Converting an old Hobie Cat 18 into a Kite boat! First it needs an engine just in case... Please subscribe for more videos! Cheers / @samlight Instagram: / samlight1
I'm not a kite guy (yet?) but this seems to me to be a great way to teach a newbie how to handle a kite on the water since you don't have to deal with falling in and crawling back onto the board all the time. It also might be a good platform to shoot kite handling videos.
Make sure you got plenty of wind. I have the Peter Lynn Kitecat and went out in low winds, the kite stalled and fell into the water and the lines got caught around the fins. Then the wind picked up and the kite was in the hot launch position ready to capsized me at any moment, but luckily it did not happen. I eventually drift ashore and a long way down wind. I wish I had flat water like you. I would use it all the time. Love the vid. Subbed.
I remember when Peter Lynn made his kite boat, it was actually pretty good. I think the guys in Hawaii did a similar thing with canoes. I remember back in 2001/2002 I tried something like this using an inflatable boat, big downwinders, it was really good fun!
Love this idea, been following the big kite boat for ages. Watching your cat, I think the kite mount point is too far forward of the dagger boards, I think inline or even a little further behind the dagger boards might work better. Keep refining the idea and keeping us updated, it's really interesting content
That would make it wayyy more complicated as you would need something solid to mount it on and what would it gain? Would make it easier to tack (currently doesnt tack) and would make the steering abit lighter. Probably not worth it
It's a hobie cat.. it doesn't have dagger boards - just asymmetrical hulls :) Edit: my bad! Didn't see it was a 21. Watching on my phone thought it was a 16.
Love it, 18 knots! Brilliant... tried it with a 4m kite in big wind in a rubber dinghy, but too much drag... this cat is the answer! So many used onez on market... looking forward to foil vid! Helmets required I imagine.. lol
yes that was a lot of fun but now multiply the lines four to five times when you have your lines at the distance of 500 M to 750 M the wind is more stable the steering is a little bit slower you have a little bit more drag because of your lines but it isn't better experience
Love it, I was also dreaming of doing this the past 3 years. I tried an inflatable raft ,but too much drag. Show us more as you progress ...let's make this the next sport.
Double ender with foiling dagger boards and moving the point of effort slightly towards the stern. Nice thing about fiberglass, you can invent what you need... how is it when you tack to weather as opposed to with the weather, since you can't douse the sail, you're fighting a freight train if 'over canvassed' in force 5 and above? 18 knots ain't too shabby and it looked like a blast to ride along.
Fantastic. If the drill holes on the engine spar show any wear in the very near future, and at any stage, dare I suggest to get another bracket made that wraps around the rear spa which sandwiches it and doesn’t require drill holes; and the bolts for the 2 plates fit together and pinch around that rear support strut and are bolted along the front and in front of the crossbeam, so there’s no weakening of the support strut, a bracket made to fit snugly would add more strength the the beam and reinforce the slightly weakened drilled area..... just a thought. Also I noticed the prop shaft and propeller dragging in the water, the prop looked like it was adding a lot to slowing you down.... which might be ideal in some situations... but not others. It’s a splendid first prototype. Fantastic proof of concept and hybrid repowering of a hobie.
You might want to push the traction point closer to what the boat is designed for (somewhere between mast and main sheet). It would probably also be more convenient to steer the kite from there. Anyway : great job guys !
Tohstsu 9.8hp 2 stroke short shaft is the same weight 27kg 😁😁😁🙈😎. Tiller extension so you can move your weight forward. Peter Conway / John claridge in Lymington could help. Between them they designed and built the first international moth sailing dinghy. I also have a friend that does the latest Hydrofoil moths in Newmilton.
Fun project for sure. A bit tail heavy you think? And you might not want to bow ride while the outboard is running for obvious reasons. Got a Solcat 18 and an Eagle 20 by Ian Farrier I might rig to a kite. Saves hauling around masts and booms. Good luck, have fun.
