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

That bridge is the I-5 in Portland.
Thanks for cleaning up my links.

It’s time!

First major trip of the new year, Jan 7-13, 2016. This is the “annual” 7-day Chokoloskee to Flamingo trip; but, it will be more of a fishing trip than usual. Days 1, 3, 5, and 7 travel days. Days 2, 4, and 6 are days for relaxation, beachcombing, fishing, and lots of pictures. These latter relaxation/fishing days are at beautiful wilderness beaches.

Here is the coast line and planned camp sites.




Here is the plan.

Day 1 (Thu, Jan 7): Launch from Chokoloskee for Pavilion Key.

Day 2 (Fri, Jan 8 ): On PAV, relax, fish, beachcomb, take lots of pictures.

Day 3 (Sat, Jan 9): Launch for Highland Beach—20 mi day.

Day 4 (Sun, Jan 10): On HiLand, relax, fish shoreline south, beachcomb, take lots of pictures. The shoreline south of HiLand is sliced up with frequent rivers draining into the Gulf of Mexico. Here is the area we can fish.




Day 5 (Mon, Jan 11): Launch for Northwest Cape Sable—19 mi day

Day 6 Tue, Jan 12): On NWCape, relax, fish shoreline north, beachcomb, take lots of pictures. Again, the shoreline north of NWCape is loaded with rivers emptying into the Gulf.




Day 7 (Wed, Jan 13): Launch for FLM—20 mi day.

If you have questions and/or want to join this trip, reply here or drop me a line at kwellma at gmail dot com.

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

The dates for the “First Major Trip of the Year” have been changed to Jan 20-26, 2016. The schedule will be the same as in the preceding post, Days 1, 3, 5, 7 will be travel days (ca. 20 mi each except for Day 1) and Days 2, 4, 6 (PAV, HiLand Beach, NW Cape) will be for relaxing, beachcombing, lots of picture-taking, and fishing. We will likely have group fish fries on those days. The following persons are doing all or part of the trip.

Libby Wolf—a couple days or so on front end

Toby Nipper—sometime on the front end or middle

Alex Oancea—on the weekend when we are at Highland Beach

Don Harris & Dianne—greater than 50% chance for whole trip

Royd (& maybe Allison)—whole trip

Debbie Turner—a bit early to make decision but she is thinking of doing the trip, at least in part

Rick Parks—locked in for whole trip. Rick has a new 2015 AI.

Tom Lachner—whole trip. Tom is new to this group.

Sharon Hutkowski—NW Cape at end of trip

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 returned our TI to Florida (just down the street from Delnor Wiggins) last week and included all of my camping gear in the hope of kayak camping this year. Not sure when we'll return after the holidays, so pls put me down for a strong maybe for a part of the trip.

I'm looking forward to it!

Will do, Bob. Please drop me a line at kwellma at gmail dot com, and I will put you on my mailing list. All the people doing the trip are on that list.

Thanks!

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

Email sent, Keith.

The first major trip of the year, Chokoloskee to Flamingo, Jan 20-26, 2016, is now full. Sorry, we can't take any more members. This is the current list:

Libby Wolf—a couple days or so on the front end
Bob Smith—hopes to do some at the front end
Josh Morgan—On PAV
Toby Nipper—sometime?
Alex Oancea—on the weekend at Highland Beach
Don Haynes & Dianne—greater than 50% chance
Royd & maybe Allison—whole trip
Debbie Turner—a bit early but she is thinking of doing the trip, at least in part
Rick Parks—locked in for whole trip
Tom Lachner—whole trip
Jim Quinlan—whole trip, Jim is a great addition
Steve & Maria Sanders—whole trip if Steve can get his AA flight schedule to fit
Sharon Hutkowski—NW Cape; also offered to help w/ shuttles

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

Quick comparison of a 2014 Tandem mast and the AI 2 mast

I have picked up a new (literally) 2014 TI recently and thought I would compare that mast to my 2015 AI (AI 2). The TI mast is about 17" longer than the AI 2 mast.




