Re: Rescue At Third Avenue

From: Ken Poulton (poulton@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis)
Date: Mon Sep 19 1994 - 11:06:18 PDT


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Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 11:06:18 -0700
From: Ken Poulton <poulton@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis>
Message-Id: <9409191806.AA16572@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis>
To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
Subject: Re:  Rescue At Third Avenue

Good account Will; post it.

I tried the trick of making a short mast out of the two pieces, but
I couldn't fit the top through the bottom piece. I totally missed the
idea of *reversing* the top segment. The resulting mast would have been
only 12 feet tall, but if I could have folded over the top of the sail
and tied it down, I might have sailed back in. Even if that didn't
work, having the sail might have made me more visible.

On visibility: I think the helicopter is at a disadvantage when the
water is covered with large white areas from breaking swell (i.e., the
best days). From the air, the most visible thing is your white board.
Yesterday, there were whitecaps (it was 5.7), but by the time the
helicopter came, they had subsided some and the helicopter spotted
me on the first nearby pass.

I also tried a signal mirror yesterday. In 2-3 foot swell, I had a hard
enough time staying sitting up on my board. Aiming the mirror's spot
takes two hands, and I could rarely take both off the board without
falling back in. I think this is not useful except in calm seas.

Ken Poulton
poulton@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by
stupidity."



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