The TI goes like a scalded cat

We took our TI further afield this past weekend - we went to Point Lookout, Maryland (the northern mouth of the Potomac River on the Chesapeake Bay) and to the Thomas Point lighthouse (marks the shoals off the mouth of the South River, just south of Annapolis, Maryland).

Here's the vid my wife made from the trip to Point Lookout on Saturday. We saw a Bald Eagle, blue crabs, cownose rays, lots of bait balls (little fish schooling into tight balls as bigger fish go after them), and had lots of good sailing. The winds were supposed to be only 10 knots or so, but they got a lot stronger as the day went on. We don't have any video of the roughest conditions because we were both holding on with both hands. Suffice to say, the TI went fast out in 3-5 foot seas and whitecaps - and even faster in protected waters with no waves.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BmWcgbhEv4[/youtube]

Here's the vid she made of our trip out to the Thomas Point lighthouse. We started up at the bridge in Edgewater, at the Pier 7 ramp, then went all the way out to the lighthouse and back. Conditions were flat with just a ghost of a breeze until we turned around at the lighthouse, when conditions quickly turned from calm to small craft warning in the space of about 30 minutes. Then we had great sailing with lots of high speed, lots of spray and bouncing around. The rear akas popped out on us for the first time this trip - a total of 12 times for the rear left aka and 5 times for the rear right aka. Each time was when we hit a large wake at high speed with the aka in question on the downwind side. No other issues beyond that. We saw a closeup of a cownose ray, numerous ospreys and other critters.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksAbi7153Do[/youtube]

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

Great report and vids.
The Aka disconnection issue is bit concerning. Isn't there a fix for that?

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I'd rather be sailing,
Mark.

Yes, there is a fix on the way to the dealers this week and we should see our fix kit by this weekend. In the meantime we have an order of Spectra kite cord on the way and it should arrive tomorrow. I also plan to do the hack to the internals that was earlier posted.

I should point out that we were aware of the problem from the outset due to this forum (thanks guys!) and caught it each time before the aka went out more than an inch or so. Clipping them back into proper position was simple - just luff the sail and use both hands to reseat it. Took about 5 seconds or so each time.

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

Nice videos and trip report. The tramps do seem to help the aka release problem from getting too crazy.

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

WOW! Cool trip- impressive speed!

Couldn't help but notice how much the tramps add to the experience and the overall sailing of the TI. With your wife hiking out and your weight in the rear, it seemed like the perfect combination. The bow and amas stayed dry and balanced under speed and your stern looked like it was always well out of the water.

I'm guessing she is much dryer and happier out there on the akas too.

Tell her she's a great photographer. I enjoyed the videos,

.. except when that brainless powerboater cut across your bow and left you that wake. Grrrrrrgh!

RT

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Dunno how fast we were going but we were passing some of the slower power boats out there. We discovered early on that the tramps can really help if the second person gets out on them. She was only marginally dryer when hiking out - make no mistake, the TI is a wet ride at the higher speeds! Most of the time the water wouldn't drain out of either seat, even with the plugs removed.

I'll let her know she has a fan!

As for the power boater, that one was polite. Though we had right of way, I was constantly giving way to other power boats that wouldn't yield - even when they obviously knew we were there.

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

Wet in more ways than one, huh?. I laughed along when I saw the little bidet you had going in the rear cockpit. (After you pulled the Mirage drive).

Mahalo for taking us along on the Tandem trip. It was fun and informative.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Yeah, the "bidet" was much bigger before she started trying to catch it on video. Truly - we're going to have to invest in some dry gear before the end of the summer.

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

Agreed. Great video whosyerbob!
Captures very well the TI sailing experience.
Where were your drivewell plugs?

We had the drivewell plugs with us on Saturday, but were getting "bidet" surges that were almost as big as when they weren't in place because we were moving so fast (the plugs have a really loose fit). So on Sunday we just left the drives in place for the entire day.

I'd like to rig up something that delivers a tight seal but don't know what to use besides tape. Any suggestions?

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

You could always used a block of closed cell foam and cut it too fit. Make it snug so that you are essentially wedging it into place. Should give you a great seal and kill off the bidet effect.

Yes, great videos!

The comments about "right of way" and sailboat vs powerboat raise some interesting questions. "Working" powerboats generally have the right of way. Powerboats in narrow channels, generally, have the right of way. Sailboats overtaking a powerboat DO NOT have the right of way. All of San Francisco Bay is considered a "channel" and powerboats have the right of way. I've heard that in Maine, powerboats have the right of way over kayakers. Logic like "powerboats can manuever out of the way, so sailboats have the right of way" may not have any standing in court. I'm NOT a lawyer, but this is my understanding of these things.

A sailboat which has a motor running is considered a "powerboat."

Now, the $64 question: is the Hobie AI/TI with its mirage drive considered a "powerboat?"

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 need to add seaplanes to the list. They are the bottom of the right of way food chain. That said, the laws of physics also apply. I get out of the way of a 1000 horsepower turboprop coming at me at 70 mph, even if i have right of way.

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Yellow TI

Not that IS interesting. One of my favorite sails is along the Honolulu airport's reef runway. We have only one amphibious tour plane on the island and she takes off from here a couple times a day.

I have yet to play chicken with her.

(Magnum-TI,.. good one!)

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

I like the idea of compressing foam in there, if you could somehow bungee or weight it to stay in position. That much water pressure is going to want to eject it.

You may even be able to (carefully) use expandable foam mixes to shape a perfect new plug. I think you can even color these to taste.

But a temporary fix might be to try some hatch gasket material jammed along the bottom edge of the well, or even glued to the well plug, in the right places. It's sold by the foot.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...