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PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:59 am 
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Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:12 am
Posts: 441
Location: Florida
I currently truck-top 2 Islands and have been OK with that.

But, since I live 3 blocks from a boat ramp I am considering using the Hobie trailer for quicker access and use.

Q1. Can the Islands remain on the trailer for days, weeks or even months at a time without fear of hull distortion?

I can totally envision how the Islands would load and unload at the boat ramp in and out of the water.

Q2. How easy would it be to load the Island onto the trailer on dry land?

In other words, can one assemble and Island while on the trailer, or do you have to asemble Island on a cart and then slide it onto trailer. Reason for asking is out of a concern for taking the Island off the storage rack in the barn and figuring out how to then place it on the trailer. Looks like the Hobie cradles and 2 islands side-by-side would make assembly on trailer a hassle. Pinning on the akas, ect.

Thanks


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:12 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:24 pm
Posts: 34
Location: Franklin, TN
Hi Yakaholic:

I keep my Island permantly on my trailer and it seems to work fine. I ordered the cradles but only installed the rear unit. The boat rest on two carpet covered 8 foot bunks. The rear cradle supports the amas and keeps the boat secure. Loading and unloading in no work at all. Simply unhook the tiedowns, slide it into the water, remove the sail/mast from its storage tube and insert into the mast base, unfold the amas and attach, insert drive and your off. I'm not using the hobie trailer but a modified sporttrailer UC4. with this trailer, I can carry my 2 mirage sports and my Adventure Island with room left for an additional Island (to come soon). The akas and amas can be attached or dettached while on the trailer. Also, it is quite easy to "launch or load" on dry land using the scupper wheels. I do disconnect the amas at the rear aka point so that the amas line closer to the hull. I have pulled the unit several thousand miles this summer without any problems.

Thanks, RFJ

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 Post subject: AI & trailers
PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:14 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
Hi Yak,

I only have a trailer for handling 4 sea kayaks--can't handle an AI with aka/amas assembled. My cross braces have a 4" longitudinal, 18" width sponge rubber support. Here in S FL, leaving the AI hull upright for more than 2-4 hrs causes bottom distortion. The distortion returns to normal after a day unside down or on its edge. But, you sure don't like to see that distortion.

I often assemble the AI while standing in a foot of (S FL) water, where everything is nice and level. The first time I assembled the aka/amas I had the boat partially in water and on land--big hassle getting the 4th pin in because the boat was not level, which stressed the ama lenthwise, and made it difficult to line up the aka pin holes.

Keith


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:21 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:10 pm
Posts: 58
Location: Rio Vista, CA
Mine are on the trailer all the time. I have the Hobie trailer (it's just a small catamaran trailer) with the Hobie cradles. The longest they've set on the cradles is two weeks. Zero hull distortion.

Once you have the trailer you'll never take them apart again. Why bother?

The trailer makes life way, way easier. Like FJ80 says, we just drop the masts in, throw the drives and center boards in the cockpits and slide them off the trailer. Once in the water we insert the drives and boards and off we go.

Without the trailer we would not sail half as much as we do.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:11 pm 
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Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:45 pm
Posts: 20
Location: Las Vegas Nevada
Just wonering if anyone has any pictures of the their AI's so I can check them out. I am looking at the trailer that you can but from harbor frieght. It will hold 900 lbs and folds up for storage. I will try to attach a link.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=42709

If I put the cradles on it it should work fine. Just wondering what everyone else is doing. Thanks

Don


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:37 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:46 am
Posts: 76
Location: sacramento
The post by Rio dan makes me also consider getting a trailer. I car top 1 AI. Looking foward to 1 more AI plus a trailer. I did read a post by tomanyboats about the HF trailer...slightly short in the v-neck area.
But also had traveled some miles with an AI mounted... using truck top components. I would like to see photo's of a HF trailer mod's.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:37 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:12 am
Posts: 441
Location: Florida
Thanks All for the feedback and suggestions.

It sounds mostly positve for trailer storage of the Island, and confirms my notion of having to use a cart to get a fully assembled Island slid onto the trailer while in the back yard.


Having to frequently load the trailer of the boats stored in the barn would almost defeat purpose of trailer. Best case use I see is storage on the trailer all the time, except when it looks like Island won't see any use for a few weeks.

I'm out 2-3 times a week and getting tired of transporting on truck top and all the assembly. Trailer might just double my number of trips per week.

Thanks


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:45 am 
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Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:30 pm
Posts: 37
Given the hobie AI cradles are now several years old has anybody experienced any problems storing their AI on them for longer periods. I can see myself leaving the AI on the cradles for up to 4 weeks. Apart from loosening the tie downs should I consider any additional support for the hull or should I not be so lazy and simply get the AI off the trailer.

Cheers
Grant


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 4:29 pm 
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Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:19 pm
Posts: 72
Location: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Howdy from Wyoming!

I've stored 2 AI's tightly strapped to cradles under a tarp for two years (spring, summer & fall). The cradles are perfectly designed and I've had no deformation. The boats are ever ready to GO.

In snow country, it would be unwise to keep them this way over the winter. The bow and stern extends a long distance beyond the cradles. A heavy dump of snow can bend (even break) plastic boats. The first winter, I shoveled snow off them to prevent this. Lousy idea. Tarps ripped from the shovel. Whenever I was out of town, there was always the possibility of a destructive storm blowing in. Also, the damned tarp edges became frozen in ice to the ground. I had to cut the perimeter to move the trailer out in early spring. Mucho best to store'em inside during snow season, even if it costs $.

Happy Trails!

Chris

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