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PostPosted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:24 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:29 pm
Posts: 10
Location: michigan
i was overpowered by the wind in the 9 while sailing the first time and am an experienced sailor. But encountered a lot of difficulties and could not even peddle in until the wind decreased. I did not find the 9 sufficiently stable to accomplish taking the sail down under these conditions and the dealer suggesting upgrading to the hard shell revolution. But I prefer the inflatable and comments on the forum suggested the 12 inflatable was more stable for this purpose.

I tried but failed to keep it into the wind so I could peddle in and when i let the sheet go was too beat up by the flapping sail and sheet so really need a way to take down (or reef) the sail under such conditions.

Would the 12 give added stability so I could do this? Or would giving up the inflatable in favor of the revolution be required. (the posts seemed to indicate the revolution was less stable than the 12 inflatable)

I would welcome any and all ideas...

thanks,
Windlass


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 4:17 am 
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Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2010 7:25 am
Posts: 48
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I am an experienced sailor and bought an i14T 3 months ago. I have learned to adapt my knowledge to the specifics of sailing the inflatable kayak.

Firstly, it doesn't sail well in stronger winds. I have made peace with that and really enjoy sailing in lighter winds. One day I will buy the tandem island and use it to sail in more challenging conditions. When sailing in strong winds with my i14T, I've had my mast unsnap a few times (strong gusts are the worst) and also experienced what you described with the sail & sheet being wildly out of control. Rather than taking the sail down, you can furl the sail as tightly as you can, wrap the sheet around the mast and use the plastic hook on the clew of the sail to tighten and hold. A bungee can also be used higher up on the sail to keep it under control. The sail will still flap around a lot, but it will allow you to get back to shore and take down the mast. In these conditions I go out peddling, rather than sailing :? but still have a lot of fun.

When weather helm is bad (I have the sailing rudder and the turbo fins) I have learned that i) keeping the boat totally flat by shifting your weight and ii) releasing the sheet slowly to allow the mast to be bent more towards the bow of the boat (in lea helm it is the opposite -- you can pull the sheet in tighter to 'rake' the mast back). If you have continuous weather helm, the mast is likely raked too far aft -- tighten the bow shroud to let the mast rake forward more (quite a bit more than I ever did in a sailing dinghy).

I hope this helps. As a sailboat the inflatable is limited but when you think of all the things you can do with it that you can't do with a conventional sailboat, you learn to appreciate those things and let go of the others ...

cheers
Donna Drury

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Donna
Hobie i14T,
Innova Sunny,
Feathercraft Big Kahuna


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2010 9:04 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:25 pm
Posts: 15
I second the suggestion to wrap the sail around the mast. I sail with my 7 yo, and whenever it gets windy enough to start tipping the boat, I do this:
1-Lean forward with the sail rope in my hand
2-Loop it around the mast a few times until the sail looks like a sugar cone
3-tie the rope off as best I can around the mast.
4-let it back out when the wind has died down

I think once I kinda splintered the batten doing this, although it also could have been the strong wind. A little packing tape wrapped around the splintered part fixed it right up.

Some people put a second sail on theirs, and I would be fascinated to know how tippy they get. Don't get me wrong, the hobies are impressively stable, but I think the engineers were wise to stick to the one sail...

Of course, once he turns 10, I'm sure we'll add a second sail :lol:


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 7:23 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
windlass wrote:
Would the 12 give added stability so I could do this? Or would giving up the inflatable in favor of the revolution be required. (the posts seemed to indicate the revolution was less stable than the 12 inflatable)
IMO, The Revo is considerably less stable (without the Sidekick amas) than any of the inflatables. With the Revo's 28.5" beam vs inflatables 36" beam (with flatter bottom) I'm very surprised your dealer would think otherwise.

Yes, the i-12 has more stability by virtue of its extended length, but I wouldn't make the switch thinking it would solve your problems. Whereas the 12 is a great boat with an excellent payload, the 9 is lighter, more maneuverable and feels more lively, especially with a large rudder and Turbos. Additionally, it's amazingly versatile:
Image
If you're otherwise happy with the the i-9, I think a little more practice in lighter conditions (trying the suggestions mentioned above) will make you more adept and comfortable with the idiosyncrasies of the boat.

This next pic illustrates ddrury's forward mast rake suggestion. This definitely improves the weather helm on the i-9. It also flattens the leach for better control in heavier winds.
Image

I use a snap hook for quick connect and disconnect for the mainsheet and (tail) for the sail. the tail simply secures the sail when furled. If you find the permanently attached mainsheet hindering your furling efforts, this will make it easier.
Image

Image
You could use multiple knots on the tail for looser "expedient" furls.

Finally, you might try mounting the shrouds a little looser. This would allow the sail to dump wind easier for any gusts that come along. 8)


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