Thanks for the comments!
TJP... yes, Dan at Hobie Cats NW is the fellow from whom I bought the Revolutions, and will be the source of the AI if I decide to do it. They seem to be the most knowledgeable dealer in the area (even though one is much closer to where I live). I really should do a demo, I guess!
My last kayak was a wonderful big barge of a boat, the Aire Sea Tiger, a 19-foot inflatable. You can see it
here. But I needed something more agile for deployment from the mothership, and also wanted pedal and sail. So the Revo is actually pretty sweet, despite being almost dainty by comparison. Having just sold my Corsair 36 and not having a role for the Microship in the next expedition, I think my interest in the AI is less based on practicality than on pure tri-lust. The ratio of on-water pleasure to handling overhead seems to be considerably higher than other micro-trimarans in the same size range, and even without that, the Mirage drive is a powerful selling point.
OK, so my seat will be wet. A small price to pay, and I'll take your suggestion, Apalach and Baysailor, about the dedicated pants.
Thanks for the input, folks! Just for context, three photos of my homebuilt tri with retractable landing gear are below. The Microship has a pedal drive as well as an electric thruster (480-watt solar array not installed in this test-sail photo, but folding panels fill the space between hulls), as well as a modified WindRider 93 sqft sail with added furling drum and vang. It's a wonderful machine, but still too heavy and complex for a quick day sail... the seductive appeal of the AI is that I can throw it in the truck (or launch from dinghy davits) and be playing on the water within a few minutes. The older I get, the more I appreciate simplicity.
Cheers,
Steve
Microship
Wordplay docked in Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge Island, WA
Spinfin pedal drive unit designed and built by Bob Stuart
Detail of Microship sail rig
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