Mirage® Tandem Island

Absolutely love it. I solo sail, sail w my wife, or put my (6 & 8 yr old) grandkids on the tramps. Or peddle on calm days, the Mirage drives are very efficient and fast. Setting up to sail takes me about 10 minutes or less. I’ve been sailing small boats for 40 years, and sailing the TI is about as easy as it gets. There is somewhat of a fraying issue with the main sheet, when operating from the rear seat. Hobie replaced mine under warranty, but whatever causes this (check Hobie forums for a full discussion) is still an open question. Not a huge deal, IMHO. Overall, I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I should have bought this sooner -- this may be my favorite "toy" now! I had been researching and thinking about getting a Tandem Island for a while and finally pulled the trigger on a used one last year. I am an experienced kayaker, but have never sailed anything before -- and this is an ideal boat to start with. We figured it out pretty quickly after research and just getting it out on the water. Here are some thoughts after having owned the TI for about 8 months -- I wish I would have known all of this when starting out: -Learning this boat takes time -- read the forums, read the manual, test it on land. It's way more complicated than a kayak -- but you will be rewarded with a fun boat. -It's big and heavy -- yes, you can car top it, but do yourself a favor and get a trailer and cradles for it if you can. We have launched it from the beach a few times, but usually just end up using a boat ramp for ease. -It requires maintenance -- this will require more work than kayaks, of course, but it's not all that much, really. -It is customizable and upgradeable -- Hobie does a great job with making parts available and you really do have the freedom to make some great upgrades to make the boat even better. You have so many options as there is no single way to make it work, rig the sails, etc. The forums will help you a lot. -Buy spare parts -- make sure you have spare parts and tools for your kit. This is critical as there are a lot of things that can and will break (rudder lines, rudder pin, aka bolts, shock cord, etc). Again, look at the forums for this. -Add some additional safety lines -- check the forums for idea on this, but there are some things that you need as backups (other than parts). This especially applies to the akas/amas as failure on these parts when you are sailing at speed or in heavy seas could be a BIG problem. Also think about a trailing line in case someone falls overboard. -Know your limits -- yes, the same applies with any boat or kayak, but really watch the wind and sea conditions as you can get into a tough situation pretty quickly. I have taken this out in 15-18 mph winds and gotten up to 10 mph, but that felt like that's the outer edge of it's safe performance zone for me. -It's great for overnights -- we use this for camping and can carry A LOT of cargo on the trampolines. -Think about the setup -- this boat can be sailed by one person, but also think about how you want to have it set up for two people (who does what, etc). Mine is set up for me to sit in the back and I can do 90% of the work to sail it -- which is easier for me and better for my companions. -Mount a GPS and watch your depth -- depth is a bigger concern vs kayaks -- especially with the dagger board, rudder and mirage drives. This can quickly ruin your day. Bottom line: This really is a fun boat if you take the time to really learn it and make sure you are prepared. We have sailed this in a lot of different sea conditions and have even been far offshore with it. I am challenged by the boat and have been rewarded with a lot of fun, fast speeds and new discoveries. I can't recommend this boat enough.

I love this boat. Yes, boat. Can't even get the other kayakers from the kayak club to call it a kayak, lol. It gets looks and compliments everywhere it goes. I tell folks "it's the Swiss Army Knife of kayaks." Everything it does, it does well. I use mine primarily for sailing and fishing, and was Initially surprised at how easy it "peddles" through the water for a "kayak" that weighs about 250#, even when solo, which is how I take it out 95% of the time. Ramp launch/ recovery takes about 15 minutes. Beach/ surf/ shoreline launch and recovery about 45 minutes but that is breaking it down into pieces which doesn't have to be done with some of the bigger dollies. There is nothing that comes close to the versatility of this thing, and with aftermarket trampolines that stretch over the outriggers, there's plenty of room for extra passengers, fishing and even camping gear. It loves fair and foul weather. My favorite sailing is in 15-25 mph winds with 2-4' waves- really puts the boat through its paces and it eats it like candy. Though I've heard some have, I've never taken it out in single hull mode. Always with the outriggers and sail though sometimes the sail starts out strapped to the outriggers. It turns surprisingly well if you concentrate the fin sweeps at the centerline. I have found it can make about a 20' diameter circle- not bad for an 18' kayak.

As a 60 year old, I thoroughly enjoyed sailing and pedaling/paddling my 2014 Dune Hobie TI with my son and girlfriend and our dog (though never all at once 😁). I ordered almost every transport option and took it across the Southwest and Texas. Beaching, trailering, cartopping on my older Ford Escort wagon and docking in San Francisco Bay all proved manageable (even alone) due to my many options available. The Hobie Trax carts, roof rack pads along with my custom rear bumper Thule bike rack system (and a cleverly placed type IV throwable PFD) made launching alone at ramps or beaches surprisingly easy. As a 63 year old, I am now looking forward to purchasing a 2016 TI and perhaps subbing at least one of the newest 2017 Mirage drives into it!

I bought a 2015 for my sons (age 13 and 15) to use at the beach and at a lake. I have had it at the beach so far and I find it very difficult to manage in the surf. The boat is BIG!!! Very unwieldy. On just the third trip, I ended up with two broken akas while trying to beach it. I was thinking this was a kayak, ie. something I could car top and that even one person could manage easily taking it in and out of the surf. This is not a kayak. It is a big boat. I was greatly discouraged from car topping it as this would be unsafe and ended up spending a lot of money for a trailer. There is no easy way that I can see that one person could easily manage this in the surf, particularly one of my sons. Beginning to understand the thing about the two best days in a boat owner's life.

Although the Hobie Tandem Island (TI) is a bit expensive, it comes with a lot of versatility. It comes with 2 turbo mirage drives (the foot pedal system, and turbo means larger fins), which are quite nice when the wind quits and you still have to get home. When really pushing we can get the boat up to 6 knots.

The sail rig is great for when you have wind, and it comes with outriggers to keep you upright. A 25 mile trip is quite easy in this boat.

As a kayak, without the sail rig and outriggers, it is still a fun boat. It has a bit of freeboard, so bring the sail rig on windy days.

Reviewing the Hobie TI, without the sailrig and aka's, and with just paddles:

With the sail rig, it's nice and stable, and will perform as expected, speedy a little leg effort on the Mirage drive with the sail out and you can get a long way. It is great for island hoping in coastal waters, a 25 mile trek is not a big deal.

Without the sail rig, it's a heavy, long boat. It will haul a lot, and, again, Hobie's Mirage drive make it really easy to get around, 6 to 10 miles are no sweat.

Without the Mirage drive and rudder and a little breeze, and shallow water, it gets weather cocked like crazy and starts to become what you would expect of a 18' 6" boat with lots of freeboard, just like a canoe.

What I really like about the TI (Hobie Tandem Island) is the support from Hobie. They have a great set of forums to post questions, modifications, repairs, etc.

It's a great boat, especially because you can take someone out for a ride with you.

That said, I still love my wood 17' Chesapeake from CLC, I just don't want to ever have to choose just one boat.