HAPPY MELBOURNE CUP DAY

Pirate, I like your innovative product but was more than a little surprised you chose to test it in those conditions! On the other hand, it's always good to learn where the limits are -- these apparently keep you dry right up to the point where they dump you in the drink.

I'm glad you made it back in one piece to deliver the report -- if you hadn't, we would have erroneously assumed the tramp-skirts to be defective!

Excellent job and very informative report!!

Thanks for the kind words Roadrunner and yes I too believe it is necessary to push the boundaries occasionally to know exactly where the limits are so you can stay just inside them in the future. The Youtube video was just a snippet of the day, and did not reflect the true power of the wind or seas. I intended to get more footage but as the day panned out I plain forgot. There was definitely a risk of broken gear, but little risk to my absolute safety. I am a strong swimmer and have proved many times in my life that I do not panic in extreme situations. The water was warm and there are no nasties swimming in the Gippsland Lakes
This test proved to me:.
1. The AI is a very strong package capable of extreme conditions
2. The carbon mast (I am assuming here is actually is carbon fibre) is very capable of strong loads
3. The custom tramps are excellent when set up right. Mickey has questioned the drainage quality of the material I chose but I found set up correctly to be fantastic, with none of the problems he has raised. I had no water pumping into the cockpit or at me or into my face under those extreme conditions at all. I think Mickey's are slightly narrower than mine, being the second lot built, and would be even more suited for the extreme conditions.
4. The only drawback to the tramps is the windage factor which is a serious consideration in heavy weather over say 20 knots. Under that I don't believe the wind would have anywhere near the power to flip the boat. The gust that did the job for me was about 40 knots or more. I am going to test the rig again in more extreme conditions in the near future when similar conditions occur but this time I will just have my skirts out and the tramps folded to the front akas. I am confident that I will get the benefit of vast reduction of spray and water without the risk of capsize.
5. Yes it was a worthwhile test and one we can all learn from.
IF NOTHING ELSE GAINED, EVERYONE PLEASE REMEMBER TO HAVE THE MAINSHEET OR FURLING LINE FIRMLY IN YOUR HANDS BEFORE RIGHTING THE RIG IN HEAVY WIND CONDITIONS....ELSE YOU WILL BE SWIMMING BACK TO SHORE.
And it would be a good idea to deliberately bottle the AI and practice the technique to right it again if you are using any trampolines. It is a beautiful morning here in sunny East Gippsland today and I am minding a grandson so no AI today...Pirate

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'

Isn't there a bit of the story missing?

Say, maybe involving a big white boat with blue writing down the side?



Come on Pirate. Let's hear the end of the story too...

Dave

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A Hobie Sport and 2 Hobie Adventure Island's - Papaya & Hibiscus - I couldn't make up my mind so like I usually end up doing with lures I bought both and hid the credit card statement

Hmmmm, sounds like someone's got some inside goss here....

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There is a bit more to the story Cowsgomoo but I am waiting for Dave's account so see how embellished it might or might not be...Pirate

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'

Hmmm, do I detect a certain reticence? Perhaps a soupçon of embarrassment? C'mon Pirate, now you've been outed, full and frank disclosure is the way to go. Confession is good for the soul, they say.

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To the contrary Chris no embarassement at all. Anything not included in the article which was concerning the tramps was omitted as it was not relevant and still is not. It was meant to be informative, not show and tell all.....Pirate

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'

I thought maybe the reason the thread was called HAPPY Melb Cup Day was because you were just HAPPY you made it home?? Bit hard peddling into a gale with tramps on & sail unfurling at the top creating extra drag I hear. I must remember that.

I think it would be best if you told the story.

You can't beat a first hand account of a rescue...

That's why the news cameras always try and get the shot of them leaving the police launch rather than someone who saw it from afar.

Come on. Fess up...

DJ

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A Hobie Sport and 2 Hobie Adventure Island's - Papaya & Hibiscus - I couldn't make up my mind so like I usually end up doing with lures I bought both and hid the credit card statement

Whoever you talked to has only part of the account then David. You see the Water Police may have called taking my name and address from land that I got to without assistance a rescue but the reality is far from that. Their input was to tell me that I should have more sense than to be out in those conditions and to get a statistic for their log. They suggested I leave my AI on the beach on Raymond Island which given the elements and the exposed water I still had to cross and even gave me assistance to get back to my car.
But that is a valid point about the sail flogging which I failed to mention.After I furled the sail and cleated the line out in those conditions, the wind was able to get into the furled sail and twist it up with a small portion exposed and flogging, so it could not be unfurled until beached and untwisted. I put that down to the strength of the wind, not a malfunction or fault of the AI.
Anyway the point of this article was not to write a novel but to point out the strength and weaknesses of the custom built tramps and those conditions certainly did bring them both out. I hope I have achieved that and we have all learnt a little...Pirate

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'

Pirate, looking back, do you think you would have been better off tethered to the boat, or would that have just tangled you up?

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Hi Pirate,

See the facts first hand are more accurate. I just heard a red hobie trimaran was on the verge of needing rescue due to not being able to peddle fast enough. Your post and that info added up to it being you. 2+2=...

I'm not sure where you normally put in and where you ended up. Didn't sound like a lot of fun particularly when the yak was getting blown away from you.

There's obviously a boat security issue if leaving the boat on the beach and going back for the car with them then driving over to collect it. It's an option I've considered as a get out of jail thing.

How would you have gone do you reckon if you'd taken the mast out and strapped it beside you? Or removed the tramps and stowed them away for the return journey?

We get the added complication that prevents progress in the intended direction being down this close to the entrance of strong currents now that it's been dredged so deep. I was out yesterday and peddled/sailed from the Barrier back to Lakes into an Easterly against a run in tide.

I didn't mind - it certainly upped the exercise quota for the day. It wasn't a huge problem, just meant I was a lot later getting back than planned. Every time I turned back across the wind I made a lot of distance across the wind but very little up wind as the current was at about 70 degrees across my course. The entrance was running at about 3-4 knots!

A northerly or southerly would have been nicer.

Dave

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A Hobie Sport and 2 Hobie Adventure Island's - Papaya & Hibiscus - I couldn't make up my mind so like I usually end up doing with lures I bought both and hid the credit card statement

And here's me thinking it was to do with reports of Pirates raiding the Gippsland lakes looking for booty....

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Dave I went with the Water Police suggestion as if I had opted to go it alone out there and really got into trouble I would have looked like a real goose and they were good enough to offer me a lift. They suggested a tow also but I thought that would be a recipe for disaster. Had they not suggested the lift, I would have comfortably folded the tramps and skirt around the front amas, left the mast upright and sailed/peddled across. The mast itself neither helped or hindered the situation. It would have been no problem getting back across without the tramps as I have been out in just about as bad without any hint of trouble. The tramps do act like sails and will flip the AI over in a moment given a really strong gust....Pirate

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Master of the galleon 'Pirates Lot'