Hobie Cat Forums

With all the creativity of the group here, it would be interesting to see what features of the AI or TI you would keep or change if you had a blank slate.

Since I brought it up, I'll give it a go:

*fiberglass construction to be able to make hull repairs and possibly go a bit lighter.
*Deeper hull--especially in the bow to give more lift in bigger conditions.
*add a boom like the Raptor 16 for reaching and running without having to mickey mouse a barber hauler.
*use the new rudder system. Make a dedicated hiking stick option for sailing from the tramp.
*add an off the wind asym. spin.
*keep the folding iakos/amas as it seems key to quick launch times.
*Keep the roller furling for the same reason.
*Keep the mirage drive as it's the coolest thing on the boat and what make it different and better than some other interpretations like the Windrider series.

That's my take anyhow. I love how versatile both boats are. I think the price point is amazing for what you get. I love how many people take their boats on camping trips. I've gotten into taking my Hobie cats on camping trips, but the simplicity of peddling when the wind drops is mighty appealing.

Any other takers?

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Dan St. Gean
'82 H 18
'96 H Wave

I would skip the boom and

Add a furling jib.
Strengthen everything
More float capacity
More seating/sailing positions
A little more rocker w/ wave deflection
Built in compass
A tight drivewell plug
Hull Skid guards
Fewer drink holders

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"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."
- Ayn Rand

I would set up the akas/crossbars so that the amas swung slightly upward, instead of downward when they were folded, so that they would not drag in the water. The performance of the boat could then hopefully approach that of "Adventure Mode" when the wind dropped.

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A 240 volt outlet would be nice.

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Bulkheads to section off interior compartments and a larger bow hatch that can store a spare drive easily.
TI/AI mast and sails interchangeable for those that want more or less canvas.
TI/AI amas also interchangeable for those that are expanding and need more buoyancy.

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Needs more buoyancy in the bow. Other than that, Hobie's doing just fine with it.

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Island life in the Devil's Triangle:
http://2gringos.blogspot.com/

What do you do if you can not change the shape of your bow???

I have been playing with that idea on my TI:

1) I welded small strips of plastic at the bow. They were mainly there to control the spray coming off the nose. Added benefit is that they push the bow wave down and out adding some lift.

2) Once a bow completely submerges it has lost all of its reverse buoyancy. The water pressure on top act to push the bow down further. Second mod is a small hurricane bow in front of the hatch. The shape is pitched forward to throw the the water out to the side.

Both design changes depend on the boat having forward motion. If the boat starts to stall, turn up wind. That always pops the boat back up. Then turn right back and the boat takes off like a bat out of hell. During the EC, I noticed that the new rudder is very responsive for this move.

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Paul
DogsLife
2011 Adventure Island (Little Dog)
2010 Tandem Island (Big Dog: "We keep a leg up on the competition")
2001 Wilderness Systems Woodsman Kayak 14.5 (Blue Dog)

http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/

Pictures please, Paul.

Keith

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I sail: S FL, Key Largo, Everglades to Cape Romano, Ft Desoto, Cedar Key

"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

Forgot something: For those of us with some racing blood, I would like to see Hobie reduce the drag on the boat. My TI can be a pig in light wind. Each tenth of a knot adds up when you are running for hours and days...

1) Heavily loaded boat tends to drag the amas on both sides. I would change the akas to a more upward angle. That will heal the boat more but, for those with human ballast that is not as much of a issue.

2) the new rudder is larger and creates more drag in light air. A retractable rudder blade can be adjusted up for the condition. You start loosing steering back down a little and you are at optimum rudder. See SewSew trimaran in the EC pictures.

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Paul
DogsLife
2011 Adventure Island (Little Dog)
2010 Tandem Island (Big Dog: "We keep a leg up on the competition")
2001 Wilderness Systems Woodsman Kayak 14.5 (Blue Dog)

http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/

Great minds think alike, I started to paper mache a mould to vacuum form the bow of mine in a very similar way;


Deeper hull

Get rid of the dagger board, and have leeboards swivel of the front akas crossbars instead.

On top of changing the aka angle, i would also arch them over, create more clearance to reduce contact with the water when it begins to sub.

Furled jib + strengthen bow etc.

Rudder

Would love to try a wing sail

Would sink the rear well and turn it into a sealed storage or live well.

OK Keith,

This is my Bow Defletor with the Hurricane bow in the background:



Another view from the top:



And this picture you have seen before showing the whole view:

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Paul
DogsLife
2011 Adventure Island (Little Dog)
2010 Tandem Island (Big Dog: "We keep a leg up on the competition")
2001 Wilderness Systems Woodsman Kayak 14.5 (Blue Dog)

http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/

pretty much agree with what most have said here already...

lighter
less submarining
keeping the amas out of the water
stop the crossbar deflecting water straight into my face!
more reliable rudder

=perfect AI

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Another thing that I would like to see from Hobie is a bulkhead kit.

Pre-cut 3" foam bulkheads that can be installed aft of the mast and in the AFT hull section. I absolutely hate water in the hull. As a old Merchant Seaman, I am a believer in watertight bulkheads. Hey, it almost worked for the Titanic.

I have a forward bulkhead on my TI. All the gear in the bow stayed dry crashing through the waves during the EC...

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Paul
DogsLife
2011 Adventure Island (Little Dog)
2010 Tandem Island (Big Dog: "We keep a leg up on the competition")
2001 Wilderness Systems Woodsman Kayak 14.5 (Blue Dog)

http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the pictures, Paul.

How well does your bow wave deflector work? Does it reduce bow diving? Or, is it mainly a spray deflector?

I, too, hate water in the hull. I've been able to reduce the amount sufficiently, that I now put up with the 1-2 qts I take on in a typical day on a camping trip.

With your forward bulkhead you have demonstrated that, on your boat, the front hatch does not leak. The front hatch is well-designed and, unless, the seal is somehow compromised, it should not leak.

Keith

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I sail: S FL, Key Largo, Everglades to Cape Romano, Ft Desoto, Cedar Key

"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

Keith,

the tabs are not big enough to add a whole lot of lift. They are at the bow tip so it takes less force for positive results. The tabs are curved to push the water flow down. I am sure that the force could be calculated and it is dependent on the speed. It is hard to steer and closely watch what is happening at the bow. Some of my Youtube videos show the bow going through the waves. I am a fairly conservative sailor. I try not to overpower the boat. If it starts to dive too much, I reef. Diving might make great video but it does nothing for the boat speed.

It was because of the bulkhead that I found the problem that I had with my front hatch. For the longest time I could not figure out how the hatch was leaking until I found the two leaking bungee screw plugs. I think that the front hatch will leak if you burry the bow past the hatch. That is a lot of water pressure.

I keep a sponge under my center hatch. Most of my gear is stowed inside the hull. When I open the hatch to get another water bottle, etc. I check for any major water leaks. I also keep a hand pump inside the hull.

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Paul
DogsLife
2011 Adventure Island (Little Dog)
2010 Tandem Island (Big Dog: "We keep a leg up on the competition")
2001 Wilderness Systems Woodsman Kayak 14.5 (Blue Dog)

http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/