Old mono hull sailor looking for a change.

I gotta admit---a Corsair F-24 in the fleet would be a welcome addition for me!

Keep dreaming guys. It's good for you.

And it's interesting to note that you can grab any number of solid older monos, (other peoples dream boats) even decent live-aboards for less than the cost of a new TI and trailer.

Or a couple fast cats.

So which choice disposes of the most income?

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Hey guys. I should have come back sooner. Thanks for all the replies.

Yeah, I think I want to try something different. I looked at a Montgomery 17, but it would just be the same thing as my Columbia 28, just smaller.

I think I'm going to go for a 2015 TI with the new seat and better designed hull. It's not like I'm going to do any overnight camping. After sailing for three years I never even spent one night aboard the Columbia.

TI sounds more exciting. I will keep it at the Kane'ohe Marine Corps Marina trailer lot, and use those wheels to roll it to the ramp.

TC

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

C U on the bay!

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

Well, tested a 2015 TI this week. Sat in the front, beach launched in Kailua Bay.

Wetter than I thought it would be. In fact, I got soaked. What percentage of the spray would a spray skirt prevent?

And it was pretty heavy. Don't think I'd do much beach launching. Would ramp launch with wheels.

We didn't get to drop the dagger board as the bay has lots of coral. So, didn't steer that well and kept getting pushing sideways.

Maybe an AI would be better for me. Weighs 90 lbs less.

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

I wouldn't be so sure that a new AI would weigh 90 pounds less than a TI. There has been much confusion about the actual weight of an AI2...

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

Tcul:
With the older AI vs the TI, the TI was the superior design, but not anymore, the new AI is equal in design to the TI now (really good), now your decision is how many people do you ever bring along. The AI with tramps or Hakas can probably haul one other person on the tramp if needed (supermodel preffered). With the TI with tramps in fairly calm seas we have hauled as many as 4 adults , a few times we have had 3 adults and 3 kids on our TI (I usually bring 6 life vests just in case). The TI also solo's quite well so you can go either way. I would discribe the TI as a family boat, we bought ours to replace our Sea Ray powerboat and everything we did on the powerboat we now do on our TI. Both the AI and TI are easily modified to do whatever you can dream up. Since we are divers and live in south Florida and the Keys we have ours hardened with massive sails and big twin outboards specifically for offshore, and also to work around the very light winds we have here typically all summer. One thing we discovered early on is the keys are huge and all the Islands are surrounded by bare sand and shallow water with nothing to see ( very boring for diving and snorkeling). Plus we are very limited as to where we can launch (Key West only has two places you can launch from on the whole Island, and both are a very long way from anything interesting (many miles). Obviously our circumstances are unique and we had to adapt our boat to suit our own circumstances and lifestyle. We used to car top mostly (because we have a camper that uses the hitch), and yes the TI is a little heavier, but both boats are a little heavy for car topping and most of us launch from trailers, with a trailer which boat you choose makes little difference (the extra weight and capacity of the TI in the scheme of things means very little (no real downside). Personally I prefer the TI myself because I want that extra capacity when I need it.
Another big factor for us is we are mainly kayakers, and only use Tandem kayaks when kayaking (without the big sails and AMA's). We used to have solo kayaks but sold them all in favor of the tandems, first with the Oasis, now with the TI kayak. All tandems are bigger and heavier so were are quite used to that, it takes me less time to get one boat off the roof, and get it all rigged and ready than two complete boats. To be honest when we traded in the Oasis for the TI kayak we actually feel the TI is easier for me to load on the roof than our Oasis was, there are only a few lbs difference and the extra couple feet in length actually makes it easier to lift one end of the boat. Even though Hobie doesn't even market the TI as a kayak, we find the TI kayak (without the big sails and AMA's) to be the fastest kayak we have ever owned, and with it's huge 600 lb weight capacity and ample storage to be the finest tandem kayak on the market today (plus you get a free sail boat with it if you desire). If you look at the prices of real 'pro level' expedition kayaks, the TI is comparably priced. Heck we even run class 2 rapids with ours (rapids are actually easier to run with a tandem kayak vs a single with two expert paddlers), actually our old Oasis was much more difficult to use (why we traded it for the TI). To be fair I have heard the newer Oasis design is much better. Thats it, only you can choose which boat suites your lifestyle the best, to be perfectly honest, either boat is an excellent choice. I know of nothing else out there on the market that even holds a candle to either boat.
Hope this helps
Bob

I don't think there is any confusion about the weight of the 2015 AI (AI 2). Matt Miller has posted the correct weight, 185# fully rigged. (http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&p=252250#p252250) That matches the weight of my AI 2 (before my many mods.)


