Maiden voyage of the Surprise

We bought our TI at the wrong end of the season, but we had our first outing this weekend, which gave us a sunny day with light winds, though hazard reduction burning had blanketed the city with smoke, so it wasn't as clear as a Sydney Saturday usually is.

Launched from the beach by the St George Sailing Club, near Taren Point and stooged about just west of Botany Bay for a few hours, getting used to the boat and making sure the kids were comfy. Crew was myself, wife, 10 year old, 7 year old and 2.5 year old. They loved it. The little bloke almost fell asleep but when the wind picked up we started taking a bit of spray, but he was happy to lie on the tramp and cover his face from splashes.

The boat is fantastic - so quick and smooth, even in light winds and so stable that the kids could scramble all over it.

Apologies for the quality of the video - my waterproof camera is pretty ancient and doesn't do HD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0zhbmeXtVY

Great video!

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Good looking family. We have a similar set up. 14, 10, and 3. Our 3 year old has already been bugging us to get the boat out this year. [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

A joyous 18 second splash of sunlight. Shows yet again that TI is a great boat for young families. Highlights that there needs to be some sort of sensible change to the TI's current official passenger rating...

Yes, we were conscious of the disparity between the boat's capabilities and intended family use; and the notice on the boat about being rated for two people. We didn't let it stop us though!

My 7-year-old daughter's squeals of delighted laughter as water came up through the tramps or over the bows were what I really wanted to capture. We haven't had so much fun as a family for ages.

smith

Congratulations on making such a wise purchase!

Seasons? What is this thing of which you speak?

Most of Oz, except perhaps Tasmania, has a sailing season which lasts 12 months! Just get some breathable gear from eBay, and you can definitely sail all year round. In fact, I reckon the next three months are the best, with relatively consistent winds, and not too much rainfall.

Enjoy!

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker