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PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 1:23 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:21 pm
Posts: 20
Location: Beach Haven, NJ
Hi all - I recently purchased a TI and have been enjoying the experience ever since. One thing I haven't quite figured out is an easy/optimal/streamlined storage solution in my garage for when I want to disassemble and protect the boat and accessories when not in use. I'm currently using padded sawhorses and those work reasonably well for the hull, but all the accessories and removable elements seem to spread all over the garage. Anyone have pics or recommendations on how you've solved for this? How have you addressed the size taken up by the TI? What's the best way to hang/store your Mirage drives? How do you save your backs from awkward (and sometimes solo) lifting scenarios? I'd love to see some pics and would be greatful for your advice and creativity!


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:51 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 6:27 am
Posts: 58
Location: Wantirna South VIC Australia
Hi Rich,

This may give you some ideas.

You can see in the photo below how I store my TI. The build up of my complete storage & loading solution is in the following thread.
The video shows it in action.
http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=48233

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJgO0_V74NQ&feature=share&list=PL5B830EBAB3DAB176[/youtube]

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Regards,
Ian

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 8:01 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3057
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
richsteeves1:
I stored my TI in my garage for years all disassembled, then each time I wanted to take it out I would gather all the stuff, and load it into our SUV, and put the boat on the roof. This takes quite a bit of time and is kind of a pain. I ended up buying a harbor Freight trailer ($140 bucks), and spent a weekend modifying it to fit my TI. Here is a thread where someone asked me about it, so I showed some pics and explained what I did (not rocket science, my only tools were a hack saw and a cordless drill. I got all the components at Lowes, and the trailer at Harbor Freight total investment was around $250-$300 bucks (including the trailer).
Go to page 3 for the trailer info:
(viewtopic.php?f=71&t=47550&start=30)
I store the boat fully rigged (with seats, sails, motor, anchor, and all) on the trailer in my garage next to my car, I only need to back the trailer out hook it to the car and I'm off. Launching now just takes 1/10 the time it used to. When I come home I pull into the garage unhook the trailer and roll it into the garage next to the car, it takes about a minute. Actually the takes up no more space than the boat alone took up (couldn't use that space for anything else anyway because the TI is so large). I store my shop vac right next to the boat, so it's pretty easy to open the front hatch and vacuum the water out if I had a heavy sailing day, I usually leave the hatch off when stored in the garage so it can dry inside (FLORIDA= mold and mildew on anything wet or damp)
You can put a small hitch on pretty much any car, as you can see I have one on my Pontiac Solstice, that I use to take it back and for the to the water (we live right near the ocean in Florida). Heck I can even tow the darn thing to the beach with my bike or my scooter if I have to. Plus the trailer breaks down easily and can be hung on the garage wall.
I store the mirage drives in the boat (sitting on the seats), but put them in the car for transport.
I don't ever want to go back to my old way of doing it, yes it all worked, and I never had any problems (besides the rusted out roof on my new Yukon Denali from the salt water, that had to be replaced). The trailer properly supports the hull, so I don't have to worry about the hull deforming ( I used to have flat spots on the side from storing the hull on it's side).
Hope this helps
Bob


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 12:21 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:21 pm
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Location: Beach Haven, NJ
Wow! Ian and Bob - you've gone the extra mile! Ian, is your platform supported by a harken setup and modified with the winch or did you build from scratch? Your car topping crane is amazing... And Bob you've got a killer and savings minded DIY approach.

Have either of you had issues with hull deformation from storing flat on the trailers/dollys like that? I've seen other threads where folks warn about storing for long periods of time like that and see the general recommendation to store upside down with the kayak resting on the strength of the gunnels. Would modifying a couple TI cradle sets help?

