Tom Ray wrote:
Just out of curiousity, what would happen if I tried to use my wife's V1 drive with my Click n Go boat? The shaft somehow releases the CnG? Does it just rotate the locking blade of the CnG right off?
It looks like your "V1" drive is an '08 model. I believe the splined drumshafts were actually phased in sometime during that model year, so it is possible that you have an early splined shaft. These early splined shafts had the round edges as well and are indistinguishable from the non-splined versions (without exposing the spline):
Top to bottom drumshafts: non-spliined; early splined, rounded tips; later splined, beveled tips.
Additionally, not all non-splined shafts spin in the drivewell. You can find out by etching a reference line at the top of your "V1" drumshaft and see if it rotates under use. If not, you should have no issues.
Quote:
The Mirage Drive in a solo Island does act a bit like a centerboard, but because the blades feather themselves into the current as the boat slips sideways, they don't reduce slippage all that much.
Although the fins clearly aren't as efficient as the daggerboard, I would tend to agree with Gringo that they can make a contribution to tracking, depending on wind and boat speed. Remember on all the other sailing Hobies, the Mirage Drive IS the daggerboard equivalent and actually does a credible job. Even on the AI, you might be comforted by the fact that if you forget to bring your daggerboard, you can still go sailing with the fins alone acting as surrogate.
Disregarding pointing (and tacking), if the fins aren't being used at all, the AI/TI will go faster without them, as they are unnecessary drag (unless of course, you are becalmed). If you are using them though, I think they make a nice enhancement to speed and definitely help close-hauled and tacking without having to use them rigorously. IMO, an AI with Drive pulled is no match for an AI with Drive in use, but an
idle Drive is no match for a pulled Drive. The same principles should apply to the TI.