AI & TI ama support line, clip & cleat

Author: josh

Category: Equipment, rigging & preparation

Created on Thursday, 27 October 2011 16:48

Written by Josh

So with the recent release of the new dynamic rudder for current Hobie AI and TI models, the rear bungee loop cord - which was used to hold down the twist & stow rudder during storage and transport - no longer has a purpose... or so I thought. I took out a TI for a ride earlier in the week and after being reminded how tricky it can be to wheel the thing around without scraping the backend of the pontoons on the ground, it came to me; a simple system to add extra support for pontoons to prevent them from drooping down. I did a quick experiment on said TI and liked it so much I then turned my attention to my own AI and performed the same modification. While AI pontoons are less likely to drag it can be a bit of a problem on these to, and this little fix has now eliminated that completely. 

I started by removing the 2 screw-in fittings on either side of the stern - one being for the bungee loop, the other being a cleat for the loop to hook over - and replaced these with screw-in padeyes. I then created a small leash by tying on a stainless snap clip at one end, feeding on a NiteIze figure 9 cleat half way up and then running the line down to the rear padeye of the ama. I contemplated using a fixed length leash (with stainless snap clips at each end) but figured variable adjustment might be better, ergo the inclusion of the figure 9 cleat. With this in place, I simply run the leash line down and through the padeye on the pontoon and then back up to the figure 9 cleat. Using the cleat the tension and position can be swiftly adjusted if required. 

After launching I simply clip the stainless clip to the padeye I have fitted (in place of the standard screw-in fitting) for the double bungee modification, where it's out of the way, but accessible and ready for use when I've landed. This isn't as easily possible on the TI, though the leashes can just as easily be removed and placed into a gear bucket or some other storage vessel.