Distances.

I urge you to reconsider the proposed trip between Shetland and Fair Isle and thence to Orkney. I sailed an AI for two years in Buzzards Bay before trading up to a TI last year. I love the boats and admire their capabilities. This thread has advice from a number of very experienced AI and TI owners who have taken their boats much further off shore than I have, and they have demonstrated how well the Hobie products do at sea.

However, I have sailed the route you are considering in a 45 foot sloop with a crew of serious sailors. We sailed from Shetland to Fair Isle, spent the night and sailed from Fair Isle to Orkney. The weather was what passes for typical summer weather in the North Sea. On the way from Shetland to Fair Isle, we only had one reef in the main and most of the jib out. The next day, we made the run to Orkney. For that run, we had two reefs in the main and no jib at all. The wind was steady at 30 knots with gusts to 45. The sea state on the first day was relatively calm - three foot seas. On the second day, we had a following wind that had built up overnight so the sea had increased substantially - to five feet or more. The first day was mostly sunny. The second day was fog under a heavy overcast. The temperature was in the 50's. We were sailing in company with a number of local folks, who assured us that the conditions were really quite nice.

The harbor on Fair Isle offers some evidence of the risks involved. It is located at the end of an almost completely land locked channel; yet, even so, the islanders pull their 50 foot motor launch up a ramp completely out of the water when the weather is bad.

The other thing that you have to deal with in that part of the world are very strong tidal currents. This is particularly true of the Orkneys, where there are currents between the islands that run 5 and 6 knots, and one infamous current that runs at 12 knots! This means that all sail or pedal trips have to be with the tide.

While an AI or TI would be relatively safe close to the islands, neither of them would be safe for the crossings that you have mentioned.

P Burling

As we all do. As is this nutjob:
http://miami2montreal.wordpress.com/

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

^^ I think if I sat in a wet AI seat for that long ny dinghy would fall off

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Alan W.

Papaya AI2 to replace my well worn V1
TheTwins - His/Hers 2007 Papaya Hobie Adventure Island's (v1.00.01)
.. and a Hobie Outback SUV

Common sense got the better of us. If we ever do that trip, it'll be with a big boat and not with the TI.

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

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