Maiden voyage of my TI

Here is a SECRET TIP! If you just get in your TI while the bow is still pointing to land, pick up a paddle, and paddle BACKWARDS. You will be totally amazed at how tamely your TI travels arrow straight backwards.

What I do (every launch, and I am on my own), is turn the rudder in the direction I want the back to go, and as it swings round (quite elegantly if I do say so LOL), I insert the Miragedrive, turn on the chart-plotter, and stow the paddle. Once the bow is close to pointing where I need to go to get out of the launch area, I start pedalling and/or unfurl the sail.

The secret is twofold, the hull exhibits terrific directional stability when going backwards, and you can usually lower the rudder more or less as soon as you get on board.

Try it and see if it makes life easier!

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

Hey, thanks, Tony!

If we were confident about what we were doing and not fumbling around, I can see how your method SHOULD work! From our launch, you have to navigate a quick Y-turn as there are large sailboats across from and to the right of the launch bay -- and a strong current runs away from the direction we need to head out, and right into a channel with a gauntlet of boats and a (literal) hard halt at the dock at the end. But once everything else in our setup gets to be second nature, I can see us making it work and saving a lot of time!

We were SUCH landlubbers getting into this whole thing. We took a sailing class last summer, and bought the TI as a crime of opportunity when it appeared on Craigslist mid-summer this year. Every time we go out we get more brave, solve another new problem, are less awkward about everything, and enjoy the experience more. And I'm losing weight and my knees are getting stronger from the exercise! What a great bonus!

There is a local beach where all the Hobie Cats beach their boats. We've paddled up to it a couple times already. I think we should head over there and practice backing away from the beach (we usually swing the boat right way out), plus jumping in over our heads and getting back in the boat (while we're still close enough to shore to swim in if we get in trouble for some reason). I've been meaning to do the latter anyway, as the ideal time to figure out how to get back on the boat in deep water for the first time is NOT when you're in the middle of an unexpected dump into the lake. I envy the kids at our club who are growing up sailing. We older dogs have to learn a few new tricks on our own. But it's a lot of fun!

~cfw

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........~ media1der ~........
............. Chris .............
2013 Hobie Tandem Island
--- Muskegon Yacht Club ---

I also just paddle the boat backwards out from the dock.

If you do something goofy.. very important - remember to NOT look up and around to see if anyone saw you do it!!!

The goofy thing only actually happend if you made eye contact with someone watching..

Hey, Walt, can I quote you on that?

(See what I did, there?)

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........~ media1der ~........
............. Chris .............
2013 Hobie Tandem Island
--- Muskegon Yacht Club ---