Here are the bases. The furling drum on the AI 2 seems to be about .5 inch longer than that of the TI.



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

SnoreBringGator (aka Bill Herrman) has made the comment below on the WaterTribe forum. Snore talks of breaking an AKA on a Kruger canoe equipped with a Balogh sail and aka/amas.

In our case with Hobie AIs, AI 2s, and Tandems, our weak point will be the aka shear pin. I think Snore’s points are very good and may have been the cause of my shear pin breaking w/ instant capsize. You can read about that here: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=54465&start=15



The shape of our Island ama is very good and should push through the wave quite efficiently. I think the problem comes when the ama is pushed deep enough such that the front aka bar also drives into the wave. At this point, the stress on the aka shear pin may be sufficient to break it. I think that is the best explanation of my AI 2 shear pin failure & capsize.

You can look at the 48-sec video I took shortly before my capsize. Toward the end of that video, you can see the bow rising and diving into the next wave. The ama is doing a comparable thing but deeper. At this point, the aka bar is driven into the wave and at the high speed & drive of the AI 2 loaded with camping gear, it was too much for the aka shear pin.



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

Makes sense. Whenever I'm splashing through waves big enough to reach the aka, it's like someone hit the brakes. I always figured it was the splash guards, but it makes sense that the akas could be contributing as well. I can definitely see how this force could snap a shear pin.

_________________
-- Chad | 2014 TI

Nylatron Aka-brace Shear Pins

Flaneur, a forum member, has made an excellent suggestion for a new shear pin: nylatron. Here is the link: http://www.mcmaster.com/#97435a105/=101tr4u

After breaking my shear pin for no apparent reason (however, see the post above), I'm going to give the wear-resistant nylatron shoulder screw a try.

I think it would be fair to argue that this should also happen (shear pin breaking unexpectedly) with the tandem, but we haven't heard about it. Maybe it has? I don't know. Of course, the sail position, etc., are different on the AI 2 vs the tandem which would lead to different forces. And, not everyone has their boat loaded near max with camping gear--could make a difference.

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,

I noticed that you had haka(s) on the boat when the pin broke and you capsized. I've always assumed that my tramps - and hakas, too - would act as "keep out" lines to prevent a total collapse, but obviously that's incorrect. Did your hakas detach from the akas when the pin broke?

Hi Bob,

When I capsized in my AI 2, I was using my AI hakas--too large for the AI 2 by 3-4" (length). So, they did not act as any kind of deterrent for folding back of the aka/ama. I'm working on a new pair which will fit both my AI 2 and my new (really) 2014 tandem, i.e., I designed them to fit my AI 2 and find they fit my recently acquired tandem.

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

What the???... Chekika's got a TI!!!

Congrats Keith. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. The TI has become my sailing Island of choice, so much so that I haven't sailed the AI in around two years. I recently purchased one of the last superseded Adventure kayaks new and very cheap ($1200 off) as a replacement for my AI, which I was only using in kayak mode. I'm loving the 8kg lighter hull in my commute. I plan to sell the AI soon and when I do I will be AI less for the first time in 7 years. I never thought that would happen. At one stage I even had 2 AI's, but the TI works better for us and sails great solo as well.

Just thinking out loud here ...but if the broken pin was just the result of the aka bar being hit by a wave then there would be many more reports of this occurring. I've lost count of the number of YouTube clips I've seen where the lee ama and much of the aka is totally submerged while sailing at speed.
My 2010 TI is still on its original aka brace pins and we have been out many times in conditions similar to and worse than your video clip Keith. I do always use tramps though.

BobAgain,
Tramps will prevent an aka collapse unless the tramp buckles break as well, as some have reported. It's never happened to us though and we are still on the original smaller tramp buckles.

Thanks, Stringy!