Hobie Cat Forums

[quote="Pirate I was considering low cost alternatives. How do you think a cheap 'plastic bladder' solar shower used for camping etc. would go as an acceptable substitute to wash down the boat after each outing?[/quote]
Two advantages of the shower bladder are that it could provide warm water for better washing and also I could take it with me on overnight adventures in the AI giving me shower or possibly drinking water options?....Pirate :

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'

Why get so ahead of yourself when you are going to die anyway?
At least thats what I think. Welcome death and incorporate it into
your daily life somehow. John Lennon said that.
I swear

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New to PCs and this forum stuff. Had an original Outback and Classic. sold them both for the A.I.. Love the boat and especially this site... (if I can figure out how to use it)

Ya never know Aledal - Ol' Pirate might still have a couple of years left in him - if the Royal Navy doesn't catch up with him.

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I think we`re all already dead. We just dont know it.

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New to PCs and this forum stuff. Had an original Outback and Classic. sold them both for the A.I.. Love the boat and especially this site... (if I can figure out how to use it)

Bump. Ouch!

Nope still alive, can't walk through the wall....

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Im sure you`re right.

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New to PCs and this forum stuff. Had an original Outback and Classic. sold them both for the A.I.. Love the boat and especially this site... (if I can figure out how to use it)

Gees I hope the Royal Navy aren't onto this site..errr ...gotta go....You coming Aledal?...and bring your beetle nuts with you....Pirate

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'

3 sheets to the wind. Madness. Beetle nuts ahoy

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New to PCs and this forum stuff. Had an original Outback and Classic. sold them both for the A.I.. Love the boat and especially this site... (if I can figure out how to use it)

I just got the AI so I'm into this thread a bit late.

I've had it for two days - trying to car top and two healthy scratches on the car door.

I've been trying bars plus a rack and roll and storing it cockpit down on a Subaru Outback (don't know what that's called in the US).

Back to the Hobie dealer on Monday to replace the rack and roll system with rooftop cradles (on Thule bars). I'm not sure how the boat gets loaded from there and I really can't get my mind around it. I'm sure it has to be cockpit up which at least gets the metal edges away from the car (no way is it going anywhere near the car inverted again). If it's a bottom down slide from the rear of the car I think I might have the issues mentioned above for the Forester of the bars/cradle being too far forward. There is also a built in spoiler at the top of the rear hatch to get over. I suppose we wait and see but if there are any other easy fixes out there I'd love to hear as this is what my children would call mission critical...

Ahh... In the US we call it... a Subaru Outback...

I have one also, with the Thule bars, but have never tried putting the AI up there, as I have my truck for that. And most of the time are carrying more than one AI.

Welcome Brisailer!

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

I do not understand the argument for it having to be upside down. It isn't transported on the trailers upside down! providing it is well supported and not point loading, I don't see the problem? I lug mine around on top of an old Jeep Cherokee with 4 Thule bars that are wrapped in foam and rubber. It is well cushioned and sits quite happily on there. providing I don't try and do 100MPH, it seems quite happy with no obvious signs of trouble.

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Either lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!

As long as the hull is well supported, with the weight carried across many sq. in.'s it should be fine. I always transport mine upright, unless I'm hauling more than two, then some need to go on their side. Also it makes a difference on how far you are going and how tightly you have to tie them down. I travel only 5-10 miles most of the time. And at a top speed of about 40mph.

I setup my truck racks to be about the same distance apart as the aka, so I strap around the hull, on both sides of the aka xbars to each rack. Unless the strap or buckle breaks, or a xbar comes off, the boat is going nowhere! If I was traveling at higher speeds or longer distances, I'd add bow and stern tyedowns to limit shifting.

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http://KayakingBob.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2007, 2009 & 2010 Hobie AIs and a 2010 TI

Hi Brisailer. I've got a Forester, with the obligatory scratches on the front door from the first time I tried to load the AI inverted, using a rack & roll bar. The bar works just fine - the trick is to put the boat on upright, then flip it over if you want to carry it inverted (as I do). I've loaded the boat many times since and never had a problem doing it that way. Yakass has kindly posted a video of how to do it: http://yakabout.com.au/home/content/view/500/39/ .

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Ahhh, the old AI scratch. Yep I've got mine too.

This is what I use.



I think something else not mentioned much is having a bar on the side of the roof rack running fore and aft. The side
extension pole then meets at 90 deg and forms a nice corner in which to place the bow ready for lifting. This seems to make the hull more stable In my case the edge of the roof rack basket acts as this bar. When loading I like a nice big angle of about 45 deg to the car. This keeps the hard pointy bits away from the car's paintwork.

I've seen some PVC conduit tied down between the 2 roof rack bars which also seems to work well.

More pictures here-
http://www.hobiecat.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=14777

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Hi all

Thanks for all the info. I'm having a look at a Thule slip stream on Wednesday. Seems to answer some of the problems with the spoiler overhang. The aero bars are very low to the roof so flipping isn't a stress free operation. Like others here (I suspect) I carry some permanent reminders of a misspent youth so the easier it is to get it over my head the better.

This means that it would transport cockpit up but its secured front and rear and on cradles and certainly won't be going anywhere once on. Structurally I'm told it's not an issue but I guess if we can position the supports at the cross beams that would be the strongest part of the boat.

In the meantime, after a first outing with NO wind I managed a very nice first sail on Moreton Bay in 15 -20 knots with a happy 1 metre swell/ chop much of which ended up down the back of the shirt.

And loving it ...

More after Wednesday.