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PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2010 4:44 pm 
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hello all, since this is my first post i feel i should introduce myself. my name is bronson, i live in annapolis md and i have owned a tandem AI for 6 days now. i was out in the strongest wind in about 5 trips about 2 hours ago (monday afternoon), also i was by myself for the first trip so far. the wind was about 12-15 mph (i haven't learned the whole knots thing yet so please bare with me) and i had the boat really moving, in fact i was leaning so hard that i was a little scared to take out my phone and check my gps to see how fast i was registering since i was by myself and didn't want to take away my attention (plus it was a little wet with the speed and all the waves) but next time i will try to figure out how fast i was actually moving. so i'm healed over pretty far and the left ama was mostly buried in the water. after about what seemed like 10 mins straight in this direction i figured i should prolly turn around and go fast the other direction.

first problem... i immediately realized that the rudder wouldn't hold me steady going back with the wind going across from port to starboard. the rudder held me just fine going in completely the opposite direction but i kept trying to go back and the rudder would give out as soon as it would heal over any. i eventually tried to pull the down line all the way out and cleat it down but this barely worked for about 20 seconds more and as soon as it would heal more it just turned all the way back to the left and into the wind in the other direction and wouldn't hold that edge at all. is there a magic trick to it or what am i doing wrong. the rudder was fine in the other direction and fine for non healed over wind or paddling/peddling in that direction but whenever pressure would be put on the rudder it would try to come up. once i PEDDLED back to shore (i will get to that shortly) i checked out the rudder and whenever it was fully turned to the right (the steering controls) the rudder didn't take hardly any force to make it like it was doing the stow motion and would just come up... the only thing i can think of is that after cleating down the down rudder line after pulling it all the way out that there is some other steering technique to keep it turned all the way to the right??? any one else experienced this at all...? kinda annoying to think that it can only go fast in one direction...

second problem... i snapped the little nylon screw that holds the diagonal pivoting cross brace to the rear left aka while under some 10-12 mph wind and had to scramble to turn it into the wind, jump up to the front to furl up the sail then pull in the amas and peddle all the way back home like 1.5 miles in wind... :? should i go get metal screws and nuts from the hardware store to prevent this from happening again? i replaced it with one of the extras in the parts bag i was given by the nice hobie salesman but how long before they all start snapping?? not cool to have these break while trying to actually sail in some decent wind, cuz as soon as it broke the port rear aka came out of its deck mounted bar thing and the port ama tried to swim away,, it was kinda dangerous and scary and happened very quickly.

thanks for hearing me out and besides these 2 issues i just had the thing is amazing... a little wet when actually in wind but still really fun nonetheless. plus the wife really loves it and said it was a good purchase decision while giving it 2 thumbs up. you know that is the best part, right?? :D


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PostPosted: Mon May 31, 2010 8:22 pm 
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Location: Central Florida
Welcome, and congrats on your new AI.

First, don't go to metal bolts, the plastic is meant to break before the boat does.

It sounds like you were in a bit more than 12-15mph winds. You shouldn't be burying the ama. When it starts to bury, you should reef in the sail a little. Sometimes only a couple of inches will make all the difference. That will also take some stress off the rudder. Make sure you pull the rudder line down tight and then cleat it so it won't try to come up, which sounds like your rudder problem.

The Hobie AI can take a lot, but by adjusting the size of the sail by reefing, you will minimize the strain on it and yourself in higher winds. The AI seems to go about 1/2 the wind speed, and it sounds like you were moving.

Have Fun,

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:00 pm 
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Location: oki - jp
thank you for the sage knowledge. i will try reefing it a little,, which leads me to another question. if you are running solo and sitting in the rear how are you supposed to pull in the sail,, should you always turn into the wind and stop before pulling in the sail?? has anyone put a longer cord on the furler thing??

i will work on my sailing skills next in order to make it more efficient in the water, i hope i master that rudder thing in high winds because that was a real issue.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 3:10 pm 
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I tie a permanent loop in my sheetline and tie the reefing line to it with a few half hitches so it's never out of reach.
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Same advice, but are you talking about an AI or a TI (Tandem)?

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 5:44 pm 
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Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
I hike out on the tramps when sailing in heavy air 15-20 mph with full sail and counter the heel and so don't have any ama burying except for breaking through the swell and waves. I do have to hold the rudder control quite firmly at all times to maintain course. Not always comfortable but really fun. Some days I don't even have the seat with me as I won't be using it. ( Actually I rarely let go of the rudder except for changing sides of boat/tramp) I know the TI is bigger but the principle is the same.

I know we are supposed to ..... but I have never cleated down the down rudder line and have no problems with the rudder lifting. :twisted:

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 10:15 am 
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i am talking about the tandem... i will try in lesser winds to get out on one of the tramps to counter the heel but if i was by myself i would prolly be a little hesitant to get out on a tramp to counter the heel in about 12+mph of wind. thanks for the tip about tying the sheet line to the reefing line,, that is a pretty good idea and i will try it out.

is it easier to climb out on the tramps on the single AI cuz i can sit on my tramps with someone else steering but wouldn't be able to reach the rudder controls while on the right side tramp if alone. thanks all, :D


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:22 pm 
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Location: Central Florida
Hobie's has a bunch of extras coming for the TI, including a tiller extender to steer while out on the tramps, but I've heard nothing on their release to us yet.

When sailing by myself (not in a group) or in rougher waters, I attach a surfboard leash to my ankle (other end attached to the aka x-bar) so the boat can never get away from me.

