towing rescue monday at 3rd....

From: Alain Dumesny (alain@paris.engr.sgi.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Wed Jun 18 1997 - 12:35:58 PDT


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Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 12:35:58 -0700
From: alain@paris.engr.sgi.com-DeleteThis (Alain Dumesny)
Message-Id: <199706181935.MAA18100@paris.engr.sgi.com-DeleteThis>
To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
Subject: towing rescue monday at 3rd....
Reply-To: alain@sgi.com-DeleteThis

Monday I towed in some guy named Tom (didn't catch his last name) from the
channel back to shore. Boy was this fun ! what a workout... harder than
sailing back in with the harness hoocked up as a parachute when you loose a
fin.

This was the first time I helped rescue someone and was suprise to see that
no-one had stopped to help. There were so many people who must have passed by
this guy. Maybe that's the problem... too many people, so everyone figures
someone else will help this guy. Also DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP !

Tom was is the channel near the marker when I first noticed a guy with his
sail separated from his board - he was holding both of them, but didn't ask
for help or made eye contact when I passed by. I thought maybe he was trying
to adjust the mast position or something. Or maybe he was waiting for a
friend to bring him another mast base.

I decided to keep an eye on him. About 5-10 minutes later, he was still in
the water, but this time he was derigging his stuff, and drifting pretty
fast. I decided to go back and help him, even though he still didn't seem to
ask for help. That was a mistake on his part. The current would have pushed
him to the bridge pretty quicly (he was gonna swim his stuff back - 1+ mile
with chop and current is not easy. I know cause I've gone under the bridge
before and climbed throught it a few years back - no-one back then close
enough to help :( ).

Derigging your stuff while holding to your board given the chop is much
easier with another person helping you....He ended up losing his mast base
and sail in the chop. Almost lost his mast too, which I then stuck in the
foorstraps. Another guy (yellow helmet) stopped by asking us if we needed
help (another good samaritan) but things were udner control.

He did have a tow line (didn't have to use mine) which was good. Attached the
long rope from the nose of his board (mistral) to my back footstaps and towed
him in. At first this was pretty hard because the chop would yanck me back.
Eventually I got better at it and sank the tail in to slow my board, which
made the tension in the line more constant. I probably should have used the
springy uphaul line to buffer the pulling back when his board would hit a
chop. I was also worry that pulling back could pull my straps off, but it was
ok.

What is the best way to tow someone ?

1) should I have attached his long rope to my mast base ? to my harness ?
(not sure how I would reach the front of the harness withough going around me.
Better hook in quick or you'll get pull off your own board when his hits a
chop)

2) is using a standard rope + uphaul line (act as a spring) the best way to
buffer the yancking back ?

After I got him in, I wanted to sail back out event though I was pretty
tired. Boy did it feel suddenly like I was flying ! sunddenly I didn't have
this udge weight pulling me back :)

Happy sailing out there !
and remember, some day you might need help too... (I sure hope I did the 2
times I broke down)

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Alain Dumesny |\ Silicon Graphics
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