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PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:15 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:01 am
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Hi every one,new to the forum and desperate to get a Hobie Tandem for family sail days and fishing trips here in Tollesbury in Essex in the UK. Missed a chance last week to sail out on a Tandem as the chap was visiting our marina to sail out on the Blackwater estuary .Caught him just as he had packed up and kicked myself,he came from a long way away and would not be back so as i could have a trial on his Tandem. Really want one as they tick all my boxes for sailing and fishing but would love to try one out locally or at least just have a ride before getting 5 grand out my pocket to buy one. Only one centre in the South of the UK to have a trial day but its too far to go and WAY to expensive ...i just want a small trial to be sure its what we want. I have not seen any others around this area of ESSEX but i am sure there is some one with a Hobie Tandem around here some where and where better to ask than on the forum. Is there any one who can help and has one near to have a sit on or a quick sail so i know its the one we want. I hate buying blind even though Hobies are magic.......any help most appreciated.. Thank you.


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 3:51 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Norton, please don't worry about "buying blind"! You will quickly find that your Tandem Island does all the things you hoped it would, AND you have the comfort of possibly the very best warranty behaviour of the manufacturer of ANY product, in the unlikely event that something is amiss.

I have taken many people out om my TI, and every single one has been amazed and delighted.

Go for it, do your test sail in your own! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:36 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:01 am
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Hobie are the best i know that now but a test run or at least a sit in one would make me feel much better....heres hoping some one lives near by and sees this post. Let me spread the Hobie magic to a corner of the UK as yet un touched by Hobie ........ :wink:


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:51 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:28 am
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Location: Ceredigion
The trail day in Poole will be refunded if you decided to buy a TI and after your trail you couldn't fail to place your order. The guys in Poole wouldn't let you take a brand new Hobie out without making sure your new craft was 'ship shape' and that you knew what you were doing with it etc., although they would deliver it to you with one of their guys (at a cost). We travelled down from West Wales as that is our nearest dealer too! We had a great day and ordered ours there and then, having had to return again to collect it and bring it back to Wales with us! We had no experience of sailing or kayaking and it is such a forgiving craft and so, so much fun. Haven't met anyone around our area with a TI and it brings so much interest and intrigue to so many people.

I have to say, it's the best purchase we have made :D


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 7:33 am 
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Sounds great,in the process of ordering the TI at the moment but we are not buying the custom trailer so hoping to hire a suitable trailer for transport or car top it...how did you transport to Wales ?


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 5:47 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Some things are just so good you can buy blind in complete confidence! In 1998, I bought a Subaru Impreza WRX without even sitting in one in a showroom, and had to wait three months for delivery, I ordered my TI without trying one. In both cases, my expectations were surpassed by miles!

I can understand why you would hesitate, but really, if trying one is going to incur costs for you, I would recommend putting those funds into setting up your TI with accessories which will benefit you long term, like roof racks/loader.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:48 am 
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Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 11:20 pm
Posts: 273
Location: London UK
Norton wrote:
Sounds great,in the process of ordering the TI at the moment but we are not buying the custom trailer so hoping to hire a suitable trailer for transport or car top it...how did you transport to Wales ?


Depending on what car You have you could put it on a roof rack. There are special cradles that you bolt on to the roof rails to carry the ti to avoid putting the hull out of shape.

The trailer is worth it though it makes launching so easy, even with all the junk on my one.

Cc

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 2:53 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:28 am
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Location: Ceredigion
Getting our TI to Wales took a bit of thinking as we ordered the TI and only had a convertible with no tow bar! We then had a month to sort out some transport and bought a Mitsubishi Delica and car topped it using the special cradles. I never thought we were going to get it on the roof because this car is quite high but with the help of a step ladder and hauling it on with a rope it was a piece of cake! However, after 3 months now, we are in the process of buying a trailer because we just want the ease of getting it off the trailer without having to re-build it each time and when you've been out for the day it's a bit of a chore having to take the TI apart and getting it back on the roof.


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 11:40 am 
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Thanks for your reply...i have my 2003 Citroen C5 estate,hoping its going to make the 4 hour trip and back with a make shift roof rack and family on board !! Looked at hiring a trailer as i have a towbar but they are so over priced ...car topping easier for this one trip. Hope to go and pick up in a couple of weeks ....cant wait.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:42 am 
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Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:28 am
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Location: Ceredigion
Assume you have bought the cradles for your make shift roof rack? We just had a couple of crossbars which looked rather rusty but certainly did the job with the cradles attached. Once you get the boat on top, make sure you re-tighten and re-checked the roof bars as one of ours came undone after 70 miles!! We then had a further 3 hour drive feeling rather uneasy about the whole situation. Especially having only just bought a 1995 year old car for less than a month and hoping it would get us back over the mountains and through the narrow roads of West Wales! Hope you have loads of fun with your TI. You wont be disappointed.


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 7:09 am 
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Sound a nightmare journey !! Hope mine is easier..it wont be mountain roads it will be the M25 for me !!,i wonder which one is worse ? Cant wait for the TI........


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