TI with 1 adult and 1 child?

I currently have an Adventure Island that I take my 4 yr old and yellow lab on. I have an extra seat installed behind me (back facing) for when the little guy doesn't want to be on the tramp. I was thinking of upgrading to a TI to be able to have him sit in front of me (in view) and for the extra room. Also, the bigger sail size might help with the light winds in our area. I have a few concerns though.

Will the weight distribution be ok? Is it necessary to have 2 adults for the boat to be balance properly? If I take it out solo, will I need to add some sort of ballast?

I currently launch from davits and deploy they trampolines out on the water. On the AI the tramps are right next to you, but on the TI they are forward. Is it feasible for the the person in the rear to deploy them on the water?

Would there be any issues with sail control (main or potential spinnaker) with a little one up front or no one up front at all?

Thanks!

No problem with the weight distribution. You can sail with your child or solo with no issues - ballast not needed.

I think deploying the trampolines on the water would be challenging from the rear seat. I think it would be easier to do from the front and then switch seats with your child.

The issue with sail control is mainly related to not being able to furl the main from the rear seat, but the rigging can be modified to accommodate furling from the rear. This has been well documented in the forum. I can't speak to the spinnaker issue, but I'm sure the spinnaker thread and those familiar with the sail would make clear whether rear seat spinnaker deployment is feasible.

If sailing from the rear then also 'well documented' is the fact that if you tie the ends of the furling and main sheet together then it is indeed possible to furl from the rear. That's how most TI solo sailors do it - therefore the same applies when you are sailing with a child I would imagine...

Hope that helps?

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2015 Tandem Island - Golden Papaya "HALIBOO"
(retired) Outback - Hibiscus Red

I always sail my TI from the rear seat either alone or with a passenger. I deploy both the amas and trampolines out on the water. You can deploy (and fold) the amas easily from the rear seat, but to deploy the trampolines requires a bit more work and you have to crawl out of the seat to set them up. Still it's no major issue as long as you're reasonably agile and have decent balance. Your passenger needs to do nothing but sit.

The weight distribution with either a small passenger (child) in the front seat or alone is fine. Some say it's better with ballast but I never use ballast and have no issues. The boat sails great alone from either the front seat or the back.

There is no issue with sail control sailing from the rear seat. Like most people I tie the mainsheet line to the furling line. Works great. I much prefer sailing from the back seat, but everyone has their own preference.

You need have no concern for these issues.

I don't have a spinnaker sail (yet) so I can't speak to that.

Which is why I said the rigging can be modified...

If I'm going to use the tramps on the TI and in the past AI, I always deploy them before launching on the beach. Much easier to do before launching and after landing. And if I was going to bring a child and/or more than one passenger, which is very seldom (limits the range due to possible pickup in the wind, not safe), then I would use the tramps or at least one tramp. Otherwise I never use the tramps and found over time that I prefer not to deploy them.
In fact, I would never buy them. Use a bench instead.

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Mark
Tandem Island- 2013
2 - Sports - 2014

I love taking my son (or daughter, wife, dogs) out on our TI. He's almost 13, so older and heavier than your son.
As others have mentioned simply tie the furling line to the main and your set. Everything is easily manageable from the rear seat. When my wife is with me she prefers the rear seat so that she doesn't get as wet.
I have the tramps but have never set them up while on the water. I get everything setup while on a trailer, then slide it in the water.
You can sail solo from the rear seat just fine but I have found that a 5 gallon water bag http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products ... +water+bag
in the front footwell does wonders for the ride in the new hull. It lets the bow stay a little lower and actually cut into the waves vs riding up on them and slamming down on the next wave.
If you're on a lake with short period waves from wind and boat wake a little weight in the bow is great.
I also have played with sitting in the front and adding the water bag on the rear storage area and that works great too.

Heres a video on Lake Lanier just north of Atlanta. The video gets a little wavy in places thanks to YouTubes stabilization..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbBGv9Txm_g

I love the TI, it was initially a tough sell to my wife... But now she is a big fan.

What the others said.
I used to have 2 AI's, and got a TI when they were first released. I kept sailing the AI when solo and the TI with a passenger but over time I came to prefer the TI's larger sail and capacity. It wins on versatility and sails just as well solo as with a passenger. I really like the tramps and they are always on. They can be deployed on the water easier on the TI due to rear seat access.
Haka add greatly to the sailing experience. I wouldn't be without either. I used tramps all the time with the AI but the big advantage with the TI is you can paddle from the rear seat easily with the tramps deployed.
The best solo position when sailing for me (at 80kg) is sitting just aft of the rear aka, in line with the footwell, so if considering haka they need to cantilever 40cm or so past the rear aka.

Thanks for all the great input. I think we'll have to give it a try. I hadn't considered that it would be easier to paddle behind the akas. That's a nice bonus trying to maneuver around our dock and up to the davits. Thanks again!

May be a silly question but why would one deploy the tramps out on the water, as opposed to setting them up ready before launching? Is it to make it easier climbing in/etc during launch by not having them deployed?

The OP mentioned that they use davits to put in.

Can you tell me more about your davit rig? I've been looking at ways of docking the boat without having to bring it in -- hard to do by myself though not impossible with the right tides.

Thanks!!

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2016 Tandem Island