TI Jib

I believe Jim's point was that everyone should not bug their dealer about a Hobie AI/TI jib--dealers probably don't know about any jib. You can place an order for a TI.

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

Won't bug my dealer, got one on order! Hoping this jib kit comes out sometime soon though....

Thanks for the pics. Got any more?

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I'd rather be sailing,
Mark.

Nice! I am seriously considering getting a TI. Even more so now with the jib option.
How about a TI Spinnaker. Just kidding.

Great-looking boat, now if only someone else I knew wanted to sail with me regularily..

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Fair Skies, Max.

Looking forward to the jib kit for the TI. Please keep us posted when it becomes available.

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Marc K
2010 Hobie Tandem Island
Boynton Beach, FL

Take a look at this one and see what you guys think. I have a youtube link with it furling.
Link here.
http://rogermannadventures.blogspot.com/

It seems to be working well so far and can be taken down in just a few seconds if needed.

Thanks,

Roger

Keith, I did not get there in time to check out the TI jib. I note the main is unfurled in your pics. Can they furl it with the jib, and if so, how was that set up at the top of the sail? Did you happen to point your camera up there?

Would you be able to supply the TI jib dimensions for the trial version? Foot length, Luff length, Leech length? Thanks! Scott

I'm still holding my breath waiting on the jib option (six years and counting (lol)).
FE

I was excited about this until I saw the date of the original posts, 2010. I guess the jib was not as close to release as had been predicted.

But, we got a nice spinnaker!

That whole story is really strange, I saw that boat at the EC with the jib and really thought it to be the perfect boat for us. We finally got our first TI in April 2010. The promised jib option wasn't out yet but was promised to be released soon, you could see the boat was designed for the jib because it had all the fittings, so it was just a matter of waiting, I was ok with that so I went ahead and bought the boat (less the jib). My suspicions ended up being correct that in light winds the boat was lacking in upwind performance. We live in SW Florida and the Keys and mostly sail offshore typically in light winds only. We use the boat mostly for snorkeling and diving mostly in the keys, when it gets rough and windy visibility goes down to zero, and diving becomes increasingly difficult.

The first two times we took the boat out we went out offshore and couldn't get back in, we were blown out to sea both times, and couldn't get back in. On the Thursday we got the boat then again with me solo the next day. The wife said she wouldn't go out again until the problem was fixed. Since those first two outings I have never sailed a stock TI since then, kind of stuck I was forced to design and build what I needed to get the boat to perform to our expectations in this area so we could use the darn thing (ie... Jibs and spinnakers). I'm still using pretty much all the same rigging I made the first week I owned the boat and haven't had a lick of trouble since. It's pretty obvious I'm the only one that feels this way and everyone else is perfectly happy with the stock TI as it comes from the factory (glaringly obvious). It's no biggie for me I've been designing and building boats since I was 15, most of my life as a hobby, so It was not difficult to just design and build what I needed myself, Maybe not everyone has that ability though. In retrospect had I known the jib was never coming I would have never bought the boat in the forst place, I was snookered (lol). Personally I now think it's insanity ordering anything sight unseen, or expecting things that are promised but never come. Shoulda bought a different boat I guess.
FE

I had a similar set of experiences with my Triak-even though it comes with spinnaker. First time out I realized that the floats were not big enough to keep the boat upright in winds bigger than 10 kts (normal winds here are 15-20 in the summer). Boat was designed for paddling more than sailing...first "fix was to make the mainsail a pintop instead of square top; that helped pointing and reduced sail area to keep it from being too tippy. It wasn't until this past winter that I finally made bigger floats for the thing.

I think the bean counters get fixated on the "market" that they expect to be biggest when they release a boat (or options) and can't be bothered with niche sales. I shoulda known better...if someone says a boat is good for two things (paddling and sailing), you can bet that it won't do either as well as a boat designed to do just one thing well. Oh well, glad you made yours work and I'm happy I finally got mine to be fun.

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

Hmmm, I hear FE's tales of woe, but honestly don't believe that the presence or absence of a jib would have changed his situation when being blown out to sea on his first outings. I wonder if, after a lot of experience, he would have the same outcome these days. I know that my TI, even when reefed to under half the sail area, can still make ground to windward in over 20 knots. So maybe inexperience with the capabilities of a TI was a factor in FE's case.

I also hear what you say about a multi-capable boat not being very good in any of its disciplines, but I am not so sure when talking about Islands, as they are pretty good as stand-alone kayaks, pedal well, sail pretty well for a una rig (and now we have a downwind sail to play with as well), and they make a pretty good platform for socialising, expeditions and even scuba diving. Not all of us feel the need to add motors to enjoy our craft, although I entirely understand when people do.

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

The difference between very good and pretty good is subjective and depends on experience. I agree that the TI is a pretty good boat that does pretty good with pedaling and sailing...but a very good sailing boat like my Getaway is a world of different creature if you love sailing (of course the excellent sailing I got out of my Corsair 24 was even better). I enjoy my "pretty good" sailing/paddling Triak, but the Getaway is my "go to" when I want a sailing thrill. And it isn't only boatspeed that makes the difference between, pretty good, very good and excellent...it's the wetness of ride, plushness of accommodations, ease of handling...yadda yadda. Someone once wrote that you can have any two of three things in a sailboat, speed; comfort; and low cost. My Getaway has two (low cost and good speed); my triak only has one (low cost--although it is pretty comfortable for a kayak).

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R/Thom
SeaRail 19
Triak
BMW C600
Formerly Getaway with Custom Spinnakers
Formerly raced F24 Mk II

Tony:
You are probably correct, experience has a lot to do with everything. Now I'm more experienced I know for a fact that it's impossible to come in big pass in Sarasota bay against the 5-6 mph current with pretty much any offshore wind with a stock TI. If I had the experience then I would have never attempted it, thats all part of the experience thing, where you can sail and when, and knowing the real capabilities of your particular boat in various conditions.
Or you can just do like I did and add massive sail sets and big ole motors so I can handle pretty much anything the sea throws at me.
Now days I just blast in from offshore not even worrying about the tides and strong currents, wind direction or actual wind speed, it just doesn't matter.
This is why I kind of try to steer newbe stock TI owners out of trying to sail out of Key West, first off the area is not sailing friendly, and the strong currents, narrow channels, with many areas too shallow to sail. Worst part is getting blown away from the tiny island out to sea, no matter how good a sailer you are and how well you can peddle you can't get back. Also all the distances are huge down in the keys. I'm just sayin it's good to know your boats real (not imagined) capabilities, thats all.
FE