What about the mirage drives? I swear I can't find a way to hang or store them in a spot I like in the garage... Between that, the PFDs, dry bags and all the extra gear, I'm wondering about a modular wall setup.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:04 am 
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Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 6:27 am
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Location: Wantirna South VIC Australia
Thanks Rich,
The my setup was built from scratch. I blended ideas from a range of people who kindly shared their ideas on the net.
As far as flattening - I'll have to wait and see - I've only had mine for a bit over a month. I hope that because the hull has a lot of its length supported that I won't have any problems.

The best storage solution I've seen on this forum - or any where else - is from KayakingBob.
Take a look at this thread: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=9657#p49808

Ian

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:41 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:21 pm
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Location: Beach Haven, NJ
Thanks, again! KayakingBob has the kind of setup I had imagined (...albeit with a few more vessels!). I really like the simplicity of the dowels for the drives - makes sense. The aka storage bag hanger is also exactly what I'd want. Not sure I have the same length of wall to work with, but I can likely work vertically. Do folks typically manufacture their own cradle for the hull/s? The size and weight would seem to challenge most of the solutions I see online.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:34 am 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
I leave one Miragedrive lying on the floor of the front cockpit, while the other one hangs off an occy strap through the triangle. TI sits on the trailer ready to go (amas and akas installed)

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2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 4:42 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
Rich:
When we go down to our key west house, we leave the trailer at home ( no place to store it there). So we car top our TI and it is on the roof for sometimes 3-4 weeks at a time in the hot key west sun. Unless I put extra pool noodles under the hull to help support I get dents in the bottom from the roof rack bars.
I re-enforced the inside of the hull by jamming 1/4 inch alum rod into the middle of the flotation foam, which seems to help quite a bit. I also added additional foam on the topside of the flotation foam so it touches the underside of the top deck now, this also helped.

When on the trailer on those parallel PVC pipes I don't have any deformation problems and feel this to be the best long term storage method.

We definitely created flat spots one the sides of all three of our kayaks when we stored them on their sides ( oasis, revolution, and TI ) so that method is not highly recommended ( from my own experience). We never attempted to store any of our boats upside down, I would think it to be a pain especially with the TI.
Bob


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 Post subject: Tandem cradles...
PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 7:37 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:07 pm
Posts: 405
Location: CLEARWATER, MN
I bought tandem cradles along with my tandem. I installed them on my light weight trailer by adding an additional cross bar that the forward cradle is bolted to. The cradles were installed 63" apart as recommended by Hobie...so the hull ends do stick out quite a ways...which is why I also installed a couple of adjustable rollers for the bow and stern to gently rest on. I don't think that any other hull system would support the hulls as well as the cradles. If I were to build a hoist system...I would include the cradles.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 12:11 pm 
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:21 pm
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Location: Beach Haven, NJ
Thanks, TIDALWAVE - I'm thinking about the cradle option, as well. For anyone that keeps their TI trailered with the Hobie cradles, have you had any issues with deformation after long periods of storage? Anyone have a storage setup for the garage using the cradles? As fusioneng indicates, it's a real pain flipping the TI - especially singlehanded. I'd much prefer to store upright.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 12:24 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
My TI lives on the trailer on the cradles plus rollers front and back, approximately half way between cradle and end of hull. No signs of distortion.

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


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:40 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
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Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
richsteeves1 :
I am assuming you have not checked the price on the cradles, they are $227 dollars, vs $5 dollars for the PVC tubing (which in my opinion works much better). Yes they are very pretty but I simply don't have that kind of money (it's just a cradle, that's more than you would pay for a great GPS, or an FM offshore radio, or a fancy rod holder system (just trying to put things in perspective here)). Plus even if you mount them on the Hobie recommended 63 inch centers you still have 7 1/2 feet sticking out both the front and back of the boat totally unsupported, my opinion is (from my own experiences) that overhang will get you in trouble especially in a place like Florida (where I live) and the hot weather all year round. The hull will collapse and fold if unsupported, I've seen pictures that people have posted on this forum of their folded kayaks.
When I am storing my boat in the garage, to save space I bungy the AMA's on top of the boat (takes up much less space that way), so you wouldn't even be using the outer part of the cradles when storing.

