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PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 3:56 pm 
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Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2017 11:45 pm
Posts: 47
daft wrote:
Yeah, thanks to Hobie for letting us compare and contrast here - Hobie equipment is gonna compare well anyway. I have the same back support issue, so I am gonna make my Hobie i12s and Dinghygo my default stationwagon quiver. I sit sideways on the Dinghygo floor leaning against the fat sidewall, and if not too windy hang my legs over the other sidewall easychair style.

Another approach with glorious back support is the Shell 18 Schooner.

I wouldn't think of using it or anything other than AI/TI in the hardcore FL challenge. In it's various blogs and videos there can be harsh weather amongst endless shallows. FL, GA, SC, TX200 have other multi day coast runs that can result in quite grueling survival stories, sometimes in this forum.


Every time you post you mention a boat is never heard of before. I love it. There’s so many small boats.

Yes the Travato layout is great— if I had not DIY my van that’s what I would have bought. If you look at the DIY vans, though, a lot of them do the bed crosswise in the back above the wheel wells which gives even more space than the travato (because the bathroom is taking up half.) then the toilet is just in a drawer somewhere and the shower is between the back doors, outside.

I’d rather island clubs be active there be a HOBIE island class like there is for the cats and there be nationwide hundreds of events from cruises to races to participate in. Maybe sailing at this size is a lot less common popular than it is with larger boats (which is a shame as the larger boats are more expensive.)

I don’t understand why there isn’t an island one design class with national championships.

I’m not a hardcore racer or a hard core expedition type like the water tribe, but working up to the Everglades challenge seems like a fun project, and an excuse to get in better shape and something to do in retirement.



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PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 2:30 am 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
The answer is stunningly simple. Having the availability to pedal provides two scenarios.

1. Any Island crew with serious cycling legs has the ability to blow away those relying on wind alone. All other classes ban human propulsion. (Pedalling directly upwind anyone?)

2. If Miragedrives are excluded from competition, many Island users would decline to race, considering such a ban akin to tying one hand behind the back, ie artificial "crippling" of performance

Fortunately, there IS a type of event perfently suitable for Islands.. the long distance races, where everything is legal except motors.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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PostPosted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 4:57 am 
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tonystott wrote:
Fortunately, there IS a type of event perfently suitable for Islands.. the long distance races, where everything is legal except motors.


Yes it seems the water tribe type "races" are the key "market" for island type boats.

One thing I've been discovering this year is how much things have changed in the past decade since I sold my "big boat".

I just saw stats that indicate in 2018 there will be a total of 5,000 new production sailboats sold in the USA. Total. That's all sizes of sail boats.

http://smalltrimarans.com/blog/sailboat ... windrider/

Not sure how accurate that is, but that's one manufacturers opinion.

Meanwhile on the power boat side:
https://www.nmma.org/press/article/21009

The market is growing and they expect 250,000 boats to be sold this year.

So that's 50 power boats for every hobie island sold!

A lot of those power boats are fishing boats and deckboats, pontoons and lake boats that are towed behind trucks by dudes who played high school football and want a weekend boat for the lake.... these are not sailors, and I think the population of sailors in the USA is in sharp decline.

Boating is becoming about power boats.

That explains the changes I've seen and probably why these really fantastic boats (the island series) are not getting the traction I Was expecting. Why the "island clubs" are not vibrant like I was expecting.

That's why hobie is chasing the fishing industry-- I bet-- because that's where the market is. I expect we won't be seeing new designs of beach cats or trimarans from them for awhile.

Anyway, apparently its different in europe and they have enough industry to support companies that make 4 different models of inflatable catamaran-- in one company. Which is kind of impressive.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 8:16 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2006 1:16 pm
Posts: 605
Location: Colorado
I think there is certainly a decline in sailboat manufacturing but much less of a decline in people sailing. I have both a TI and a fiberglass sailboat and in all the years I have had FG sailboats, I have only known two people who have purchased new boats. FG boats just last too long and if a manufacture isnt producing something that you cant fairly easily find used, folks buy used and save a huge amount of $$. You can buy a used FG sailboat, put a new outboard and sails on it and its almost as good as new at a fraction of the price.

