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Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
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Author:  fusioneng [ Sat Jul 26, 2014 9:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Really great videos stringy.

It's my opinion that the TI as a kayak (no sails and AMA's) is hands down the best kayak that Hobie makes. It's much faster, and can hold much more gear than anything else Hobie makes. With my old oasis I struggled a little when driving solo, and couldn't hold a candle to my wife on her revo, it's a totally different story with the TI solo, even solo it's much faster than my wife's revo was (we recently sold the revo because we simply never used it anymore) my wife much prefers tandem on the TI.
Bob
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Sun Jul 27, 2014 3:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
stringy,
I don't know if they would break a TI down to just the kayak in Dana Point. Tim says that they keep one in the water all the time for demos but think that it is fully rigged. However, we also have a demo scheduled in a nearby lake August 12 so maybe we could try it there as strictly a kayak especially if there is no wind.

Thanks for the awesome videos and heads up on the TI's versatility. It does appear to be the consummate kayak. Everyone on the forum has been so helpful and it is greatly appreciated.
Author:  Jcanracer [ Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
nice videos Stringy!
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Well, what do I say about sailing for the first time in a TI? in the Pacific? in 6-8 knot winds?

Short version - Holy Cow my wife loved it and gave it a 10. Unfortunately, I screwed up and sailed it wrong so my experience was not as good. For those who would like to know what happened read on. However, short version I was afraid of tipping over in a rather gusty wind so I held on to the rope attached to the sail and did not use the rope going through the cleat to adjust the sail. I held on for dear life the whole way and didn't even notice the arm strength I used to hold the sail when I tacked into the wind. I just didn't want to flip but soon realized after raising one of the amas out of the water that it would take quite a wind to flip a TI.

Long version - I checked with Dana Point Jet Ski owner Tim on Sunday and advised him I would be coming back the next day for a TI demo. He advised to wait until about 2pm for more wind. My wife and I arrived about 2 and she was very excited. Tim took us through setting up the TI in the harbor from setting up the mast/sail to inserting mirage drives. My wife was in charge of furling the sail via the yellow cord and I was going to use the black cord to unfurl the sail. Tim showed me how to extend the amas, drop the rudder, and off we went pedaling out to the harbor. As we left the dock a woman in a paddle kayak asked what was that we were in and stated she had never seen anything like it.

Once we got into the harbor I started becoming aware of incoming and outgoing boats that I needed to steer away from while I became comfortable with sailing the TI. I then grabbed one of the two black cords coming from the sail and slowly started unfurling the sail all the while holding the cord for a quick release should a strong gust come up. Later I would wrap the cord one time around my hand for a better grip as the wind filled the sail and I had to pull hard to tighten it. Not bad using this system going out of the harbor but not at all comfortable when tacking to return to the harbor in what I thought was a fairly strong breeze and a nice chop.

My wife, unknowing of my stupid mistake, was totally enjoying the tacking and was not afraid in the least. For me it required a lot of physical work and strength to hold the sail as I was while tacking to get back into the harbor. Upon my return we found out the slack in the cord that I created by not using the cleat had wrapped itself around the rudder and may have affected my ability to steer the TI. Nonetheless, lesson learned, wonderful demo experience and Tim could not have been nicer. I asked since he provided the demo could I buy a TI from him and have it shipped to Marietta, GA? He replied that it would be better if I bought a TI from my local dealer in order to establish a relationship with them. What a class guy and one heck of a Hobie kayak dealer.

Now I am looking forward to the next step - my Lake Lanier demo August 11 and sailing a TI the "right way" on a lake.
Author:  Jcanracer [ Thu Jul 31, 2014 7:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Sounds like the hard part is over (selling the wife on the experience) :D
As for the learning curve, at least you took it in stride and had a good dealer to offer advice.
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Thu Jul 31, 2014 10:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Yep, hopefully she is coming on board. LOL

Next hurdle is the trailer issues.

Since we will be trying to launch a TI off a trailer for the lake demo she has asked if we could try to do it by ourselves to see how difficult it is. If the launch and recovery on the trailer goes well I think she will be OK with us purchasing one. Unless she is still worried about towing a trailer at highway speeds. Tim advised her that is not an issue with the Hobie TI trailer in California.

