Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:46 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 5:18 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:55 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Pensacola, Fl.
Picked up my new AI Wednesday, New Years Eve and took it out Yesterday, New Years Day. It was cold, about 55 degrees and the water was around the same temperature. Wind was around 10 mph, sometimes a it felt closer to 20 and sometimes about 5 mph. However all wind speeds, on my part were just a guess.

Some have claimed that the AI does not go to the winward very good. I did not have that problem. I could easily go about 45 degrees into the wind though it seemed even closer. The stronger the wind however, the better it sailed into the wind.

The boat handled beautifully. Once I buried an ama completely under the water. I quickly turned into the wind because I feared I might capsize. Probably not but it scared me anyway. I would not been scared however if the water had not been so cold.

I got wet but I had a wet suit on, a vest type PFD over that and rain gear on top. I did not get cold, in fact I was sweating under my wet suit. Water would often hit me in the face however and that was cold. Sometimes when I was going hard into the wind and the wind was highest, I took a lot of water over the side. I did not find that a bother however except for the few times it hit me in the face.

My butt did feel cold however and I later found out why. When I brought the boat in I found I was sitting in about two inches of water. The drains in the seat area had screw in plugs in them. That meant there was no drain, just a bowl of water which I sat in. When I got home I unscrewed the plugs but left them in. Hosed it down and found the water drained very good that way. That is the way they will stay.

Major problem; the damn seat would not stay steady. I plugged the two little studs into their holes but every time I turned around or slid forward, they would come out. It would take some effore to get them seated again but a few minutes later they would be out again. I don't know what I am going to do about this problem but it is intolorable the way it is. Perhaps I will get some plastic holding epoxy and glue them in. I could just fold the back down when transporting it, even upside down.

Mirage drive; I had trouble seating it. I would jam it in and it would not seat. It took me several tries to get it to seat properly. Later when I got back home, I put the boat up on a rack and found the problem. If the drive is jammed straight down with all four contact points hitting at the same time, it will seat first time, every time. So if your pedals are set on 4 then you can hold them on the verticle and just slam it into place and it will seat properly every single time. But if the pedals are set on 5, as mine was, or anything other than 4, and you hold the pedals verticle and jam it down, it will not seat and all the jiggling you can do will not make it seat. You must figure out the proper angle to hold the pedals in order to make the drive mechanism absolutely level and it will seat properly. But I tried it many, many times and it never once failed to seat the very first time if it was inserted properly.

All in all I had a great sail. It will be better next time if it is a little warmer and if I figure out how to get that damn seat to stay in place.

Ron Patterson


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:35 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:07 am
Posts: 619
Location: Punta Gorda, FL
Glad you had fun, Ron!

Some have used that rubbery mesh no-skid placemat material under the seat to prevent it moving around. On my wife's boat it sometimes comes out, but mine stays put.

I leave the plugs out in rough water, but put them in in calm water. With plugs removed, my butt stays wet in calm water, and I only weigh 165. With plugs tightened, I stay dry until I take a wave over the side.

You're not going to flip just by burying an ama. You're going to have to really TRY to capsize one of these boats. ;) My brother demonstrates:

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:40 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:36 pm
Posts: 73
Location: back in TX Inks Lake near Burnet Tx
Ron I'm assuming you are using the standard hobie seat cushion, mine did exactly the same til I replaced cushion with the I comfort self inflating one which apart from being far more comfortable has a non slip bottom and my problem went away (as did the numb bum after 3 or 4 hours of sailing)

MM


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:49 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
G'Day Ron,
Glad you enjoyed your first sail! 8)
I had a similar problem with the seat and solved it with the non slip mat. The new seat pads though have received great reviews and I will be trying one as soon as my dealer gets it in.
You will always have a wet backside. If you leave the seat scupper plugs undone it will be wet the moment you sit down. If you leave them done up the spray will eventually fill the seat well. I have found I stay warmer with them done up as the water from spray eventually warms up a bit whereas the constantly changing water is always cold.
If you want to leave them undone I suggest you try Roadrunner's partial taping of the hole that creates a venturi which works as long as you are moving.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 4:25 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:55 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Pensacola, Fl.
Stringy, thanks for the advice. I have solved the problem of the seat plugs popping out. The solution was Devcon Plastic Welder. That is the brand name for the epoxy that I glued them in with. The seat can still be removed by removing the screws, but I don' t plan on doing that at all. I will simply bungy strap the back down when transporting and leave the seat always in place.

