TI project. Minnkota riptide and hummingbird 999si

Have purchased a 2015 TI and it rapidly sucked me in. After a few Ocean missions off of West Palm Beach Florida it became apparent that a little electric power is useful to Navigate the inlet. The Minnkota Riptide was selected over the evolve for two reasons. First it does not takeover one of the mirage drive spots. Second the Minkota can lock onto GPS signals and anchor the boat with a push of a button. The Hummingbird 999 was added because it can talk to the Minnkota and Navigate to Pre programmed dive sites. The boat has gone out for sea trials where it became apparently the weight and balance was off. Fortunately a bilge pump kept up with the water intake. Using the center wheel mount spot as the CG I figured the arm and moment of the loads. Well 8000 foot inches to the rear is too much! Moving the battery and coolers around to achieve balanced boat. Will post pics when I can figure out how! I can't thank the other members of this forum enough for the great information I have found to help guide me through this project.

I'm confused - do you have a Tandem Island? You are calling it a T2 (which is a catamaran we make) But I think this post should be in the Island forum - you have Mirage Drives? This post isn't getting any attention because I think you've called the boat by the wrong name and posted it in the incorrect forum.

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Jacques Bernier
http://www.hobie.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HobieCatCompany

You are correct! I was thinking the T2 was the tandem island

Fixed the title and moved the topic - we'll see if you can get more help in this forum section - it's a TI (short for Tandem Island) - not a T2

Thanks.

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Jacques Bernier
http://www.hobie.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HobieCatCompany

I've described how to post pictures on this page: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276&p=237495#p237495
Scroll down to "How to Include Pictures in Your Hobie Forum Post--Step by Step Instructions"

Good luck!

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

Just a little confused about this. I've had 600+ lbs loaded into my TI and never had an issue with weight/balance, especially to the point of taking on water. How much weight are you loading? Also, water coming in over the gunnels should not be an issue and require a bilge pump. The water should just run right back out the mirage drive well and the seat drains. Heck, I've filled the cockpit with water on more than one occasion from waves and it just runs right back out. Would you be able to explain this a little better?

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

The boat had a total load of 720lbs, 120 over. 100 pounds was in the cargo area behind the rear seat and 60 pounds was out over (just in front of and to the side) of the rudder. The nose was empty! Passenger in front seat passenger on trampoline. 50 pounds of snorkel stuff scattered here and there. It was and experimental mission testing the electric anchor in the currents and performance of a loaded boat. The boat did fine all day sailing in intercostal chop with gusting 25 MPH winds. The trouble came when we rounded an island and hit a washboard of seas. They were violent enough to blow an AMA off! Water came on board as the seas washed over the tail and essentially the boat was under water from the tail to the back of the front seat. Both rear hatches were underwater by a few inches - constantly. Probably took on 100 to 200lbs of water, the auto bilge does not turn on until there is water in the boat. Despite all this the boat did fine, made it back to the ramp.

The boat is carrying 125 pounds of extra gear for the motor battery and sonar. (this is included in the total load of 720lbs

The weak points noted on this mission were
1. Failure to asses balance envelope. Not sure what the envelope is, but I will be figuring that out. Adding a bubble level to the gunnel for a quick reference of balance in addition to a work paper to calculate the moment. only thing I know is 8000 inch pounds to the rear is way too much. Just a few simple mods will put the boat into a -1500 to +1500 inch pounds of torque to the front or rear.
2. Manual bilge switch is being installed to turn on as the boat encounter seas. this will keep water down to a minimum. I have put few more holes (a dozen or so) on top of the boat and they were not sealed. They are being sealed now
3. Moving loads out to the AMA's to keep the main hull under 600lbs
4. The AMA's and AKA's are a week point. Only one little pin holds the whole assembly and the quick connect points will disconnect when hit with a wake of a 75 foot boat doing 30mph (I know I have seen them do it!) My fix for this is some simple use of ropes. I have a pair of pop up cleats in the nose and I'm running a rope from the AMA to the nose. This rope will take a lot of shock off the AMA's AKA's and the pin. It will keep the AMA out if the pin shears.

Wow! I think your gonna need a bigger boat. [WINKING FACE]

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

If hobie made a triple islander I would get it!

720#--that boat was very overloaded, maybe dangerously--I guess you established that fact. My WaterTribe friend, DancesWithWaves, just today wrote regarding the handling of a Tandem. He wrote, "If overloaded, it wallows like a pig in a cast iron bathtub."

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

You are correct! Part of the sea trials is to put the boat in challenging conditions and expose weakness. Also learned a lesson to give passengers a weight limit on what they can take out with them. I have learned from flying not to ask passengers their weight, you will never get the right answer! Estimating will produce a more accurate result.

I am going to rerun tests after I have a balance envelope closer to 0 and seal up the deck a little tighter. However, 600 pounds on the main hull is a good limit.

On the subject of weight carrying, what experience have others had with using the AMA's to carry 75 pounds each (like a complete dive set)? And having 600 pounds in the main hull.

Anybody replace their AMA's with the hulls of another kayak? (the revolution an AI or a TI main hull)? - can you imagine 6 people peddling!

Anybody cut one of these things in half and stretch it?

Wow! With the "mods" you are talking about, you need a totally different boat! Its hard for me to understand why you even bought a tandem. Maybe a troll? In any case, I'm out of here....

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

The TI is the ultimate boat, and these mods being discussed are just brain storming. The difficulty is my selection of electric power over gas. The electric just fit so well with the boat, however its so darn heavy compared to a gas engine. One mission I'm trying to do is go out in the big pond with two divers and equipment.

Here is the weight limits I'm facing

Useful load 600
Motor & stuff 125

Adjusted Payload 475
2 sets Scuba 175

Passenger Load 300

Figuring out how to put another 100 lbs on the boat would increase passengers and carry on to 400 which is very doable. I have seen where some are towing a dingy, and that may at the end of the day be the best answer.

You should get in touch with a user named fusioneng.
1) He's big into different propulsion methods for his highly modified TI.
2) He does diving off of his TI out in the keys.

I think he might have some better insight for you than we do.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

Thanks sent him a PM. The electric motor on this boat has been just wonderful. Pulling up to a snorkel spot, hitting the anchor hold and jumping in is paradise! The boat held for over an hour in the wind and currents. Great to get on board set everything up and depart the anchor site by pushing a button.