Hobie Sail kit.
 

I was looking at getting a sail kit for my Hobie revo 11. But whats holding me back is I don't know how to sail. Does anyone here have one that they set one up but did not know how to sail first and just learn as the progress?

You need to go fishing to use it. Where you been?

I started out in a 22' pos which I had for about three months,than I got a 35' Erickson sloop. Not only did I learn to sail on my own I also learned That I dislike sailing!. My bro and I used to go out to Coronados and fish,now that was a bitch....

I have a Hobie Sail, but I have not put it to use. I have no background with sailing either, so I'm in the same boat as you...

If you plan to get a sail, I would go to www.hobiecat.com and check out their forum for Hobie Sailing. The people there are knowledgeable and they do thorough reviews. If you still would like to try it, I would go on YouTube and check-out the sailing tutorials. It's actually pretty easy...

Some random thoughts before you buy.

1) The Hobie sail for the Hobie fishing kayaks (not the Adventure Island) are meant to sail in winds less than 10-15mph.

2) It can be cumbersome to carry the sail while you are out fishing.

3) In general, the sail is meant to be used for fun and not necessarily for getting around to the fishing grounds.

4) The fastest you can go with the sail is close to how fast you can pedal.

5) Create a furl system so you can put the sail away quickly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFWWKI_q2NU

I'm a novice like you. Hopefully, someone more experienced will chime in.

Not much of a learning curve to sail. I built an outrigger canoe with a sail and also learned how to sail on it.

I dont think a sailing kayak will gain much when going upwind.

Buy one and learn the rest. :luxhello:

POG life. I'm trying to get back into Kayak Fishing.

Thanks everyone for your input. Seems like I'm not going to get it.
Well I wonder what else I can get.

Try here, They'll answer your questions.

http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewf...d89cb7605fc813

I'd get one in a second if I didnt then have to put frigging CF numbers on my kayak - thats the deal breaker for me...

Unless it's a electric or gas powered boat you shouldn't need to register your kayak. So in light of this information, which one are you getting?

I've been thinking of getting one also, to maybe increase my range a bit. I am going to demo one this weekendif I can.

Wrong - from the DMV site:

Generally, every sail-powered vessel over eight feet in length and every motor-driven vessel (regardless of length) that is not documented by the U.S. Coast Guard which is used or on the waters of this state are subject to registration by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

As soon as I unfurl the sail on a PA14, I'm subject to a ticket unless I have CF numbers...

Put down the shooting toys and get in your kayak and Get fishin! :the_finger: That is the best thing to get! Plus you need to come by and get the frame and put your wheels on it.

I stand corrected. Is it really that big of a hassle though? I have a couple of pwc and the gas I spend on the jetskis and to get to and from the ocean or lake far outweigh the cost of registration. Same could hold true for the type of coin we put into kayak fishing.

Word! my suggestion is to look into a kayak with :paddleersmilie:

LOL aye aye sir.

To each his own..
 

I use a sail on my 14. Here is what I like:

When the breeze is up you can in fact cover more ground faster with the sail. Why pedal at a sprint when you can sit back, have a refreshing drink and let the wind take you at the speed of pedaling fast? You pedal your ass off up current and in wind once, put up sail and see how easy and fun it is to sit back and enjoy the ride and you might find like me I always take the sail and hope for some breeze!

If you have to go up current the combination of sail and pedal in just the lightest
breeze makes up current movement lots less work. Lots!

It takes seconds to deploy sail, a few minutes to roll up and get back to fishing. Yesterday on the bay in that light breeze I drifted from SI over to North Island, put up the sail, crossed effortlessly directly into the wind and ate my lunch. Once back up wind, rolled up sail, dropped a live chovy and resumed my drift back over to North Island! If I want a cardio workout and a sweat I go to gym. When I want to fish I want to fish!

Now I am 55! So the sail thing lets me get the exercise I want and then I have the confidence knowing easier to get back, and faster in the wind and current with sail! And I like to make a day out of being on water sun up to sun down!

As far as learning if you never sailed it is a no brainer and in an hour you will be fine! It really is easy.

I have been out in a pretty good breeze. Its a blast as the kayak leans and really starts to take off. I think it would be a challenge and a scream to troll a live mack at LJ and get hooked up while sailing along! Imagine that fire drill? I wonder if anyone has done that? If I absolutely want a yellowtail for dinner I will go to the fish market. To me, its about a challenge. Just stupid fun on the water!


I look fwd to a real windy day to see what the sailing limits actually are! It is pretty cool to look up see the mast flexing and hear the sound of your wake as kayak is being pushed through water. Your turbo fins stay down and act like a center board. Tuck them up and you can slide a bit!

Try the sail! You might find you enjoy it! Never be hesitant to try new things! Go for it!

Based on feedback here on BWE, I decided to buy the sail and sidekicks for my oasis. Gonna cruise around Mission Bay this weekend with my wife. I am sure our kids will have a blast, too! Can't wait!

Maybe you can try out or test drive your kayak with a sail or on a dealers demo set up. My buddy picked up 2 adventure islands and we just went for it. He had sailed befor but I had not. It took just a minutes to get the hang of setting the sail mostly right and going the way I wanted to go. My wife and daughter got the hang in half hour or so. The hobie sail kit is different than the AI but I'd think most of the sailing would be similar. Sailing is subtle and constantly changing and I'm sure it takes decades to master but just jumping in and having the wind push you where
you want to go is fun and doable. Mike

It took all of 10 minutes for Roman to find the 'groove' when he tried the AI at Andy' Demo Day..... http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...14&postcount=4