Hobie Cat Forums

I'm thinking about buying a tandom AI, can you sail it single handed or do you need to have two people aboard to sail it.

It's easy to sail single-handed from the front or rear seat. Where you may need more people is with it on land, unless you trailer it.

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

I have a TI and I love to sail it by myself. I have a family (wife and daughter), I do most of the setup/sail and pack up (hope they don't read this).

I car top and I don't have any problems, I have got quite quick at setup & pull down it usually takes about 10-15 min. It all depends on how I feel; not hard to do!

I love to sail in the pack seat or just hang out on the tramps and sail

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Paul, Rebecca & Stephanie

The TI is much more of a sailing boat than the AI. I started with the AI but swapped to a TI after a couple of weeks. Most important for me was the loading capacity for my dog, tent, camping gear, and my heavy body. I sail single handed from the back seat. I have to lean forward to manoeuvre the centre board (on starboard) and I will install a cheek block on the front crossbar and a cleat on the back crossbar for controlling the furling.

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Bo Karlberg
Taby
Sweden
Sail Tandem Island No P1787 in the Stockholm Archipelago (some 40,000 islands and rocks)

I have read from some that it is challenging to operate the furling cleat from the back seat while sailing solo. Do most have this setup that Bo mentions when sailing from the back seat? I have also heard about a "wedge" under the cleat to make it easier? Is it a big deal to sail it in the original setup? My new TI should hopefully arrive in a few weeks I and I plan to make good use of it for a vacation. Just want to know whether I should buy these parts now to make that trip more enjoyable. Thx in advance!

I had the same thought. I was thinking of adding the mod (the cleats) but after speaking to my dealer - who suggested that I take it out and sail forward seat and back seat. I did; I found that the forward seat was more comfortable than the rear. I have never turned back.

With the family, My wife 'sails' while I look after the sail in the farward seat

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Paul, Rebecca & Stephanie

Thanks Paul. I will definitely try both the front and back seat when sailing solo. Any of you backseat sailors out there have any feedback on the stock setup of the cleats or any general comments on which seat you prefer to handle the sail from (and why)??

Walt

I always sail my TI from the back seat. I like to constantly monitor the wind in the sail and I would get a stiff neck if I sat up front. When I have a passenger and they take over they have a hard time seeing the tell tales especially when wearing a hat.

I put the wedge under my furling block and it made it hard to release the line so I modified the wedge to decrease the angle. It works now but I;ll probably add the extra blocks before we really get into the season up here in the cold waters of northern Florida.

My suggestion is forget the wedge and go right to the extra blocks.

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Jerry D.
St. Johns, Florida
2010 TI
2008 AI

And I prefer sailing my TI from the front seat. As long as we're all out sailing, all is good.

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

One of the reasons I sail from the back seat is that my springer spaniel sails in the front seat and I like to keep an eye on him. He can also move out onto the tramps (which I eventually got delivered) from the front seat.
Jerry's cold waters of northern Florida sounds lovely; here there is still ice on the waters.

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Bo Karlberg
Taby
Sweden
Sail Tandem Island No P1787 in the Stockholm Archipelago (some 40,000 islands and rocks)

Bo, I am sure that sailing where you live is fantastic and the scenery equally so (once that ice melts)! Besides you will have extra hours of sailing with those long Nordic summer days while most of us further south will have docked our AI's or TI's. Would love to see pics and/or video once you are able to get out on the water!

Walt

I use a block on the left side of the forward crossbar and a harken cleat on the left side of rear crossbar . You have to get a longer furling line but it only has to be a bit longer than the one that came with the boat. You want about a foot to be hanging in the cleat when you are at full sail. That keeps it out of the drive etc. The wedge thing did not work too well for me cause the holes are vertical and for the wedge to really work well they would have to be at an angle. Also consider the better harken fairlead for the mainsheet on the back bar as the little one with the boat has too sharp an angle to release well under high loading.

I solo from the front seat 'cause it's easier to manage & control the lines and the center board, and it's easier to get out onto the tramps... one of my favorite places to sit or lay, especially in high winds. By the way, I ALWAYS have a SPOT locator beacon on my life jacket while alone, and I think it's a good idea to be leashed in like reconlon suggests in other posts.

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RC
Houston, TX.
2010 Golden Papaya TI, "Trifurcatus"

Talking about long days and short nights my base just north of Stockholm is
at Lat N 59° 50′ 51″ Lon E 18° 58′ 52″. No we have no polar bears.

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Bo Karlberg
Taby
Sweden
Sail Tandem Island No P1787 in the Stockholm Archipelago (some 40,000 islands and rocks)