Then all we have to do is agree on a color. Right now she likes the Ivory Dune color with the blue and silver sail. I am leaning more toward the Papaya and I guess we would add the ?black? tramps to either.
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Fri Aug 01, 2014 4:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
I have started to wonder what would happen if I get a TI and my wife is not as enthused as I am about going to the lake?

Is it going to be harder to sail by myself? Load and unload by myself? Since she has no desire to "sail" the kayak and will strictly be a passenger would it be more prudent to buy an AI and let her come along as a passenger? End result is she goes when she wants, easier for me to load and unload and probably to store too. If, and that is a big if, she actually "likes" going out in the AI then I sell it and get the TI like it seems so many people do?

How often does someone actually go out in their AI/TI? Especially if they are retired with nothing better to do? In the summer months? Without their wife? With their wife?
Author:  fusioneng [ Fri Aug 01, 2014 5:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Actually I'm out on my TI every weekend, it's my exercise program. I made a promise 4 1/2 yrs ago to pedal my TI 15 miles every week (the conditions for buying the boat). I've held faithful to that promise (and then some). The best day for me to go out is Saturdays while the wife is working. I'm out there all year round, my wife is native Floridian and won't go near the water in the winter except down in key west.
So when we are up north in sarasota I'm alone 80% of the time. When were down at our key west place once a month or so I have never been out solo down there. Actually down there we alway have almost too many people (sometimes 4-6 people). Usually down there the boat is massively overloaded, and I have to tow our inflatable dingy for the gear, and tow kayaks with the extra people on them. But then again we use the TI as an SUV down in the keys mostly (mostly for scuba diving, snorkeling, and spear fishing). Actually we are going back down for lobster season next week for a week or so, hopefully we can get out every day.
Bottom line is you can use the things for pretty much anything.
Good luck
Bob

Edit: FYI actually right now my wife has banned me from going out in the gulf here in Sarasota. Red tide is really bad right now and there is some flesh eating bacteria in the area (14 people have died from it so far ( 2 in Sarasota). Another reason we are going to our key west place next week.
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Mon Aug 04, 2014 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Yikes ... red tide sounds like it could be bad. My wife was in TPA the other day and no one seemed concerned. They said it comes around every couple of years and kills a lot of fish. Wonder where does the flesh eating stuff come from? Warm water lagoons? Makes you want to stay out of the water and most certainly if you have a cut.

Talked with my local dealer about the upcoming demo (Aug 12) today and he said after a 15 minute ride with him I could take my wife out on the lake for a 45 minute sail. Asked about a Trailex trailer for the TI and if I could add saddles. He said he would assemble one for me and add the saddles for just the purchase price. Wahoo, no 8 hr assembly by yours truly. He also advised if using a boat ramp really don't need a dolly. Just back it in on the trailer. Found a place to put a hitch on the RX350.

So right now I figure I am looking at the following TI costs. Missing anything?

Hobie Tandem Island 5599
Trailex SUT 350-S 1150
Spare tire 48
TI saddles 227
Trailer hitch 300
Tramps 378
Author:  Buckaroo [ Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Mark, this thread has been very useful to me as I am also recently smitten with the Hobie TI. I have wanted to try sailing for much of my adult life but the recent drought conditions here in central Texas have dashed any hopes of owning a trailer-able sailboat like a Catalina 22, and I can't imagine paying hundreds of dollars a month for a boat slip in a marina. Our boat ramps on Lake Travis are currently 50 ft. below useable level.
Then a few weeks ago I learned about the TI and have been on a similar quest to learn about it.
I just wanted to add a few items to your list of expenses albeit small ones from my compiled list of other stuff I need.

Dry Bags
PFD's for 2 plus potential friends
First Aid Kit , onboard and more extensive onshore
Tool Kit - multitool etc.
spare paddle - maybe not needed on TI since it comes with two
mirage drive leashes
paddle leashes
Gaffer tape ( much better than ductape )
YETI cooler :) made in Texas of course
waterproof cell phone containers
anchor and trolley kit
GPS ?
Popup canopy for shore to take a break from the sun

Currently planning to attend Demo Days at out local Hobie dealer.

