Atlantic Ocean - Capsize in Surf - Hobie Tandem Island

[@rthorsen711]

I loved the slo-mo - her face and hand motions were priceless

[@jarose7396]

You sure give that Hobie a durability test every time!

[@bigyin2794]

Great video, thanks for sharing, power of family.

[@kamilacanau]

I own the revolution kayak and I go out trough the surf as I'm surfer myself. I go out waiting for a flat period without waves between sets. some times I get caught and I paddle forcefully to climb the face or pierce it. Water comes in trough the front bucket door and I have to dig it out before coming in. But I reckon coming in is the meanest part of the session. I have capsized too sometimes while coming in. I think that you have water carrying weight forward inside the kayak which make the bow pearling and then make capsized the TI. Another tip, if you can't wait a no wave period, follow the last wave of the set on its back, never be overtaken by the wave as you did or you will capsize again. Hopefully, nobody was injuried by the propeller and you didn't lose any ones of the Hobie drive. You are a lucky crew.

[@BAJATWIN]

Have u found a way to stop the hatch from leaking

[@seewind]

Yes, surf launches and returns are tricky. The Tandem Islands sometimes get caught in the out flowing water which slows you down making it harder to stay on the back of waves....No injuries and no equipment damage on this sail. I did have to clean out the outboard (change oil, flush water pump, ...) took 2 days of work to get it working again. As for the water entry....the front hatch does leak with each wave...but generally not to the point of causing the bow to sink down upon return.

[@kamilacanau]

@@BAJATWIN Not really when get hit by the lip or get the nose-diving into the soup the water is leaking or filling through the hatch.

[@kamilacanau]

@@BAJATWIN I just double loop crossing the door of the hatch and check the joint to better sealing. But water still coming in when diving the nose crossing the surf trough soup or wave faces.

[@kamilacanau]

@@seewind Sure you cant avoid to capsized coming in. But the better way is to wait for a lull between sets. Just wait and find a hole in the bar where there is a pass..

[@deciodepaulamachado5527]

Adorei. Família nota 10 ...

[@jerry-381]

Man glad no one was hurt. Several hundred pounds of weight and gear being washed on a person with a wave could've been a lot worse. This is why a Hobie TI or AI is not for me. Thanks for the video!

[@seewind]

Yes can be exciting in the surf line. I share my failures so others can benefit and better understand the risks. Gear moving around is a risk. This is why I tie down all gear. That said...I have had hundreds of successful surf launches and with experience the risks can be mitigated (but not eliminated).

[@NickFish007]

Haha great family. Thank you for this

[@seewind]

Our pleasure!

[@stevedeforest2813]

Great video. I have a AI and SOT Malibu 2 and I love playing in the waves, when I am at the gulf. Been thinking of getting a TI, hadn't thought of putting a motor on it, but looks like a great idea. (Just recently found your videos).

[@Alpinsoul]

Lovely daughter, cool action

[@seewind]

The best!

[@gbmeyers22]

Other lessons learned: 1) Do not use side tramps in high surf areas. A wave can easily flip you over. 2) When expecting big surf, double brace your AKA bars, perhaps with a cord from kayak bow handle to front/top of AMA. Glad you had safety cords attached to peddles!

[@seewind]

Thanks for the comments. I do use safety lines with the Almas. Agree, in surf best to sail without the tramps...but not always possible. The AKAs are perpendicular....looks a bit off with the wide angle GoPro cameras that add a bit of distortion. I have not explored adding fins/centerboards to the AMA. Do see how this could help. Maybe in the future. I have splash guards that helps a bit but not a real solution. I have been sailing many years in surf / shoaling conditions and have learned many hard lessons along the way (broken AKAs, rudder pin fails, capsizes, AKA separations from cross bar, lots of unplanned excitement). I share some of my failures so others can learn with lots of fun sailing in between.

[@dammitau]

“Look at that massive wave dad!!!” 👀🙈

[@seewind]

Ha, yep - my crew (daughter) was spotting the waves....we had a hurricane off shore that tossed a few large sets our way.....;-)

[@ronssportsadventures5411]

Wow! That was a great experienced.

[@hanshendrix1558]

I have a feeling you should always go back to good old school Hobie 16 sailing, you sure had a good time there🤟

[@LifeisGood-ye8rl]

Awesome daddy and daughter adventures. Much better quality time than any other rich dad forcing his daughter on a speed boat away from any cell signal which make her resent him more for not being able to Tik tok with her friends. I also bought my hobbie compass tandem and cannot wait to spend quality time with my wife

[@seewind]

We agree! Hobie TI=Good family time!

[@nicanorbadal689]

Just wonder is there a difference between going straight perpendicular to the waves and going slightly slanting to the waves...and is a kayak with only one outrigger just like Moana's canoe would be easier to right after capsized

[@juanmercado2577]

Learned at from this video, I think I’ll stay away from surf launching , I don’t think the IA or TA are designed for that but that’s my take .

[@seewind]

Agree, surf launching (and recoveries) require lots of experience...and even then...things can break. I have broken aka arms on returns....and a couple of rudder pins. Gets dicey quick when you loose steering.... but still a lot of fun. Waves over 4 feet are a no go for me. best with 2 foot or less.

[@guillermomanso6628]

Enjoy your videos, will use your motor mount ideas. You have tested it in the real world. For your last capsize video without the motor there was a comment on the TI reliability. I can't supply a link. It's titled Wind, Waves, Capsize ARC 2015. That's the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.

[@hanshendrix1558]

Looks like a no- wind situation to me. But hey, it's great fun anyway. Ever did this in moderate or heavy wind with or deliberately without the outboard? I'll check your channels.

[@seewind]

Yes, most sails are in moderate winds 15-25 mph.

[@thegotmilktogochanterelle467]

I like to do an after action report on something like this. I would love to see yours and list of damage to boat. A couple of recommendations: setup just out side surf and time sets, time your entry into surf on the backside of wave you have enough speed you should be able do this, do your best not to ride front face of wave in and the boat’s hull speed limits ability to keep straight down wave. When wave comes in it draws water out as wave comes in and the speed boat has to travel through is to fast (greater than 6mph hull speed). (See footnote)This will cause bow to dig in and turn boat and bow may strike bottom causing it to turn or pitch pole. A wave striking backside of Ama hard will cause the plastic bolt in brace to break collapsing in Ama. Foot note: A wave travels in around 6-10mph. Depending on steepness of wave action the water going out (undertow) into wave can be 3-5mph. Combining these two factors the boat will have water speeds of 9-15mph. Whereas the backside of a braking wave is nearly stationary. The mechanics of a wave trough nearly stationary to outward to feed wave 3-5mph, wave travel in 6-10mph. Just behind brake the water is near stationary but is traveling in the speed of wave. Most of the break is coming off front face of wave. The place you want to be is powering up the backside of wave as it comes in.

[@seewind]

Boat damage - zero. Suzuki outboard - did have to flush out the saltwater and sand. Outboard return to service two days latter. Set up on back a waves is recommended for return to the beach... but tough to match speed of the waves. Normal wave pattern on this day.... 3-4 foot waves with a period of 5 seconds (very short). Overlay on top of this was a larger wave pattern from offshore hurricane... 6+ foot waves with variable period of 30 to 90 seconds - very unpredictable. Out flow from rip tides were also at play reducing speed to the beach. White water from breaking waves also reduce the thrust of the outboard. The combination of these factors contributed to the exciting tip over. The TI got pushed sideways and popped the Aka brace off the hull attachment point. Note the brace bolt did not snap....use stainless steel for offshore conditions ;-)

[@RuixuanHou]

Did the trampoline side take more force and caused the imbalance? I notice the boat was pushed to the right side before the flip.

[@seewind]

The large breaking wave did push the side of the kayak a bit ... overcoming the rudder steering forces where were reduced in the white water....which contributed to the upset.

[@travelwithus2there198]

WOW...close...courageous

[@gbmeyers22]

Suggestion # 2: AMA fins and centerboard. Stabilization and speed enhancers. Do it yourself, quick and easy.

[@gbmeyers22]

It looks like your starboard AKA bar wasn't perpendicular to the hull. Did you use a shorter AKA brace bar on that side?

[@relevation0]

So if the aka had held it probably wouldn't have capsized?

[@seewind]

Yes, kayak got pushed sidewise a bit by the wave and the rudder lost a bit authority due to being in the white water from the breaking wave (less force on the rudder)....then the AKA brace popped out...

[@stephenspringer2316]

Are there any methods of repositioning the craft upright had this been further out?

[@seewind]

Yes, I have installed two ropes (one on each Alma, wrapped around the Akas) that can be used to help right the TI after a capsize or full turtle. I have had no need to use them so far, but given that I sail offshore solo, best to have them if needed. Key is always wear life jacket, release the main sheet (line) and fold in the Almas be for attempting to right the TI. Also pays to practice this on a calm lake. Will be different story in rough Ocean waves. Watch this video for capsize in big waves offshore (plastic AKA brace bolt failed followed rapidly (2 seconds) unexpected capsize). kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXvLoHiurs2Kf7c

[@madogblue]

Wow, what a video! All I could think about in the cool slo motion video was the spinning prop so close to you during the capsize. Any idea why the Aka support released? Surprised your support line snapped. I guess it goes to show how much force there is. I could imagine if a hand or finger was pinched during the collapse, yikes.

[@seewind]

Yes, risk are real. Sharing failure for all to learn....many successful returns ....but not this one! Lucky no injuries or equipment losses. Was back on the water two days latter. Did have to clean out the outboard....which swallowed a fair bit of salt water.... The outboard has been running fine for over 20 sails since.

[@madogblue]

@@seewind Thanks so much for sharing. Yes I have learned a lot watching your videos. I sail on the east coast US, but have never beach launched. Looks wild!

[@fbf223]

You are a brave man! Great video, thanks for sharing. How much work was it to get that Suzuki running again? We should connect sometime to go sailing.

[@seewind]

The Suzuki did gulp down some saltwater. The motor was under the Atlantic Ocean for at least 15 minutes. I did three oil changes, change the gas and a fresh water bath. After a bit of work I got the motor to start but the water pump was not flowing.....few more hours of clearing out the water pump and supporting internal tubing I was able to repair and get the water pump working. A few days later I was back on the Atlantic Ocean. I have put an additional 2 hours of run time (Delaware River, Philadelphia) with the TI and everything is running great! The Suzuki is a key component of my safety gear for the TI. Certainly for a sail. Try to sail at least 1X per month year round.

[@dammitau]

That must have been terrifying ! Any learnings you can share to help us avoid the same issue would be greatly appreciated ! Have you thought about changing nylon AMA pins with stainless steel to avoid breaks?

[@seewind]

Not terrifying....exhilarating....been using stainless steel pins for years. Aka brace popped off the ball joint due to force of waves. View other videos for more tips and learning. Note I share my failures for others to learn. Vast majority of my sails in the Atlantic are successful....empowered from learning during failures.....

[@seewind]

Both Garmin VirbEX and GoPro Hero Black 7 capture live GPS data points that can be added to the video in post processing using Garmin and GoPro video editing software.

[@cgabriel1218]

What could’ve been done to prevent the capsize? It appeared as though the motor was bogging and/or the waves were just running you guys down at or close to full throttle.

[@seewind]

Surf launches are recoveries can be challenging. In this specific case, just prior to capsize the water returning to the sea (from earlier waves) slowed the speed to the beach (and thus incoming waves overtook us). The AKA brace popped off the ball mount (and safety line snapped) causing the starboard AKA to fold in quickly < 3 seconds. The wave pressure on the port sized then tipped over the TI in the surf....lots of fun.... What can be done....in this case .... even more throttle...maybe while under sail for more speed. Have the rudder down for more steering control (vs. just steering with the outboard). Reason rudder was up is there are hidden sand bars that you need to run across... rudder down has in the past snapped the rudder pin.....in the middle of the surf line....not a fun experience. Most of the time I run with the rudder down but not locked. Overall this works good. This specific video I was experimenting with the rudder up and steering with the outboard only.....not as responsive as I would have liked....may have saved this capsize if I had the rudder down but not locked. Realize I have have done over 100 surf launches and recoveries (most successful). I share my failures so others can learn.

[@patrickobligacion4428]

Would help if the daggerboard is down and rudder even if it hit the sandbar it will correct itself

[@heritagebay]

rudder was up the whole time? explain?

[@seewind]

I normally use the rudder down. On this run I was experimenting using the outboard and vectoring the thrust to adjust the steering..... with the main goal of speed to try to stay ahead of the waves.... failed on both accounts (steering and speed). I share these videos for others to learn from my mistakes (and a few successes). Still enjoying the Hobie TI.

[@Mikinct]

So if you two were out far in much deeper waters & this capsized you'd be in a world of hurt?

[@seewind]

Actually - deeper water is easier to right a Hobie TI. Tougher in the surf line with breaking waves and rip currents pushing you in different directions. This capsize was near the beach and we decided to swim the TI in to shallow water and right it there.

