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| New Toy | | Print | |
| Saturday, 27 September 2008 | ||||
From Adventure to Adventure Island Brand spanking Hobie Adventure Island, rigged up and good to go I've upgraded once again, this time going from the Adventure to the viagra-enhanced Adventure Island. Hull-wise, it's much the same boat and for some of the time at least, I'll be using it in very similar fashion to the original. The Island does have a few major appendages that when fitted, transform it from being a not so humble kayak to an even less humble trimaran. It's not the kind of upgrade that everyone would want to do but after having played around in a few Islands recently, was something I could really see merit in. There's a few reasons for this, which I could summarise as it's overall versatility. If you've got your heart set on getting out onto the water, having something that can be paddled/pedalled in calm conditions or otherwise sailed in windy conditions can really open up ones options. Sailing the Island really is a hell of a lot of fun. It's simple enough to do, the boat itself is incredibly stable and under the right conditions, super fast. My fastest recorded speed so far is 16.4kph, which I managed last night in winds somewhere in the vicinity of 15-18 knots. I took it out today for a longer run, launching from Murrays boat ramp and sailing over to Pt Perpendicular and then playing around the headlands. What would otherwise take me about 3 hours to paddle/pedal, took me about an hour and that was tacking into a headwind. Sailing back with a tailwind behind me was even faster.  Fishing from the Island has commanded a few adjustments to my game and that's partly why I've been working towards minimising my gear and organising it better. After a couple of trial runs (one with rods, one without) with the new boat I think my efforts have been well worthwhile. Less clutter on deck definitely makes things go smoother while sailing. I also took the step of re-thinking storage of tackle and essential items, with a view to make sure that everything that absolutely positively has to stay dry does. This is very important on the Island, because the faster it goes - especially in choppy water - the wetter the ride. That's all part of the fun though I reckon, which is demonstrated in the video clip below, which I shot today. In the clip I'm playing around off Pt Perp, tacking into a northerly breeze. My GPS was off at the time but I estimate that I was doing just over 10kph at the time. Extending my range of capabilities is one of the major reasons I started to like the idea of using the Island as a fishing platform. Jervis Bay is a rather large body of water and equipped with sail power provided by the island, I'm able to reach any part of it. There are some very productive reefs off shore that are too difficult to reach by paddle power alone. Now they are within my reach. The added speed should also help to round up some pelagics whilst trolling. So far I've had good success hooking up while trolling at fairly high speeds and that trend should only continue. In my experience some species respond better to faster moving lures and with tuna season coming up I should get plenty of opportunity to test that theory. It is challenging to boat a good fish when hooking up while sailing (especially when the boat is going one way and the fish the other) but the furling system featured on the Island makes it relatively easy to manage. I did have a good day's fishing from the Island today, which I'll talk more about in a soon-to-be-written fishing report (Snapper for dinner). I'll also talk more about how I've rigged up the Island, as well as how I've re-organised my gear to suit in another post soon. Those of you familiar with the Hobie Adventure Island kayak/trimaran might be wondering where a dune coloured model came from, as it is only available in Hibiscus (red) or Papaya (yellow) as standard. There is actually a dune island upgrade kit available, which I've matched with a dune adventure (would also go well with moss and orange I think). Installing the upgrade kit was easier than I was expecting and I'm glad I got the chance to do so, as it gave me an opportunity to get up real close and personal and learn more about it. I do like both the Hibiscus and Papaya colours but couldn't decide between the two, so opting for the dune colour seemed to make sense.
