Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:37 pm

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 10:02 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:15 am
Posts: 5
Location: Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
Hi All,

I'm a super happy AI owner with no sailing background whatsoever. I learned a few things already after sailing this great kayak 3 times. I even broke one nylon bolt after hitting a trunk in the middle of the lake (arggg).

I have a couple of questions for improving my experience when launching the AI.

I launch the kayak from a ramp on a lake. When I drive up to the lake I take the kayak down from the car and put everything together so that I can wheel it down to the ramp. Noticing there are two ways of positioning the amas (folded either forward or backwards, and I have tried both ways); I hold them together with a bungee cord. I put all the gear and mast on the kayak and then go to the ramp.

Things get a little crazy when I place the front of the kayak in the water, particularly when nice wind is blowing towards the shore :) , because it is kind of hard to get the wheels out of the kayak when everything is on it.

Am I supposed to launch it perpendicular to the shore and get up to my knees wet to remove the wheels from underneath the kayak? Or rather position it in parallel without the mast installed tipping the kayak a little bit?

On the other hand, when I load/unload the kayak by myself I notice I began to scratch the bottom of aft of the kayak. I therefore purchased a rubber trailer bow and using some rope contraption to hold it from moving (when the kayak moves). Is there a better way of doing things or am I too picky :roll: ?

Any ideas are welcome. I'm learning a LOT! :lol:

Cheers,

Marty


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:21 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 5:06 am
Posts: 1701
Location: Lake Macquarie NSW AUSTRALIA
Welcolme bagpiper. I don't think you are doing anything any different than the rest of us. But everyones launch site, transportation method etc is different so you'll get into your own way of doing things. Just remember if you are the only AI that launches from that site, you are now the leading world expert at launching and AI from that site. :wink: . See how your confidence just shot up 10 points. :lol:

I usually assemble the whole lot on the cart at the shoreline. Then take it into the water ready to sail but with sail still furled. Go to the stern and lift the AI so that it's floating on it's bow, and lift high enough for the cart to fall out of the scuppers. Yep, I am at least knee deep. Attach the cart or chuck it back in the car. Then paddle until water is deep enough to peddle or furl sail and get dagger and drive installed.

Then furl the sail and uninstall everything and come back into shallow water and get out and disconnect the rudder bungie. ( don't you hate that ? )

_________________
Image

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


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:38 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:34 pm
Posts: 252
Welcome to the club Bagpiper.
When I launch from a ramp, I have everything ready to sail with the daggerboard under the hatch bungee or between the slats on the bench, the drive is lashed and lying in the cockpit, all lines are ready to unfurl the sail, and the pin is pulled from the scupper cart.
Set the rudder, hop in and peddle away.
Once clear of the ramp and if there are no boats in the channel reach under and pull out the wheels.
If there is traffic, wait until they are clear and then pull your wheels and tie them down.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 11:34 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:15 am
Posts: 5
Location: Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
Thanks for the feedback Slaughter and Fly4v!

We're not alone as they say :lol:; I think I now prefer to fold the amas forward to make it easier to reach the wheels once I have the bow on the water.

Stay tuned for more questions as things move along, though I think next week will be the beginning of the real winter here (5C is just too cold to go out, even with a wetsuit :wink: )

Cheers and happy holidays!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Dec 04, 2011 4:48 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 5:06 am
Posts: 1701
Location: Lake Macquarie NSW AUSTRALIA
Where abouts are you located bagpiper ? We are trying to get everyone to update their location in their status to make it easier for contacting for outings.

_________________
Image

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


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 7:57 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:15 am
Posts: 5
Location: Montgomery County, Maryland, USA
Hi Slaughter!

I'm in upper Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. I'm planning on crossing the Chesapeake Bay as soon as I get used to riding the AI. 8)

Cheers and Happy Holidays!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 6:50 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 5:06 am
Posts: 1701
Location: Lake Macquarie NSW AUSTRALIA
Mitch and Cindy ( whosyerbob ) sail out from there and supply us with great trip reports and videos.
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=35462&p=143963#p143963
Although we haven't heard much from them lately. They may be in hibernation.

But DogsLife never hibernates.
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=40515

Looking forward to hearing some trip reports and seeing some shots from your area.

_________________
Image

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


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:36 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 1:55 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Burbank, Ca
Some like the amas forward on launch so they sweep back once moving however I do NOT! I broke a shear-bolt just trying it and at that time had no spares.

I have never had a problem getting my wheel cart in or out but I do have the Hobie Heavy Duty cart.

I fully rig way before heading to the ramp so as not to annoy others or get run over by idiots backing up. Mirage out, rudder up and dagger ready to go.

The cart is easy to pull if in knee deep or so water. I then leave it in the aft and bungee it down with the provided cords. While I paddle out, out come the amas. One locked and loaded, time to sail, pedal, whatever.
Here is why I do that: Went out and tied it to the local dock then took my cart back to my campground. Two hours later and another site....boy did I NEED that cart! (For giggles I tied a leash to it and threw it in the water the next day. YEP, it will float! Worries solved. Keep it with you if possible)

When re-inserting the cart you will fight the buoyancy in the wheels. I combat that by getting just one shaft in then twist until the other floats up and falls in.