Quote:
If you want to leave them undone I suggest you try Roadrunner's partial taping of the hole that creates a venturi which works as long as you are moving.


Could you post the URL for that thread. I have not yet read it.

Thanks again,

Ron Patterson


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:12 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
Image
Scroll about 3/4 down this thread on streamlining the Oasis:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... reamlining


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 8:54 pm 
Offline
Hobie Approved Guru

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
Darwinian wrote:
I have solved the problem of the seat plugs popping out. The solution was Devcon Plastic Welder. That is the brand name for the epoxy that I glued them in with. The seat can still be removed by removing the screws, but I don' t plan on doing that at all.


For anyone else having problems with their seat plugs staying in place, if you simply press them in they frequently will not stay in place. Generally you have to smack them down with the heel of your hand or tap them with a small block of wood and mallet. If they still won't stay, a turn of Duct tape around the pegs should do the trick. Of course, gluing them in works too!

Leaving the seat in place works well in most cases and has the added benefit that it will not be forgotten! The pedal bungee and seat-back bungee combine together to quickly secure the back.8)
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:26 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 4:36 am
Posts: 837
Location: Gippsland Lakes Victoria Australia
Darwinian wrote:
Picked up my new AI Wednesday, New Years Eve and took it out Yesterday, New Years Day. It was cold, about 55 degrees and the water was around the same temperature. Wind was around 10 mph, sometimes a it felt closer to 20 and sometimes about 5 mph. However all wind speeds, on my part were just a guess.

Some have claimed that the AI does not go to the winward very good. I did not have that problem. I could easily go about 45 degrees into the wind though it seemed even closer. The stronger the wind however, the better it sailed into the wind.

The boat handled beautifully. Once I buried an ama completely under the water. I quickly turned into the wind because I feared I might capsize. Probably not but it scared me anyway. I would not been scared however if the water had not been so cold.

I got wet but I had a wet suit on, a vest type PFD over that and rain gear on top. I did not get cold, in fact I was sweating under my wet suit. Water would often hit me in the face however and that was cold. Sometimes when I was going hard into the wind and the wind was highest, I took a lot of water over the side. I did not find that a bother however except for the few times it hit me in the face.

My butt did feel cold however and I later found out why. When I brought the boat in I found I was sitting in about two inches of water. The drains in the seat area had screw in plugs in them. That meant there was no drain, just a bowl of water which I sat in. When I got home I unscrewed the plugs but left them in. Hosed it down and found the water drained very good that way. That is the way they will stay.

Major problem; the damn seat would not stay steady. I plugged the two little studs into their holes but every time I turned around or slid forward, they would come out. It would take some effore to get them seated again but a few minutes later they would be out again. I don't know what I am going to do about this problem but it is intolorable the way it is. Perhaps I will get some plastic holding epoxy and glue them in. I could just fold the back down when transporting it, even upside down.

Mirage drive; I had trouble seating it. I would jam it in and it would not seat. It took me several tries to get it to seat properly. Later when I got back home, I put the boat up on a rack and found the problem. If the drive is jammed straight down with all four contact points hitting at the same time, it will seat first time, every time. So if your pedals are set on 4 then you can hold them on the verticle and just slam it into place and it will seat properly every single time. But if the pedals are set on 5, as mine was, or anything other than 4, and you hold the pedals verticle and jam it down, it will not seat and all the jiggling you can do will not make it seat. You must figure out the proper angle to hold the pedals in order to make the drive mechanism absolutely level and it will seat properly. But I tried it many, many times and it never once failed to seat the very first time if it was inserted properly.

