 there is nothing better than this.
I bought a new T2 in 2018 in hopes it would be as fun as my many H16's. I knew the sails were smaller but hoped the square top would help make up for it. Low and behold I was wrong. This was no better than my Getaway. First, I found that a small adjustment in the boomless sail would dramatically change the shape of the sail and therefor the performance. Speaking of performance, the factory furling jib has none.
I was so disappointed that I was at a loss for a full year of unhappy boating. Then I thought about changing the sails. I'd need a longer mast and would have to move the bridle wires forward to mount the bigger jib. To my surprise, my mast is 27' long just like a H16 even though Hobie listed it as 25' in the sales literature. I thought about using the handle holes for the bridle wire and played with that until I said, look it dummy, make a gennaker pole strong enough to work for the forestay too.
I've used 1.5inO.D x1/8in thick aluminum tube. A min of 76in but mine is longer to add a camera and wind indicator at the front. You will need to make a mount for the front crossbar. I used steel, painted it and riveted it to the crossbar. I used a thin skin of rtv silicone between the metals to slow or stop corrosion. Once the pole was mounted I located the original bridle wires right above the spreader bar. The jib mount is 75.5in from the front crossbar. 1in further than the H16. I added a second set of bridle wire that attach at the jib mount just in case the tube didn't or doesn't hold up but so far it's been perfect. Now, there is a difference between the masts, the cutout for the bolt rope is about 8in higher on the T2 than the H16, that made it harder to feed the downhaul into the mast and I needed two people. I have a second mast so I ordered the mast base for the Getaway and installed it onto the H16 mast and solved that concern.
Photo Gallery of a T2 to T16 conversion.
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