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PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:56 pm 
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Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:36 am
Posts: 1
Location: Houston, TX
How well does the Island sail on a reach or a down wind run?


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:16 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:48 pm
Posts: 129
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
The Island is a great little sailing yak. I stay up with sunfish and lasers on all points of sail, however downwind requires either a barber hauler or bunj cord to hold the sail out and give it shape.

In light wind the AI rules even cats and with the drive you are able to fully use every little bit of wind in that just an easy pace keeps the yak moving so that when a slight gust occures it dosen't have to get the yak moving.

gwiz


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 Post subject: the AI's sail great
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:07 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:55 am
Posts: 84
Location: North Shore Oahu Hawaii
these things rock. we have been putting them through the test in hawaiian waters. we sail frequently in 15-20 knot winds. and 5-8 foot seas. they handle unreal. you can see pics of the mahi and ono we have caught at our web site www.coastalkayaktours.com these boats get us to the peligics and back. aloha Boogie-D

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:24 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
Gwiz,

When you use a bungj to give your sail a better shape (1) where do you attach it, and (2) how do you do it--do you pull the ama in?

Keith


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:46 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:26 pm
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Location: Norman, OK
Sorry to keep bugging you all down here in yak world but I am slightly offended by you saying the AI will keep up with cats! :lol:

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 7:59 pm 
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Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
Chekika
I attach the bunj on the back ama tiedown and make sure the hook is closed so it won't fly off. Then I hook the other end on the cross brace where it meets the aka 1 on each side so they are handy. They need to be fairly heavy duty and about 2' long.

I use a plastic hook adjustble, Home Depot 2 pak, I took the hooks off 1 end and replaced with a small Hobie hooks that clip. The large plastic hooks are like the Hobie pedal retainer hook which shot down my drivewell. I need to wittle the ends down though so they will hook into the sail hardware better.

When you use the bunj you can run it straight from the back of the ama or for more tension you can reach out and hook the middle of the bunj under the aka/ama bunj retainer, if you have long arms or you could use a cheat stick.

gree
I can out run a cat in light winds, keep up in moderate to medium and chase in heavy without pedaling, well not much anyway. Because we have no boom and an itty-bitty rudder we have to pedal sometimes to complete a turn or retain control.
gwiz


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:22 pm 
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Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:47 pm
Posts: 22
Location: Portland Or.
upwind, i can race my dad in a getaway, if the rest of the family is with him... (me in the AI, dad+family in the getaway), but one on one, i don't stand a chance if the wind picks up... since he ends up on one hull screaming along, and i have to be carefull not to let the aamas get too far under the surface... :lol:

for going downwind, my dad (xavier) rigged up a barber hauler, and it works fairly well, since he can outrun me if were both in AI's...

i would say that the AI counts a a sailboat... but also a a kayak.

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If it isn't broken, take it apart and fix it anyways!

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:27 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:26 pm
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Location: Norman, OK
When you say you are outrunning a cat do you mean pedaling? If so then way to go you can pedal like crazy.

I still have my doubts about the AI's beating a cat. What kind of cats are you racing against?

I mean my 5.2 has a 28 foot mast and probably triple the sail area, I don't see any way the AI could outrun my cat or any hobie cat.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:50 am 
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 42
Location: Dahlgren, VA
If nothing else, AI owners are enthusiastic. While I don't expect to outrun anything else that is sailing nearby, trying to has helped me learn a lot about how to better handle the AI in a variety of conditions. :D

When I get my catamaran I'll probably do the same thing.

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baysailor


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:18 am 
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:26 pm
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Location: Norman, OK
Yeah, I have to say that you all are an enthusiastic bunch. I am not trying to anger anyone with my posts here. I am just being relalistic, the AI just isn't designed to be a super fast sailing boat.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 4:04 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 3:36 pm
Posts: 171
Location: Rockford, Illinois
gree2056,

I'm not trying to start anything but my question to you is have you sailed a AI?
If yes, then I would have to respect you view.
If no, be careful not to embarrass yourself.....


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:27 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:26 pm
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Location: Norman, OK
Nope, I sure haven't. The closest dealer to me is 3.5 hours and no one in this area has bought one.

I don't pretend to be an expert on the AI, I am just basing what I am saying in simple physics. I just don't see how the boat could keep up under sail alone with performance cats.

Believe me I would love to own an AI, they are probably one of the coolest water toys I have seen and can do alot of things my cats can't.

I would give anything for someone in the Oklahoma or Tx area to give me a call and I will happily come race you and your AI on my 5.2. That would be the test.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:55 am 
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Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:47 pm
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Location: Portland Or.
gree2056 wrote:
When you say you are outrunning a cat do you mean pedaling? If so then way to go you can pedal like crazy.


i can only outrun him in EXTREMELY light wind withought pedaling... but once the wind picks up, it's no contest...

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If it isn't broken, take it apart and fix it anyways!

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PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 2:56 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:26 pm
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Location: Norman, OK
Okay, that is kinda what I was wondering. I can see how the AI could keep up to a certain point, but it will top out around 8-9knts...at least that is my guess just based on the hull speed.

But in light stuff before the cat can fly a hull and before the righting moment of the trap rig would come into play I could see the AI keeping pace.


On another note, how does the AI point? I know it has a daggerboard and some just use the fins as daggers but can you have both? Can it point with a cat, or does it point higher like most other boats.

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Nacra 5.2 "Elsies"
Hobie 14T, "Blazin" I guess I am keeping her!


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:50 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:48 pm
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Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
It sails best about the same degree into the wind as a cat, by pedaling a little it will sail closer than anything else and still get power from the sail. I have noticed that small monohulls with deep dagger boards can sail tight faster unless I pedal.

You can also use both pedals and daggerboard and it does help but if you need the pedals down to maintain course you are better off just pedaling a little. Our real problem isn't the dagger board it is the rudder which is easily overpowered and tends to let the nose go to far into the wind.

What I should have said in my earlier post was, I can out sail a cat in light wind, keep up in moderate, trail in medium, wave goodby in heavy and rescue cat sailors in typhoon winds.

gwiz


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