All in all I had a great sail. It will be better next time if it is a little warmer and if I figure out how to get that damn seat to stay in place.

Ron Patterson

Ron

Great post!
I too have/am experiencing the seat plug problem and the Mirage Drive seating problem. :shock: You have posted some really valuable info here but unfortunately a lot of members will miss itr because it is under the subject heading "My first trip in my brand new 09 AI".
If the relevant parts were headed Mirage Drive seating problem and Seat Post problem/solution, I suspect lots more would benefit from your experience.
Anyhow, thanks for the post and coming up with solutions to both these issues. 8) :wink: :) :D
Mickey


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:02 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:39 am
Posts: 858
Location: Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia
stringy wrote:
Image
Scroll about 3/4 down this thread on streamlining the Oasis:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... reamlining


Love that venturi idea Stringy...Just be replicated on my boat....Pirate :wink:


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 12:03 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:39 am
Posts: 858
Location: Bairnsdale, Victoria Australia
Pirate wrote:
stringy wrote:
Image
Scroll about 3/4 down this thread on streamlining the Oasis:
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewt ... reamlining


Love that venturi idea Stringy...Just now been replicated on my boat....Pirate :wink:


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:29 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:04 pm
Posts: 227
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Darwinian wrote:
The boat handled beautifully. Once I buried an ama completely under the water. I quickly turned into the wind because I feared I might capsize. Probably not but it scared me anyway. I would not been scared however if the water had not been so cold.
Ron Patterson


I know just how you feel. The first day I had 15-20 MPH winds I was scared I would capsize and the boat would not turn sometimes as I found from some here that I must not have had the Sail reefed enough. I have alot to learn about the amount of reefing needed and when. Need some warmer water to sail in though.

_________________
2010 Hibiscus Adventure Island


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:08 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:55 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Pensacola, Fl.
ElementAI, if you feel you must turn, then always turn into the wind. Tht is easy because that, in the case of the AI anyway, is the natural tendecy of the boat. You will find that if you trun into the wind you will experience an immediate response. Tuning away from the wind however, is another matter. The AI is very sluggtish when turning away from the wind. That is because the boat, with the Mirage Drive in place and a full sail up, is basically unbalanced.

To correct the problem, you can either remove the Mirage Drive or better yet, just push one pedal all the way forward. That will place the flippers, or fins as they are called here, against the hull leaving only the dagger board, and of course the rudder, to balance the boat.

You will find that simply pushing one pedal completely forward, removing the mirage drive as part of the lateral resistance, the boat will then turn more easiely away from the wind.

Ron Patterson


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 3:25 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
The easiest way that I have found to turn downwind in strong wind, is to let the sail out (ease out the sheet line) as you turn. Basically steering with the sail. It can be a lot of fun, and far less stress on the rudder.

Kayaking Bob


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:16 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:07 am
Posts: 619
Location: Punta Gorda, FL
I learned a lot about the balance of the boat by sailing with my rudder up for a while. I was using the paddle as a rudder, but trying to use it as little as possible.

You can adjust the center of lift by easing or tightening the sheet, as Bob says, and by partially furling and unfurling the sail.

To adjust the center of lateral resistance, you can adjust the angle or depth of the daggerboard, and you can set the Mirage Drive fins at any position.

Using different combinations on different points of sail, I was able to sail the boat easily without the rudder and with minimal steering from the paddle. The only thing that was a challenge was tacking in the chop without assistance from the Mirage Drive, but that can be a problem even with the rudder down. ;)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:01 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:35 pm
Posts: 75
Location: Niceville, Florida
Hey Ron, mine just got here yesterday, I'm right down the road in Fort Walton. The test rides I've done have been great fun even though I don't know anything about sailing! (how do i attach picture?)

_________________
'09 Adventure Island (SOLD)
2017 Tandem Island


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group