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| I'm in Love! Thank You All! http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=12952 |
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| Author: | steviethunder [ Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:54 pm ] |
| Post subject: | I'm in Love! Thank You All! |
Hello everyone! I would like to thank everyone on these boards for their valuable input this past year since I have been studying and researching this "Hobie" thing. A Little about me; I am 44 years old and haven't sailed in over 20 years. My dad had a small o'day that I use to beat on and I was always fascinated with the cats I used to see flying their hulls on the lake. I always knew I would have one some day. Finally, I purchased a H16 from a boat yard in Greenwich CT about 3 weeks ago for $400.00. New sails, hulls great, needed new lines but rigging is perfect, dual traps, tramp is on it's last leg. i took it out 2 weeks ago and had a blast in 10-15. Hulls flying off and on. Super fun. We finally got some wind yesterday with a 15-20 and severe storms forecasted w/hail and damging winds. Sounds like fun?!? I was planning on being off the water before that hit. I really want to live to sail another day. Hey there's wind, I had to go. Had a blast and worked on flying the hulls. I was on my last reach headed northbound on the lake and I got hit with a gust over 30. I was already airborne and when I realized that the main and the traveler were all the way out and I was staring at the water, all the knowledge I had picked up from you folks would now be put to the test.....Splashdown! I clung to the tramp and jumped off the upwind side only to find out that turning my back on the boat in winds like that is not a good idea. When I spun around I realized the boat was going "bye bye" sailing downwind on it's side with the tramp as a sail. I'm an excellent swimmer and could not believe how hard of a time I had just to catch it. There was a pretty good chop too which made it more difficult. When I finally caught up to it I swam to the top of the mast and swam it around into the wind. I quickly swam back to the hulls, climbed up, grabbed the righting line, gave it a tug and leaned back and up she came. (I weigh 190 lbs) It was so beautiful and graceful seeing the sails fill with air as they were coming off the water. I grabbed the stryker on the upwind side to keep from flopping her again, threw a leg over the hull, climbed aboard and I was back on my way. I did install a hobie bob just before hitting the water and it saved my butt. The tip of the mast never submerged. I know it creates more drag but I will be flying solo most of the time and I can't afford to have it turtle on me alone. I'm not nervous about flopping it now. I think it's hilarious. I can't wait to do it to my wife on friday LOL! So, the biggest thing I learned was to "never, never" let go of the boat for any length of time in a 30+ blow when your on the upwind side! When I got home I checked the weather station on-line at the lake I was at and the gust that got me registered 32 mph.The advise that you guys gave here helped me right the boat solo. piece of cake. No bag, no pole. Just me, the rope and the tip of the mast in the right place. I'm hooked! Cheers! Steve D |
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