Best. Summer. Ever!

Thank you!

Yes, the TI stays on the trailer unless it is in the water. Hook up and go, like you say; I trailer right to the ramp. I put up the mast, extend the amas, clamp on the tramps, and I am pretty much ready to back it into the water in 10 minutes. For storage, I end up wheeling the trailer+boat from the front driveway, through a fence and gate, onto the back concrete patio to keep it out of sight from prying eyes.

From what I have read, and my own experience, the PVC bunks are much better than the cradles. Even the dents left by the cradles are beginning to rebound. Here is a thread that talks more about the PVC bunks versus cradles:

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=59573

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-MM
2016 Hobie TI Golden Papaya "Wave Dancer"
Trailex Trailer

Matt,

Thank you! Yes, I had seen the Hobie vane, as well as third-party vendors'. I will probably go with Hobie's or another commercial rig at some point. I kind of did it just to say I had done it, and to save a few dollars Sometime it is just the challenge of figuring out how to make something!

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-MM
2016 Hobie TI Golden Papaya "Wave Dancer"
Trailex Trailer

I definitely recommend fitting an indicator arrow with some horizontal surfaces. My 71 year old eyes have no hope of seeing a piece of plastic about 0.5mm thick, end-on, from 18 feet away!

I modified my original masthead fitting by now attaching the same wind indicator to the short mast included in the Hobie spinnaker kit.
To aid night visibility, I covered the underside of the arrow point with white retro-reflective tape, and the "feathers" with red. Works like a charm, lighting up like a Christmas tree with my headlamp during night sailing.

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

Tony,

Thank you! I am so glad you found this thread and re-posted the picture of your mast topper and wind vane. I had seen your picture awhile back (but after I originally built mine), and really admired your attachment system. Earlier in this thread, I even mentioned other mast toppers, but the one I really had in mind was yours!

And yes, I remember now that one of the reasons I built my own was for visibility - the single sheet of plastic edge-on did not seem adequate to me.

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-MM
2016 Hobie TI Golden Papaya "Wave Dancer"
Trailex Trailer

Very nice! Hopefully the accountant helped you write off the expense!

Thank you! In the end, it did cost me a master bath makeover and a new front door, but it was worth it!

_________________
-MM
2016 Hobie TI Golden Papaya "Wave Dancer"
Trailex Trailer