Getting a new TI soon

With the PVC bunks you don't have to remove the AMA's neccessarily, when folded in they sit nicely on the trailer bed, I have some foam covered with electrical tape wrapped around the trailer frame in the area where the ama's touch the trailer frame (hold up amazingly well). I always launch and retrieve the boat with the AMA's out and the tramps on (way easier and less likely to tip over). If it's a busy boat ramp I'll rig the whole boat sails and all in the parking lot, only takes two minutes to retrieve and launch. I then put one strap on the hull and pull out to the parking lot to tear the boat down and fold the AMA's in drop the sails remove the tramps. The PVC rails really help lining the boat up and the roller at the back of the trailer makes everything really easy. I also have a cheap harbor freight boat winch for pulling the boat up steep ramps, by having the pvc bunks stick out the back of the trailer about a foot, they line the boat up nicely even in a crosswind. When traveling in town or short distances (within an hour) I leave the AMA's on, I only remove them and strap them on top of the hull if we are going to key west (350 mile). I have three sails and all the gear and rigging just laid down in the hull and the AMA's on top breaks the wind and sun nicely. Also when storing in the garage it takes less room. The AKA bars remain attached to the hull (just folded in), it only takes a couple seconds to re-attach the AMA's before pulling out of the garage. The boat lives on the trailer in the garage fully rigged and loaded, I only back it out of the garage hook it up to the trailer and I'm off every weekend pretty much. In my opinion the PVC bunks hold and support the hull more evenly than anything else I have tried, even in the hot sun of south florida in the summer. I have helped quite a few people retrieve their TI's with the cradles, and they seem to be kind of a PIA, it's hard to drag the boat over the rubber, you have to lift the boat over each cradle (climbing thru the trailer) and with a cross wind the dont guide the boat well. All just my opinion. Yes the side of my boat is a little scuffed, where the AMA's rub, I don't worry about it too much I have a Hobie welder and only flip the boat over once a year or so and remove all the gouges from the bottom , then use a razor blade rubbing it sideways to scrape out any blemishes (like on the sides from the ama's). The plastic scrapes off like scraping ice into flakes and leaves the hull blemish free like new. It would take 50 yrs of scraping to scrape thru the hull (you only remove about .002" of material when scraping and the hull is almost 3/8 thick in quite a few areas on the hull (like at the bow and stern) so you are not going to scrape thru the hull.
Just all my thoughts on stuff
FE

Marking the days as well. I pick mine up on Saturday! I should ask about extra rudder and aka pins. I ordered a cover as well so hopefully that has already come in.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I have only disconnected my TI's amas once in almost three years. I also have a winch, but never use it, as I find the TI slides easily on the (wet) cradles. I store mine on the trailer fully assembled, with the hull resting on the two cradles, plus a roller halfway out to the ends from each cradle. No sign of hull distortion.......

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

That's one more than me Tony and I car top.

Yes I know that I am the odd one out Bob.

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Cheers, Brian in South Australia
Tandem Island -

SHIPPING DATE APRIL 18, arriving 21-22ish!

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Chris


2015 Tandem Island-ivory dune