20 years old? Thats the newest H18 I've ever heard of. I think it would have been faster with the stock mast and sails but at least you aren't going to capsize
Awesome! How much wind was there when you hit 18kts? Can you speak about upwind/downwind capabilities? Most importantly, which of you is Han Solo and which Chewbacca?😁😋
Проблемы по дифференту, под мотором, удалось решить при установке подводного крыла . Благодаря чему не только устранить недостаток ,но повысить скорость ,мореходность и грузоподъемность . Как под мотором так и по парусом .
Gr8 idea, though a H-16's tramp is higher off the water and so keeps u much drier!! I would not have chosen plywood or any wood, though its the easiest option for the engine mount and I wonder if you spent any time thinking about the different metals you attached to the aluminum truss and the anodic consequences. Now that I think about it though, I would prefer to keep it a sailboat as its a much more fun experience than being tugged by a kite and probably a lot faster. Riding the hull is something u just can't do with kite propulsion! How much trouble would it have been to replace all the hardware that needed to be replaced vs doing all this? I think you guys just wanted to try this and I can't fault you for that!! Hope you had a blast beyond what u showed us here!! :)
Hey Sam, great vid! Out of interest.... could you do a light wind special?! I watched your catamaran trip where you used the “Slingshot Ghost” 16m with a foil in 5-knots - looked ace. It is summer and we’ve got light wind and I sadly don’t have a foil... but was interested to see what a big Single Strut kite (like your Ghost) can do with a surfboard - offering a little more buoyancy than a twin tip. I could stretch to buying a single strut kite this summer if it opens up more kiting! (& then maybe the foil next year 😂). Pls let me know. 🙌
Sam Light - hey Sam, sorry I missed your response! My largest is a 12m (F-one Bandit). I’m 70kg , so can get going on it with a surfboard in relatively light wind. Just want a specific super light wind setup & have historically hated “large” kites because they’re so lethargic. But that kite session you were doing around the catamaran, in 5-knots, looked epic. Think the Ghost is 💯 light wind with a light bridle ect... so you recon 17m???!! To be a light wind machine on a surfboard? Sounds huge!! Will be interesting to see my GF try and flip that to launch me!!! 😂. If not maybe I bite the bullet & learn to foil.
I've thought about doing this for a long time. I've got an old fool kite, it's a bit smaller than yours. My kite is not as squirrelly as yours but it pulls like a mule.
should have a go with tom or me in the kitetender, tacking, gybing. a cat is more usable for speed, not for turnings. Perhaps you felt the hobie was willing to go downwind. the mastfoot is th emost easiest pulling point, but preferrable the pulling point for the kite should be a little more to the aft. cheers Peter www.kitetender.nl
Have you tried launching the Kite from the boat? Is it practical? Trying to work out how to do it on and adventure rowing trimaran with a mate up at Hurst.
Because the kite attachment is so far forward, it looks like this only works downwind and not even on a beam reach (unless my angles are wrong from the video). If the attachment point was further aft, could it go upwind better?
You're right, it is more fun with foils: ua-cam.com/video/Ny8T5TirepQ/v-deo.html (underpowered that day). Let me know if you want a simple bridle design for the kite - it's easy to balance the helm with a bridle between the chain plates with a trim system on it. More info here if you're interested: moretonbaykiting.com.au/kiteboats .
Wicked! Would be cool to see some foils on that.
Nice! once i've restored the OK dinghy built in 1974, also named it after the repair the Millennium Falcon, may4! 4ever ;)
I'm not a kite guy (yet?) but this seems to me to be a great way to teach a newbie how to handle a kite on the water since you don't have to deal with falling in and crawling back onto the board all the time. It also might be a good platform to shoot kite handling videos.
Thanks...great job.
Now i want to strap a kite to my dingy
..
Spectacular crazy fun. A lot of physicality. Short shaft outboard a must. Longer line & bigger kite is crazy.
Make sure you got plenty of wind. I have the Peter Lynn Kitecat and went out in low winds, the kite stalled and fell into the water and the lines got caught around the fins. Then the wind picked up and the kite was in the hot launch position ready to capsized me at any moment, but luckily it did not happen. I eventually drift ashore and a long way down wind. I wish I had flat water like you. I would use it all the time. Love the vid. Subbed.
