AI II

I'm nearly done piecing together an AI from my 2013 Adventure and a bunch of parts that I've slowly gathered. It still needs some minor stuff (a couple of blocks, a couple of cam cleats, rope, etc.) and one big thing, namely, a mast. The mast is pretty pricey ($659), so I'm thinking about trying to fabricate one. Anyways, I can test it out with the mast from my "real" AI, and I'm hoping to do so soon.

Looking nice  . Are you going to paint the amas red or the Adveture yellow? 

That’s impressive; nicely done.

Kind of a thread jack, but have you tried one of the 2015+ AIs? They are drier, faster, more comfortable and better sailing than the older version. The big disadvantage is how much heavier they are, but since you mostly trailer, one might be perfect for you. They are miserably big and heavy on land.

Looking nice  . Are you going to paint the amas red or the Adveture yellow? 

Actually, the amas for AI II are tan, but I currently have those on my AI I. But I kind of like the color contrast, no to mention the IKEA look, so I might leave it this way.

That’s impressive; nicely done.

Kind of a thread jack, but have you tried one of the 2015+ AIs? They are drier, faster, more comfortable and better sailing than the older version. The big disadvantage is how much heavier they are, but since you mostly trailer, one might be perfect for you. They are miserably big and heavy on land.

No, I've never tried a 2015+ AI. When I first saw the 2015 AI, I planned to upgrade, but when I heard about the added weight, I decided against it. I do car-top on occasion (in fact, I car-topped exclusively the first year I had my AI), so weight is an issue.

Wrt the drier ride, any seat can be used on an AI, so I can at least avoid the dreaded wet-butt.

Wrt speed, I doubt the difference would be significant for me, as most of my speed sailing is at the end of a day of fishing, when whitecaps and swell are speed-limiting factors. In any case, I'm more concerned about performance in light winds and better pointing into the wind. I think the key to both of those is a head sail. I've got a jib that I really like, but I'm still working on how best to manage it (the biggest issue is that setup is a bit more of hassle). I'm hoping to eventually perfect that...

Nice job! 

Warning:  The mast from the older AI crossbars are different from the newer ones.  You will need a pre 2011 one to fit properly.....ask me how I know.....

I feel like the 2015+ points into the wind better, maybe partly due to the new ama design. No need to deal with the extra weight if you’re happy with the older model though.

I'm nearly done piecing together an AI from my 2013 Adventure and a bunch of parts that I've slowly gathered. It still needs some minor stuff (a couple of blocks, a couple of cam cleats, rope, etc.) and one big thing, namely, a mast. The mast is pretty pricey ($659), so I'm thinking about trying to fabricate one. Anyways, I can test it out with the mast from my "real" AI, and I'm hoping to do so soon.

Nicely done!  You may want to consider getting a motor instead of a mast at that price.  You can get a Suzuki DF2.5 around that mast price.

Nice job! 

Warning:  The mast from the older AI crossbars are different from the newer ones.  You will need a pre 2011 one to fit properly.....ask me how I know.....

The only new thing of any consequence that I had to buy was a mast receiver (the plastic tube that the mast fits into). That mast in the picture is from a 2014 AI, and it seems to work just fine. I know the mast base from the first year AI (2008) is different, but I didn't know that there were any other differences prior to 2015. In any case, I think a new mast is out of my price range for now, so I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to get a usable mast on the cheap...

....ask me how I know.....

I'd like to know 

Nice job! 

Warning:  The mast from the older AI crossbars are different from the newer ones.  You will need a pre 2011 one to fit properly.....ask me how I know.....

The only new thing of any consequence that I had to buy was a mast receiver (the plastic tube that the mast fits into). That mast in the picture is from a 2014 AI, and it seems to work just fine. I know the mast base from the first year AI (2008) is different, but I didn't know that there were any other differences prior to 2015. In any case, I think a new mast is out of my price range for now, so I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to get a usable mast on the cheap...

You are correct.  I kinda lumped the mast receiver in with the crossbar. If you changed that out, you are good to go. 

....ask me how I know.....

I'd like to know 

I tried using an older style mast (07/08ish) in a 2013 year AI with the newer receiver.  The mast didn't lock down because it sticks up too high due to design changes in the mast and receiver.  I decided to rock it anyways since I figured the rigging would keep it in place.  Worked out great until I cracked the mast base towards then end of a glorious day sailing.  Put a damper on an otherwise epic day on the water. 

Thank you for the details Fiver

Looking nice  . Are you going to paint the amas red or the Adveture yellow? 

Actually, the amas for AI II are tan, but I currently have those on my AI I. But I kind of like the color contrast, no to mention the IKEA look, so I might leave it this way.

Orange!

... I can test it out with the mast from my "real" AI, and I'm hoping to do so soon.

Do you need to register your AI with the DMV if you use it for ‘sailing’ or is it one of those thing where you are ‘supposed to’ but nobody does ... or maybe you don't need to register it?