When you have the sail reefed right for conditions, it will go even faster, than when the ama is submerged most of the time. But, I've yet to break 10mph in a TI yet, which I do often in an AI. Baby steps. :)

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:51 am 
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i definitely love the idea of tying a rope around some body part that is attached to the not so cheap kayak when by yourself. i am only 28 but used to be a little bit of an adrenaline junkie for all those x games sorts of sports but before this past sunday cruising by myself out in a some slightly rough waters 2+ miles from shore with this tandem heeled over like that it had been a while since i got my pulse up that high and got that nervous/ scared feeling in my gut... maybe this is just a new sensation to me and it will prolly soon pass too, but hopefully it sticks around for a little while longer. :D

it is supposed to be 10 mph of wind this afternoon so hopefully i can get back out there and try some of these new reefing, trimming, rudder tactics, and convenience techniques i have read in the last few days.

so is the 1AI faster than the 2AI??

p.s. i will try to see how fast my gps speedo on my phone registers,, what is the higher end of the 2AI's speed capabilities?? :D


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PostPosted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:09 am 
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The fastest I've gotten my TI with 2 on it has been 9.6-9.7mph. I'm hoping to get out solo today and do better if the wind will cooperate.

That fear feeling will hopefully keep you smart. Carry and use your safety equipment, and if possible, get out with others (safety and fun in numbers). Other than early on breaking some (a lot of) AI rudder pins and a few problems with aka brace misc failures, I've not had many close calls, but I hope it's because we're prepared for them so Murphy moves on to bother others.

Think of what's the worse that could happen, then come up with solution(s) and implement them, then start over with then next possible problems. Then, if possible, practice them, and sharpen your skills.

Enjoy! :)

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:47 am 
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well a huge lightning storm came and we had to pack it back up. we shall try again this afternoon perhaps.

for me the worst case scenario that is likely a possibility is the chance of falling off, so the tying a rope around your ankle part seems like the best possible fix for that. in my old kayak the greatest fear was dropping a paddle and being stuck dead in the water, but hopefully with the TI this shouldn't happen. Falling out is my next biggest fear but with my traditional kayak i never probably got over like 1.5 mph so i always assumed i could swim back to the kayak if i fell out. with this fast TI that may not be so possible.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:18 am 
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Quote:
Falling out is my next biggest fear but with my traditional kayak i never probably got over like 1.5 mph so i always assumed i could swim back to the kayak if i fell out. with this fast TI that may not be so possible.


Its not the speed of the yak that is the issue here, its the speed of its drift once you fall out. It doesn't take much for a boat drifting in a breeze to get out of reach in a hurry. I do a lot of kayak surfing, so I use a paddle leash to keep the boat with me when I get pitched. Some sort of leash or tether is a good idea. Being dragged along by your ankle might be an issue if the sails are full power! Also, my leash is to the bow of the kayak, so it always turns towards me.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:47 am 
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mmiller wrote:
Quote:
Falling out is my next biggest fear but with my traditional kayak i never probably got over like 1.5 mph so i always assumed i could swim back to the kayak if i fell out. with this fast TI that may not be so possible.


Its not the speed of the yak that is the issue here, its the speed of its drift once you fall out. It doesn't take much for a boat drifting in a breeze to get out of reach in a hurry. I do a lot of kayak surfing, so I use a paddle leash to keep the boat with me when I get pitched. Some sort of leash or tether is a good idea. Being dragged along by your ankle might be an issue if the sails are full power! Also, my leash is to the bow of the kayak, so it always turns towards me.


that certainly sounds like a most excellent idea. i think my next purchase will be a leash and i will prolly tie it to the front aka or something. i would definitely preferred to get pulled by my ankle in the water than to watch as the kayak sails off by itself... :D


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:35 am 
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thanks for the tips, i got a leash, tied the furling line to the sail line and it worked when by myself. i even trimmed the sail in some when under high winds and it worked great too.

my next thing is that once again this past weekend my rear left aka came out of the cross bar snap in thing 'again' and this time my wife and i almost capsized... i wasn't nearly as scared but now i don't think she wants to even go back out when it is windy... is there a fix to keeping these akas secured properly because this is like the 3rd time one of the akas has come out on its own while sailing...? I never take them out so they should be secured in place at all times but the port side front and rear akas keep wanting to come out at times. luckily we weren't far from shore and didn't capsize but had we actually capsized out in the bay i would probably have a hard time getting my wife to 'ever' come back out on the dang thing.

this is kind of a design flaw if you ask me and i too am a little leery now of taking it out into the deeper water for fear of this happening again. has anyone else experienced this or found a way to fix this? thanks,


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:21 am 
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rusty_sojah wrote:
my next thing is that once again this past weekend my rear left aka came out of the cross bar snap in thing 'again' and this time my wife and i almost capsized... i wasn't nearly as scared but now i don't think she wants to even go back out when it is windy... is there a fix to keeping these akas secured properly because this is like the 3rd time one of the akas has come out on its own while sailing...? I never take them out so they should be secured in place at all times but the port side front and rear akas keep wanting to come out at times. luckily we weren't far from shore and didn't capsize but had we actually capsized out in the bay i would probably have a hard time getting my wife to 'ever' come back out on the dang thing.

this is kind of a design flaw if you ask me and i too am a little leery now of taking it out into the deeper water for fear of this happening again. has anyone else experienced this or found a way to fix this? thanks,
See this post (starting part way down) for the discussion, and a couple of solutions, and about Hobie's fix coming soon: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=25900&p=108071&hilit=leash#p108071

I fixed my rear parts but still kept the leashes on... so far, so good. But, I haven't been in heavy wave action since.

Keep at it, these little things will shake out and you'll enjoy your boat even more.

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