Have you done any "expedition" trips on the AI?

_________________
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

Great mods and well documented Keith.
I can't see any added handles. You must be getting by OK without them?

Thanks, Stringy. I did forget about the unfortunate, missing handles. That is partly because I've not been able to get out sailing and am not tipping the boat up regularly to clean it. The real estate along the coaming is scarce, so it will be tough to fit a set of handles along there, where I originally planned to put them. I have thought about simply getting a set of AI/TI handles and mount them on the side.

EDIT: Regarding handles to replace the missing handles on the AI 2, I've now decided to add a couple "Hobie kayak toggle handle" (https://www.austinkayak.com/products/495/Hobie-Kayak-Toggle-Handle.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping:%20ACK%20PLA&scid=scplp285459&gclid=CjwKEAjw5pKtBRCqpfPK5qXatWYSJABi5kTxRH52XNF3PpwVuSCX0YUL_wetUbcSBdMjKFYXo6czrRoCy4Lw_wcB) These are the same handles that are standard equipment on the bow/stern of Hobie kayaks. Putting a pair midway along the coaming will alleviate the problem of missing handles without taking up significant space.

Keith

_________________
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

I've skimmed the thread once already and maybe I've missed it - but I do not recall any actual-experience reports on deep-water re-mounting an AI-2.

i.e. I heave to, go for a swim, and now I need to get back onboard.

Aids?

Techniques?

Difficulty relative to AI-1?

_________________
2015 AI in "Dune" - "The Grey Pig"
2017 Trailex 450 Trailer
Pre-September 2015 cradles
(anybody want to buy a slightly-used AI SpinKit?)
eMail: [email protected]

The good news is the AI-2 is probably as easy to get back on board as the TI now it has the bigger AMA's. We go snorleling and diving with our TI all the time, so many days we are out of the boat more than in it (lol). The new AI now has much stronger double bungys, and you can easily climb on board over the AMA's, then onto the tramp. With our TI we added short lengths of 700 lb test spectra string to the bungys so the AMA's only drop down an inch or two then stop. Once you do this you can sit on the AMA's all you want to leave and re-enter the boat.
We also have a three ring rope latter, but never use it.
Hope this helps
Bob

Bob, is correct that the AI 2 is more like the tandem than the AI when it comes to re-entering after a swim. The AI sits much lower in the water. I never went into deep water off my AI, but I always felt you could climb back on via the stern if necessary, much like a sea kayaker might re-enter their kayak from deep water. Climbing up onto the AI 2 is a much more daunting task.

Bob does make an assumption in his comments: everyone is using tramps. After my recent capsize and after I had my AI 2 righted, I used much the same technique that Bob describes. I got up on the ama and then leveraged myself over onto my haka (built for the AI.) From the haka to the cockpit is easy.

If a person is in the water and does not have either tramps or hakas, getting back into an AI 2 will vary from easy (assuming you are young and athletic) to extremely difficult (assuming you are older and perhaps out of shape. Being overweight will just make it more difficult.) Roger Mann, in his recent "Race to Alaska" adventure, said he was washed off his AI 2 by a large wave. Fortunately, he was tethered to his boat, and he said that he simply climbed back on. No more info than that at this time. He did have hakas.

With my mods above, I have a righting line which might serve as a step to get back on your boat. To replace the missing handles on the AI 2 (and 2015 TI), I'm simply going to add a Hobie toggle handle amidships, one on both sides of the cockpit--currently, I'm out in the southern Rockies at 9500', so these are just my ideas. A toggle handle for a mid-ship handle would not take up any space and could be accessed from either side of the hull by an adult who was standing on the righting line. I think you could use the toggle handle to pull yourself into the cockpit. Just my long-distance thoughts.

Keith

_________________
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

Bob, your idea of adding spectra lines to the AMA bungees sounds great. I'm guessing you unscrewed the bungee anchors. How did you secure the spectra?

A related question: my new AI2 lives on a trailer, so there's no reason to remove the amas. I think... If I leave the bungee connected, do I risk stretch? Those bungees need to be tight.

I just removed the plastic cap on one side with needle nose pliers, made a cinch knot on the spectra and wrapped it aroung the knot in the bungy then screwed the cap back on, I tugged on the spectra real hard to make sure it didn't pull thru, then tied another cinch knot at the other end of the spectra and slipped it over the top hat cleat, when pulled downward the AMA drops maybe an inch or two then stops (you can actually stand on the AMA if you like with this simple fix (the grey spectra rudder line from Hobie I believe to be around 700 lbs test). We literally dive off of our AMA's.
Once on the trailer we always release all the stress on all the bungys on the boat, including the hatch cover and the cargo area in the back, we also make certain the bungys are not left in the sun ever for more than a few hours. You can of course leave the little spectra thingies on all the time (you can't hurt Spectra). If we park the boat in the sun for any length of time I try to cover it or keep it in the shade. the sun will kill your TI quickly (especially in Key West as we found out the hardway parking ours in our driveway for weeks on end). Especially the mainsail which is Dacron and can't take sunlight at all, and should always be kept in the sailbag (FYI).
Hope this helps
Bob

Sun generally destroys any plastic. It is just a matter of time. The ama bungees should definitely be released if your AI/TI is on a trailer for more than an hour.

