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vadler
Joined: 20 Apr 1999
Posts: 82
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 Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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| FYI: there is a lower launch that is closer to the channel. It makes those swims and walks a little easier. |
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DonORiordan
Joined: 06 Feb 2001
Posts: 146
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| Posted: Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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All the way from the channell...gulp. Thats a helluva long swim. Glad you made it back in one piece, and the movie was pretty interesting too. Nice spinout crash to finish it. Don't try that one at home kids...
For the next time this happens to anyone note its sometimes actually possible to sail back to shore (badly of course) without a fin. (Proof: those new skool freestyler spinny/crash nutcases are practically sailing without a fin anyway).
The way to learn how is to dick around in those way-too-light-to-plane-but just-enough-to-waterstart moments when you are near shore, in shallow water, and comfortable, and otherwise ready to quit your session. Instead, spin your board around and beach/waterstart onto the nose so that you are sailing fin-first. Rear staggered grip (i.e. hands closer to the clew than normal) and try to shove the heel of your new back foot (now standing somewhere between the nose and the mast) where the sun don't shine in order to keep the new tail (which is actually the nose) from spinning away downwind while the new nose (the tail + fin, lifted clear of the water unless you are on a humungous formula board or something) tries to point straight into wind.
Keep using those hamstrings and pulling on that back foot and balancing the sail on its triangle, while staying essentially 99% sheeted out. If you sheet in, there is nothing to counter it and your tail (actually the nose), will instantly spin out downwind.
Its actually fun practicing this one, and looks kinda cool sailing fin first when you start to get the hang of it and your hamstrings + technique develop
Such Fin first practice saved a buddy of mine from a long swim in Maui one time. I wondered why his waterstart appeared to be taking so long, sailed over, found out he was swimming due to no fin (he lost it on the reef at camp one), so I simply swapped gear with him. I sailed (half of it butt sailing admittedly) his finless board back to shore without going too far downwind, while he sailed my stuff back. 3 minutes later, we were both safely back on the beach. Nowhere near as far as the channel incident reported here, but still saved a fair old swim nonetheless. I wonder if I could still do it???
He still owes me the beers, but has long forgotten.
Koogzah, do you think this would that have worked at 3rd after the log ate your fin, or was it just too damn choppy/windy even for that? I'm sure there are limits.....
D |
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bainesy
Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:58 am Post subject: |
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| Put your harness around the tail of the board for some lateral resistance. It'll be enough for you to crawl back to shore. |
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jse
Joined: 17 Apr 1995
Posts: 1460
Location: Maui
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 10:48 am Post subject: |
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Yesterday at TI a sea lion surfaced not 3 feet in front of me, gave me a looky-loo and quickly got outta there. I did have to take evasive action.
Steve |
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mustangdoug
Joined: 25 Aug 1998
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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| DonORiordan wrote: | All the way from the channell...gulp. Thats a helluva long swim. Glad you made it back in one piece, and the movie was pretty interesting too. Nice spinout crash to finish it. Don't try that one at home kids...
For the next time this happens to anyone note its sometimes actually possible to sail back to shore (badly of course) without a fin. (Proof: those new skool freestyler spinny/crash nutcases are practically sailing without a fin anyway).
The way to learn how is to dick around in those way-too-light-to-plane-but just-enough-to-waterstart moments when you are near shore, in shallow water, and comfortable, and otherwise ready to quit your session. Instead, spin your board around and beach/waterstart onto the nose so that you are sailing fin-first. Rear staggered grip (i.e. hands closer to the clew than normal) and try to shove the heel of your new back foot (now standing somewhere between the nose and the mast) where the sun don't shine in order to keep the new tail (which is actually the nose) from spinning away downwind while the new nose (the tail + fin, lifted clear of the water unless you are on a humungous formula board or something) tries to point straight into wind.
Keep using those hamstrings and pulling on that back foot and balancing the sail on its triangle, while staying essentially 99% sheeted out. If you sheet in, there is nothing to counter it and your tail (actually the nose), will instantly spin out downwind.
Its actually fun practicing this one, and looks kinda cool sailing fin first when you start to get the hang of it and your hamstrings + technique develop
Such Fin first practice saved a buddy of mine from a long swim in Maui one time. I wondered why his waterstart appeared to be taking so long, sailed over, found out he was swimming due to no fin (he lost it on the reef at camp one), so I simply swapped gear with him. I sailed (half of it butt sailing admittedly) his finless board back to shore without going too far downwind, while he sailed my stuff back. 3 minutes later, we were both safely back on the beach. Nowhere near as far as the channel incident reported here, but still saved a fair old swim nonetheless. I wonder if I could still do it???
He still owes me the beers, but has long forgotten.
Koogzah, do you think this would that have worked at 3rd after the log ate your fin, or was it just too damn choppy/windy even for that? I'm sure there are limits.....
D |
Don's right. This is hard to force yourself to learn, when you could be doing some regular blasting. But if you find yourself in this situation, esp a long way from shore, it is worth giving a go even if never mastered previously. I've lost more fins at Palo Alto than I can count. Most notably, twice, I lost fins beyond the northern red mark on the far side. I sailed the roughly 4 miles as Don describes, back to PA Harbor. For brief spells I tried the old harness on the tail, but it was dog slow and more tiring than sailing finless. Now I was on a big 140L board, so I'm sure that might help. A couple other pointers might be to make sure mast track is all the way back, so as to get the bow floatier. Then get forward foot alongside or even forward of the mast, to keep pushing that nose downwind. That foot and the mast will hold most of your weight. Back foot just lightly feathers the pitch and yaw to track and keep from sinking the nose. Windward rail used for tracking. To waterstart, come up directly sideways, as if you were going to sail sideways, since you will be to a large extent. Anyway, true, did this twice, over four miles, and was planing most of the way. Did need to stop to rest. Oh yeah, you don't get to choose where you'll come to shore. It'll be farther downwind than preferred. |
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coe
Joined: 08 May 1998
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: Cam |
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| Which hemlet camera do you use? |
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