Hobie Cat Forums

My AI has done a lot of bow diving. I don't try to avoid it like reducing sail or changing direction to the waves. My AI does the most diving when I am fully loaded running before the wind. Under these conditions, my boat is the driest inside--that is, when the bow is diving the most. I usually have a lot of gear in the front hatch, and that gear rarely shows a drop of water coming in from the bow hatch.

My boat takes on the most water when reaching especially when close hauled, when the bow does little diving. The most water gets in my boat when the stern is lower--when the T-n-S hatches, especially the stearn one, are frequently awash. For the TI, the stern hatch is slanted and should leak less.

The bow hatch is a good design. (1) it is slanted so water drains off, (2) it has a mote with 2 drains to aid in reducing water getting to the hatch opening, and (3) it has a double rubber seal protecting the opening. I have seen the front hatch leak when (1) something large & hard was put under the shock cords (this distorts the hatch cover which compromises the seals), and (2) when the bow was so full, the hatch cover had to be forced down before securing with the shock cords (there is upward pressure on the hatch cover, again compromising the rubber seals.)

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

Perhaps I should add that it would be great if Hobie produced some sort of plastic cowling for the AI which would clip over the rear crossbar and create a bench behind the crossbar and rear akas - like on the Batboat, but I would prefer it a bit narrower (less bulky).
Apart from the sense of freedom from sitting up behind the seat well, it is a very effective way to counter the bow burying when going downwind with following waves. You don't usually need to be using the Mirage Drive in those conditions anyway, unless you are using it to try to surf the waves.

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1: Redesigned bow (for better buoyancy, less diving).
2: Bigger front hatch
3: Bigger twist-n-stow hatches (10")

Keith, Just wondering. Did you use the new lines and tubes with the check valves when you upgraded to the pull up and down rudder handles? That upgrade made a huge difference in keeping my bilge dry. Doug

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DougDNer

To Doug, yes.

2 liters of water in the hull is typical--sometimes I get more, sometimes less on a typical day of an AI camping trip. I never worry about it coming in the front hatch, even through a rat chewed on the inside portion of the seal**. My wife's boat is relatively dry--because she is usually carrying 50-75# less weight?

Keith

**One evening a year ago, I closed my boat when there was a rat inside. After giving up on chewing into a plastic container with a couple of scones, the rat randomly chewed on a number of things including a 6" portion of the front hatch seal. The seal still works.

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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

My wish list would include a tighter plug for the Mirage Drive opening to help sailing performance. In the best of all worlds, there would be a handy way to stow the plug when it's not in use. I have added a little ring to the existing plug so I can tie a retaining line to the hull, but its awkward shape makes it hard to keep in one place and reachable at the same time.

My other wish list item is for a guide way of some kind that will locate the Mirage Drive when installing it under way. I have lost a couple of fins when I thought I had the drive in the right way (or an inexperienced guest was sure it was in the right way.) It's one thing to put the drive in while standing alongside the hull and quite another to fit the drive while sitting in the boat. Even if there were only a decal or painted stripe that helped to visualize the proper attitude for correct installation it would be helpful.

P Burling

I also added a gasket around the Mirage Plug and sailed with it for moths. Then during the EC I was taking on so much water over the bow that the well was not draining fast enough. I ended up ripping the gasket off.

How about a integrated self bailer in a tight plug??? Pop the plug in. Any water that gets into the well area gets sucked out by the forward motion...

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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/

Jim Brown, designer of the Windrider series has put together a clip of a mod he made to his W17. He calls it the Windfisher, but it's simple a ply platform that substitutes for tramps. Well thought out though and might be applicable to some of the mods being done over here as well.

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

Very nice!!

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"Only Possible in a Tandem Island BaBy"
http://www.adventureislanders.com
http://www.ACK.com

nice avatar name. My dad used to run a club in Oz called Living Water Dive Club.

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Chris, this is what I did to get a similar effect:



Padded xbar mod. It works nicely

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Founder: Modern Kayak Fishing
http://modernkayakfishing.com
Blue Water Kayak Fishing guy: SL Hobie
http://slhobie.com.au

Nice. Could have used that last Sunday.

Oh- that picture reminds me: add a sixpack-holding icebucket in the center hatch.

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