THE HAKA BENCH SEAT - AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRAMPS

I've just checked both boats and these are more accurate measurements:
-between TI crossbars = 1400mm. Centres = 1445mm. Outside = 1485mm
-between AI pin style crossbars = 1470mm. Centres = 1510mm. Outside = 1550mm.
This will vary between boats and depend on how square the aka are. None of my aka are parallel so the distance between aka varies the closer you get to the ama.

Thanks a lot Stringy for all your informations and the time you took to take the measurements..

Richard

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2013 Papaya TI, on order for May ........Come on summer...;0)

Here's one of our recent celebrity Haka converts, as he beats through the waves "high and dry", atop the comfortable wings of the Batboat. (A hybrid AI with TI Amas). http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=33992&hilit=batboat



Proving there are are many ways to fly.

Very sorry if this hurts the sales of new Hobie kayak seats.

Haka Bench good... but "Haka Butt" bad .

I had to come up with something that would give my ole back some support, and recycling my Hobie seats seemed like the best solution to this problem; light weight, available and removable.

The aluminium flat bar was necessary to keep the web straps away from my thighs. To hold the seats in place I replaced the twist and lock pegs with a couple of 1/4" ss bolts with fender washers that go through the wood towards the back end. Occasionally I'll slide myself (not the seats), a bit forward to adjust for trim, but mostly I stay right where the seats are. I see this as a minor compromise that makes for a much more comfortable ride. I guess I'm just built for pleasure not speed.

I'm still working on a few enhancements like adding a piece of 3/4" Dri-Fast Open Cell Foam to the inside of the bottom seat, but the ability to lean back now and relax is an great improvement.

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2014 Tandem Island

Cool. One more thing you could do is drill and tap for the hobie plastic screw ins and go back to the twist locks.

Thanks, glad you like it.
It seems to be working OK so far and didn't cost me much to install it this way. BTW, I re-measured the Dri-Fast Open Cell Foam that I added to the inside of the seats and it's actually a 1", not 3/4" thick piece.
I'll take a picture when I can. The seats are now about 2" thick and comfy .

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2014 Tandem Island

I decided the hakas that I made were too heavy - 20 lbs each - so I made another set out of 1/2" teak and they are plenty strong, yet weigh only 11.7 lbs each. Same design, but just a little narrower because not only are the boards 1/2" vs 3/4", they are a bit narrower.

I then added legs to the original set, which have seen use in Bahia Honda, Key Largo, St. Augustine, and West Palm Beach, so they are poolside benches.

Kevin,
Those are georgous!
Are you planing the teak down yourself or purchasing 1/2" boards somewhere? How are the legs attached, and what's the overall length and width? I would love to see more pictures of the top and bottom if possible.
Very nice work.
Are you in WPB?

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2014 Tandem Island

Great solution there sEs!
Should help with the splinters as well!
I've wondered just how comfortable the wooden haka are without padding when using them all day? I guess there is a certain amount of spring 'suspension' with the wood. The aluminium haka are very stiff and need cushions for sure.

Sun E The seats look great. Welcome to the "Layed Back Club". CaptinCaos called me layed back Larry because of my seats. But they sure are nice when you are on the water. Now he has a set on his.

They sure are kind to the back.

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“Remember life is short- eat dessert first.”
The world is 70% water – So that means we should spend 70% more time sailing than mowing lawns!
Larry

"SPLINTERS"...?
All right... go ahead and laugh all you want, but someday if we find ourselves (and our super models) marooned on a island with no firewood to cook with, I'll be thinking of you , trying to build up some friction heat by rubing your sticks of aluminium together. Good luck with that .

Larry, you know me too well. I'm a life long member of the "Layed Back Club" for sure.
I was just thinking the other day how comfortable all this has become. What with these new benches, cushy seats and ease of steering, I sometimes have nothing to do - I've made myself obsolete . I may have to take up a new hobby.....? Like sailing maybe .

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Sun E Sailor
Ezra Appel
Palm City, Florida
2014 Tandem Island

How about Fishing???????????

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“Remember life is short- eat dessert first.”
The world is 70% water – So that means we should spend 70% more time sailing than mowing lawns!
Larry

All right...no more splinter jokes, but the wooden haka look so good I've got to justify my aluminium haka somehow.

Nohuhu,
My wife thanks you for the haka mod!

We had another great days sailing yesterday that confirmed that this is the most significant mod I've done to the TI.
We headed out in pleasant enough conditions...



...but with very strong gusts and then a wind change this is what she avoided by being out on the haka:






The TI handled the conditions so much better as well, being nicely counter balanced.
Sadly, now that my wind and sprayshield has pretty much taken up a permanent position on the haka when sailing, I didn't fare as well and copped a soaking at times.
Might have to get that quarter deck going.

Just think of the Brownie points when you give her the sad wet puppy look and she realises you are "taking one for the team"!

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker