Yup, on all your points, but it would be fun (my younger self thinking) to have the muscle and experience to have a little more snoose under your seat for things like, say, traversing 1,000 kms of open ocean! An 18', lighter version (no second drive, hull moldings, etc) for solo sailing seems like a doable thing- but you know better than I and I hear you.

I'm not prepared for dealing with a TI in a few years, but I have to say that the test drive I took on your shop's TI really impressed me that it's easier to handle than I thought it would be- but...and

there's that "but", that's now, and in two or three more years, the AI will be more than I can handle- hopefully experience will help keep the balance in my favor for a few years after that.

sigh....time will tell. Getting older isn't the problem it's loosing flexibility and muscle mass.
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Well tomorrow I head out for southern NSW and Victoria for a 9 day round trip with my AI, a 3,000km round trip with the AI

. I hope to get some fishing in around Batemans Bay and points south along the way. I just finished covering the AI with the Hobie kayak cover. All in all it went on pretty easy albeit time consuming (I'm guessing about 30-45 minutes including strap down time. That time will improve, of course, but I"m not going to use the cover for day to day anyway. I bought the cover to protect the AI when it's sitting out in the weather at home, dusty camping tracks, and for extended trips- like this one and trips to the Eyre Peninsula and WA.

Here's the before shot- I'll post an "after" shot of the kit when I return- it'll be interesting to see how things hold up.



Here's hoping things stick together! I'm having trouble posting the jpg again. One day it works, then it doesn't. I'll try again later in the week while on the road.
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Well tomorrow I head out for southern NSW and Victoria for a 9 day round trip with my AI, a 3,000km round trip with the AI

. I hope to get some fishing in around Batemans Bay and points south along the way. I just finished covering the AI with the Hobie kayak cover. All in all it went on pretty easy albeit time consuming (I'm guessing about 30-45 minutes including strap down time. That time will improve, of course, but I"m not going to use the cover for day to day anyway. I bought the cover to protect the AI when it's sitting out in the weather at home, dusty camping tracks, and for extended trips- like this one and trips to the Eyre Peninsula and WA.

Here's the before shot- I'll post an "after" shot of the kit when I return- it'll be interesting to see how things hold up.



Here's hoping things stick together!
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Well tomorrow I head out for southern NSW and Victoria for a 9 day round trip with my AI, a 3,000km round trip with the AI

. I hope to get some fishing in around Batemans Bay and points south along the way. I just finished covering the AI with the Hobie kayak cover. All in all it went on pretty easy albeit time consuming (I'm guessing about 30-45 minutes including strap down time. That time will improve, of course, but I"m not going to use the cover for day to day anyway. I bought the cover to protect the AI when it's sitting out in the weather at home, dusty camping tracks, and for extended trips- like this one and trips to the Eyre Peninsula and WA.

Here's the before shot- I'll post an "after" shot of the kit when I return- it'll be interesting to see how things hold up.


Here's hoping things stick together!
Read More...

Well tomorrow I head out for southern NSW and Victoria for a 9 day round trip with my AI, a 3,000km round trip with the AI

. I hope to get some fishing in around Batemans Bay and points south along the way. I just finished covering the AI with the Hobie kayak cover. All in all it went on pretty easy albeit time consuming (I'm guessing about 30-45 minutes including strap down time. That time will improve, of course, but I"m not going to use the cover for day to day anyway. I bought the cover to protect the AI when it's sitting out in the weather at home, dusty camping tracks, and for extended trips- like this one and trips to the Eyre Peninsula and WA.

Here's the before shot- I'll post an "after" shot of the kit when I return- it'll be interesting to see how things hold up.


Here's hoping things stick together!
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Now Dunebuggy! Where's your sportin' spirit! You just have to shimmy up them tall trees (you know the kind- without a limb on 'em..........for awhile) and fetch yourself some bush quail. Stuff UR pillow with those "other" herbs and spices y'all need an' you'll be making gourmet meals in the bush! Now to figure out how to carry the ingredients for a nice Burre Blanc....
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I would have gone if I got crook enough- I've felt worse some nights after too much Tequila, not much better, but not much worse.
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Yeah, in summer up where you are it actually gets warmer than along the Central Oregon Coast where I lived. We were on single hull kayaks and well- you know the rep the Oregon Coast has for wind, rain, and swells- we all wore drysuits anywhere in the ocean, but did the layering thing on the lakes and rivers, as if THAT water was any warmer!

You're friend is right though- it'd get mighty warm in the drysuits.
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Ah, broad reach, not close haul- it's what I was thinking but I have my sailing terms all back to front- what a surprise! Thanks Rollerboy. I still just marvel that I find the wind at all- still getting the hang of this. I sailed on Hobie Cats a fair bit back in my 20's, but I was fodder- that is I hung out on the hull to provide ballast (sheer terror at times in big winds on open ocean)- but never really did the captain role!
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Yeah, I sure miss fishing for and eating wild salmon. Here in Oz there's nothing but farmed salmon from Tassie- and well, it tastes liked the farmed fish it is- yech!

The ocean here makes up for the lack of wild salmon though, there's many species here that are fun to fish for and have their own special quality. Australia has the best oysters, hands down- and I love oysters!

I miss scallops from the eastern pacific too- Tassie has decent scallops, but they, along with the abalone here, pale in size and taste compared to their Eastern Pacific cold water neighbors. You're in incredible country up there in Alaska- enjoy those waters in your new AI

Curious- are you using a dry suit?
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link?
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Are you too late for the spring salmon run? Will you be crabbing from your yak?- I would be- you have Dungeness up there or are you too far north?
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