   
28-09-2008 11:23 Interesting read Josh. Just out of interest can you tell me what the cost of the upgrade kit is for the AI setup? How are you transporting the yak with the AMA\'s attached - must add some extra weight and be harder to get on roof racks etc? I can see your point in regard to the way the sail option opens up more fishing options  Here in Geraldton the winds are almost always 10 k\'s min up to 20 - 25 k\'s, so I would be able to access locations further afield with much less pedalling effort involved. 28-09-2008 12:37 Cuda, last time I looked (almost a year ago) the upgrade kit was a more expensive option by about $800 from memory, but I could be wrong (Hobie don\'t sell many of these so I\'ve never had to look). I\'m not transporting it with amas attached - I take them, the sail and the akas off. All but the akas gets cartopped individually. To disassemble the trimaran it takes about a minute or so. The hull weight of the yak itself is heavier than a stock adventure, due to the cross bars, sail mounting cup and V-brace assembly, so thats worth noting to. For sure, you could reach far more areas with less effort (or that you couldn\'t otherwise reach) and thats just one big plus. Another bonus - and this would work for you I reckon - is higher speed trolling. Mackeral, tuna &, sambos (for example) really respond better to faster moving lures. Not only does it open up your fishing options, the ability to sail simply makes it more fun to. Then there is the fact that you can stand up in the island, easily. Accessing the front hatch is easier to because of the added balance. There are considerations to take into account of course. Extra weight being one. Longer to set up and pack up another. But the big one is picking your days and knowing when to go full trimaran and just kayak. The mirage drive can propel the whole thing - all 55kg of it - quite well, but not like it can just a standard adventure. So on calm days, leaving the amas, akas etc at home is wise. Rigging the yak is another consideration, as now there is a large sail and furling lines to think about. It commands more thought into where to put those rods holders because you don\'t want rods getting in the way. I have put a lot of thought into this and have come up with a system that I think will work well (so far so good). I\'m waiting on a couple of items to arrive to complete the picture and when I do, I\'ll write it up. 28-09-2008 14:08 Sounds good regarding the transportation side of things and the time taken to assemble it all Josh. I was thinking even the sail & daggerboard would be useful when returning from fishing trips after a long day's pedalling - although you wouldn't be as well balanced I gather  I wonder if the ama's & crossbars would get in the way if you had a big fish on such as a good sized tuna that would be fighting down low under your yak / changing direction? 28-09-2008 14:50 nice bit of kit you got there josh, hope i can join you soon 28-09-2008 15:15 Cuda, I wondered the exact same thing about the amas getting in the way of landing a big fish, but surmised it would be easy enough to fold back the ama to bring it in. I was right to. If you look at the top photo on the front page right now (of the snapper) you can see the right aka folded back. Its really very simple to do, so as it turns out, not a problem. I also thought the sail would get in the way of your rod if a fish goes from one side of the yak to the other, but it's actually easy enough to lean forward and pass the rod around it. And yeah - sailing home from a big days fishing is another plus, and something I've done with the standard sail kit a few times. I do think, however, the adventure needs the sidekick amas for the standard sailkit, because in 15+ knot winds coming from the side, it's otherwise pretty tippy. Astro, I'm hoping the same. We've talked about some fairly ambitious future trips and I definitely don't want to do them alone. Exploring Fraser Island or the Whitsundays on one of these things would be an unforgettable trip. It'll happen for ya, one way or the other. 28-09-2008 16:30 Ahh salt spray, geez I miss sailing. 28-09-2008 22:15 Oh yeah Darrin, I'm starting to see why you love sailing so much. Out of interest, which boat cat did you own? Was it a bravo? You'd love the island mate. And oh man, it'd be awesome up in your neck of the woods in townsville. Come to JB for a holiday and I'll show you what I mean :-) 01-10-2008 15:16 Mate, I will be down in the new year for sure as I will have plenty of time up my sleeve. I did have a Hobie 14 Turbo, I raced Nacra 5.8's with a friend a few times. I still have the 12'Rainbow in my shed which, when my son gets old enough will be his. The problem for me is too many things take my interest, and I cant keep up with myself lol. 01-10-2008 15:53 Excellent mate, can't wait to see ya. We'll definitely have to hit the water, wholesale. And yep... I know whatcha mean about too many interests. I use to suffer from that syndrome, but eventually talked myself out of it. Life's much simpler with just one serious hobby that I can really sink the teeth into :-) 09-11-2008 22:43 I'm envious of all the fun youre hvg fr  Great Videos, Josh. Thks for sharing them with us - it allows the armchair kayaker to savour a whiff of the adrenalin rush...and to get out to raw nature. Am totally envious! and I want an AI!!! Keep posting... ps and Jervis Bay tourism will be such a benefactor from this - and AI sales bound to skyrocket. Love the AI upgrade in Sand Dune! Only registered users can write comments. Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6 |
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