Mirage Hardware, Sail Kit

I have used a Mirage Classic for five years; recently I bought an Outback with the sail kit. I enjoy its versatility and the variety of exercise it provides.

One small complaint - the hardware that comes with the Mirage and the sail kit is somewhat chintzy. There was a hook on the bungee cord that dropped off because it does not clamp the cord securely. I replaced it with a stainless u-bolt that fits the same d-ring on the hull. There was a clamp on the batten of the sail made of thin plastic that broke. I replaced it with an improvised tell-tail that has a sleeve and can be tied to the grommet on the sail. It would be good if Hobie offered tell-tails that flapped in the wind free of the sail and the batten is the ideal place to mount them. A foot-long red one would be nice.

On the module, there is one piece that is particularly chintzy: the idler pulley. It broke after a few years' use on my classic Mirage; I have had to replace it and the cables as well.

Welcome to the forums.

We do like to hear feedback on all of our products here. It is a great way to hear from users about real world use of them.

The first item... you are refering to the pedal retainer bungee and hook? Which end hook popped off?

Second is for the sail accessory kit? There is one set of tell tails. Problem with the leech tell tails is that they can get hooked and tangled on things when not in use, so best left as an option I think. The most accurate sail adjustment tells are the ones in the body of the sail.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks very much for the reply. I have had good experience with the Hobie staff and your attention is welcome.

Regarding the hook on the bungee cord: it is the hook at the end of the bungee cord that holds the pedal back when landing the kayak in shallow water. I also use it to hold down the module when moving the boat on land.

Regarding the tell-tail on the leech: I realize that it might tangle, but my point is that the tell-tails mounted in the middle of the sail are not always functional. For example, if I sail in the rain (as I frequently do in Seattle), the tell-tails glue themselves to the sail and are useless. I am willing to take the risk that a longer, free tell-tail on the leech would tangle in order to get a better read of the wind direction and speed.

One other problem I didn't mention in the last message: I have lost a paddle from the side of the kayak because the shock cord holding it on the gunwale did not engage the bolt, the paddle dropped off and floated away before I could retrieve it. A hook would be better. I sent a request to my dealer, Hobie NW, to replace the paddle but they have not responded.