Add a Jib Sail to the Island using old Hobie kayak sail

Hey Yakaholic,
Fantastic idea, especially since it is relatively easy to do and it works--an unbeatable combination!! I would suggest that you might want to post a link to this report in the Hobie Kayak Sailing Forum also, since I know there are folks there who will be interested as well. In fact, there have been several recent posts inquiring about a jib for the AI, not to mention the Sport and Outback earlier.

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I've been considering some type of mast mod for our little Yak and ran across this material site link for carbon fiber rod and tubes that I just thought could be of some use for any A.I jib/mast project check it out.

http://www.graphitestore.com/itemDetail ... &curPage=2


Kepnutz

Hey Yakaholic,
Others talked about it. You did it. Very Cool.
One day I will get around to trying it on mine.
The small yellow sail would match the yellow sail on your wife's Golden Papaya AI better, though.

Thanks!

Right you are about colors. My yellow 1 color sail is the old style. The new styles are 2 tone. So the Blue or Yellow sails would both accent the Blue & Yellow main sail of the Island nicely.

I don't mind the splash of yellow on the front of my all red Island - makes for more visual interest.

Yaks,

Bow seems to submarine more when fins are up against the hull, but less so when straight down in daggerboard position. Try it and let me know if it seems to work that way for you too.

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Polecat
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Hobie AI & WS Tempest 180 Pro
SW Gulf Coast: Sarasota to Keys

I'm not completely useless. I can always serve as a bad example.

I have considered doing a couple of the things people have talked about on this thread. Summer sailing (mostly pedaling) has driven home the point that the AI is underpowered in light winds.

I don't want to fool with a jib and have to deal with getting it to stay put atop a rotating mast without interference. I just want a bigger mast and sail. I'm considering trying out a mast and sail off of a Catalina 14.2 Expo. It's more or less the same as an AI sail, but has no battens and is about twice the size, at 105 sq ft.

It would be way too much sail in more than about ten knots of wind, but we won't have that much wind until October...

Who thinks I'll break something if I try this?

yak and robert

Good info for a different purpose.

I'm trying to run a "green stick" from my AI conversion.

See:

http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... sc&start=0

Instead of a jib fwd I'll need to face aft. The green stick line will run about 45 degrees to the water and pulls a teaser that keps the line taut. You hang your rod line with a squid that dances over the water off the green stick line.

The line has to clear the first batten at least.

I have a flag pole rig for running the line up now, but the rotating device seems like what I need as I may need to furl the sail during hookup. Now I have to retriev the complete green stick rig before any required furling..

Keep up the posts. I may be able to steal an idea that works for fishing also. Maybe with enough applications Hobie will make a rotating fixture that is anchored in the mast itself. Maybe a bearing(or two) (like stringies furling rig) a rod pases through, and you can attach various "application" devices to it?

Em...applications:

Weather(wind) vane

Other sails

Green stick for fishing

Creating a drop back loop when trolling

Picture taking/video from top of the mast

Other .

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Hey AlohaDan,

I scanned your thread about the greenstick line and I think the machine screw idea may work for you as long as you don't put too much pressure on that plastic mast cap as YAK mentioned - I did also try running my line aft with the first version (a much shorter screw at about 6 " without a bend) and had trouble getting the line to clear the first batten of the sail. However, if your teaser line is running well aft of the boat and you get a little more height, it may just get enough clearance. I also assume that if something hits your teaser line (down here it would be a kingfish) that there is some way to release it quickly on the strike so some large beast isn't putting a shock on the line and plastic mast cap... Anyway, I have been pondering the furling mast mod ideas some more as others are doing and hope to have a better tangible method soon... One thing the machine screw/rod could use is a ss tube around the threads that go through the sail strap and mast cap - that way when the mast is turning, it isn't grinding against the threads of the rod...

Rob E.

Rob

Try covering the thread section with a piece of hollow aluminum tubing.

On the teaser line. I'm using an old Alvey reel. Although the line is 50lb test I have the drag set light. I have it spliced to 4lb test so if something takes the teaser it will rip off a at the most a turn or two 50 lb before hitting the 4 lb which should break under even my light drag pressure..

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Dredging up this old thread because it has the best ideas and pictures on the subject I have seen. In another thread, yakman suggested a kite. Hmmm... like maybe the training kites that kite sailors use... (one that won't lift you out of your boat and slam you into buildings).

I like antbric's idea because I don't want to mess up my mast. I'm still wanting a larger mast, larger main sail, and now I'm wondering about balancing a rotating plate atop the mast by hanging a jib or spinnaker from the front and putting two adjustable cap shrouds, possibly to the ama handles.

Hi Yakaholic

i love the jib set up, does it create any pointing problems - that is lee helm, The Hobie AI doesnt point that well anyway, so it would be good if the addition of a jib could help with that, i read on WR17 forum that by reducing the slot by half between main and jib allowed the WR17 to point as high as a monohull in race conditions.

So i was wondering did you get around to moving the jib sheets onto the ama crossbars to bring the jib clew in board, if so what was the effect?

Thanks for all the great tips!

I never found it necessary to mount anything to the amas or akas. I also simplified the jib control line to just one, rather than the pair of lines used typically on each side of the mast. There seems to be enough control for either side you want the jib to be on with only one line.

All my jib use has been restricted to winds 10mph or under, so as to not over-stress any components. Island sails very well with only the main sail, but in low winds the little extra sail does help.

I am reading through these posts for the first time...

Jibs from Topper sailboats are just about te ideal size shape for the Hobie kayaks and AI. I use one (I think it is 1.8m sq) on both and it is a very useful addition.

I have found that it is possible to stay the kayak mast but I have not yet tried this in the AI (I feel that the additional loads on the AI due to the larger rig, longer mast, greater weight etc are likely to be a problem...). I understand others may have succeeded ?!

Staying the mast does, however, vastly improve the shape of the sail and its usability on all points of sail (as opposed to only downwind in light airs with mast unstayed)

Great but I am missing something.
Doesnt the mastop pulley and uphaul line get wound around the mast when you furl the mainsail, and how is the uphaul line stowed/ tied-off when not in use so it doesnt interfere with the mast?

Where do you keep the Jib when not being used and how difficult is it to attach/remove the Uphaul line and unpack and attach a jib in winds?

with the cost of the Standard Hobie 24SqFt sail being $OZ420 I can think of visiting my upholsterer mate and have him make me a one-piece sail, maybe out of lighter material so it can fold and pack easily somwhere on the AI.

But my PA foresail is working fine and it can be transferred to my Revo so...

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Fair Skies, Max.

Yakaholic
I finally found your post again!!

i first saw your post back in 2007 before i even had my AI and your idea to use the small hobie sail kit as a jib inspired me to create my own version of your hobie sail kit jib

heres the link
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=20991
thank you for the inspiration!!

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Sterling
2008 Papaya Adventure Island with Roller Furler Jib

Post about my jib
viewtopic.php?f=69&t=20991