Dear Mr Miller-Revo Sailing Question

I am about to buy a new Revo. (My Fourth Hobie).

However the Vantage seat in the 2015 model appears to be much higher and therefore the centre of gravity is raised which may not be as good as a lower seat FOR SAILING?
Although the new Vantage seat is great I have always been comfortable in the old style seat and there is no Winter here so a wet butt is not a problem for me.
I would be happy to buy a 2014 Revo if the lower C of G made the boat's sailing characteristics more Stable or Lean-able or whatever.

Is this the case or is the butt-height of both models so similar that there would be no detectable difference?

(I will be using SIDEKICKS)

Thank You, Skymax.

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Fair Skies, Max.

I know you addressed it to Matt, but it has been discussed on the forum quite a bit. The deck of the Revolutions (and Outback) were lowered so that the new seat, when in the low position, would have the same stability as the old seat. I was also worried about this until I tested the 2015 Revo13 at my local dealer. I was impressed enough with both comfort and stability to buy one the following week.

[quote="skymax"
(I will be using SIDEKICKS) If you are using sidekicks, you might be able to stand up and sail too!!! I know I am not Matt, but I just had to help aswer your question. [/quote]

Correct!

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thank you all! The Vantage seat certainly looks higher but I guess its an optical illusion or it IS a tad higher but somehow designed to not raise the C of G.

I should have made this an open Post as I am not even sure if this is Matt Miller's area but I remember his Revo advice was always good in the old days and didn't know who in particular to ask ATM.

My new, less-experienced, Hobie Dealer did say the lower seat was "better" for sailing but I felt that may have been a reasonable assumption not experience.
No fault of his, he was attempting to answer my question to the best of his knowledge.

This would be my second Revo the first was in 2007, I sold it when I bought my AI and have regretted not keeping it ever since.

PS: After studying the figures and seeing that the Adventure is only about 3Kg heavier than the Revo and has a Folding Skeg and faster hull I am now thinking I will get that model instead.

My early model AI cannot be upgraded with the improved Rudder Lift mechanism or the larger sailing Rudder neither can I fit the small sail to it so another boat is "necessary"

(it is also a struggle to disconnect the AMA from the AI on its trailer in a tiny garage and drag it off and on to my car. After living with cancer for 10 years I am as weak as cat. To be able to have a Hobie ready to go as a Kayak would make Yakking much easier.)

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Fair Skies, Max.

[/quote]

Thanks I have used them before and know what you mean, but sometimes I do not use them so I wondered what that mode would be like.

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Fair Skies, Max.

OK so far I have my Hobie dealer saying the 2014 seat IS lower and IS better for sailing.
And I have another highly experienced Hobie dealer saying he doesn't know which is lower.
And we have Matt saying the stability is the same but not saying whether it is higher or not.

As someone who manufactured aircraft for 40 years I know that you can't make a CG change without it affecting the craft's behaviour in some way.

So, I am going to the dealer today with a measure and spirit level to find out what nobody knows.
What is the actual difference between the seat heights, if any.

_________________
Fair Skies, Max.

The intent was to leave stability unchanged from the 2014 models. The floors were lowered to allow us to set the seat in the lowest position and hope to attain the same level of stability. The older boat had a hard seat. The new boats have a mesh fabric, so you would have to measure from the point that the new seat is "loaded" or compressed down.

_________________
Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

I'm looking forward to what you discover Max. It's something I've been wanting to know as well. That and also how comfortable the new seats are when hiking out?
I wish someone who is familiar with the old Adventure could comment on the stability of the new seat in the Revo16 and it's suitability for sailing, compared to the old Adventure.
AFAIK there are still no Revo16's out here.

Quite so, and thank you for you're continued support.

I placed the boats on the ground and sat in them, (I am 6'2" and 180 Lbs), we used a yardstick and spirit level on top of my head.
The difference was a mere 25mm and I think if I used the boat a few times the mesh would let me down that last Inch, or a heavier man would find it the same instantly.
So, there is very little difference that you would notice even though with the boats next to each other visually there appears to be when no one is sitting in them.

Great news! I paid the dealer and went home with my new Ivory Revo 16 which I shall float tomorrow.
Thank you all for your input.

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Fair Skies, Max.

Love to help Stringy, you are the only guy on the Interwebs who has a video of Sailing the Adventure without girly AMA and with the stock sail in a fresh breeze. I believe it was a broad reach and you were hooting along sans Mirage, that's confidence!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hp7TzWb27k

I understand your question because on the old seat you could bend the downwind knee and sort of wedge your hip against the bum bucket but now you might fall overboard!
Such sailing winds are beyond my withered frame so I may not be able to "Extreme Adventure" like you do, but maybe in time..

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Fair Skies, Max.

Congrats on your new kayak!

Much thanks, I am ordering a Star Kayak Sail 3 SqMtr with Boom for it as I work in light winds mostly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6g6yeXWna4

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Fair Skies, Max.

Please post videos when you get a chance to sail that combination, I bet it will be awesome.