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Simple but brilliant tips and tricks
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philodog



Joined: 28 Apr 2000
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:19 pm    Post subject: Simple but brilliant tips and tricks Reply with quote

Have you ever learned a great little tip that is so simple you can`t realize you never thought of it before? Well share it with the rest of us. I`ll start with two that have saved me much time and frustration. #1- If you have wetsuit with tight legs that is a struggle to get into put any old plastic bag over your foot and it slips in like Astroglide. I like the gallon Ziplocs, they will last a season. #2 - Make rubber bands out of old bicycle tubes and put one around your base. Wrap up the excess downhaul line and just tuck it under the band. It has never come apart on me and the bands last forever. No more shoving the line up the bottom of the base, wrapping it around the base or braiding it (thanks Martha). Your turn.
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noshuzbluz



Joined: 18 May 2000
Posts: 791

PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 8:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This little trick for downhauling David Ezzy shows at the beginning of this video is waaaaay too easy. You can throw away all the clam cleat gizmoz you bought over the years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUl9F8ntz9c#at=34

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KevinDo



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Posts: 426
Location: Cabrillo Inside

PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best trick I learned was to use electric tape around the 2 mast pieces...never get em stuck anymore!
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joew



Joined: 18 Jul 1999
Posts: 156

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 5:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tie a bowline in your downhaul line and use your hook and spreader bar, still attached to harness of course, to downhaul your sail easy, peazy
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Sailboarder



Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 656

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

noshuzbluz wrote:
This little trick for downhauling David Ezzy shows at the beginning of this video is waaaaay too easy. You can throw away all the clam cleat gizmoz you bought over the years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUl9F8ntz9c#at=34


I do something similar, but this is even easier!

One "tip": I now always keep spare car keys in my PFD. It was difficult to bring the normal key set on the water because of the remotes and didn't always feel safe to leave all the keys on a tire or similar "hidden" area.

Another "tip": I mostly sail 5 minutes away by car from home. I normally leave my light wind fin and the mastfoot attached and carry the board like that on top of my car. I felt like an heretic when I started doing that but it has no ill side effects and saves me a few minutes each time.
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PeconicPuffin



Joined: 07 Jun 2004
Posts: 1830

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Two things for downhauling (I've got to try that Ezzy knot this weekend):

1. Formuline instead of Marlow. It is so much easier to pull (it's not more slippery but it works like it does because the line doesn't squish as much. Squishing adds friction.)

2. The "proper" downhaul threading technique. Those two items can be found here:

http://www.peconicpuffin.com/the_peconic_puffin/2007/03/easier_downhaul.html

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spennie



Joined: 13 Oct 1995
Posts: 975
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like to wash my sails once a year, or before selling, with "Easy Glide" professional window washing solution, available at Home Depot. It's ridiculously cheap, since you mix it 100:1, gets all the film and grime off, and leaves the sail sparkly clean. Smells good, too! Buy one of those synthetic lamb's wool applicators that goes on a paint roller extension pole, makes it super easy to wash your sails, takes about 3 minutes each. You can even do your house's windows when you're done.

Yes, I tested it on scraps of sail film before I used it on my $900. race sails.

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boardsurfr



Joined: 23 Aug 2001
Posts: 1266

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get a key lock box like realtors use to put your key in, and attach it to a door handle or similar. Much safer than hiding the key on the tire, bumper, ... Many newer car keys have chips that can break if they get wet, and taken those on the water can be a bad idea (most waterproof bags do get wet inside sooner or later).

The lock box comes in really handy when sharing the car or van. Just make sure your key fits in it before buying - Sprinter keys, for example, are too big for regular lock boxes.
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kmf



Joined: 02 Apr 2001
Posts: 503

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I take the door key to my van, attach it too one of those lanyards that the ski areas give you for a season pass, and hang it around my neck. Easy to find, easy to access, and not on the tire or some other easy to find place.

KMF
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kmf



Joined: 02 Apr 2001
Posts: 503

PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

OH...OH..and I have all of the rigging details, written down on a piece of paper which I have taped on the back door of my van. IE, Harness placement on the boom for each sail. On each sail I print the boom length adjustment, and mast base adjustment, and on each mast that I use I have marked where the boom goes for each sail that the mast rigs.

Makes rigging decisions easy.

KMF
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