Best Regards
Chris
Author:  fusioneng [ Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Mark:
Sounds about right, of course you could get a cheapie old trailer and spend a week or two fixing it up, but at the end of the day you will have a cheapie trailer that will not last long, that I wouldn't describe reliable (all in the name of saving a couple hundred bucks), I think you see where I'm going with the cheapie trailer ( I have lots of regrets with mine). I have heard those trailex trailers are really good quality and should give you years of reliable service.
I know in my case when I bought a new boat, I purchased all the accessories along with the boat (ie... tramps, scupper cart, anchor, PFD's, etc) in return the dealer gave me a 10% discount on all the accessories, and installed anything that needed installing ( ie... roof racks, tramps, etc). But I have a pretty good relationship with Economy Tackle in Sarasota, FL (they are awesome and really knowledgeable people), and have bought 7 Hobies from them over the years. I honestly don't know if other dealers offer the same discounts.

If you look at the competition for these boats the two main competitors are the Windrider 17 and the WETA trimiran.

I'm not sure but I believe the Windrider runs around $11k with trailer and all the extras, and I think the WETA runs between $14 and $15k. I think the Hobie Getaway runs around $8k and the H16 runs around $9k, and the Wave runs about $5500

My opinion is with the TI your getting the best value in a family type boat that can be used for just about anything you can imagine. It should give you many years of service. The best aspect of the TI is it can also be used as a great kayak (Hobies best in my opinion).
Bob
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Tue Aug 05, 2014 6:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Bob, I want to thank you for all of the great advice you have kindly provided in this thread. Also, thanks a bunch to everyone else who chimed in with their 2 cents. Please know it is greatly appreciated.

I am trying to resist the cheap trailer temptation route because if it would ever fail I'll never hear the last of it from my wife. It could result in a never ending litany of "I told you so's". Trailex seems like the logical choice even though the Malone can be adapted and has larger wheels. Originally, I thought the bigger wheels would have less heat build up but that seems to be a moot point due to the relatively light weight factor of a TI. I guess the heavier the load the more heat build up in the tires.

Thanks to the input received thus far I think the versatility and especially the sailing experience of the TI overwhelms its transportability issues and therefore I feel like it trumps the Oasis or even two Revo's. Hopefully, I am going to use the trailer on boat ramps when launching in lakes around here and will figure out if I need a dolly when taking it down to PCB and the Gulf.

This forum has proved to be a wealth of information in guiding me to a decision.
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Fri Aug 08, 2014 7:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Buckaroo wrote:
Mark, this thread has been very useful to me as I am also recently smitten with the Hobie TI. I have wanted to try sailing for much of my adult life but the recent drought conditions here in central Texas have dashed any hopes of owning a trailer-able sailboat like a Catalina 22, and I can't imagine paying hundreds of dollars a month for a boat slip in a marina. Our boat ramps on Lake Travis are currently 50 ft. below useable level.
Then a few weeks ago I learned about the TI and have been on a similar quest to learn about it.
I just wanted to add a few items to your list of expenses albeit small ones from my compiled list of other stuff I need.

Dry Bags
PFD's for 2 plus potential friends
First Aid Kit , onboard and more extensive onshore
Tool Kit - multitool etc.
spare paddle - maybe not needed on TI since it comes with two
mirage drive leashes
paddle leashes
Gaffer tape ( much better than ductape )
YETI cooler :) made in Texas of course
waterproof cell phone containers
anchor and trolley kit
GPS ?
Popup canopy for shore to take a break from the sun

Currently planning to attend Demo Days at out local Hobie dealer.

Best Regards
Chris


Chris,

Sorry I missed your post as I skipped over it accidentally. I am glad you too are getting some advice as a newbie to Hobie. Thanks for the additions of "other stuff" as I forgot about some things like tools, leashes and how cool is a YETI cooler! My wife would love a pop up canopy too. Love to know your first impressions at Demo days so be sure to add it to the thread. Look forward to hearing about it.
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Wed Aug 13, 2014 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Well, the day finally came and we were able to demo a TI on the lake that will most likely be the one we will mainly use. Here are some of the things I learned about sailing a TI from this demo and the ocean demo.

