long distances

Hello, I'm new to the forum but not to kayaking of sailing... just not the two at once.

I was planning a long kayak trip (really really long one, really) and I happened to see and try the Island Adventure. This sailing instead of paddling is just great!

I was wondering what was the longest trip anyone has done or attempted with the Island? How did it handle it?

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

Hi renepotvin and welcome to the forum. I'm sure there have been alot of trips that have been further than ours, but I just thought I would start off the discussion. This trip
viewtopic.php?f=74&t=21470
was my first attempt at going out into ocean swells. Loved every minute of it. The AI handled it without a hitch. I really wanted to use the trip as a test for trips that are being planned for next year. Packing and selecting camping gear is something that I need to steamline ( first aid kit got wet etc ) but all in all there were no great disasters. Comfort is also another area that I'm working on. 20K's is a long time for me without fidgiting or stretching the legs.

Where are you intending to go ?

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Depends if you mean in a day or over a period of several days. it also will depend on the wind conditions (speed & direction) since heading upwind you will cover many miles but not so many actually towards your destination.

Personally I have covered well more than 20 miles in a day no problemo and I am sure others have done much better (most of my AI sailing is round tripping - were I not to be going out and back but in a straight line to a particular point it might be easier to achieve - and measure - greater distances)

I have seen several stories of people who have made quite extensive trips over a period of days. One of these was a trip down the Queensland and/or NSW coast in Australia - see YouTube for that one.

Several AI's have competed successfully in the rugged "Everglades Challenge", a 300 mile race off the coast of Florida operated by the "Water Tribe".

I've been looking at the single AI and reading about the not putting too much stuff in the back space because of the rudder cables, and I'm wondering if the single can be used with camping gear, 20 litres of water, food, etc. I haven't tested the speed of the AI in light wind or full of gear. Have the long distance people used two seaters?

I'm talking about hundreds of miles with easy access to land and resources along the way. A lot of rough surf entries would be necessary. Usually not a problem with a normal sit on top (I sometimes swim the kayak and ride the surf) but I haven't tried it with outriggers and a mast!

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

renepotvin,

You might look at my thread entitled "Have you done any 'Expedition' trips on an AI?" The link is
http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276
That thread describes numerous AI camping trips along the Everglades coast of Florida--some are 5-6 day trips. Trips along coastal Everglade have no access to fresh water or any other supplies--you have to pack it all at the start. There is also a list of the gear and supplies that I usually take.

My wife and I each have an AI, and on these trips they are packed pretty solidly from bow to stern. While I am aware of the lines in the stern (as well through the center hatch), I've never had any problems.

We can carry a week's supplies, including all food and water. So far our trips have never been more than about 75 mi, but that is mainly because that is the convenient distance to travel w/o having to arrange serious shuttles. I do plan to do the Big Bend stretch of Florida next spring (105-135 mi), about Mar 20-30, but that is a different deal, since we will have access to water and supplies every 3 days or so.

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

This easy access to land is a big bonus. I have found that there is far more 'fun factor' when you can get out every now and again for a walk and change of scenery.

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

Thanks for the replies. Would you guys go for a tandem or a single if you were going to do a very long trip?

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

I don't take long trips like you're planning but I have a lot of experience sailing both the AI and the TI.

There's no doubt in my mind that the TI is the way to go. The AI started out as a kayak and was then converted to a sailing kayak. The TI was designed to be a sailing kayak from day one. It can carry almost twice as much weight, it sails faster, and it was built stronger than the AI.

Two negatives, it costs a bunch more and it is harder to transport because of its size and weight.

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Jerry D.
St. Johns, Florida
2010 TI
2008 AI

I ordered my Ti just a few hours ago...

Thank you kind sir for removing my faint but encroaching irrational "buyer's remorse".

Julian, that 'buyers remorse' will fade away before you even get your TI. And once you get it, you'll be wearing that big Hobie grin like so many others.

Congrats... and we'll be looking forward to some pics down the track of you and your 'baby'.

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Cheers, Max ● TI: the "Yella Terra" ● Website: www.MadYakker.com ● YouTube: madyakkermax

What Jerry said! (though the Adventure was designed with the AI in mind -hence the daggerboard slot)
The AI will handle what you are proposing but the TI will do it better. Solo you may want to modify the furling line so that it's easier to control from the rear.

Our long distance record for one day is 32 miles in 4-1/2 hours so far, when we had wonderful steady winds down in the Florida Keys. We've come close to that distance several other times as well. The only thing we haven't done is go overnight camping with it.

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Mitch

2010 Tandem Island
2010 Revolution
Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore

My sailing blog
Our sailing videos

38.2 miles is my longest to date, but I hope to do longer this winter. Many new AI/TI owners now in Maui that are excited to get out often. After the first couple of months, I kept a log of my sails posted here: http://www.kayakingbob.com/sailing-log

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Hobie Island Sailing since 2006

wow, now that's record keeping. BTW I was in Maui in January. I saw a bunch of AI in front of kihei.

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com