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iTrek 11 Availability
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=68104		 Page 2 of 2
Author:  yaw_string [ Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: iTrek 11 Availabilit
Hogback wrote:
:( I’m new to the forum and just got on the waiting list. Now I find out from this forum that I’ll have to wait another half year. I might croak of old age before Hobie can make my iTrek 9. I would substitute a Lynx but it just won’t fit into my Jeep.
I’ll just wait. And wait.
My reason for the small iTrek is that I have acquired arthritis in my shoulders, am easily fatigued, but can still pedal. The lightweight 20 lb iTrek looks perfect for me. Actually the only one thing that can work well for me. I’m 81 and hope when it arrives the dealer doesn’t call my estate and tell my grandchildren they can pick ulp my boat.

Looks like the 9' iTrek alone is back on track for possible delivery this year, while the other sizes are labeled 2022. No announcement, but they have updated the iTrek marketing pages to imply that. I posted nearby a very detailed iTrek9 video they released recently. They did post apologies for 2021 releases remaining uncertain:

Quote:
Due to a global shortage of raw materials and severe logistical challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are experiencing extended lead times.
Author:  yaw_string [ Wed Sep 29, 2021 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: iTrek 11 Availability
The lucky side of this supply distortion: Say a deposit was put down for iT11 with $2000 held back until delivery. Then recklessly hedged the crises by parking that $2000 into shipping ticker BDRY, which has risen 320% this year or 75% since my post of Apr 26. That means the $2000 has grown to $8400, or $3500 since my post below. So cash in BDRY now and get multiple iT9s, or belatedly jump into BDRY now and watch it possibly fizzle to only afford a $150 pool toy :)

yaw_string wrote:
Crazy thought: I spy a (missed) silver lining for deliveries delayed by the global shipping logjam. Where there is a demand crunch, it can highlight opportunities.

If you had invested the unspent balance you owe for a non-showing iTrek into dry bulk shipment stock shares, it would have more than doubled this year. Essentially makes your iTrek free if you cashed in shares now for eventual payment to Hobie: https://stockcharts.com/freecharts/perf.php?bdry

However, playing that game this late could result in implosion of investment share price and effectively doubling amount owed for iTrek. Hmm, what to do...
Author:  yaw_string [ Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:07 am ]
Post subject:  Re: iTrek 11 Availability
Partly in response to a private message, I thought I would fill in a little more background on why the dark humor about delay. A maritime professor has a youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/WhatisGoingonWithShippingwSalMercogliano/videos that presents a quite sobering outlook for transpacific shipping logjams.

Not just temporarily busy but systematic dysfunctions inside CA ports, with proposed remedies that may address the wrong bottlenecks and make things worse. These videos get so many attaboy comments from frustrated port workers and drivers, that yes I really am still moved to park kayak budgets into hedges. A win/win setup with either a timely iT11 rollout or else hopefully consolation money?
Author:  floridays [ Wed Apr 06, 2022 1:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: iTrek 11 Availability
Available ITrek:


https://www.sunjammers.com/kayaks/inflatable/
Author:  yaw_string [ Thu Apr 07, 2022 2:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: iTrek 11 Availability
Thanks, but I checked shortly later and it said:
Quote:
Out of stock at Sunjammers

1129 Beck Ave, Panama City 32401 US
Last updated: Today at 11:29
Online and in-store prices may differ
Author:  yaw_string [ Sun May 22, 2022 12:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: iTrek 11 Availability
I can get no ETA from my dealer. If these things have to be made in China, this consultant predicts endless rolling shutdowns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRLnFOVGtfg . Problem not due to transient shipping glitches, etc. but chronic failures of their locally designed vaccines requiring drastic shutdowns as alternatives. That on top of a labor shortage affecting not only there but US and even Mexico as alternative.

I dunno if sourcing can be easily switched to SE Asia for instance. I saw a documentary on how inflatables were built, and it seemed to require lots of quite skilled labor to wrangle those sprawling seams together. I wonder if Czech Republic could fill the gap. I have several high quality large inflatables from various parts of Europe, and in the fine print I see they are Czech made. Although maybe from now scarce Russian petrochemicals, sigh...
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