Can I manage a TI?

I had a Rhodes 22 which is a heavy, hardy boat with a mast-raising system. At age 70 I could launch. sail and retrieve it solo. Now I'm 80 and no longer have the Rhodes. I'm very drawn to the TI but worried that I might not be able to set the mast and physically manage the launching and retrieving solo. I'm a 5' female.
I prefer the TI for social reasons (i.e. wanting to have company at times) although I expect I would still be single-handing from time to time.
Any thoughts?

Piece of cake.
You'll only encounter difficulty if you're car-topping the TI, and only if it's going up high. If you're trailering it, then they're incredibly easy to load, unload, and rig solo - no need to be particularly brawny.

I reckon if you could manage a Rhodes 22 at age 70, you should be able to handle a Hobie TI at 80 in your sleep.

If you're looking at second-hand ones, the older models are a bit lighter than the newer ones.

Good luck!

You should be fine with the TI at 80. Strongly recommend a trailer and ramp launching. The mast is fairly light and should be manageable.

Enjoy the sailing. The TI can take one or two crew.

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Jim
Hobie TI 2022 - Offshore rig - Outboard - having fun!
Hobie TI 2021 - Offshore rig - Outboard - sold
Hobie TI 2016 - Offshore rig - Outboard - sold
Hobie Kona 2014
Hobie AI 2015 - sold
Hobie Rev 13 2014 - sold
Hobie Outback - 2008 - sold

The TI mast is not necessarily heavy, but can be unwieldy if you don't put some thought into how you are going to carry it and step it. If you find the balance point and use a little finesse, it id relatively easy to deal with. Plus, it is pretty sturdy, so it is not a major issue if you drop it a time or two.

My husband and I recently bought a used 2020 TI. So far I have not been able to put in the mast.... I have little upper body strength though. Please let me know how it goes! Most of the time I have been using the TI without the mast - just kayaking. Enjoying it but unless we use the sail, we would have been better off with the Oasis....Hoping to get better with the sail as times goes on.

Practice at home with a spotter to assist until you get the hang of it. The mast is not that heavy, it's made of lightweight carbon fiber. It's more a matter of balance than upper body strength. You need to learn where to hold the mast and how to lift it in place to maintain the proper balance. It's a little tricky at first, but most of us have mastered it after some practice.

Thanks everyone who responded. I got busy and forgot to reply until now. I am still looking for one after I stopped looking for a while. Used ones for a good price are hard to find. I was also flirting with getting a Windrider for a while. Now that one would have been a handful and absolutely required a mast raising system.

I'll let you all know how I do once I have it. Good news is that my two knee replacements and shoulder replacement are doing very well and given my previous experience with sailboats, I don't anticipate any trouble. Also I'm not shy about asking for help when necessary.

I finally bit the bullet and bought a 2017 TI a week ago. Tried it out the next day in a small lake nearby (Tempe Town Lake for anyone in the Phoenix, AZ area). It took a while to figure out the seats and to make sure everything else was in order before launching off a trailer. One of the AMA plugs had come out while transporting the boat... applied some electrical tape as there are no waves there. I wasn't able to set the mast while the boat was on the trailer; tried from the dock and that didn't work either. My companion (a stronger, taller male) was able to take care of that. I think part of the problem is lack of sufficient upper body strength and part is figuring out the technique. The boat is too high while on the trailer and too far in front of me from the dock. Any tips would be appreciated.

The other issue is that I had great difficulty "forgetting" all the years of tiller usage as the control on the TI is just the opposite. Then I discovered that the 2nd knee replacement didn't flex quite enough for comfortable setting of the pedals. That will improve over time as it has only been 7 months since that replacement. All in all I'm really happy about the boat and I'll work up to being able to handle the mast setting and removing. Summer heat is a challenge here this time of year although once on the water that wasn't a problem.

Once the boat is in the water, don’t pull it back along the dock, pull it up to the edge of the ramp so the front is a couple feet onto solid ground, step the mast, then push it back into the water

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To set the mast yourself, you first need to find the mast's balancing point. Whenever anyone tries to handle a long object, this is critical. If you were trying to carry and maneuver a heavy eight-foot 4X4, for instance, you would need to find its balancing point.

Once it's balanced in your hands you can then practice maneuvering it around. The key to setting the TI mast is to be able to slowly raise it from its horizontal balance point vertically into the air and then set it in place. This takes a bit of practice which will then develop into a reliable skill. Having upper body strength helps a lot, but it's not absolutely essential if you're good at keeping the mast balanced while raising or lowering it slowly.

I realize not everyone can do this, some basic strength is required. It may be a two-person job for some. But Hobie didn't design it to be accomplished only by bodybuilders, many ordinary people can handle it alone.

Any type of physical recreational activity can be improved by strengthening whatever muscles are involved. Even some minor weight training done at home can result in considerable improvements.

Thanks for the tips... I can do the practicing and also develop more ubs (upper body strength); I suspect core strengthening will help as well. I was surprised to see how long the mast is. I think setting the mast from the shore (i.e. not on a trailer and not from a dock) will be much easier than when it is on the trailer.

Thanks. that makes a lot of sense.

How about taking it out? Seems like I have to hold the lever with one hand while lifting with the other... awkward.

Good idea to practice with a spotter. Thanks for the tips.

I'll put some practice in with a spotter if I can find one earlier enough in the morning before the temp hits 90! I would sure hate to drop it!

You need to hold the release for a short lift of about an inch, just to clear the latch collar. Then let it go and put both hands on the mast. As long as you don’t let the mast slide down and re-latch, you won’t need to bother with the lever again. Here is a simple assist hack you could try. https://youtu.be/EhcNJv2RgDo It doesn’t solve the problem if you are alone but I think in time, you’ll get the technique and strength you need.