If your dead set on having some sort of contoured cradle to fit the shape of your boat (instead of the PVC tubing), you can go to any pool store and get pool water tubes or get them from amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ZWBZVM/ref ... B004ZWBZVM )
Just get your trailer ( or rack, or a sheet of plywood) all ready so you have at least 3 support points well spread apart. Fill the water tubes with that canned insulating foam (Home Depot), then set the boat on the tubes while the foam is wet. Once the urethane foam sets up It will fit the contour of your hull perfectly, and will be fairly rigid and strong (those tubes are very thick vinyl), you can sink screws thru it or just glue it down to the board (or rack). Shouldn't take more than an hour of your time and won't cost more than $50 dollars or so, and will last much longer than your boat.
If you don't like the PVC plastic, you can use cloth tubes, those Blue Hobie cloth kayak sail bags work perfectly (the bag that the Hobie Kayak sail comes in when you buy it), we always have 4 or 5 of those things just sitting around the garage, just lay it down fill it with urethane foam, and sit the boat on top of it, once the urethane sets up 'Walla' you got a TI rack.

I don't like to be critical of things, but for the price you have to pay for those cradles you can almost buy a Mirage drive, and look how many precision parts are on that mirage drive and the complexity, let alone the dozen or so injection molds required to produce it, including the massive R&D to develop it. Then you look at the cradle, about $10 worth of ABS plastic, thermoformed (takes about a minute, in a very inexpensive mold), It was probably designed in an afternoon, no assembly of anything, except maybe glue on a couple die cut pads again not rocket science or expensive ( a steel rule die costs about $500 bucks, vs $75,000 for any of the mirage component injection molds) and it's done and ready to ship. I'm in manufacturing and know the real costs of all this stuff, and just refuse to be gouged like that, it's an insult to my intelligence. If it was a one of a kind custom thing, that would be a totally different story, but I'm sure they sell thousands of the things (probably more).
I hate to go on and on (too late), but you can buy a brand new molded front Facia for a Camaro (basically the whole front of the car) for under $225 bucks, I've built hundreds of these type molds, and as manufacturers we would get about $60 dollars for molding them (most car models), and they are 3-5 times larger and way more complex.
OK I'll get off my soapbox now
Bob


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 3:34 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:58 am
Posts: 70
Location: KY Lake
[quote="The best storage solution I've seen on this forum - or any where else - is from KayakingBob.
Take a look at this thread: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=9657#p49808
Ian[/quote]

Kayaking Bob ROCKS!

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 5:01 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
Thanks Guys!

I've been following this post, put had not answered as he specifically asked about storage IN his garage. My setup in now about 6 years old and going strong. I now use the Hobie double-double TI wide trailer. I can single handedly load and unload myself any combinations of my TI and/or up to three AI's. I only have to lift one end at a time, and usually slide them on and mostly assemble the boats on the trailer unless I'm carrying three at a time.

These guys have quite the setup for in the garage so I'm not sure what else I can add.

This older post has more pictures of my setup on the side of my garage, if that helps anyone: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=73&t=18432&p=90391&

If you are willing to get, use and store on a trailer, that has been the quickest and easiest way with these boats. My trailer is kept empty most of the time unless I'm going out multiple days in a row, as I usually don't know what mix of islands I will use next. If everything you carry and use has a place, it will be hard to forget them, and scrambling and checking for all needed items can be kept to a minimum.

We've come all long way since that 2009 post, Great work guys!

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 18, 2013 7:24 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:21 pm
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Location: Beach Haven, NJ
Amazing wealth of knowledge, everyone! I love the pool noodle/foam mod - definitely going to give that a try. And agree, Bob has a dream setup - I'll try to replicate a garage interior version and keep folks posted as I go.


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