Near cheap someone towed in an exhausted sailor +karma point

andymc4610 · Joined: 19 May 2000 Posts: 684

On Friday (6-5) around noon just above cheap someone towed in an exhausted sailor. Nice, you get +karma point, that is not easy. talked to the tired sailor had to ditch and get a tow back in because he was to exhausted. Think the sailor was French Canadian.....someone else towed the rig in.

stuartwatson · Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Posts: 16

Thanks for pointing out a major plus. A few years ago, Jason Lemieux of Nolimitz towed my fat ass in at Rowena after a mast break. Every time we meet, we joke about it. We all get to swim a rig in eventually, and anyone who has done it knows it ain't easy. Golden Rule-Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Hell, last year at the event Site, I tried to help a downed sailor, but couldn't get position. Some unknown kiter got to him first, and helped. So, belated props to the kiter. I was impressed with the mobility. And the effort. We're all in this for the same reason. Fun, and future fun. Keep an eye out.

andymc4610 · Joined: 19 May 2000 Posts: 684

yeah, for a guy/gal on the other end often it is a life/ morale saver. For the one doing the towing often that can wipe the rest of the day. I while back pulled a hyperthermic sailor with his board and rig back with his uphaul line and i was toast. Nothing like being fully powered and going 5mph not being able to stayed hooked in.

jimoakes · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Posts: 172

I have hooked in while towing if the wind is good. ALWAYS warn the person your towing before you loop, it really scares them if you don't.

Seriously I've towed and been towed many times. I think the real reason I feel the karma is from the first time I got towed in. A barge was coming and I was swimming my broken mast and gear in. I was in the barge lane and a sailor dropped in and towed me. I'll never forget how close I came to seeing the underside of that barge. I could not thank the guy who towed me enough, so I try to repay my towing "debt" as often as I can.

Here's a tip. Don't bother tying boards together. Just have the sailor you tow grab your back strap with one hand and grab their back strap with the other hand.

Here's another tip keep announcing your favorite beverage as you tow them.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Sounds like time to repeat an old tip.

I was tired from four hours on almost a continuous plane (first-ever Mistral Ecstasy ride explains THAT; until that day I was very happy to hit 30% of my jibes), yet almost dozed off while towing a guy and all his gear from the Oregon shore to the Hatchery while I was overpowered on a 4.2. I was doing almost no work, just lying back in my harness, relaxed, steering with my fingertips, every ounce of wind power flowing through man-made hardware. He and I chatted about the wind and the day, and pretty much arrived in Washington all rested up. I dropped him off at the launch of his choice, water started, and resumed my session refreshed.

Three lessons learned that day:
1. Towee derigs and bundles his stuff up.
2. Tower hooks in, puts rear foot or both feet in their straps for board control, drops his butt within towee's reach.
3. Towee grabs back of tower's harness with one hand and hangs on as tower butt-sails (in waterstart, aka beach chair, position) to Hellenbach ... as long as it isn't upwind.

With all that power available, there's no reason we must also expend our pasta, too.

Mike \m/

mr.bush · Joined: 05 Jun 2009 Posts: 12

jimoak said: Here's a tip. Don't bother tying boards together. Just have the sailor you tow grab your back strap with one hand and grab their back strap with the other hand.

This is the ONLY WAY to tow. Do not mess around with de-rigging, it's only more time in the water. The human chain is the only way....Sorry IB, your advice is miss-construed.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

windoggi · Joined: 22 Feb 2002 Posts: 2743

CUSalin · Joined: 11 Mar 2001 Posts: 405 Location: Hood River, OR

Agreeing with jimoak... after being the "tower," and "towee," many times over the years, the most efficient way to accomplish a tow is to have the "towee" hold the rear footstrap of the "tower" while they struggle to the shore.
I once a faithful fellow friend (Big Wave Dave) tow me across 3/4's of The Columbia with my broken mast still attached to my board with much less effort than I ever dreamed.
Conversely, I once tried to tow a rig tied to my rear footstrap with a line and found it nearly impossible. After having the "towee" repeat the previous, I found it much more effective.

Signed,

Tow-er-ee

P.S. Helping another in need is indeed good karma.

CUSalin,

jesusjones · Joined: 17 May 2001 Posts: 229

I always just swim my crap in myself. I can usually find a way to get some kind of draft to push me in the right direction. I have swum it in from island at the wall and from the other side of the hatchery. Who cares how you get there, it’s the choice of the tower how it gets done! If you don’t like it; start swimming dude.