Tandem Island demo with mixed feelings

I was originally looking to buy a hobie cat but storage problems made that impossible. But the tandem island looks like a great alternative. Much more portable and narrow. It also seems like a great vessel for exploring the rivers and waterways and inlet near us. I finally got a demo after driving a couple hours and paying a fee that would be put toward a purchase if I made one. It seemed worth it to get a test drive before making such a big purchase.

The kayak was really big and sturdier than I thought it'd be. Very impressive quality. The seats were great as we're all the other attentions to detail and ergonomics. I have no experience with kayaks but was thoroughly impressed. The mirage drive blew me away. Wow! So much better than any canoe or rowboat I've owned. Just a brilliant way of moving your craft.

It's the sailing that tripped me up. The TI felt sluggish. Not fast at all and there was a decent wind. Also the rudder was very stiff and slow to turn. There also seems to be no way to trim the sail with the sheet. This made catching the wind really tough. I know it's a reefing sail but this seemed to really limit the ability to catch and react to the wind. There seemed no way to just let the sail out or pull it in tight.

So overall I thought the TI was neat but for the price and with the sailing capabilities it showed I just wasn't blown away. I really wanted to be more excited, but the lack of sailing performance felt off. I'm wondering is this just the case with a TI? It's not a great sailboat but more a jack of many trades? Is there a video explaining how to get mor out of a reefing saili? I still love the TI and want to be convinced to get one but I'm also looking at other options to just get on the water - canoe, 13ft skiff.

Yep, it's not a fast boat by any means.

As you mention, it's a jack of all trades, basically it's a kayak with bits added on (although some may dispute that!).

Far more versatile than a dedicated sailer, but definitely a come-down for anyone who's uses to a speedier boat.

Cheers,

Mike.

I don't know what you're weather conditions were that day, but I've had good speed in my TI. My son and I held 9 knots for a short time and my boat is stock. It's not going to plane like a laser, but I've seen video of people hitting 12+ with the spinnaker.

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

There is absolutely a way to trim the sails with the main sheet. Too bad your dealer didn't demonstrate it for you. You can trim the sail just as you can on just about any other vessel's mainsail except there is no traveler on a stock TI. In fact, you can trim the sail from either seat on a TI.

If that is the primary issue, I would definitely suggest you visit the dealer again and ask them that specific question and for a demonstration on the use of the main sheet on the Island.

Thanks for the thoughts. The conditions during the demo were a little rushed. A storm was coming in. But that made for some good wind and good bursts.

Kinja, that's interesting. The guy in the boat with me was new to the island series and didn't know anything about sailing. He was a really experienced kayaker/fisherman. I asked to take control and showed him how to tack and how the mirage was nice to help get the TI through the turns. He thanked me for teaching him that. The demo was short because of the weather and they are going to call me to come back and try it again. I didn't see how to trim the sail, but the demoer was in the front seat controlling all the rigging. I was just steering. This is encouraging to hear.

mingle, good to know. I think I went in with certain expectations that might be overly optimistic considering all the boat can do. I was waffling on going to demo it again but this is making me think it might be worth the two hour drive down there to get a longer demo.

Hi Novacaine,I fully understand how you feel about the TI.However,after much trial and error,I find I can get fairly good sailing performance from both my 2015 AI and 2015 TI.I came from a background of mainly larger cats and Tris,and was initially a bit disappointed with the speed of the AI and TI.Now it doesn't bother me anymore.The main reason is that I now sail much more often than I ever have before.The speed factor is all relative.These boats should be compared more to monohulls.If you do that ,you will find they really are quite good.My wife and I have a combined weight of about 180 kg (nearly 400 lbs.) Add one bulldog,28 kg.motor,13kg anchor 3kg etc.,etc.Probably brings you close to 500 lbs total.We regularly hit 7 to 8 knots and average about 6 knots,without using the 2.5 hp Suzuki.I have ordered the spinnaker kit,as I miss the sail area that I am used to.However,even stock standard,the TI sails pretty well.Try not to sheet the sail too tight.That is a habit many multihull sailors are used to .One plus with a TI,they tack much better than most small cats.I very rarely need to pedal through a tack.My last boat was a windrider 17.Sure it was faster,I had 3 sails-main,jib and a big reacher.But it also weighed close to double the TI,needed a big heavy trailer and was used far less because of those two factors. I can honestly say that after owning about 70 or more boats,including much larger sail boats,I would not change my TI for anything else-I love it.

Sounds like your companion was not even aware that there are sail control in BOTH cockpits, so you could have taken over complete control yourself.

I came from owning small racing keelboats (J24 and Ron Holland quarter tonner), plus extensive chartering of larger monohulls and cats. I have enjoyed most of the thrills with minimal hassles of bigger boats.

I also bought the spinnaker kit, and am just beginning to capitalise on the capabilities of double the sail area. The capability to reef the mainsail enables me to seriously go offshore, rather than hugging the coastline, while the copious in-hull storage has plenty of room for camping and safety equipment.

Sure it won't get up and plane, but when I am sailing with a film of water covering the bow up to the mast at doing a steady 7-8 knots, I don't feel like it is slow at all.

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

My experience has been the other way around. The 2012 AI has been my first and only sailboat to date. I added a jib and spinnaker and feel like I get all the speed the boat and I can handle.

Last year my wife and I took saling courses and sailed monohulls. We were given several free sails after that. We never even used them. I just don't get the same thrill, the sense of adventure that I get when I set sail with the AI. Its not the speed, the monohulls were faster. It's being close to the water, the sense you are moving faster and being one with the water that i find unique to sailing a smaller craft. I think it's also the feeling of complete contol of the boat.

I've started sailing a catamaran (T2) and it's a whole lot of fun. I enjoy the extra speed. But every inch I am separated from the water level is a draw back and takes away from the experience . The cats make up for it in speed, monohulls didn't for me. Still, my favorite boat overall....the AI, with or without extra sails.

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Greg

2016 AI - Spinn & Jib

“Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him.”
– Charles G. Davis

Also, the helm will fight you and be sluggish under wind power if you forget to lower the centerboard. It makes a huge difference.

The TI is a tandem sailing kayak. It is not a sport sailing boat or a one design racer. You have to figure out what it is you're after.

If you want to fish, camp, cruise, explore, etc., and all while under sail power, then the TI is a heck of a do-it-all machine. If you want to go out and blast around, then you'd be better off with one of Hobie's other sailboats such as the Wave or Getaway, or even the ever popular H16. But none of those are going to offer you the wide range of uses than the TI is.

To get something on one end you give up something on the other. No single boat can do it all.

The reefable sail is an absolute winner in my mind. I have been able to go fast enough in stronger winds to generate enough spray firing through wave tops to wet the sail three feet above my head. Spray skirts are popular for a reason...

The versatility Tom mentions also includes the extra broad wind range that is the trump (oops, is this word still used in this context? ) card of the Islands.

It can make the difference in deciding whether to go sailing, or helping to ensure you get back home safely in changing wind conditions.

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