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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:30 am 
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Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:16 am
Posts: 1
Hello. First post. I just purchased a TI with trailer. I have not picked it up yet. I'm a newbie to kayaking/sailing, but very excited.

It will be myself, my wife, and perhaps once i get comfortable, my little girl. I wanted to know what other items I should look to getting for the kayak, to maximize saftey while on the water. Thanks in advance.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 5:30 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
Here's some from my list:

A PFD for each person, REQUIRED
a whistle on each PFD, REQUIRED
paddle leash,
a VHF Marine radio,
water to drink,
a hand sump pump,
a bow line,
a throw-rope,
a knife,
spare parts (rudder pins, aka shear bolts, some extra spectra line, wire-ties, etc.),
SS tools to tighten everything and install all spare parts,

If going solo off shore, or in rough conditions, a surfboard leash for each person.

If you are going way off shore, an EPIRB.

Here's a couple of old post of my AI toolkit contents: http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=10418&highlight= (I really should update for the TI)
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=8424&highlight=

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 7:54 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 2:31 pm
Posts: 3068
Location: Kailua 96734
A first aid kit.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:51 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 5:17 pm
Posts: 679
Location: Auckland NZ
Don't know if the TI works the same way as the AI but if it does I recommend that you tie the bow of each ama to the bow of the boat before going off shore.

Then if, for any reason, an ama support strut should break/come loose (e.g. the shear pin snaps because you hit something) as long as you maintain forward motion the amas will not fold in to the hull.

You will be unlikely to capsize and you should still be able to get safely back to shore.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:16 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
Better yet, use a Sprayskirt! :)
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:46 am 
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Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:49 am
Posts: 403
Location: Point Lookout, Maryland
My safety list isn't too far off of what "reconlon" already posted:

- We both wear top shelf ($$$) inflatable offshore PFDs and put them on before we push away from our put-in point. Why offshore PFDs? Because they have a harness with rings so you can be hooked up and lifted out if need be; also they tend to be heavy duty, yet very wearable - and if they aren't wearable, they won't be put on. We also have some standard life vests, but found they were so uncomfortable that neither of us would wear them. See a trend? They *must* be WORN - not stashed behind the seat or in one of the hatches - WORN. We both check for the green sign that indicates the CO2 cartridge is ready for use each time we go out. I can't emphasize this enough - PFDs must be worn at all times by every person on the TI; the TI is soo light and soo fast that if you fall overboard, it's already out of grabbing range before you can break the surface of the water and attempt to climb back on.

- To supplement the PFDs that we wear, we also take several Stearns floating boat cushions - one behind each seat and two more in the bow hatch. Why? My wife can't swim; she absolutely loves the water, but can't do anything more than dog paddle for a few minutes - so we bring along redundant flotation devices in the event she goes in the water.

- We put a rescue whistle, signal mirror and small compass - all strung on a lanyard with a small float and attached to the PFD - in the PFD pocket for each of us. We also included a sharp rescue knife for each of us until I gashed my hand open by accident; now we leave the knives out of the picture. I check to make sure the items are there each trip.

- Each paddle - we carry one as the main paddle and one in the bow hatch as a spare - gets a paddle leash and is *always* attached to the yak. The main paddle is a straight-ish blade model that can be used for steering in the event that the rudder fails, while the backup paddle is the curved model from Hobie that came with the yak. I really like the Hobie paddle for paddling, but not for steering as the curved surface is difficult to compensate for when moving at high speed and the blade *really* flexes when under load; the straighter blade paddle we picked up as a replacement is much beefier, the blade is reinforced at the tip better and mounted more solidly on the metal handle. I check to make sure the leashes aren't becoming worn before going out.

- We always take both Mirage Drives with us, even though we generally just use one.

- We carry a waterproof marine VHF/weather radio that I keep in one of our dry bags, along with spare lithium batteries. The weather function is self-explanatory, but the VHF portion is for calling the Coast Guard or local Marine Police in the event we sink - they constantly monitor Channel 16. I check the batteries in the radio each time before going out.

- We carry a spare Garmin GPS in the dry bag as well; we found that the newer color units don't read clearly out on the water with all the glare, so we dug out one of the older monochrome versions we had in a drawer. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the newer ones, but it works well, has great battery life and will see back to shore in the event of an emergency.

- We carry an emergency medical kit in the dry bag; nothing big, just enough to see us through if we get cut or something similar that's minor.

- Each of us carries a cell phone in a waterproof case for emergency communication, weather radar and GPS navigation. We happen to favor the iPhone, but any cell phone would be good in an emergency. Take backup power if need be. Only the GPS function works if we get far enough out of cell range, that's why we also take the VHF radio.

- We take two lengths of braided nylon line - one is attached to the bow at all times and tucked under the bow hatch bungie cords and the other is kept in the bow hatch. The one attached to the bow can be used for towing and both can be strung together for use with the small anchor that we always take with us (also stored in the bow hatch).

- We carry a heavy duty umbrella in the forward hatch as a backup to the main sail. Don't laugh, the umbrella works very well as a small sail and can drive the TI faster than you can pedal when the conditions are right.

- Water - as much as you need for each person. We use a bunch of .75 liter water bottles on each trip. We also bring food on longer trips and never leave shore without a stock of sunscreen.

- We keep a hand-operated bilge pump behind the rear seat. We always get a lot of water coming in on each trip, but not enough to ever use the pump while we've been under way. Came close a couple weeks ago when I opened one of the round hatches and a bunch of water poured down it, but ended up having to wait until we returned to the dock to actually use it.

- Spare parts and tools, though these can generally be used only when the TI is beached.

We haven't yet purchased an EPIRB, but it's next on our list.

I wouldn't say we go far offshore, but we are frequently out of eyesight of land and go anywhere from 15 to 30 miles in a day, so we take our safety gear very seriously.

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