[@Mikinct]

James Powers thanks for your replies

[@Sail2spear]

How do you get the stats ie speed etc down the bottom of your vids?

[@seewind]

GPS data is recorded in the cameras (Garmin and GoPro). Post processing software (from Garmin and GoPro) (video) you can add digital gauges to show speed, position, distance and much more.

[@liam4169]

That looks like fun lol

[@seewind]

Ii is !

[@jonassonjp]

Hello James, how do you add the speed, distance, course information on the video? I've liked that!

[@seewind]

See other replies. Use both Garmin and GoPro action cameras . Video editors (Garmin/GoPro) pull data from the captured files and overlay instrument files on the video.

[@tsweeneyiv]

james your crew and you have a set

[@hanshendrix1558]

Smile 😃 you're on cameras

[@gondwanalon]

Looks like fun. Maybe you need a more powerful motor.

[@seewind]

Or more throttle earlier in the surf passages.

[@jonathanskelley4305]

I capsized my TI last year coming to shore in Port Aransas Texas in 5ft surf. Big wave caught us from behind. I had the sail up thinking that would help me surf in. It helped the bow submarine and we flipped forward. Broken mast, torn sail, torn tramp, couple ama pins snapped, and a marine radio gone. Nobody hurt. But could have been much worse. 2 ft waves is the biggest ill go out into surf again.

[@gondwanalon]

@@jonathanskelley4305 I’ve never sailed. Sure looks like an extreme sport. Stay safe!

[@samuelm3766]

Launching any kayak through surf is a hair raising, butt puckering experience.

[@seewind]

Yes - indeed! Need to on top of your game .... even then luck is needed.

[@weinadong]

How do you mount the Suzuki motor on the TI?

[@seewind]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYbcop6npr-Vobc

[@Hindukushsailing]

ouch that hurt my wallet.

[@seewind]

Got lucky. No losses.

[@smallybarker1000]

Well done James, well recovered team! :) Thanks for the share!

[@alanwander7277]

Hi James .. Fellow AI owner for 10 years here (former Lifeguard / Advanced Diver / Water safety instructor .. lifelong water rat) - @ 14:00 your PFD looks properly worn and is doing its job .. from 14:48 onward it looks like it came undone and is now more in your way and NOT doing its job - just curious what happened? Did you unzip it ? Glad you all come out of this OK. My lifelong Mantra - "Respect the water and it just might not disrespect you"

[@seewind]

Agree. The life jacket did ride high. I am adding leg loops to the life jacket - especially for offshore sailing with surf launches and recoveries.

[@peternohlmans4588]

hi James leave the surf launches aloan with a Hobie AI or TI there no made for the surf

[@seewind]

Agree - care is needed. At the same time....this is what I live for. Many many successful surf launches and returns with both the AI and TI.

[@gbmeyers22]

Suggestion #1: Splash guard. Cheap, easy, and it works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn2Zmnaondhrh9E

[@Platypus-Dreams]

If you kept the rudder down, you wouldn't have capsized

[@seewind]

I normally use the rudder down. On this run I was experimenting using the outboard and vectoring the thrust to adjust the steering..... with the main goal of speed to try to stay ahead of the waves.... failed on both accounts (steering and speed). I share these videos for others to learn from my mistakes (and a few successes). Still enjoying the Hobie TI.

[@seewind]

I normally use the rudder down. On this run I was experimenting using the outboard and vectoring the thrust to adjust the steering..... with the main goal of speed to try to stay ahead of the waves.... failed on both accounts (steering and speed). I share these videos for others to learn from my mistakes (and a few successes). Still enjoying the Hobie TI.

[@Chekika1]

Just confirmed, surf launches with a Hobie AI or TI are stupid.

[@seewind]

Only for the experienced, brave (and yes, sometimes not the best decisions). The thrills are worth it.

[@guillermomanso6628]

I have capsized with a sunfish, 470, flying scot, 28' Grady White. I'll take the TI over the Grady White any day. Amazing how everything held together and what supposed to break, broke leaving everything else intact.

[@sailingfordummies.capt.sli4811]

Damn..... You are completely over your head with that hobie. All takes WAY to long.....and your wave timing is completely off. She has much more overview of the surroundings as the captain. Hope she didn't kill you afterwards.. 😆 😆