After spending 2 weeks straight in Lake Havasu AZ, I have it down to a science. I fear the algae on ramps more than this process

_________________
Mark AKA: River
2011 AI in Red Hibiscus
Lowrance Elite 4, W Gold card
Garmin GPS 78
Standard Horizon HX 751
2 12V 700ma batteries in Parallel
Solar charging
Ritchie Compass
14 days of electronics easy


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Which way to launch...
PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:18 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:07 pm
Posts: 405
Location: CLEARWATER, MN
I haul my TI by trailer. I prefer to launch via boat ramp if at all possible.
I have a standard TI cart (not the new dolly). The cart has 'stop brackets' on the scupper arms. The first time I towed it down a beach I winced whenever the cart wheels went up and down. I could hear the hull flex. From that time on, I remove the amas from the hull and separately carry them back and forth to the trailer. I still don't like the small amount of hull area which is supported by the cart tubes. Especially now that forum members are talking about hull cracking caused by the carts. I thought about buying the new TI dolly, but after measuring one at my dealers, I would either have to leave it strapped and locked on the trailer or astride the rear of the TI.
By restricting how often I cart the TI versus ramp launching, I am cutting down the possibility of damaging the TI by using the cart.
No easy solution...I wish Hobie had recognized the problem in pre-production and beefed up the hull at the scuppers.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:54 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:37 pm
Posts: 2
aloha, i live on the big island in kona, I just got a new T.I. and after leaving it on the roof rack overnight came out this morning to find the hull had warped from its own weight and i even had the dealer help install the racks and load the hull on the rack so it was in the correct position. was very disappointed to say the least. and i didnt have the hull strapped too tight as they were just shock cords holding it on. i immediately flipped it over and could see the hull had bent or dipped inward where it was on the rack. i called the dealer and was told to leave it in the sun and that it would return to its normal shape which i find very hard to believe, he then stated if that didnt work he could somehow fix it. Not very confidence building being its brand new. So im also very worried about removing the T.I. from my truck by myself for fear of the damage the cart might do. i was thinking i could attach the cart them work one end down at a time, but after reading about how carts have damaged hulls, im afraid to try it. same goes for launching. since i have to roll over sandy semi rocky areas to access the shoreline from what ive heard its just waiting to damage the hull. so now think a trailer might be only option left which really limits my launching areas not to mention the additional large amount that a trailer costs. Starting to wonder if i should have just stuck with a traditional yak. :shock: are there any other carts or mods that can be done to distribute the load more to a bigger area ? any help would be greatly appreciated. :o


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: SCUPPER REINFORCEMENT
PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 6:12 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:07 pm
Posts: 405
Location: CLEARWATER, MN
From other posts w/photos, it appears that Hobie has reinforced the scupper holes on their newest production runs (an inner sleeve). But I don't think that it is retroactively possible to install on previous hulls.
The only method I know of to decrease the stress on the hull while on a cart is to transport the amas/mast and auxiliary stuff separately from the hull while carting. It may be a hassle to take multiple trips to the launch point but better than having to replace the hull.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 2:21 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:32 am
Posts: 1807
Location: Terrigal NSW, Australia
Hi Sumthinfishy,
I gather you had the TI upright, on cradles. If you leave it inverted, either on the roof racks or on a pair of sawhorses, so it's resting on its gunwales, it will very likely straighten out. I wouldn't try to get it down from the car on my own if I were you. A few people seem to have mastered the art of car-topping a TI, but most seem to consider it just too hard.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:37 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:37 pm
Posts: 2
aloha everyone, when it was brought home it was put top side up but without any cradles, which certainly is not recommended! still trying to find some of those cradles for sale so i can make some kind of mount onto my rack, since it is ALOT easier to load and unload in that position, since the ama crossbars interfere with sliding it along a rack upside down. I'm a fairly big, pretty strong guy,and even i have difficulty lifting the T.I. up and over my front rack while standing in the bed of my truck. Loading/Unloading is a Workout! be prepared to get winded. Will keep thinking of different ways and will post our results. so maybe it can help others. but so far loading from the rear of the truck we lift the front end of the T.I. onto the back rack then i jump into the bed as my g.f. pushes from the ground, then once its in the correct position for travel, we flip it over so its upside down, then transport it that way, and reverse that to remove it, from the truck. i like the idea of the sliding bars coming out of the end of the racks that i saw for a lighter kayak, where u load /unload one side at a time, but the T.I. is so heavy the rack would have to be specially made to handle the weight. :?


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2012 5:27 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 2:32 am
Posts: 1807
Location: Terrigal NSW, Australia
SumthinFishy wrote:
aloha everyone, when it was brought home it was put top side up but without any cradles, which certainly is not recommended!

Wow, no wonder it warped. Are you saying a Hobie dealer helped you put the boat upright on roofracks with no cradles? :shock: :shock: :shock: He should be shot!
There was a good thread a few months ago on methods for cartopping a TI. The Thule Goalpost looks to be a great solution.
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=32534

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group