We are doing this to our Hobie 21 Sport Cruiser and a 19 meter Slingshot Razor kite, can't wait, should have video July '20.
look forward to seeing the video
Did you make a video?
That was just too cool 🤘🏻I'd love to go on a ride 😄 Why didn't anyone try that lately? It just makes so much sense. Could become a new type of sport.
I remember when Peter Lynn made his kite boat, it was actually pretty good. I think the guys in Hawaii did a similar thing with canoes. I remember back in 2001/2002 I tried something like this using an inflatable boat, big downwinders, it was really good fun!
Love this idea, been following the big kite boat for ages. Watching your cat, I think the kite mount point is too far forward of the dagger boards, I think inline or even a little further behind the dagger boards might work better. Keep refining the idea and keeping us updated, it's really interesting content
That would make it wayyy more complicated as you would need something solid to mount it on and what would it gain? Would make it easier to tack (currently doesnt tack) and would make the steering abit lighter. Probably not worth it
It's a hobie cat.. it doesn't have dagger boards - just asymmetrical hulls :)
Edit: my bad! Didn't see it was a 21. Watching on my phone thought it was a 16.
@@myertm 8:00
@@myertm They told us it was an 18 which does have them and u can see them on the hulls b4 being lowered....
Love it, 18 knots! Brilliant... tried it with a 4m kite in big wind in a rubber dinghy, but too much drag... this cat is the answer! So many used onez on market... looking forward to foil vid! Helmets required I imagine.. lol
yes that was a lot of fun but now multiply the lines four to five times when you have your lines at the distance of 500 M to 750 M the wind is more stable the steering is a little bit slower you have a little bit more drag because of your lines but it isn't better experience
hello sam lifetime water boy new to the sport very inspring video keep up the excellent show man1
Love it, I was also dreaming of doing this the past 3 years.
I tried an inflatable raft ,but too much drag.
Show us more as you progress ...let's make this the next sport.
Sweet waiting for the foiling version 😀
Nice ! just remember Legaignoux brothers +- thirty years ago (and also Jacobb's Ladder )
Don montague has made some amazing kite boats also
definitely a cool name for a boat
its important
Double ender with foiling dagger boards and moving the point of effort slightly towards the stern. Nice thing about fiberglass, you can invent what you need... how is it when you tack to weather as opposed to with the weather, since you can't douse the sail, you're fighting a freight train if 'over canvassed' in force 5 and above? 18 knots ain't too shabby and it looked like a blast to ride along.
Fantastic. If the drill holes on the engine spar show any wear in the very near future, and at any stage, dare I suggest to get another bracket made that wraps around the rear spa which sandwiches it and doesn’t require drill holes; and the bolts for the 2 plates fit together and pinch around that rear support strut and are bolted along the front and in front of the crossbeam, so there’s no weakening of the support strut, a bracket made to fit snugly would add more strength the the beam and reinforce the slightly weakened drilled area..... just a thought. Also I noticed the prop shaft and propeller dragging in the water, the prop looked like it was adding a lot to slowing you down.... which might be ideal in some situations... but not others. It’s a splendid first prototype. Fantastic proof of concept and hybrid repowering of a hobie.
Great project! A foil would be awesome!
Amazing nice job Sam.
I have a sailing background too and it was really cool to see this. I've been thinking of trying it on my little Zuma sailboat.
Sweet!!! I'm doing it with my rowing boat
Put some trim tabs on it and you'll be rockin. =)
Looks amazing same great project! Think I prefer my hobie with the sails up though😜😂. Looked wicked though mate.
That’s pretty cool guys!!! Great imagination
had this idea last year glad to see you did it
You might want to push the traction point closer to what the boat is designed for (somewhere between mast and main sheet).
It would probably also be more convenient to steer the kite from there. Anyway : great job guys !
Torqeedo motor would work very well here.
Sick! Great idea
Tohstsu 9.8hp 2 stroke short shaft is the same weight 27kg 😁😁😁🙈😎.
Tiller extension so you can move your weight forward.
