Where We Sailed Today

[windward1]

The Quest to sail the whole coast of Santa Cruz County in bits and pieces is now complete! Put new Futura fiberglass side bites on my Angulo SailSUP this morning. Got them from Freeline Design. I had busted three different plastic Futura side bites in my 2+1 configuration on this quest. One in the north county and two in the south county. Also put two holes in my Ezzy Cheetah 7.0. It is at Joe's Surf-Sail being repaired.
Had to swim the board and rig out through the surf to get out. Hardly any wind. Got pushed at least halfway back in a couple of times by sets. Finally made it. Mostly luck, but a lot of persistence as well. Uphauled and used the 4 to 6 knots to head up the coast. Swell was sometimes large enough to make one realize it was best to stay outside a bit. Never know when one will grab you. And with so little wind one would not have much control. Wind seemed to die near the northernmost part of the trek. Was wondering it I was going to have to pump my way there. Made it without too much pumping and headed back on a broad reach. That was easier. Somewhat. My Dad, a sailboat sailor, used to always say, "Even a bale of hay can sail downwind!" But windsurfers are a bit more difficult to balance when heading deep and especially when the wind is light.
Thought I would sail past the landing and use the wind on my port beam to try and control coming into the beach. Trying to miss fisherman and people in the surf. Chose my point and was heading in when the wind lightened and what must have been the set of the day came in. No wind to work with. The first wave heaved up and was a wall of water over head high. I just threw myself off the board backwards into the vertical face. Wave took the rig and tumbled me. Came up and swam towards the rig, but the subsequent waves in the set always kept it out of my reach and my body surfing in could use some improvement on technique. Board & rig were almost to the beach when I got a hold of them. Good news. All the fins in good shape and sail as well. That wave might have been fun if I had had any wind to work with.
Track of final piece of the quest can be found below:
[img][/img]

[bert]

First in the water at Coyote Point at 2 pm..4.7 Naish Lift/Slingshot foil with 15 mph winds..good session with stronger winds on the outside. While foiling, I find myself thinking more and more about foiling with a wing. Will this be the next big thing for those of us who love to sail??

https://youtu.be/bF7ZkCSBbew

[dllee]

4.5 and foil at Berkeley, could have used 5.0.

[dvCali]

End of the windy season at Coyote. Saturday I am on 6.5 + Exocet Slalom 90, and Sunday on 5.4 and RRD FSW 90. Both days powered up to overpowered (especially Sunday) with nice swell but little chance of doing anything but exhilarating runs and jumps.

But, hey, I take it! Compared to the average of the season this is good

[bert]

Also at Coyote Point this Sunday..5.9 Volt and 110L RRD..way too big on the outside but still having fun until my mast base (Streamlined) somehow loosened and separated from the mast track about 2 miles out..WTF! Took me 10-15 minutes to get it reattached in the flood chop. Maybe I should take up a safer activity at my advanced age..like bowling or gardening

[windward1]

Bert,

Which method did you use to reconnect it?

W1

[bert]

windward1,

I had difficulty reattaching the rig with base to the board so I had to first disconnect the base from the mast, connect the base to the board then bend the base and connect it to the rig..not easy in chop. Having had this misfortune of rig separation 4 times in my 35 years of windsurfing, it's best not to panic and figure things out..because your are all by your lonesome out there in the deep blue.

[ctuna]

What kind of mast base connector do you use ?
Is it single pin screw on or Euro plug in?

[ctuna]

Duplicate

[bert]

https://www.streamlined.us/product/twist-on/