Beginners Guide for Hobie AI newbies

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Beginners Guide for Hobie AI newbies

Published on Friday, 02 April 2010 21:31

Written by Holger

We thought it might be helpful to make a collection of hints & tips for people who have just bought their Hobie Adventure Island, to make their start a bit easier. If you own an AI and have a beginners tip you feel worth sharing, please add as a comment below.

The best wind speed to sail the AI is between 5-20 knots. Below 5 it is not really worth carrying the Sail and amas. It is more efficient to use the hull only, or to go Polynesian style (the hull with one ama) and use it as an outrigger. Above 20 knots it gets a bit rough (depending on the water conditions & where you sail ).
If winds are strong, it is often better & faster to have some of the sail furled onto the mast.

If the rudder gets over-powered, either pedal hard, furl your sail, or let your sheet line out a little bit.

While Sailing in high wind speed (especially in rough water), hold your sheet line un-cleated in your hand, so you can let it go at any time.

Knot the furling and the sheet line together. This makes handling the lines a lot easier.

Store your spare rudder pin in the holder moulded into the lid of the centre hatch, not the rear hatch (it's default position); you can't open the rear hatch in open water without getting water in it unless you hop into the water to do it, which is more difficult.

To exchange the rudder pin out on the water, the rudder should be up, not down.

Be careful with the trampolines in high winds. The wind can get caught underneath and lift the ama up (you might tip over). Stop and roll them up if you feel the 'lifting'. if this does happen to you, uncleat the mainsheet immediately and or shift your weight onto the lifting tramp. Rolling tramps up will make tacking into stiff winds easier as well.

The AI sails better with most weight transferred towards the back.

Having the amas folded back while wheeling your AI on the cart, balances the AI better, and makes pulling easier.

Carry & wear safety gear (have a look in our articles about safety), familiarise yourself with rescue procedures, have a back up plan & let somebody know where you are going.

If you tip over, fold one ama in. Make sure the sail is furled or the sheet line is loose. I've found it easiest to then step on the opposite ama (the one not folded) & to hold on to the drive, hull and daggerboard while it rolls back up.

Don't forget to undo the stretch cord around the sail and rudder before you set off, or you will have no steering. Also remember to lift the daggerboard, fins and rudder (in that order) before you land.

To trim your sail correctly, let the sheet line out to the point where the front edge of the sail starts to flutter, and then tighten it until the fluttering stops.

When you sail upwind the daggerboard should point straight down, while if you are on a broad reach or running, the daggerboard can be folded up.

Anything stored on deck needs to be leashed: 'leash it, or loose it'. Don't leash yourself to the boat though.
Use good quality waterproof storage solutions for carrying gear that absolutely must stay dry. In rough conditions, the AI can be a wet ride and anything not fully waterproof can easily be exposed.

In case of a capsize, swim around the boat, don't dive through underneath it; too many entanglement hazards there.
Keep your hatch seals clean and conditioned. Most of the leakage reported in AI's is due to poorly sealing hatches. Salt, sand and grit collects on the gaskets of the circular hatches and this should be cleaned off thoroughly. For optimal performance, gaskets should be conditioned with something like Armour All or McNetts silicone spray (for best results).
Seal up the rudder left/right and up/down line intake tubes with clear silicone. This can help eliminate internal seepage from rudder lines. Pay special attention to the tube end caps where they meet the hull plastic and even push a bit of silicone down into the tube ends (but if you do this, be sure to actuate the lines periodically while silicone dries to prevent lines sticking to it).