Peter Conway / John claridge in Lymington could help.
Between them they designed and built the first international moth sailing dinghy.
I also have a friend that does the latest Hydrofoil moths in Newmilton.
Thanks for the tips! Sounds good
Man, I been wanting to do this for ages.
Dude!!!! that looked wicked fun man !! Love it !! greets from The Netherlands!!
Fun project for sure. A bit tail heavy you think? And you might not want to bow ride while the outboard is running for obvious reasons. Got a Solcat 18 and an Eagle 20 by Ian Farrier I might rig to a kite. Saves hauling around masts and booms. Good luck, have fun.
yea the engine drags, check out part two without the engine! Its actually easier to kite boat than sail it!
Great vid
20 years old? Thats the newest H18 I've ever heard of. I think it would have been faster with the stock mast and sails but at least you aren't going to capsize
Awesome!
This was a really cool video!
Just need Chewbacca riding shotgun 😂
Put a proper mast, sail and you can double your speed, and fly a hull, while trapped out... THAT is way more fun.
for less work
haha im going way faster kiting it than sailing it, more simple and more exciting!
So cool mate, wish I could afford that kite...
Looks like a lot of fun. But it reminds me of one of those things a lot of boats have... a... ahh... what do you call it? Oh yeah! A sail. lol
similar but way more fun!
Great projects, like this bro👍
Wow that’s so cool I want to try it😍😍
More kite boat action pls. You should use a parafoil!
Süper olmuş oğlum bu 🍻
I saw you guys out today by hurst spit! You had a black and blue kite out. You were epicccc!
Or at least i saw someone with a catarmaran with a blue kite.....
That was us! The video should will out soon...
@@SamLight nice!
So good
just wow keep up bro !!!!!!!!!!
Try with parapent !! 😅😅😅. 30 scary knots !?!? 🥳🥳🥳
Genius!
Awesome! How much wind was there when you hit 18kts? Can you speak about upwind/downwind capabilities?
Most importantly, which of you is Han Solo and which Chewbacca?😁😋
perfect👏👏👏 Actually I thought too about could I connect the windsurf sail to little a boat.🚤🤔
Ace. Could maybe do with a tiller extension that allows the helm to move their weight forward. Trim looked pretty stern heavy.
yea it needs some refinements for sure!
nice video I loved it
Проблемы по дифференту, под мотором, удалось решить при установке подводного крыла . Благодаря чему не только устранить недостаток ,но повысить скорость ,мореходность и грузоподъемность . Как под мотором так и по парусом .
Gr8 idea, though a H-16's tramp is higher off the water and so keeps u much drier!! I would not have chosen plywood or any wood, though its the easiest option for the engine mount and I wonder if you spent any time thinking about the different metals you attached to the aluminum truss and the anodic consequences.
Now that I think about it though, I would prefer to keep it a sailboat as its a much more fun experience than being tugged by a kite and probably a lot faster. Riding the hull is something u just can't do with kite propulsion! How much trouble would it have been to replace all the hardware that needed to be replaced vs doing all this? I think you guys just wanted to try this and I can't fault you for that!! Hope you had a blast beyond what u showed us here!! :)
I have a 91 Nacra and still sails like new lol
Hey Sam, great vid! Out of interest.... could you do a light wind special?! I watched your catamaran trip where you used the “Slingshot Ghost” 16m with a foil in 5-knots - looked ace. It is summer and we’ve got light wind and I sadly don’t have a foil... but was interested to see what a big Single Strut kite (like your Ghost) can do with a surfboard - offering a little more buoyancy than a twin tip. I could stretch to buying a single strut kite this summer if it opens up more kiting! (& then maybe the foil next year 😂). Pls let me know. 🙌
The Ghost 17m will definitely work great with a surfboard, what is your biggest kite currently?
