Return to Hobie.com
Hobie Forums
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:43 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:34 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:25 pm
Posts: 3
I just moved onto a lake that is 474 acres, and am thinking the TI is too much for this size lake. Any thoughts?

Also, if I move forward, how do you lock your TI up on a dock?

Thanks much!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 8:48 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
Depends on what you want to do with your sailing. If you just want to get out and knock around the TI will be fine there. If you want to take a voyage and go somewhere, you'll be bored fairly quickly as you can only go so far on 400 acres. But given that the TI is so easily trailered, why wouldn't you travel to some larger lakes for more extended trips? Our local city reservoir is only 850 acres and we sail there a lot if the wind is up, just for the thrill. If we want to actually go somewhere we hook up and drive an hour to a 15,000 acre lake and spend the day. Or drive 3 hours and hit the coast. Any sailboat that is trailerable offers you a lot of options.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:38 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:25 pm
Posts: 3
Thank you Tom!

Our cabin lake is much bigger, but we're selling that in the spring to try and simplify our lives a bit.

I'll have to check out some trailers to see if that's a good option for me.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:07 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:43 am
Posts: 202
Location: Chalfont Pa
local lake is under 400 acres and yes it can get boring. But it is 5 minutes away and if the wind is up a 60 minute blast can be fun. Luckily half an hour away is a lake that is 2 sq miles, much better.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 8:18 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:41 pm
Posts: 9
Location: Southwest Florida
I live on a 375 acre lake in southwest Florida with canals to two other lakes and small finger areas.

I do not sail unless winds are over 10 mph as it does get boring on the lake. Whenever the wind is over ten and up to 22mph I am on the lake in my adventure island. Some of the most enjoyable sails in 45 years of sailing has been on this lake in my 2020 AI. I have had to buy dry pants and top as you get soaking wet and even eighty degrees feels cold.

I have a trailex trailer and hobie bunks. Launch from my back yard with my golf cart. Yes they sell hitches for golf carts.

I have a hitch on our suv to sail in the gulf which is 8 miles away whenever I get bored with the lake. I haven’t done that yet.

I leave the AI in the water two weeks at a time if forecast is windy. If not, I pull it out with my golf cart and trailer and park it in the garage for a week or so till windy conditions return. I have owned the AI almost a year. I have coated the kayak and sail with ultra violet protectorant a few times. So far the boat and sail still look new.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 9:40 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:25 pm
Posts: 3
Excellent information!

I think we will move forward if I can find a good deal.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 7:20 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:43 am
Posts: 202
Location: Chalfont Pa
Good, hope you enjoy it as much as others here. One of the best (and sometimes worst) things about these is how light they are. They accelerate quickly in a puff, and will surf even a small wind induced wave. So the small lakes can be fun if there is enough wind.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 12:47 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:41 pm
Posts: 9
Location: Southwest Florida
Update on lake sailing. Just came in after one and a half hour sail. We have a professional grade weather station on our lake. Winds averaged 9 miles per hour but peak gust was 19mph.

I had reefed the mainsail so that the first batten was on the mast In order to handle the gusts. After a half hour I let all the sail out to sail faster between the gusts. To handle the brief but fierce gusts I slightly pointed higher into the wind in the beginning of each gust but tried to avoid going too high to avoid lufting the sail. I was surprised how well this helped avoiding being over powered. I thought the adventure island was too light to “feather” into the wind this way. Highly suggest this technique especially on lakes where the wind tends to be gusty. I was careful to uncleat the main sheet whenever the wind piped up so I could spill the sail if feathering was not enough to handle the gust. Most of the time feathering was sufficient.

One and a half hours was more than enough excitement for the day. Again lake sailing could be exciting on a hobie AI.

I know most experienced sailors on this site know this technique but thought I would share my thoughts for the new or prospective island owners.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2020 7:33 am 
Offline
Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 6:43 am
Posts: 202
Location: Chalfont Pa
In higher winds I tend to reef going upwind till I run out of lake. Then use full sail and go on a reach, gybing at the shore. This is the fun part, the boat accelerates and any wave action can be used. Gybes are quick and loud.

Regarding heading up in the puffs, if you aren't luffing you were possibly over trimmed. It happens easily. I have a tendency to over trim and often let the sail out a bit to see if shape is affected. Usually not.

In a puff try the opposite approach. Let the sail out and bear off. Again the acceleration is quick, and once you have some speed try to trim in and head up again. Have fun! Wish I could be sailing but it is in the 30's here and the boat is apart in the back of the garage.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:58 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:41 pm
Posts: 9
Location: Southwest Florida
Thanks Quattroguy

The conditions that day made falling off unwise. Lulls were 9mph but gusts were 19-20mph. There was a lot of chop from wind, ski boat and several pwcs. I was burying the leeward amas and banging things around. The lulls were much longer than the gusts so reefing was not my favorite choice. Spilling the sail is also not a favored choice.

Thus for this day, with those conditions I tried pinching into the wind (feathering). I have used this technique in races where I did not want to stray too far from the rhumb line. It is just a slight upwind adjustment to shave a little horsepower. If the sail luffs you over steered. I watch for that little flutter. You can also sense when you have depowered too much.

This allowed me to sail with the full sail but still be able to remain in control with a 20mph gust. In 14mph winds, I’m falling off to max acceleration as you suggest.

I also know to let out a little on main sheet to check if I have oversheeted. Unfortunately I forget more than I should.

To keep this post on topic, small lakes are exciting for a hobie. The shifting wind speed and direction requires close attention and skills sometimes not needed in larger bodies of water.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:06 pm 
Offline
Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:46 pm
Posts: 8
Hi All

I have a 2008 AI and at one point this past Fall I found I could not make any headway against wind, chop and current. I was using the drive, paddle and a reefed sail but the boat refused to go upwind. I had to go ashore until the wind shifted 90 degrees and then away I went. I tried feathering into the the wind with a reefed and unreefed sail almost fully let out but the whole boat would just get pushed down river, down wind. This was the first time it happened to me and made me aware of the (practical) limits of the otherwise awesome AI.

PS - all the talk about the merits of the TI over the AI have got me thinking.....


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
© Hobie Cat Company. All rights reserved.
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group