Hello and equipment question

I am about to become the owner of a '10 Oasis/Tandem with a sail kit. My intention is cruising generally and a multi-day back country expedition up north once or twice a year. The expedition trip would likely be a solo and involve about 100lbs of kit. The rest of the time, my husband and I would be day tripping at a local lake. We don't fish. Wind speed here on the lakes we would typically be on would range from 10-20 kt with potential for strong gusts as the lake is in a valley which tends to channel the wind. We plan to sail/peddle the boat all of the time, conditions allowing.

As our Hobie dealer is 900+ kms away in another province, we want the boat to arrive ready to do what we want. We are also not wanting to spend a ton of money for something which seems like something we need but then turns out was unnecessary. The boat and sail kit are ordered but I told the deal to hold off one day before shipping so I could add accessories.

What do I *need* for the activities and conditions the boat will be in and what would be nice to have but not essential. I'm thinking I'll need turbo fins, a cart, potentially sidekicks and a sailing rudder. We`re also considering an additional sail (Windpaddle, Pacific Action) as the Hobie sail apparently is a little small for the loaded craft with two aboard. Advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Kelli

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'10 Oasis

Congratulations on your purchase Kelli!
Looks like you have done your research well. All that you have listed are essential, though you could probably get away without the Sidekicks if only using the standard sail. We did OK without them with a single sail but did appreciate the safety margin they offer with two sails.
The iComfort seat pad is another worthwhile accessory.
Have you considered spare parts? Having two drives is a bonus but on expeditions a spare sprocket, drivemast, idler cable and drivechain could be useful. Check the FAQ's and tech pages for details on repairs.
If you are out in 20knots the ability to furl the sail easily becomes important. There are simple ways to achieve this posted on the sailing forum.
Enjoy and be sure to post details of your trips!

I agree with stringy's excellent and well qualified advise. He has been on a number of expeditions and had lots of sailing experience with the Oasis, both solo and dual. If I remember correctly, the '10 Oasis already comes with the large "sailing" rudder -- you can verify this with your dealer.

To save unnecessary expenses, I would personally omit stocking spare Mirage Drive parts. For your solo expeditions, your spare Drive will cover any emergencies or act as a complete spare parts kit. Additionally, your Drive will still operate (at a reduced level) if any of those parts mentioned become broken or damaged. Finally, you still have a paddle back-up and likely a sail as well. Instead, I would recommend having a small tool kit, duct tape and Loctite blue thread locker on hand in case you do need to replace or repair parts.

I would hold off on the purchase of a Sidekick and second sail until you've assessed the Hobie sail based on your own sailing experience. As stringy mentioned, there are some great tips and rigging ideas on the kayak sailing forum.

Excellent advise
The only thing I would like to add is a spare rudder pin.
It's very small and doesn't cost a lot.
You store it by clicking it in the small gaps in the lid of an 8" hatch.

Enjoy the Oasis it is a very nice yacht

Thanks for the advice. The boat is ordered along with the sail kit and sailing rudder, turbo fins for the back (or would front be better?), and I did decide to go for the sidekicks. Where we will be taking the boat, the sidekicks will provide a safety margin against getting soaked, getting the gear potentially wet etc. The longer trips will likely be up north in PANP or perhaps Tobin Lake, La Ronge and such and getting dumped in that temperature of water is not something I'd want to repeat too often, especially late season with a large amount of gear. I'll probably leave the 'Kicks off when I take the boat to one of the southern local lakes where that sort of thing isn't that much of an issue, especially in summer.

The Oasis should arrive in about 3 weeks, so anticipate photos of initial excursions. The photos of the planned late August trip to PANP will be especially interesting, I think. We're replacing a 30+ year old thoroughly bashed up and well loved Sportspal canoe (resplendent in it's weathered, fake birch bark finish ) so this is quite a step up for us, but nothing will ever beat that 38 lbs aircraft aluminum boat for portaging and getting up on the Jeep.

K

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'10 Oasis

Just as an afterthought EBS Sail and Sport is in Saskatoon is our local Hobie Cat dealer and James is a great guy with lots of knowledge and experience.

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06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.

I was not aware there was a dealer in Stoon. I searched on the Hobie site for local dealers and I got Northern Sail Works in Winnipeg and Glenmore in Edmonton. I didnt see any Hobie product on the Stoon site. Will have to check it out when I go thru on the way to PANP.

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'10 Oasis