Two Person AI

User: grahamrj, requests ability to view the AI2 video. Tom, I just sent you an e-mail.

Did anybody spot this report in duckworks:
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/09/gatherings/ec2009/index.htm#7

It shows two photos of what is supposed to be the new tandem AI2. Any ideas or comments ?

Tasman

AI's have been used for Tribe races for at least a couple of years. In fact there is a single in one of this years photos.

The race will be a good test for the new tandem. Pelican is one of the most experienced racers. Glad to see him in the boat.

A crew of two has a tremendous advantage over others due to sleep deprivation. So they have a good chance of finishing first overall..

_________________

Well spotted Tasman!
Wow- not one but two AI double prototypes in the race! Hope we can get some detailed info on how they go. Where are our Florida spies for some more pics?
You can view a little bit of video within 'Walking West end' and 'Start Photos' here:
http://www.watertribe.com/ChallengeView ... ntent.aspx

Wow 2 AI tandems!

Very smart of Hobie to have boats in the race. So much info is learned about what improvements the baot may need, how it handles, ect. It appears there is a 2 tone red and white model - if so the 2 tone is something new - looks neat.

Hey I'm ready to try a prototype

I'm always one for testing out the limits of a Hobie

Keep us updated!!!

Where is the line for a prototype? How much water and gear will it hold--that is the question.

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 wasn't aware that roto-moulded plastic could be made in two separate distinct colours. Could it be that the two toned hull is painted or maybe made out of a different material -fibreglass possibly?
The shorter and much deeper bow and stern are clearly visible in the pics and the overall length doesn't seem too much longer than the single AI.
I notice the DNF in the race results along with most of the others. The winds can't have been too favourable!

Stringy - getting paint to stick to poly plastic would be a real trick - so I'm not thinking paint. Plus if you look carefully at the red (2 tone) one you can see the blue Hobie logo on the stern and you can see the inside of the front hatch is also red. Evidence in my mind of red poly/plastic.

Yes the bow looks deeper compared to the Island. Even with 2 people this looks like it would ride a little higher out of the water - something also evident in the Keterman video. I certainly like what I see.

I also noticed the 2 yellow Hobie-logo'd dodgers - one for each passenger (in the Walking West video).

In looking at the logs, I think they're both still in the race -- the DNF's are reportedly not posted correctly.

Pelican broke an internal broken rudder line the first night on the way to CP 1; Penguin Man stayed to help repair it at CP 1 today. Pelican is off and running again. Egret (his partner) seems to be a blind one legged person. Amazingly, the blind man was steering with a paddle while Pelican pedaled the boat!

Penguin discovered a hole in his hull (must have hit or hung up on something) and returned to CP 1 for a quick fibreglass repair job, but is also off and running again.

Those Water Tribe guys (and gals) are pretty amazing!

I believe this is a picture of the red/white Hobie double at the WaterTribe Grand Tours checkpoint (courtesy of CrazyRussian/Amy).


It appears to be fiberglass/kevlar or some composite.

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

Great pic Keith!

The glossy sheen to the boat does look less like poly plastic and more like fiberglass.

Penguin had a fiberglass repair job to repair a hole? Plastic seldom develops holes from hitting stuff & fiberglass resin won't stick to poly.

So, Keith I think you're right about AI2 being a fiber/composite of some type.

Dang-it what is the weight and length of this puppy

Based on what the Adventure hull weighs the AI2, if poly-plastic, would approach 85lbs+ .
But, Fiberglass/kevlar might even make this lighter than the original AI.

At the start of our recent 7-day, kayak trip, we had an accident w/ a kevlar boat--cracked its hull when it fell off a trailer (it was partially loaded.) The owner thought his trip was over before it began. Here is the break and fix. Fortunately, only the upper half of the hull broke.


I used West Marine "Marine Silicone Sealant" to repair it.

You can see the whole trip at
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?p=65262#65262
If necessary, scroll down to the red lettering "Flamingo to Chokoloskee, Feb 19-25, 2009".

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

Interesting updates. Thanks to all. The boat in Dan K's video sure looked rotomolded, and that white one on the beach does too, but that red and white boat looks too shiny to be rotomolded.

Did anyone else like Randy Smythe's crazy trimaran? Apparently he capsized it and couldn't recover it, so he's DNF this year.

That's a real quandry because it sure looks like we have prototypes using 2 different materials.

Maybe Hobie will offer 2 versions?

I'm all for reducing weight, but one can't beat the durability of Hobie's current rotomolded poly plastic. I also am not going to want to pay say ~$1,000+ more for a fiberglass version just to shed maybe 15lbs. But I'm sure others will.

Keith's pic of what happens to "glass" when you drop it is pretty sobering. Penguin having to fiberglass-patch a hole on so new a boat demostrates the risks of fiberglass. At least glass is waaay easier to fix than plastic.

I have a spare trailer just waiting for the magic words "For a limited time the AI-tandem will be priced at $X,XXX.00, available now at your local dealer."

For a limited time - dependent on the length and depth of the current world recession - I have $x,xxx.00, available to purchase one of these babies!
Mickey