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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 5:47 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:08 am
Posts: 215
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
I'm going to blame my winter with a frozen shoulder but I definitely need to get my arms back in shape if I want to keep playing with the wave in 30 knot gusts. Windguru claimed winds should have been 24 knots with gusts of 30 but it seemed much more gusty than another couple of days I went out with similar numbers. The runs were a blast but when trying to close haul back the other way, I had an very hard time trying to keep the sail tight enough so it wasn't touching the shrouds even. Fun as hell but I wore out way too quickly. I was certainly glad I added the traveler which helped a lot to get me back home upwind at a more reasonable pace once I was completely worn out.

It might have been way more wind than 'advertised' and thoughts of upgraded blocks ran through my head but I think I'll just take it as a clue that it's time to work on my arms again after a winter of not being able to lift my right one higher than my shoulder. I still don't have full mobility but I have enough to comfortably sail and kayak.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:26 pm 
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Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 10:08 pm
Posts: 172
Location: Ottawa, Canada
I have a few thoughts. Are you sailing with the main cleated off most of the time? I do. I've been practicing it for a long time, I'm old, and don't capsize all that frequently, YMMV. I frequently sheet in with both hands (like mad) when racing and then cleat off the sail and make minor adjustments as the wind changes. You have to spend some time setting the angle of the jammer so that a pull slightly up cleats it off and a pull slightly downwards pops it out. And practice that downward flip with the sheet tight for those OMG~!! moments.

I switched to the Harken system to get the ratchet. 57m ratchet fiddle with jammer and becket at the bottom. I got the 57mm double for the top because I really like Harken stuff, but it's not required. I think the Harken jammer with ball bearings in the cams jams easier too.

I don't sail in 30 mph winds, as I said I'm old, but it was 20 to 30 on Saturday and I sailed four races. Upwind the the main was tight, tight, tight, nowhere near the shrouds, probably as pulled so hard it only had about 8 inches of draft at the bottom. The shrouds would be about 30" away from the sail.

I was tired on Sunday but nothing hurt too much.

Hiking now, there's where you need to go to the gym.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:27 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:08 am
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Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Thanks BigWhoop. I appreciate you taking the time to share some ideas.

I probably can take more advantage of cleating than I did that day. I'm still getting used to the boat and was trying to keep a 'feel on things'. Yes, I already miss the ratcheting action that even the Bravo had. It puzzles me why the more expensive Wave uses a less expensive system. Perhaps it has to do with it's resort target market.

However, I also found out from my windsurfing neighbor with a wind meter on top of his house that it was closer to a steady 35+ knots, with gusts very commonly peaking around 47.5 knots. So I don't feel as bad now. Although I still need to work on body strength lost from the worst months of the frozen shoulder limiting my activities. Might as well use this as the kick in the butt to get started.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:45 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:08 am
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Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Since I'm boring people with my misadventures already, I'll also add in how impressed I was with the Wave in it's ability to avoid pitch poling. At one point on that same day, I was testing the limits on a wicked downwind run and buried both the entire bows in well past the tramp.

The only thing that kept me from launching myself off the deck was a mad grab for the hiking strap and the wall of water that hit me in the face. It popped itself backwards out of the water like a submarine doing an emergency blow. I'd like to have a picture of the grin on my face when I realized I was still upright and onboard.


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PostPosted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:56 am 
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Location: Ottawa, Canada
35 knots !! 47.5 knots!!! You need a two way wrist radio boy since you're braver than Dick Tracey. Especially if you can stuff the Wave to the front crossmember and recover. With the main cleated off and the skipper sitting in the middle of the tramp you have to long time to consider your mistake as you slide down the tramp into the water and bury the nose deeper and deeper until the inevitable pitch pole happens. Never mind how I happen to have that nugget of lore.

"Murph the Spud from the bright red mud of PEI, Prince Edward Island."


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 4:42 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:08 am
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Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
I can be a bit silly at times but normally I would not be that brave if I knew what it really was. Wind was from the Southwest so it was deceptive. A SW wind in my bay means very little wave action, barely a breeze on your face in my backyard due to a a hill behind me and very little wind on my shore until you get out a couple hundred feet.

Once I was out there, I was blaming my own newbness with the new boat and my weakened condition when I should have been realizing the wind was not what I thought it was. 2 runs and I was done.


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