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love the versatility
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Author:  rusty_sojah [ Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:20 am ]
Post subject:  love the versatility

the last few times i've taken out my TI i've used it as a makeshift picnic/snorkel launching point from the reef drop off area near my house, oh yeah and once to go join a bunch of SUP surfers and a few real surfers. the waves were only about 3-4' that day but other than one close call when i dude wiped out and jumped straight towards my port AMA it was a blast.

going to take out a few friends and go snorkeling again tomorrow.

i have a second 2 seater kayak that i tie a rope to and we just sorta picnic and snorkel for a few hours with 4-6 people.

i kinda feel bad cuz in annapolis we would always sail and be all sporty like, but recently its been more of a relaxing surfing/swimming/snorkeling recreational pontoon vessel here in okinawa.

i hope to remember my camera phone and bottle opener tomorrow and will put up some pics afterwards.

Author:  fusioneng [ Tue Jul 30, 2013 5:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: love the versatility

rusty_sojah :
That's what we use our TI for mostly (scuba diving, snorkeling, and spearfishing/lobstering). We call it the party barge, we at times take 4-5 people out in groups (mostly down in the Florida keys). We have a 4 person inflatable boat with 650 lbs capacity that we typically tow behind the TI out to the dive sites usually hauling all the tanks, gear coolers, beer, etc, and often are towing additional kayaks out with us. We have a regular boat ladder rigged to the TI hooked between the rear handle and the outside of the rear AKA, this makes climbing back into the boat with scuba tanks on easier. The TI is kind of the mother ship.
Actually the inflatable boat rolls up when not being used into a roll smaller than a sleeping bag and we can throw it into the front hatch when not using it. It only takes a minute or two to inflate using an air nozzle attached to a scuba tank.
For a while I was using an old sail as a Bimini to get us out of the sun, I would like to make a better one from some type of mesh fabric (so the wind passes thru it) using fiberglass tent poles.
What's great about the TI is you can do all that, then the next day just go kayaking (without the sails and AMAs) all on the same boat. We used to own a bunch of different Hobie kayaks, and a big Sea Ray powerboat, we ended up selling all the rest and only use the TI anymore, for pretty much anything water related.
I'm also looking at inflatable paddleboards, they look like they would be fun, and can roll up very small.

good luck
Bob

Author:  Tom Kirkman [ Tue Jul 30, 2013 6:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: love the versatility

It's funny - most of the folks I know who sail never took my AI or TI seriously. Just a plastic toy kayak with a crude sail stuck on it.

When I bought the TriFoiler and more recently the Weta, I became one of them. Suddenly they saw me as an equal with "real" sailboats like theirs.

But the thing is, I still consider my Islands the most capable sailboats I own. When the wind is too slight for any of them, including the cats, to put out, I'm on the water in an Island going places. When the wind is too high for the mono-hulls with center or dagger boards to go out, I'm on the water in an Island eating it up. When the wind is in the mid range and they do go out, My TI is out there passing them, with the exception of the cats. When somebody capsizes and turtles, I take the Island around to the mast end and help get the mast up out of the water. When one of them busts something and can't get back in, I use the Island to tow them back to the dock.

And yet, it's just a plastic toy kayak with a crude sail stuck on it.

Author:  aussieonyak [ Tue Jul 30, 2013 10:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: love the versatility

yep sometimes I just marvel at how smart the Hobie people really are.... they hit a lot of recreational points with the island series :D

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