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PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 11:03 am 
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Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:27 pm
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I think I'm going to pull the trigger on a Hobie Sail as I have the opportunity to buy a "new" sail from a previous owner who never used it.
A few questions for the more experienced kayak sailors out there:

1. Does $310 sound like a good deal on an unused, second hand sail? I know they retail for $360 or thereabouts so it seems good to me.
2. The kit looks like it only comes with sail, storage bag and the mainline. Do I need anything else to get going? I don't intend to build a sail furling device.
3. Since I'm not furling, would it be easy to stow the sail in a paddle holder? I fish from my kayak, so when not sailing I want to keep the area in front of me clear.

Thanks in advance!


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 12:16 pm 
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Location: High Point, NC
It's a good deal.

Build a furling device - it's worth its weight in gold. You don't want to have to keep removing the sail and mast assembly each time you stop to fish. Build the furler and just pull a line to everything out of your way. Then pull the main sheet to resume operations.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:59 am 
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Obtained my sail kit yesterday!

Image

Going to try this in the lake by my house before I go offshore.
I'll also order the Hobie sail furling kit soon thereafter.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 1:54 pm 
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Almost a month and a half later I finally got a chance to try sailing the Revo11.
I was fishing Biscayne Bay in South Florida this weekend, but the fish weren't cooperating so I put the rods and fishing gear back in my car and setup the sail on the kayak on shore. Right away I knew it was a bit too windy for a beginner (10-15 mph) so I figured I would just go slow. I pushed into the water and jumped in. I was elated to pull the mainline taut and fill the sail and away I went.
Instantly I realized two things: 1. Full Sail = Flip-city (I mean I knew the Revo11 was tippy, but now with every gust I felt like I was going into the drink!) and 2. I suck at sailing (or more accurately I had a difficult time trying to sail on any angle remotely close to upwind). Down wind was pretty easy though, almost scary how easy it was to go with the wind.

This is going to take some getting used to.
I need more practice before I go offshore and have to deal with waves. I also need to figure out how to carry my fishing gear without it interfering with the rigging lines. My end goal is to be able to employ the sail when trolling at least one active fishing line.

Cheers.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 5:09 pm 
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Location: Auckland NZ
Jcan, sounds like we can welcome another sailor to the clan! (NB you don't have to be any good to join the clan; you just have to have done it!!).

Your learnings are almost spot on: 1. these boats are tippy - with time you will develop an appreciation of how far you can push it in a given wind-strength and fast reactions - until then expect the occasional unexpected bath :-); 2. Sailing upwind puts more pressure into the sail (because you are sailing into, not with, the breeze, so the wind strength is increased by your own motion) and in stronger winds it can be difficult to sail upwind without sideslipping (being pushed sideways) if you have no keel or daggerboard - the fins do have some effect but not a huge amount - so best to experiment with sailing upwind in lighter winds so that you can get a good feel for what the boat is capable of: it will go upwind but not to anything like the same extent as a deep-keeled racing yacht.

The thing you have yet to learn relates to your fishing kit - it is a hard lesson and it goes like this: if it ain't tied on sooner or later you are going to lose it. Based on my experience I strongly recommend that before you start sailing and carrying your fishing kit (let alone sailing and fishing) you work out a secure way of attaching everything to your boat so that when you turn turtle (note I do not say "if") you don't lose your valuable stuff. It is also worth considering securing your drive - even when you think it is securely locked into the drivewell inversion, even temporary, can do funny things with physics and your drive is too expensive to lose!

Personally I use strong paracord tied to the various padeyes on the boat with a small stainless steel springclip attached to the business end; these then clip onto loops of line on all my fishing rods so that I can switch rods between hands and holders quickly and easily without having the rod encumbered with a darn great length of line and a clip all the time (I can also have more rods than leashes and swap rods around between the rod rack and the kayak at no more cost than that of an additional loop of line on all my rods). The loop of line on the rods is set up the same way - in a short length of light strong line tie a loop that will fit on the palm of your hand (I use a simple simon knot - a reef knot with an extra round turn - much more secure than the reef knot - but a reef knot could be be satisfactory) ; twist it to make a figure 8, fold in two and slide the two loops up the rod handle from the base to the reel seat, position the cross of the figure 8 on the opposite side of the rod to the reel seat, seat your reel in the reel seat with one loop above it and one loop below it - now you have a loop of lie on your rod in the form of a figure 8 which (if it is small enough) won't interfere with your fishing and won't slide over the reel and fall off. Clip your security leashes (one on every rod holder position) to this loop and Davy Jones won't claim your rod & reel when you turn over.

There are plenty of other learnings on this site - I recommend ball bearing blocks to take the friction out of the sheet as an aid to avoiding wind-blown capsizes, a roller furler (the new Hobie one has to be the first choice option) and a boom batten for downwind stability. These three relatively cheap mods will significantly enhance your sailing experience from day 1. Later on you might want to think about a clam cleat to belay the sheet and give your hand a rest. All are discussed in this forum if you do a bit of searching.

Hope this helps and enjoy !


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:36 pm 
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All very good points Stobbo!
I have learned the hard way that I have to secure my rods and such with leashes, I actually capsized 2 months after getting the Revo and it was an expensive mistake I will not be repeating. After I get the hang of sailing in the bay, I am going to try carrying my gear buckets and rods, after I get used to that then we'll see about the offshore sailing. Sailing and fishing... well lets just leave that feat on hold for a long while haha.