Sam Light - hey Sam, sorry I missed your response! My largest is a 12m (F-one Bandit). I’m 70kg , so can get going on it with a surfboard in relatively light wind. Just want a specific super light wind setup & have historically hated “large” kites because they’re so lethargic. But that kite session you were doing around the catamaran, in 5-knots, looked epic. Think the Ghost is 💯 light wind with a light bridle ect... so you recon 17m???!! To be a light wind machine on a surfboard? Sounds huge!! Will be interesting to see my GF try and flip that to launch me!!! 😂. If not maybe I bite the bullet & learn to foil.
how far upwind were you going? great video, registered for part 2
I’d like to see a small trimaran like the Hobie Adventure Island powered by a kite.
I've thought about doing this for a long time. I've got an old fool kite, it's a bit smaller than yours. My kite is not as squirrelly as yours but it pulls like a mule.
You guys need some footstraps to make the ride more comfortable!
Awesome mate! What song is that? Cheers!
Life jackets Save Lives.
They have the wet suits.
Have you considered fitting small waterjets in each of the hulls? Either from some kid's jetskis or model boats?
So when do you add the hydrofoils?
When are you coming back to hood river?
I’m workin on my own prototype
should have a go with tom or me in the kitetender, tacking, gybing. a cat is more usable for speed, not for turnings. Perhaps you felt the hobie was willing to go downwind. the mastfoot is th emost easiest pulling point, but preferrable the pulling point for the kite should be a little more to the aft. cheers Peter www.kitetender.nl
the cat was turning great actually, surprisingly well. I would love to try the kite tender some time! cheers
Try to raise the motor up. That shaft is causing a lot of drag.
It is fun, isn´t it?
Always did think a kite is the best backup plan on any sail boat if your mast was to brake
You severely weakened the stern beam of the boat drilling big holes in it.
Have you tried launching the Kite from the boat? Is it practical? Trying to work out how to do it on and adventure rowing trimaran with a mate up at Hurst.
You could do a drift launch like how you launch normally from a boat, there's a few videos online, you just need to prep the kite before
How much upwind angle did you manage to get?
Surprisingly really good! Better than kiting normally
Very cool project! Can't wait to see you jibing with it ;)
Very cool. If anyone else wants to do this I've got a hobie 18 for sale!
Because the kite attachment is so far forward, it looks like this only works downwind and not even on a beam reach (unless my angles are wrong from the video). If the attachment point was further aft, could it go upwind better?
actually goes upwind pretty good! better than a twin tip
What's the last tune sam? Absolute banger
It's a song from epidemic sound. Calling Me - Ooyy
Tried a backroll on it? 😅
Только рули должны стоять с переди, что бы нос на кайт не тянуло (чтобы против ветра можно было резаться)
How do you bring it around? If you bring it up to 12 as you turn do you zoom past and the kite stalls? Or loop it into the wind like a hero??
Loop it downwind like a hero! The surge of power is so cool
That’s awesome. You guys are going to have a lot of fun with this. You have that bracket design posted up anywhere?
What about longer lines?
yep that would work
This is so "Rat" good for you
New sport 2 man team cat kiteing
You're right, it is more fun with foils: ua-cam.com/video/Ny8T5TirepQ/v-deo.html (underpowered that day). Let me know if you want a simple bridle design for the kite - it's easy to balance the helm with a bridle between the chain plates with a trim system on it. More info here if you're interested: moretonbaykiting.com.au/kiteboats .
I dropped you a message on your website, cheers
Wouldn't it be easier to use a kite with a higher AR, a delta or bow kite in stead of a hybrid c kite such as the RPM?
yes probably
Where in the UK is this?
Hayling Island
I have been looking for a tractor kite... for my 70' foot boat... supplemental when wind is correct... how to build a tractor kite ?
Engine looks to cause drag, what's up with oars ?
yea i did start to think about that!
how are the turns?
its very easy
I wonder if this would work on my laser 1
yea it would be sure, I've done it with a topper before
@@SamLight thanks sam! love your vids
Mate any updates
Sweet... Did it stretch your lines tho?
possibly but haven't had any problems yet
anybody cramp up?
Looks like a rough ride without the stability of a mast and sail.
its actually more stable than with the mast and sail, there is no heeling motion
Well that was super unimpressive.
More of a high school engineering project, not an adult ambition.
haha harsh
Torqeedo motor would work very well here.