And if you are manufacturing new that is different from the past, its usually about faster and that always comes with tradeoffs that are not acceptable to a lot of folks but seems thats how you sell new. The stuff that meets the needs of most people has already been produced and is still out there in good shape and cheap.

I am into both kayaking and sailing and the TI really is a great choice for me. If mine were stolen or something like that. I would have to purchase another. I really enjoy what it does. With the TI, to some extent you have no choice but to buy new.. I have only purchased used sailboats and only new Hobie adventures.

Im not a racer, think it brings out the asshole in people too much (maybe just my experience ??) and if there were adventure races, I probably would not participate. But those long distant events do sounds appealing to me and it would be about 90% just being there and doing an adventure with friends.


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 9:08 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
Of all the "sailboats" sold in the U.S. these days, I would wager that the Hobie Island series is #1 in sales. (And I doubt they were included in the manufacturer-industry report regarding total figures for new sailboat sales in 2018 - the Island isn't considered a "sailboat" by most industry standards.)

Sailing is not the sport here that it is elsewhere Wish it was, but that's just the reality. On a per capita basis, I suspect the U.S. is among the smaller markets for sailboats among the world's developed nations.

Having said all this, my experience locally is that the Hobie Islands are hands down the best sellers. Our local club sees maybe 5 or 6 new sailboats bought each year, and all but maybe one of those will be Hobie Islands, and with no D-PN number, they don't race in our regular club mixed fleet regattas. They're just fun and as more members with regular sailboats have seen mine once or twice, they end up buying one for themselves just for fun, family use, fishing, etc. Over time, some end up sailing their Island more than they do their other "sailboats."


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:46 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Not sure about how active any Hobie Island groups or fleets are now, but we gave it a serious try several years ago.

Back in 2007 a group of a dozen or so AI owners in the Washington, DC area started sailing our AIs together, and eventually founded the Chesapeake Hobie Island Group (CHIG). We had the support and cooperation of Backyard Boats, the Hobie dealer in Annapolis, MD, as well as, thanks to the very engaged manager at BYB, the good folks at Hobie. It started as a MeetUp group, with glenn_SouthRiver and I as the main organizers for the group, but anyone who suggested a place to launch & sail would take the lead for that event.

After sailing together on the Chesapeake and other DC area waterways, we decided to start some organized racing. We had a few makeshift races in Annapolis along the way, then in Sept, 2009 we became official. Hobie designated us as Fleet 940, under Hobie Division 11. I was the club / fleet president, with glenn_SouthRiver as VP. Our first official regatta was later that month in St. Michael's, MD. We had six boats show up, with participation from around the area and up & down the East Coast. The overall winner for the day was Joseph Thompson. Joe drove all the way down from Massachusetts to participate. One of our local CHIG (Chesapeake Hobie Island Group) members ended up with second overall, and I took home third place for the day. Prizes awarded were mostly sponsor swag (T-shirts & the like), but everybody had a lot of fun.

The St. Michael's race ended up being our only official race. I ended up being the main organizer of club & fleet activities, and due to a job change I didn't have the free time I'd previously had. I tried to keep things going for a while longer, including both Fleet 940 and CHIG, but just didn't have the time. In 2011 I paid all the necessary fees to keep things going for another year, then told the group that I was stepping down. Unfortunately, none stepped up to take the reins, so over the next year the whole group pretty much withered away.

I still have my 1st generation AI, along with a 2012 TI I added couple years later. Still love them as much as ever, sailing them on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis and also on Lake Erie. Both are great boats, and while the TI is definitely the faster of the two, the AI is still my favorite sail. Much of my sailing is solo and the AI is a much better balanced boat than the TI with only one person aboard.

I'd love to see more Hobie Island groups form up, but the fact is it takes some serious dedication and time to keep a group up & active.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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