First, as a new sailor, I felt more relaxed and calm sailing on a lake rather than an ocean. It also helped that I used the correct sail lines this time. (Oh well there has to be a learning curve) The Mirage Drive turbos seemed faster on the lake I think mainly because there was less chop. The wind was probably the same as Tim estimated 6-10 knots that felt steady at Dana Point and Lanier Sailing Club site measured actual wind as also 6-8 knots with gusts up to 10-12 knots yesterday. I immediately noticed that going closer to a shore lined with tall trees severely diminished the wind in my sail. Consequently I tried to stay out in "open water" and downwind of inlets for the best ride which was way fun. Upon catching a few strong gusts the TI sprang to life causing my wife to shout "waaahooo" and "I'm all in".

I cannot say enough about our dealer Brent. In order to provide the demo he had to "borrow" his demo back from the guy he was selling it to and had to use an unfamiliar trailer. He then went out of his way to take us to a bigger part of the lake that was where we had demoed the Oasis. The reason he said was "more wind". He also told me to watch the air-flow tels and adjust the sail accordingly. His sales pitch was no pressure and was content to answer all my questions and let the TI sell itself. I am totally excited and would highly recommend his Hobie dealership to anyone in the area - Outside World Outfitters in Dawsonville, GA.

Now on to the hard stuff choosing color, accessories, trailer, PFD's.

After reading posts (thanks roadrunner!) regarding colors I was totally convinced to go Papaya because of the red being too hot and the Dune with sail furled being maybe not so visible to approaching power boats and jet skis. However, my wife is definitely going to want a (sun) dodger and that only comes in Papaya and silver. Another vote for Papaya? But the Dune color (a little hotter than Papaya because of "brown specs") might go great with a silver dodger too. Have to say the Dune color looks a bit more "traditional" as a sailing vessel but the jury is still out on this one. By the way, I was advised by Brent that Papaya is far and away the most popular color and my favorite.

I may have to reassess the trailer cost situation in light of all the accessories I now want. Especially after pricing dry-suits (for winter sailing) on Amazon. I am going to get the Hobie Island cover even though it costs more than a generic cover because if you have a Hobie for a few bucks more you may as well advertise it while tooling down the highway. LOL Also looking at the Hobie inflatable PFD's because they are less bulky and supposedly cooler in the summer. I know if I get knocked out it will be of no help but I guess I'll roll the dice with my lake use. Already purchased two RED spray tops from Tim in DP so maybe just need kayak pants or waders for those cold launches and recoveries. Definitely getting tramps and probably a cart. Finally, I am looking at a YETI cooler that when not on the TI could be used in ferrying fresh seafood back home from our Gulf vacations.

Oh yeah, the more my wife sees the YouTube videos of motor options a lot of you have rigged up she now wants one of them! So Bob I may be seeking advice on something like you have ie gas for those long voyages around the lake exploring 692 miles (1,114 km) of shoreline. Quoting you "in the hot sun it's like sitting in a frying pan out on the water unless your moving at least 6-9 mph" which is NOT her idea of fun. LOL

So going to put my TI order in as soon as I decide on a color ... damn it is becoming the hardest part.
Author:  Mark the Shark [ Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Looking for help in buying my "right kayak"
Put my order in for a 2015 Golden Papaya Tandem Island yesterday sans any accessories ie tramps, cradles trailer.

Dealer says there may be some changes to the TI that would necessitate changes to trailer and cradles (maybe tramps too?) so my purchase was only for the kayak. I wonder if that means I would definitely want a Hobie trailer as the other trailer options may not be as good a fit for the new TI?

I would hope the September 1 announcement would include all changes to the TI? Wonder if 2015 TI changes will be for "more power" a la the AI changes? Dealer also said his delivery could be some of the first TI deliveries to the East Coast and maybe as soon as December. If so, what a great Christmas present a TI under the tree would be. LOL

Also wondering if there are enough AI/TI's and other Hobie kayaks with or without sail option in the Atlanta area to form a local club for group outings? I know I will probably have an empty seat on my TI now and then when my wife doesn't feel like it. Any takers?
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