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PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 6:36 am 
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Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:04 pm
Posts: 227
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Hi all!! Yesterday I went from a wannabe AI sailor lurking and posting on here staying confident and trying to stay patient till May '09 when I could get the AI for my Christmas/Birthday. Well Christmas came yesterday. Went to the dealers 130 miles away to look at and demo a 2008 Hobie Adventure Island Hibiscus. It had been used as a on lake demo twice this fall and has been in a basement warehouse otherwise. All the stickers were still on it and in Mint condition. All parts and accessories included. is a 8/08 serial so has all '08 upgrades ie, Mast cup, rudder up/down, Large rudder, Basically brand new.
OK so how good a deal did I get to have the wife say "Get it"!!? $2499. I was leaning towards the Yellow pretty hard but a deal like that is to good to pass up. I would also liked to have had the click n Go but not for $1000 The cams work just fine. I demo'd w/ drive but not sail as it was blowing 20 to 30 w/ gusts to 40 yesterday. You may have heard about the deadly tornados in NC yesterday. Was a real beast driving home with the AI on the roof rack on the Element with all of that wind and rain. Going to try to take her out today but it is only going to be 60F and water temp 70 w/ 10-15mph winds. I do need to get my grin on before the colder winter weather makes it no fun to go out. Many thanks to all here who have answered my questions and faithfully posted their experiences to share with us regarding this unique craft. I will be posting about my first sail soon. :D

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2010 Hibiscus Adventure Island


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:08 am 
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:36 pm
Posts: 73
Location: back in TX Inks Lake near Burnet Tx
Congrats EAI hope you have as much fun in your boat as I have !! let us know how it goes.

MM


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:40 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
Congratulations, Element. Proves that dreams still come true. Good luck with your boat and have fun.

Keith

PS Sounds like you got a very good deal.


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:25 am 
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Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:49 pm
Posts: 84
Location: Newport, NH
Welcome to AI club, where lawn mowers stay new and the grass grows tall. Have fun Element!!


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PostPosted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:21 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Welcome aboard! You're going to have a ball. You still have several good weeks of decent temperatures, air & water, available, so enjoy every moment you can. Then when it gets too cool, time to start dressing for the occasion. You did tell your wife what a boat is, didn't you? A boat is a hole in the water that we pour money into. What continually amazes me, though, is just how much money I can fit into such a small hole in the water.
GPS $300
Inland Lakes Software Upgrade $75
Inflatable PFD $150
Trailer $1200
ST Fins $45
Turbo Fins $75
Barber Hauler $80
Stainless Steel Multi-Tool $85
Waterproof Cell Phone $85
Dry Suit $500
You get the idea. :wink:

Happy sailing,
- Jim


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:11 am 
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Joined: Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:46 am
Posts: 76
Location: sacramento
Anyone

What is Click & Go? A roof rack option? Trailer? I need a hint.


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:24 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
kepra wrote:
Anyone

What is Click & Go? A roof rack option? Trailer? I need a hint.


Click & Go, unless I miss my guess, is a reference to the Mirage Drive mounting on the 2009 models. Uses a bracket on either side of the drive, into which the shaft of the drive fits, and a lever clicks to lock it into place. This is a change from the cam lock system used in previous years.

As for trailer, I use a Trailex SUT-250 to haul two AIs behind a MINI Cooper. Works well. Light weight & easy to manage. I added the tool boxes and the AI cradles. There are several other threads around here as well that focus on trailer options.

Image

Image


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 2:28 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:17 pm
Posts: 203
Location: Ettalong Beach, Central Coast, Australia
Welcome to fun territory. You will have a blast.

Geoff.


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 Post subject: Maiden Voyage.
PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:22 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:04 pm
Posts: 227
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Thanks all for the well wishes. Took her out on Sunday after a christening with champagne over the bow to appease the sailing gods for good winds and following seas every day she is in the water. Some for me and wife too.
10-15 MPH winds w/ gusts to 20 I got to see some of what you all have been raving about. This is going to be great fun come spring and summer. I do have alot to learn and had a few frustrations such as getting pins through akas/crossbars. Seat pegs sliding forward. Sail foot hitting me in the head (not bad). Furling line sort of out of reach when needed. Water pouring over the side on leeward side when really scooting.
Any help or suggestions.?

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2010 Hibiscus Adventure Island


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 8:20 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
ElementAI, Congrats on your AI

A couple of suggestions:

On the seat pegs, feel them through the seat once you've plugged them in and push real hard to seat them all the way flush.

On the reefing line, I tied a small permanent loop on the end of the sheet line, to tie the reefing line to, so it's one big loop with the slack between my legs on the hatch. I can then pull either line quickly. It also helps keeping the slack out of the lines while transporting.

On the sail foot hitting you in the head, it's a lot more fun when I replaced the short rope with a ball bungee! OUCH! I removed the ball but left the bungee before I sailed next! :roll:

Kayaking Bob


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:53 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:57 am
Posts: 222
Location: Phuket, Thailand
My seat pegs started to come out too so i read up a thread in the angling forum and someone (Matt, I think) mentioned a mallet and broomstick section, just open up the velcro that covers the screw heads (make sure they are screwed into the pegs quite tight) place the broom handle or a section of dowel over the screwhead and give it a couple of light (but determined) taps with the mallet, do the same with the other peg, it worked wonders for me.


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:09 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
G'Day EAI and welcome to the AI club!
I can't remember who suggested it but after having the seat slip around I took the advice posted ages ago on this forum and added some non-slip rubber mesh under the seat. It solved the seat slippage/peg popping out problem immediately.
Image

It is available at camping and hardware stores.
A simple and highly recommended mod! 8)


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:25 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
Like Stringy, I put down some non-slip rubberized material which can be found at the Container Store (& probably ACE hardware stores). It is used to prevent slippage in drawers. Furthermore, since the pegs are a pain in the butt (literally), I removed them--ergo, no seat peg problems.

Regarding the difficulty of getting the pins connecting the aka/crossbar, avoid any stress/counter-leverage on the aka arm (do not attach the ama to the aka before trying to place the pin thru the aka/crossbar holes). Simply attach the aka to the crossbar with the pin, THEN attach the ama to the 2 akas.

Keith


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PostPosted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:24 pm 
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Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:04 pm
Posts: 227
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Thanks for the Great suggestions and Ideas. Now if I can just get some warm weather so I can take her out again. This time I will go to a launch site with more open space so I don't have to keep tacking and coming about. The water is about 63F now so I need to stay as dry as possible. on the maiden voyage the water came over the gunwale from a yacht wake and filled up the seat area. Do any of you open the seat drains?? My Telltales seemed to be stuck to the mylar??? Guess I need some sailkote already?? Thanks

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2010 Hibiscus Adventure Island


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 4:55 am 
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:14 pm
Posts: 3323
Location: South Florida
I've had the seat plugs open from day 1.

Traditionalists will frown on this, but I use a GPS to improve my sailing skill (that is what I call it.) The telltails are secondary.

Keith


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