Hobie AI/TI questions

I've got a lot of miles on my Hobie Adventure and I think it's time to upgrade to the island. I have no fear of cutting holes in my kayak (in fact, strangely, I kind of enjoy it), so I can't foresee any major difficulties with the necessary mods.

To make things more interesting, recently my wife has shown some interest in getting out on the water. The two of us together with fishing equipment would be just below the 300 pound limit for the AI, so a haka/bench something like this might work, at least in ideal conditions:


But, before we go that route, I was wondering what people here think about the following (possibly insane) idea: Instead of buying the Adventure Island conversion kit (about $2k), suppose I win the lottery and instead buy a Tandem Island (about $6k). Although the TI amas are larger than those on the AI, it seems they can be used on an AI. This long thread on the Hobie forum discusses just such an AI/TI hybrid:

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=33992&sid=bc8cf6f0113345a8f57055f23ee397e9

While the OP makes it sound complicated, I believe that's because he's using an older model Adventure. If you go to the first post on p. 5 of the thread, a guy claims that for the 2011 model year, the AI and TI amas and akas are interchangeable. His video seems to back it up:


It's tempting to go the TI route because we could have an AI and a TI and save some money as compared to buying both separately. Of course, we couldn't take them both out at the same time, since there would only be one set of amas/akas.

So, do you think it would make any sense to use the larger TI amas/akas on an AI? Any major drawbacks?

Thanks for reading this far...

If you have a buddy you fish with all the time (like these guys http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=50910.0) , the TI would be an option. The advantage of the TI is:
#1 Sailing speed and points better into the wind with less submarining
#2 Can take a buddy, wife or kids for a ride
The disadvantages:
#1 Weight, it's a beast
#2 Rigging time
#3 More things that can break

I have the drill/saw to cut the hole for the mast retainer and have done 2 conversions. Let me know if you need some help.

Scott

You can get one (or two) of these instead of the conversion kit.  Almost the same price of the kit.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/boa/4554457124.html

You can get one (or two) of these instead of the conversion kit.  Almost the same price of the kit.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/boa/4554457124.html

Wow, that's pretty incredible. I'll definitely check it out. Thanks for the info.

Send a PM to Don (Elusive) he owns both an AI and TI.  But every time I fish with him he uses a one Ama set up.  Thats him trying to get unstuck in the kelp.  LOL

Send a PM to Don (Elusive) he owns both an AI and TI.  But every time I fish with him he uses a one Ama set up.  Thats him trying to get unstuck in the kelp.  LOL

75% of the time I use 1 AMA no sail. 15% of the time hull only. 10% of the time full sail. But on a nice day with the right conditions for trolling and sailing it is awesome. It's also fun to just sail.

Can anyone tell what year these are from?  [Update: just got confirmation from seller that these are from 2009]

I've got AI envy big time, looking for maximum stability and flexibility going out of HMB which is literally a few minutes down the road from me.  Biggest challenge I have is storage with UV protection.  Thinking of building a small covered rack attached to a retaining wall outside, use a tarp in front to keep the sun off.

Can anyone tell what year these are from? 

I've got AI envy big time, looking for maximum stability and flexibility going out of HMB which is literally a few minutes down the road from me.  Biggest challenge I have is storage with UV protection.  Thinking of building a small covered rack attached to a retaining wall outside, use a tarp in front to keep the sun off.

I emailed the guy selling the 2 AI's and he says they are 2009. My Adventure is a 2013. Did Hobie make any significant changes from 2009 to 2013?

I have a 2012.  Things I noticed different on 09.
Do not have rubber carry handles.
Has sailing rudder instead of bigger shark fin rudder.
Ama bars are connected with pins, newer model are spring loaded that snap on.
2013 Hobie Tramps now come with larger buckles.

I believe the major changes are the larger "sharkfin" rudder vs twist and stow (like other Hobies) and how the aka bars attach to the cross members

Old = http://watertribe.com/Magazine/Y2006/M08/OstlindIslander_aka_pivot_CU_0341_w.jpg

New = http://www.riggingdimensions.com.au/images/D1221104434.jpg

Thanks for the info, but I'm not quite getting the difference. I guess the big questions I have are the following: Would those older style aka bars would work on the newer model Adventure? And, if so, is there anything about the newer style that makes them significantly better?

I went ahead and ordered the "Hobie Island Conversion Kit". Before doing so, I called Hobie just to be sure the current version of the kit would be compatible with my (2013) Adventure. They said yes, but also added that I should get the upright (sharkfin) style rudder. I believe they meant this one:

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=71&t=34266

The person I spoke with said this style of rudder is not compatible with pre-2011 Adventures and that's why it's not part of the standard upgrade package. But, he emphasized that they highly recommend it.

Any thoughts on whether this is really necessary? For some reason, I had the impression that it is only essential on the TI.

The sharkfin rudder gives you better helm control overall especially sailing to windward. The downside is weight and it sticks straight up when not in use which makes transport, storing and fishing more difficult. I opted to stay with the twist and stow rudder with the sailing blade because I am not racing or even sailing that often. You can always upgrade in the future if you are sailing a lot. Most of the NCKA Islanders are hacks at sailing so you won't have trouble keeping up with them even with their sharkfin rudders. 

Thanks for the info, but I'm not quite getting the difference. I guess the big questions I have are the following: Would those older style aka bars would work on the newer model Adventure? And, if so, is there anything about the newer style that makes them significantly better?

This was a point of contention when I upgraded. Both AKA bars have the same mounts is my understanding. The newer version is easier to connect but there were bugs in the design. The older version had corrosion issues underneath the feet so both have issues however the V2 is probably a slightly better design. Hobie has a stockpile of old V1 parts which is why they are unloading them on customers like you and me who bought an Adventure instead of an AI. The V1 are functional though and if you make a stink they will offer you a discount on the V2 parts but the total cost will be $1-200 more compared to the kit. I have been OK with the V1 parts but don't think Hobie has a sensible business strategy selling parts which are obsolete for 2-3 years but it is what it is.

The sharkfin rudder gives you better helm control overall especially sailing to windward. The downside is weight and it sticks straight up when not in use which makes transport, storing and fishing more difficult. I opted to stay with the twist and stow rudder with the sailing blade because I am not racing or even sailing that often. You can always upgrade in the future if you are sailing a lot. Most of the NCKA Islanders are hacks at sailing so you won't have trouble keeping up with them even with their sharkfin rudders. 

Thanks for all of the additional info. I've decided to hold off on the sharkfin rudder for now. In any case, I'll soon be joining the ranks of AI sailing hacks...