Unfortunately, Hobie, on their home site, continues to post an incorrect weight of 142# fully rigged for the AI 2. In the entrepreneurial spirit you could truly say, "Buyer beware."

I don't own a 2015 TI and cannot verify that weight.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

We own a 2012 TI and the weights I always assumed were about a hundred lbs for the kayak alone (stripped bare with no seats, mirage drives, paddles,etc (what I actually load on the roof of my car), and 200 lbs fully rigged before all my mods and 280 lbs with all my mods. That includes 55 lbs for the two big ole Honda outboards, 10 lbs of gas (enough gas for 150-200 miles range), 7 lbs for my planing hull mod, about 3-5 lbs for the wing jib, and about 5 lbs for the mast topper and bow sprit. We mostly use our trailer anymore so the actual weight in the scheme of things really means nothing from my perspective. Yes it takes me an extra five minutes or so to rig my boat vs a standard TI, typically about 15 minutes from backing to the water, to ready to launch. But in the typical light winds we have around here, I much prefer traveling at pedaling cruise speeds of 8-10 mph ( with wing sail and Hybrid gas assisted propulsion) vs 2-3 mph pedaling in the typical light winds all thru the summer.
I can afford between $.50 and $.75 cents a week for fuel. My hull mod adds about 100 lbs of additional flotation to the rear, and allows the hull to plane (similar hull design to Weta).
These are absolutely the most versatile and modify-able boats out on the market today ( no silly one design rules from the 60's)
All just our opinion, we love our TI.
Bob

Sounds awfully like confusion to me Keith LOL

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

It will be clear if you write on the blackboard 100 times,
"The AI 2 weighs 185 lbs"

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Keith:
You are in a inique position, you have now massive experience on both designs, and you are a trailer guy vs a roof topper guy. I can understand the dismay to the roof toppers (more strains lugging up on roof) but in the normal day to day scheme of things, regular launching from your trailer and normal day to day boat handling (excluding dragging up past the high tide mark when camping (which is a given to be a bit more difficult). Does the extra weight of the AI-2 outweigh the performance gains, and the ability to haul much more gear, (you can now stow much more gear in the bow hatch vs having to keep the bow pretty much empty previously). In other words if you could have your old AI back do you prefer the old AI-1 vs the new AI-2. Personally I have never ridden in either, but I have a new found respect for the AI-2 just from everything I've read so far.
Bob

Hi Bob,

The extra weight of the AI 2 is definitely a problem for me; but, I have a trailer, and I've added a winch to that trailer--definitely helps. Hauling the AI 2 around on a beach, loaded for camping, is problematic. For this purpose, I'm using rollers (2 shown here, but 3 are better):



I'm definitely NOT carrying more gear, just because I can--quite the opposite. I'm always looking to pare down my weight, especially with this heavy AI 2.

To answer your question, do I prefer the AI to the AI 2, no. The AI was long overdue for a major upgrade. It would be nice if I were 20 yrs younger, but that is not in the books. My capsize on the 4th time I used the boat & first time camping has definitely spooked me a bit, and I've taken your advice to "harden" the boat--a lot. With my 2011 AI, I could honestly say nothing bad ever happened, ever. It will take some time to get my confidence back in the AI 2, but, I think it will come. Nevertheless, it is an awesome upgrade.

To see all my mods (hardening and, in the event of a capsize, recovery) you can go to here: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276&start=750

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

I think you'd find that a strip or 2 of outdoor carpet also works well on any terrain, and can be handy around a campsite.

Tcul, it's true, Kailua and Lanikai are a little better suited to the AI. At least during low tide. But as soon as you push outside the bay, the new AI and TI are in their elements.

In open water, (which basically means the rest of Oahu), the bigger the boat the better. I would go wth the TI.

If you just want to stay shallow and run supermodels out to the Mokes, I find that either Hobie will do the job.

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The Wind Is Your Friend...

I'm also looking at a Montgomery 17 in Kane'Ohe. Whole different animal, but swing keel. And drier.

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I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!