My First Sail on the Hobie Revolution
Learning the Fundamentals of Sailing and Furling
Had the opportunity to get out on the water and test the new sail and furl system that I've been working on for my Revo. My wife actually gave me two hours to have fun this last Sunday and really see and feel what it's like to sail on a kayak. During these last two weeks, I've been in company training and have not had much of an opportunity to kayak fish. I really haven't missed much in the action as my fishing buddies have been getting big zeros in bringing in the fish. So again I want to apologize for not having much news on kayak fishing. Man it would be great to land a fish in this coming weekend Yak-Attack fishing tournament if I decide to enter it providing I have the time.
Nonetheless, I want to share my first experience with kayak sailing from my Hobie Revo. It was fantastic. It was like getting a new toy to play with and made my kayak feel brand new again. Now I have a new addiction to satisfy.
Testing the sail system and furl system before I attempt to fish from my kayak made me aware of my obstacles that I may face while fishing. I started with baby steps with wind speeds slightly blowing from 4 to 6 miles per hour. Not what I truly expected with light winds, but I think I will need at least 10 to 15 mph to maximize the potential of sailing from a kayak. It was nice to get from one point to the other and I really forgot what it was like to kayak without all my fishing equipment.
The furl system I made worked smoothly and I used the turbo fins as my daggerboard. It was effortless to bring in the sail only taking 7 wraps around the mast to bring it in with one pull. The mainsheet line worked great with the Harkin blocks as roller guides. I will post close up photos in the next week in the members only section of all operating pieces used in my engineering of the furl system. If anyone has any questions, just post a discussion at the end of this article and I will answer your question as best as I can about the system. It was easy to setup and extremely easy to tear down. The sail brought out curious questions from onlookers as I returned to shore. Now the next test will be to land a fish with it in stronger wind conditions and how I react with a sail. Gliding on the water is an incredible sensation and I wished I would have done it sooner, but at least I'm doing it now. Now I'm really curious on what a Hobie Adventure Island can do. Stay tuned for more details! Aloha.
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Re:My First Sail on the Hobie Revolution
Jun 02 2010 02:17:24 Paul,
I have to give you credit for going through all the trouble of engineering a sailing option for your kayak. Being new to sailing, thought it was best for me to get one that's already engineered and put together and was considering a Hobie Adventure Island. But, the introduction of the Tandem Adventure Island couldn't have come at a better time. I was also shopping for a tandem kayak for my wife and I; then one comes along with a sailing option. I was sold. As you already know, I've taken my Tandem Adventure Island out for her maiden voyage this past Saturday and had to sail solo since my wife was out of town. But, what an amazing feeling it was to be able to co-exist with a natural force to help you along. I experienced the same feeling of elation when I caught my first wave. I was stoked! Despite being rigged up for fishing, it took a back seat and it ended up being all about the ride. Hope to take the TI out more this year and will post my experiences. Stay tuned! cliffs2yak |
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Re:My First Sail on the Hobie Revolution
Jun 02 2010 04:15:18 You guys have me looking at my checkbook, to have a yak that I can troll a jet lure and get it smoking is awful tempting.
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Re:My First Sail on the Hobie Revolution
Jun 02 2010 09:11:31 Sailing kayaks do look like a lot of fun, but no way I can afford one right now. I do have plans to build one of these, though, as soon as I clear a few other projects out of my shop. That will pull a few lures at speed!
You still can't beat a simple kayak for quickly getting a guy and gear out in the water. It's really as minimal as you can get for blue water fishing, but yet nearly as effective for landing a fish as any other craft. C2Y- I'd be happy to stand in for your wife on the AI any time! No need go solo.  |
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Kayak Sailing the TI C2Y
Jun 03 2010 00:05:35 C2Y and KayakingBob
Read all your posts as well as Kayaking Bob on the Hobie forum. Wow great info and the comparison side by side in Bobs backyard. Your photos were awesome JQ and I have already planted the seed to get my wife positioned for my next kayak purchase. I kind of stumbled into the Hobie Revolution. I was lucky to win the Yak Attack summer tournament in June, 2008. I won the OK Prowler. Had a sore shoulder at that time and asked Kelly if I could trade it in for a Hobie. Never thought about sailing at that time, just pedaling. I paid the difference and went with the Hobie. No regrets until I see what you have. Yes I invested into a comfortable ride, but the TI has all the answers... especially when going solo. The storing of your catch in front of you is the most important requirement I look for after purchasing 3 kayaks previously. Looking forward to sailing with you even though I will be lagging you. My days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. My wife and kids are leaving this Sunday for a month leaving me all alone for kayak fishing and sailing. I plan on going to Maui one of my weeks on my day off to see Maui Mark and probably see the setup of how KayakingBob rides his Hobie Sail Fleet. Still working on the best way to fish 2 rods without interference of the mainsheet w/o tangling my lines since I am so compacted on the Revo. I ordered my Magnum Rapala CD11 lures last week following an article that was posted on the YakAss website to troll artificial behind the sail at various speeds. I'll follow your posts. |
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Re:Kayak Sailing the TI C2Y
Jun 03 2010 05:16:06 Pueo, I hear you in regards to the checkbook. My previous yaks were given to me or I've purchased them used. And so this purchase ended up being a lot for my recreation budget. But for what it offers: being able to share the stoke with my wife, and meeting a wish list after a few years of kayak fishing outside of Hilo. It works.
Driftingson, I can imagine you being able to build one and you're more that welcome to inspect the design and rigging. Being able to build one so that you can incorporate a Mirage Drive and make it weigh a quarter as much would be simply amazing. I have some experience building surfboards and so have some experience working with fiberglass and epoxy. But if you can combine the attributes of an oc-2 and a TI... 
YakHawaii, I usually have more free time on the weekends; but, if you're willing to wake up early, wouldn't mind a morning pedal and sail back to replace my morning runs. Pedaling is better for my knees than running. Will be heading overseas for work the last two weeks of this month but will be back early July and will post when I'm headed out again. shaka, cliffs2yak |
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