Sailing the i14T single-handed

I tried the sail on my i14T for the first time today. The conditions were perfect for trying out a new rig: steady 10-15mph winds, enough to fill the sail quickly but not overpowering. I was single-handing in the rear seat but put the forward drive in to use as a daggerboard. When solo I also put a 6lb anchor in the forward hatch to help keep the nose down. I'm not a novice sailor but not an expert either. Under sail the rudder was totally useless. The bow would turn into the wind very quickly on almost all points of sail except downwind. I'm familiar with weather helm and how to handle it. Depowering the sail by letting it out didn't work. Any amount of sail would result in a turn into the wind. With the paddle in hand for directional control, I was able to steer ok and had some fun sailing. In short, the sail can be fun for dinking around with and it's a great feeling moving along with no effort, but it really shouldn't be taken too seriously, with the leeway and weather helm. Of course this boat isn't designed for sailing so I wasn't expecting much, and that's ok. I'd be interested if others have tried solo sailing this boat and if there is anything that can be done to improve the handling. I'm not interested in a larger rudder just for the occasional sail and with the drag and turn rate into the wind I don't think it would help anyway. Any sailing info with two persons would also be helpful. Despite the problems it did give me the sailing bug. Now I've got my eye on an Adventure Island.

Fletch,

My first sailing experiences with the i14T were similar, but after reading through a lot of posts I decided to try a few modifications.
First things first, you're going to need to install the sail rudder ($25) to get the boat to respond. Turbo fins are a bigger investment but well worth it. They'll make a huge difference especially when soloing, and they'll get your boat to point.
I was bit by the sailing bug too and rigged a furling jib. The boat now points into the wind and performs great with or without passengers.
Don't sell the boat short; I've been having a lot of fun with it. I agree with you, the sail kit out of the box is anything but awe inspiring, but the addition of the rudder, fins and jib really pulled it all together.

Check it out…..

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=12144

Additional inspiration:

hi 69cpu,

I saw your post in the other forum before I posted mine. When I wrote it I was thinking of trying to make it work without any serious modifications, that if I could just keep the boat from heading up that would be all I need. But your pics and text are a bad influence on me and I'm thinking of trying the mods. A few questions...
Do you have to keep the sail rudder hard against the wind to keep it from turning into the wind, ie. if bow is turning right into the wind, you counter with hard left rudder? Seems that would be a lot of drag and also my rudder centers quickly without holding it in place with my left hand.
If I had the sail rudder and the turbo fins, is that alone enough to keep it from heading up into the wind, or is the jib a requirement also? I can see installing the rudder and fins, but the jib is too much for me living in a condo without a workshop.

Thanks very much for your inspiration and advice.

Sorry about the double posts, I guess I just like showing off the boat. The jib is overkill, and not a necessity for correcting weather helm. Before I built the jib into my rig, I had similar issues with weather helm, and even lee helm (pointing away from the wind, also not good). If your rig is balanced you should never have to sail with the rudder hard over in either direction, it should always be as close to center (point of least resistance) as possible. Try raking the mast forward by loosening the side stays and tightening the forward stay. I had to rake the top of my mast about 3 inches forward before I noticed a difference. Start with that and see if there’s any improvement. Next, try the bigger rudder and see if that improves the situation, and make sure you're locking it down. Actually reach behind you and pull it close to make sure it’s locked, and then cleat it, because as the rudder lifts up out of the water you'll notice more weather helm. In all honesty the sail rudder should be included as part of the sail kit package, and that’s what’s deceiving. The last option you have will cost you because the turbo fins are expensive, but the fins and rudder combination should keep your boat straight with or without someone up front, and in any wind.

I raked the sail forward 3 or more inches and took it for a spin today. (bad metaphor I know). The sail adjustment did help provide more rudder control, still using the standard rudder. In a strong gust the boat would still head up quickly but dumping the sail allowed the rudder to become operable again, albeit with loss of speed. I need to make further adjustments to the side stays for the next outing. In gusty winds the mast leaned far too much for comfort. I talked to my Hobie dealer who ordered the sail rudder. The dealer said Hobie is slow and it would take 3-4 weeks. Respectfully asking the Hobie rep who reads this..why does it take so long for a customer to get a fairly common part?