PeteCress wrote:
To make a long story short, it actually worked into a 30+ mph headwind: walked the boat out to waist-deep, jumped onboard, and pedaled my brains out.....Slowly inching upwind/offshore until I could get moving under sail power.
There is no way in the world I could have done that paddling.
From now on, no matter what the conditions, the Mirage Drive stays in or on the boat.
I started out with an Outback, so knew all about the joys of the Mirage drive before going to the TI. When heading out on a windy paddle I often joke to others that I provide a free towing service if they find it necessary - and have had a few takers over the years!
The first time I did that the person I towed was paddling forward but being blown backward! I grabbed their bow handle and we continued on our way. There was a social paddle at a local lake where all the "newbies" were taken into a cove - but then had to go straight into the wind to get back to the launch point. One person would give up, ask for help, I'd tow them out to where they turned crosswind, head back in and someone else would ask for help.
I never notice much reduction in speed or greater effort when doing this, I've often wondered how many I could tow at once... Get a rope, have several hang on, and make a train! (I'd have to tie the rope to my yak somehow, the one weak link in this is my shoulder, it can get a bit sore after hanging on to a bow handle for any distance!)
The most recent version of this was a bit different. A friend and I were on a lake fishing just after sunset. No storms forecast. Just as it's getting properly dark we were startled by a blinding bright flash - then a few seconds later the rumble of thunder! I look at the radar and this pop-up cell had formed nearby and was headed straight for us! We head back to the boat ramp. I'm looking at the radar, then at my friend paddling along slowly (he doesn't have a Hobie) and I finally said "stop paddling!" grabbed his bow handle and kicked into high speed. He's wishing he had bought a Hobie now...!
Toller wrote:
Why would you want to sail without the drive installed?
Why would you take it out when you are in the water?
Do you need a leash on it if you don't intend on removing it? (can it just fall spontaneously?)
I haven't done much sailing without the drive yet, I still have trouble tacking without using it for a few kicks. However I do take it out fairly often on the water. Sometimes it's just nice to have extra foot room, say if I'm anchored for lunch or just relaxing or want to stand up and move around a bit. Also when getting into shallow areas, especially on my Outback, I can get several inches shallower without grounding if the drive is out. I also prefer to avoid getting stuck - so many times on the Outback I've hit bottom where with a clean hull I'd just back out and no problem, but with the drive in the hub snags something and I have a devil of a time getting free again!
More essential, though, is to take them out as I approach shore. I usually use concrete boat ramps to launch and the concrete will scar up the chain on the drive pretty badly if it bumps ground. Had a friend along on one sail and he accidentally knocked his drive into the water as he got onto the haka ready to step onto the ramp when we arrived. Fortunately the leash made that a non-event. Our water is so murky we'd likely not have found the drive even though it was probably just 4-6 feet deep at that location.
I've wondered how easily the drive could accidentally fall out myself. I think as long as it's properly clipped in it's probably okay but so many times I've found one of the catches doesn't properly hold. This is more common on my '13 Outback where the drive sits much deeper in the well, I haven't noticed much trouble with the '15 TI.
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