Keith

_________________
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

_________________
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

Keith:
As you know (we have talked about this before), my wife and I are mostly tandem kayak fans, we just find it easier for us to setup and rig just one boat vs two complete boats, the added benefit of especially the TI is it normally only requires only one person to propel the boat pedaling, so we can work in shifts taking turns pedaling giving each other a break, (plus we enjoy each others company, which helps on a 'divorce boat' (lol, "thats what they call tandem kayaks")). I think we all agree in sailing mode with AMA's and sails both the AI and TI are pretty equal capability wise. We selected our TI initially I think mainly because we have a lot of family, friends, kids and grand kids that come down to visit and always want to go out (our favorite pastime is snorkeling and diving (especially in the keys). And our TI in calm and flat water affords us the ability to take out 3-4 people (more with kids) all with the same boat that's super simple and fast to rig, and it costs us nothing (almost zero ongoing costs) because we can store it in our garage ( nearly all subdivisions here don't allow trailers in the yards). Verses our former solution which was a $70k Sea Ray which costs $400/mo for dry storage plus filling up that 80 gallon fuel tank with marine fuel was painful. Anymore we consider our TI as our family boat, and use it as such for pretty much everything we used to use the Sea Ray for.

Thats just what we do and it suits our lifestyle really well. Obviously we are not multi day excursion camping people (I'm a Hilton guy (lol)), so that aspect doesn't come into play for us (plus being Canadian as you know I'm deathly afraid of gators and mosquitos (lol, a fobia of mine).
Enough about background.
As long time kayak and canoe people as well (pretty much only tandem kayakers to be specific) we were pleasantly suprised just how good our TI is as just a tandem kayak (not even mentioned in any of Hobies literature, or advertised as such (just FYI to everyone)).

I just thought I would mention as a kayaker how happy we are with our TI kayak (outside of all the sailing and offshore crap), as I strongly suspect most owners don't realize this little known feature of the TI. The darn thing is the finest kayak we have ever owned, it glides thru the water with little effort, is blazing fast (I suspect because of it's great length) with just one peddler, and tracks better than any kayak (without pedals and rudder) when paddling in shallow rivers way better than anything we have ever owned. It's very stable and has more than ample storage and load capacity (way more than our old Oasis ever dreamed of. We have always felt it is easier for us anyway to negotiate mild rapids (class 2 only for us) in tandem yaks vs singles (working together). Even though the TI is slightly larger than our Oasis was, the TI kayak just in our opinion seems to be much more stable and managable than our old Oasis was (I suspect because the seating positions are more separated closer to the front an back of the boat (more like a canoe). (Disclaimer: our old Oasis was a 2008 Model, I understand the newer models are way better, so what I'm saying here may no longer be true)
Yea the boat is kinda big and kinda heavy, but aren't most tandems...
Sounds like your having a blast out west, sure beats here, it's been raining for 3 weeks straight now, thats why I'm sitting here writing this crap vs being out on the water..
Bob
PS: I'm only writing any of this because I'm trying to help get your thread over 200,000 views (I think an all time record lol).

I have to chuckle. This is the same swap we've done. Those fuel bills killed me and I kept ours in the water, so add anti-fouling expenses, too....and a new motor....and....

I am really excited about the TI.

Your logic for getting a TI is pretty much the same as mine at this time in our lives. This past year, it seems I've had a bunch of visitors & guests who all wanted to go sailing with me. Some of them had never been sailing before. So, when it came time to go out in our AIs, it was a ton of work--for me. Also, Nancy has not been getting out a lot--she spends much of the winter out here in NM skiing. Nevertheless, I planned on getting 2 AI 2s initially, but the weight of the boat (AI 2) was a negative. So, I held off and got only one. Then, on my 4th time out, 1st time camping, I had the misfortune of breaking an aka shear pin in open water, which lead to instant capsize of my new AI 2. I thought, Nancy would not like that! So, I began to think a Tandem would be more appropriate (easier) for guests, family, and even when Nancy & I go out. The lower weight of the pre-2015 Tandems is appealing compared to the 2015 Tandem.

So here we are, looking for a Tandem. Thanks for your comments, Bob.

Keith

_________________
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

Keith,
As the changes to the TI have been minimal I doubt the weight difference is much at all.
Remember those published weights have never been accurate.

Yes, I know, Stringy. I was hoping there might be some truth-in-advertising regarding the TI. Fortunately, I do not intend to ever use a TI solo, so, I should have someone around to help haul it up a beach. If we used one out west here, it would be on fresh water lakes/reservoirs, where you simply have to haul it a bit out of the water and tie it off.

Keith

_________________
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