Fw: Breakdown report at 3rd yesterday

From: Allen H Zimmermann (allen.zimmermann@gte.net-DeleteThis.com)
Date: Wed May 23 2001 - 17:51:07 PDT


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From: "Allen H Zimmermann" <allen.zimmermann@gte.net-DeleteThis.com>
To: "Wind Talk" <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
Subject: Fw: Breakdown report at 3rd yesterday
Date: Wed, 23 May 2001 17:51:07 -0700
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Correcting the p.s.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allen H Zimmermann" <allen.zimmermann@gte.net-DeleteThis.com>
To: <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: Breakdown report at 3rd yesterday

> Listen, replace all masts, booms and mast bases every two to three seasons
> (depending on mileage etc.). Check lines, fin screws and footstrap screws
> every few sessions. Change your oil every 3,000. Have a nice life.
> P.S. One comment on two bolt mast bases. You cannot put your rig way
back
> in your mast track or way forward. The two bolts reduce your adjustment
by quite
> a bit. I sail mostly high wind and I like my rigs back in the mast track.
> For me, the two bolt is unacceptable. A one bolt, rubber hourglass mast
> base (Windsurf Hawaii or Chinook etc.) is a good way to go.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Greg Harris" <harris@skolar.com-DeleteThis.com>
> To: "Multiple recipients of list WIND_TALK"
> <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 5:18 PM
> Subject: Re: Breakdown report at 3rd yesterday
>
>
> >
> >
> > Since breaking my uni happened to me just this week as well and has
> happened
> > before and I'm semi-opinionated about the issue... here are my thoughts.
> >
> > I was in the middle of the ebb at Crissy closer to Sausilito than SF and
> my uni
> > broke as I landed a jump. I have the double bolted black-hourglass type
> of uni
> > w/ the webbing. I jibed, then sailed in on a plane, although unhooked
> just to
> > be conservative w/ how much pressure I was putting on top of the board,
> webbing,
> > etc. No damage to board, the webbing kept the whole thing intact aside
> from
> > being a little wobbly.
> >
> > One year ago, my uni-tendon snapped which forced me to sail / waterstart
> > position sail my way back in from the channel at third. I found it not
> very
> > easy to waterstart w/ no real connection to my board other than grinding
> the
> > sail straight down into my board. Sort of sailable if your willing to
> kill your
> > deck, which I didn't feel all that good about. My deck still got messed
> up
> > anyway since I didn't do a full self rescue. And doing a self rescue
out
> at
> > Crissy or a slow deck crunching sail would not have been much fun with
as
> fast
> > as the ebb was going.
> >
> > I've also both had my uni separate from my board at the level of the
bolt,
> where
> > a safety line doesn't do any good and very nearly done so a second time
> since it
> > simply loosened up on the deck.
> >
> > Lessons I've learned: 1) Use two bolts, I've never had a problem of the
> base
> > coming undone or becoming loose from the board in such a case. The fact
> is
> > losing your board at some of the sites we all sail in can potentially
turn
> into
> > a very scary situation. Which is also why during a self rescue I keep a
> rope to
> > tie myself to my board. And while the ebb may help save you a walk,
it's
> also
> > far more likely to keep you out in the water much longer since it pulls
> you
> > directly away from shore. Lesson 2) Use the webbing: it keeps
everything
> intact
> > rather than having the sail attached by a wobbly rope. I jibed and
planed
> in w/
> > no damage to my deck and I could have been back on the water w/ a new
uni
> in 10
> > minutes if I wanted.
> >
> > greg
> >
> >
> > Dave Polzer wrote:
> >
> > > Good to hear all went well... just thought I'd add my 2 cents...
> > >
> > > I've had the same breakdown occur to me and was very greatful for the
> saftey
> > > rope that ties the 2 universal pieces together. If you dont have that
3"
> > > rope then make sure you add one.. I had seen my buddy have the exact
> same
> > > breakdown and he was able to sail it back in with just the saftey rope
> > > attaching the sail to board but his board took quite a beating....
> > >
> > > Here is where my good fortune came in and I thought I'd just pass it
> > > along... I've always used a volcano pad around the universal due to
the
> > > numerous times I'd kick it stubbing my toe... but it also came in
handy
> > > after my universal broke. It served as adaquate padding to save my
board
> > > from the pounding of the mast while getting get back in.
> > >
> > > So needless to say now I try and never sail without a Volcano Pad and
I
> pay
> > > a great deal of attention to the saftey line and or webbing on my
> > > universals.. because the do work. Was I ever happy to not only make
back
> in
> > > but also with a completely unharmed board.
> > >
> > > See ya at third!
> > >
> > > Dave Polzer
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Jonathan Hahn" <hahn@unetix.com-DeleteThis.com>
> > > To: "Multiple recipients of list WIND_TALK"
> > > <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 12:10 PM
> > > Subject: Breakdown report at 3rd yesterday
> > >
> > > >
> > > > I had a breakdown yesterday at 3rd, but I couldn't have been too
much
> > > > luckier...
> > > >
> > > > I was out enjoying the conditions out in the channel yesterday
> > > > well-powered on a 5.5m2 when my board (ASD 9'0") simply shot out
from
> > > > under me and left me holding my rig (and sinking). The pin that
> > > > connects my universal joint to the board sheared at the rubber of
the
> > > > universal. This is the second time I have experienced pin shear
like
> > > > this but that's not too bad for over 15 years of windsurfing. I've
> > > > never experienced a rubber universal itself failing. My universals
> are
> > > > probably over 5 years old, so perhaps I had it coming. They are
> Mistral
> > > > systems that I bought at a Vela summer sail.
> > > >
> > > > I ditched the rig and swam for the board which was being prodded
away
> > > > from me by the swell in the channel. Eventually I caught it and
> brought
> > > > it back to the rig which was still afloat. I would guess you have a
> few
> > > > minutes before it's unrecoverable. Fortunately, another sailor
> (Akram?)
> > > > was in the vicinity and stopped to help me. He helped me stabilize
my
> > > > board and rig while I ran a line under my mast track adapter and
> through
> > > > the nylon u-joint safety webbing. It took a few attempts but we
> finally
> > > > got it as tight as possible, but that still had about 6 inches of
> play.
> > > > We were lucky that it was ebbing and so we didn't get blown downwind
> > > > while we were doing this. I'd guess it took about 10 minutes or so.
> > > >
> > > > Then I tried waterstarting. This took many attempts and failures
but
> I
> > > > once I got up with the mast positioned properly on the board (up
wind
> of
> > > > the mast track) I was underway and even able to hook in. I stayed
out
> > > > of the footstraps since the dynamics of sailing this configuration
> were
> > > > very weird and took contortions to maintain my course. But still, I
> was
> > > > able to sail non-stop about 3/4 the way in from beyond the middle of
> the
> > > > channel. Once I dropped, I just walked the rest of the way since
the
> > > > tide was out and my board was getting screwed up.
> > > >
> > > > The mast scratched and caused a depression in my board, but other
than
> > > > that, I survived the episode unscathed. I never really thought
about
> > > > how I'd connect a mast to the board in an emergency before , but I
now
> > > > realize that being able to tie something to the mast track is very
> > > > important.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks to Akram and everyone who stopped to check up on me.
> > > >
> > > > Jon
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
>



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