I already have one roller block clipped to the padeye by the rear handle for routing the main line. The Hobie sail furling kit is on order and cam cleats will come when I have confidence to stop holding onto the mainline with the kungfudeathgrip :lol:

Cheers!


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:56 am 
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A few years ago I bought a used Outback... guy loaded all the stuff into my truck and tosses me this blue canvas bag... I'm like what's that? - he tells me it has a sail, BUT..... it's a PITA and if I didn't want it, he'd just throw it away. Claimed he was a sailor and it flipped him all the time. Looked up the price and it was over $350 new...... I took it down to Fla a few months later and got out in shallow, quiet Appie Bay (with a little liquid courage) and had a BLAST. No problem going with or against the wind and I never sailed a day in my life. Sail was like BRAND NEW... used it to troll a couple of times. I bought the OB, mirage drive, sail, seat and paddle for $400.... I know you think I'm lying but it's true. I also used the sail a few times on my Revo... a LOT quicker and a little more skittish but not bad. Picked up a PA a couple of days ago, can't wait to try the sail on that!


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:06 am 
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:19 am 
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Yes, that's how I have my line routed as well. I fear it will interfere with the milk crate and 3 rods I usually carry upright behind the seat.
I have an Outback at my disposal, but technically its not mine so I wanted to start with my more agile <challenging> platform :lol:


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 6:49 am 
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Location: S.E. Florida
Jcanracer,

Here is the sailing instruction sheet that comes with the sail if you don't have it. It has good sailing tips on wind and direction of sail for the novice.

http://static.hobiecat.com/digital_asse ... ailKit.pdf

I have only sailed the lake behind my house and want to do the Bay. I will hit Morningside Park (North Biscayne Bay) after the holiday and give my setup a try out on open water. I personally use the Sidekick Amas in the high setting. They are out of the water unless you hike over substantially and they stop the turtle. At least they give you time to dump the sail and right yourself without taking a bath. Sailing in 15mph on the lake crossing between culdesacs I caught some heavy gusts in the narrows and sidekicks saved me on many an occasion.

had the amas set too low this was my first attempt at sailing a few years ago. Now I just keep them high and not dragging int the water.
Image


I have rocket launcher rod holders forward of the cockpit and that is where I intend to store my rods when sailing/fishing and for trolling. I have the crate mate (out of production now) in the well and usually have several rods in the rod holders there and in the revolution rod holders. I can see where they might interfere with the main sheet standing vertical in the rear. Maybe someone who has experience carrying rods in back and sailing can chime in.

If I am sailing and fishing I would stick to only two rods up front. You have another option ... Hobie now sells a rod holder that mounts on the side of the kayak.

You can buy rod floats to add to your fishing poles as I have for safety if they go overboard the won't sink. Sad you had to learn the hard way about leashing anything you don't want to lose. Milk crates should have a cover with a clip or anything contained within will spill out too.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Blakemor ... lsrc=aw.ds

I just might see you on the Bay sometime.

Revo

_________________
I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:16 am 
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Revo, thank you! I did not have these instructions since I bought my sail second hand. Looks like I have the rigging right, and just need practice navigating the wind.

I leash my rods to the kayak now, so no worries there. I also have the gear tracks on the gunwales so I will try mounting two rocket launchers up front to see how they interact with the sail and mainline. I'll start with just one rod. I will take pictures to help other new forum members.

BTW, I was practicing down south by Rickenbacker, but I also do Morningside since I actually live up in Broward. Who knows, I might go on Sunday since the forecast looks too rough offshore for me at the moment. Let me know anytime you want to go.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 9:33 am 
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Location: S.E. Florida
I am in Broward too. I go to Morningside on my own and with the South Florida Kayak Fishing Group. Funny maybe we fished together off Morningside. There are a few people on the forum I did not know who they were by nickname but found out we were in the same kayak groups.

Was that Hobie Beach you practiced at on Rickenbacker? I have thought about checking that beach out sometime.

I am busy over the weekend prepping for the holidays but intend to get down there as soon as I can after the 1st.

Have fun if you go Sunday.

Revo

_________________
I would rather be kayaking and think about work than to be at work thinking about kayaking.
A Thrill Ride is being dragged around in your kayak for 40 minutes by an extremely large fish.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 11:20 am 
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yep, Hobie beach. Free parking and ease of access is nice. The trout are sometimes hit or miss, but I like that you do not have to go far to catch them.

Pictures to follow if I go Sunday.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:12 pm 
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So I took the Revo11 offshore this weekend, complete with sail and furling kit. Conditions were 2-3ft, 10-15mph blowing COLD breeze from NNW.
Observations:
- The furling kit worked well, minor adjustment needed to the knobs which fit over the knots.
- The heeling force is even more unsettling offshore than inshore because one has to account for waves! I was too scared to properly trim the sail for fear of capsizing, so I managed a paltry 3.5 mph.
- Vertical rod holders in crate definitely interfered with the main line. Rods in rod-holder extension tubes in the stock locations were less of a problem... but there was still a problem routing the mainsheet with two active trolling rods.
- "rocket launcher" on starboard side up front was the key to good trolling rod placement. Unfortunately I have a problem with the ram tube rotating in place on the 1.5" ram ball. I just can't seem to tighten the ram tube enough to stop it from moving when a trolling rod is being used, much less when that trolling rod gets a good strike from a kingfish.

So at the moment I have mixed feelings about the sail kit. I might have to reserve it for non-fishing days and it remains to be seen if I will find use for it offshore again.


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