Hobie TI Capacity Rating

I have a 2015 TI that lists its capacity as 600 pounds. Should I include all standard TI equipment (Mirage drives, mast, sail, drive plugs, paddles, etc) in my gear weight? I have a week long trip in the Everglades coming up and want to make sure I don't overload the boat.

Thanks,

Yakmandu
Patrick Rohde

I would consider anything and everything that came with the boat to be part of the boats dry weight. The 600 lbs is on top of that (passengers, gear, etc), at least thats the way I read it. I'm not saying you should exceed the 600 lbs, but their 600 lb capacity number is very conservative, many of us have exceed that number many times without problems (in my case mostly in fairly calm conditions). Not sure I would take mine out in 15-20 mph winds and 3 ft chop with 800 lbs (4 adults). We store an inflatable 4person 650 lb capacity boat that when we have too much weight we just tow it along behind us offshore (can't hardly tell it's back there if towed on a 15 ft line tied to the rear centerline of the TI. We also found out by hard knocks to try to have as much weight as possible to the rear of the boat unless you like nose diving and difficulty steering (the TI has a smallish rudder for it's size)

(Pointer,, don't load down a regular kayak with gear and try to tow it, we found out the hard way they tip over in open water without a human on board (lol).
Hope this helps
FE

I have had roughly 800 lbs plus on my 2015 TI (4 big people ), with two on the tramps, just off the beach in very light winds. The boat rode low in the water. The front seat hatch was not underwater, but, the rear seat hatch was below water level... However, the rear most hatch near the rudder, and the rudder lines were not underwater... We were pedaling, and the boat was a little sluggish, but, still turned very well.. I was sitting in the rear seat, and I did not like the fact that the hatch below me was below the water level. I kept thinking, I hope the boat is not taking on water.. It was calm weather, and in the end, the TI did not let any water in at all, not even through the hatch.

The water level near the seat hatches is my gauge now. If any of the hatches are below water level, I am overloaded, or not evenly loaded... I want all those seat hatches above water level before I am happy with the loading..