Re: Safety Fin

From: Richard McCabe (rmccabe@alumni.princeton.edu-DeleteThis.com)
Date: Wed Sep 18 2002 - 13:30:03 PDT


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Message-ID: <05a301c25f52$2c192e80$d7b3fea9@1406>
From: "Richard McCabe" <rmccabe@alumni.princeton.edu-DeleteThis.com>
To: <wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
References: <NIBBKJICOLDECELJCLNAEEHPCIAA.surfnsuds@earthlink.net-DeleteThis.com>
Subject: Re: Safety Fin
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 13:30:03 -0700
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long ago and far away with a radical dinghy (Moth) I used a long piece of
line dragged astern. Some resistance, not too much?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Topher Gayle" <surfnsuds@earthlink.net-DeleteThis.com>
To: "Multiple recipients of list WIND_TALK"
<wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 1:22 PM
Subject: RE: Safety Fin

>
> I once made a drag chute when my fin dropped off. I tied my helmet to a
> spare line, and tied that to a rear footstrap. It worked, sort of, but it
> created so much drag that I was catapulted off the board repeatedly. And
> the water friction tore the lining out of the helmet, which was lost for
> eternity to mighty Neptune. Not really a good solution.
>
> Your design ought to work, though it probably will not allow much in the
way
> of going upwind to happen. I'd make a stainless steel circle, about 4
> inches in diameter, from pretty stiff wire, and then make a conical nylon
> sock for it. Ideally, the wire circle should have three eyes on its
> perimeter. Three strong bits of thin rope to attach the wire hoop to a
> durable (!!) swivel connection. This is important! The sock will spin
like
> crazy once you start to move. This swivel is on the end of a rope. This
> whole assembly should tuck into a harness or PFD pocket pretty easily, and
> attach to the board by simply tying it to a rear footstrap.
>
> Let me know if it works. This has been a gadget I've been wanting to try,
> for years. If it works, I'll want one.
>
> - Topher Gayle
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com
> > [mailto:wind_talk@opus.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com]On Behalf Of Jim Murdy
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 1:03 PM
> > To: Multiple recipients of list WIND_TALK
> > Subject: Re: Safety Fin
> >
> >
> > I know I've seen all the suggestions...drag the down haul, tie the
> > harness to the tail for emergency fin fixes.....and have never
> > gotten good enough to have to use them, but....
> >
> > The thought just hit me that some thing like a drag chute or sea
> > anchor might work...... say a small ring of plastic ( to keep
> > opening open) with a swivil/velcro leash to attach to board and then
> > a small parachute like thing attached to the plastic ring....even
> > with embelishments like a bit of foam to float it and a weight on
> > the bottom to position it (keeping ring vertical in water to make
> > the chute open easily) a rig like this could be pretty small and
> > foldable.
> >
> > Jim Murdy
> >
> > Kirk Lindstrom wrote:
> >
> > > I wonder if we could make a "safety fin" to carry in a pack or
> > inside > our mast or strapped to the boom? > what if > get a 1 ft
> > long by 1" round piece of plastic that you put a fin screw into? >
> > Then if you bust a fin, you put this rod into the fin box and screw
> > it > in from the top > It would not be a great fin, but it would be
> > resistance > It would ALSO fit inside the water (camel back) bag I
> > often carry... > > It would be fun to try this "safety fin" out for
> > a test.... > > Kirk (I get full rights if we patent this!) out > >
> > Manuel Paunet wrote: > > >glad to hear you made it safe > > > >it
> > seems to me a good thing to do when this kind of problem occurs >
> > >is to ask someone to get you a new fin. > >even if the fin box is
> > damaged, a wobbly fin would do the trick better. > >(good to know
> > what fin box your board is using) > > > >aloha > > > >manu > > > > >
> > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: Ken Poulton
> > [mailto:poulton@zonker.labs.agilent.com-DeleteThis.com] > >Sent: Wednesday,
> > September 18, 2002 1:13 AM > >To: Multiple recipients of list
> > WIND_TALK > >Subject: Ken goes downwind > > > > > > > >Thanks to
> > everyone who was watching and helping me today! > > > >Ken > > >
> > >"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far
> > one can > >go." > > -- T.S. Eliot > > > > > > > >============= Tue
> > 17 Sep 02 - 3rd - 5.4,4.4/257 (196#) 4:20-8:00 > > > >Too much wind
> > for kites as it started gusty and the channel ramped up to > >30
> > mph! I went out on 5.4 and sailed OPd for the first hour. This was
> > > >great fun - the swell got to 6 feet, very nicely formed, even in
> > the > >flood. But eventually, the wind was too much to handle. I
> > had a Mr > >Toad's Wild Ride back in (whooping all the way) and
> > rigged 4.4. > > > >The 4.4 felt great. I was having a fine time
> > (and thinking a bit > >about how to fix the stripped-out second
> > screw on my fin). > >But when I spun out and fell in near the far
> > edge of the channel, > >I found - oops! - no fin! Nada. Bye, bye.
> > Gone. > > > >This was about 6:00. I tried various drag inducers on
> > the tail of the > >board. Kevin came by and helped for a while, as
> > did another guy. Using > >the uphaul on the tail sort of worked - I
> > could get going, but would > >always spin out after about 30 seconds
> > and have to set up again. I was > >going towards shore, but faster
> > downwind in the flood. I could see I > >would not get to the shore
> > by sunset. Finally, as I passed Mike (who > >was the furthest
> > downwind) I asked him to go in and call the Coast > >Guard. I was
> > lucky to have just replaced my leaky old wetsuit with a > >new 5/3
> > at the ASD sale. I decided it was time to also put on the >
> > >neoprene hood I carry for emergencies. Having a warm suit was good
> > > >but the hood on my head really warmed me up. > > > >Further
> > cycles of slogging and spinning out left me approaching the >
> > >bridge pier just west of the shipping channel. I decided that the
> > > >westerly wind and flood tide would carry me a very long way
> > before I got > >to shore, so I climbed up onto the pier. Once I was
> > standing in the > >wooden bumpers, I was holding my board with the
> > uphaul, but I had no way > >to deal with the rig. So I detached the
> > rig and bade it goodbye and > >pulled the board up and tied it on.
> > I think it's just above high tide, > >but not above the waves. > >
> > > >The ladder is inside the boat bumpers. I had to climb thru and
> > jump > >back in to get to it. Once I climbed up, there was plenty
> > of dry space > >and a place out of the wind. I took out my radio
> > and called the Coast > >Guard. I also put on my flasher, which
> > Steve reported was visible from > >the launch! > > > >A chopper
> > showed up only 10 or 20 minutes later. I expected to swim > >out to
> > where they could safely approach, but they surveyed the pier > >and
> > placed their basket on the downwind end. The chopper was dead >
> > >steady in the air - very impressive piloting. I climbed in and
> > they > >raised me up as away we went! What a great ride! > > >
> > >They let me off at the San Carlos airport. I called my wife, Kate,
> > for a > >ride: > > "Can you give me ride to 3rd Ave?" > > "Where
> > are you?" > > "San Carlos Airport." > > "San Carlos Airport?" > >
> > "It's where the helicopter left me." > > "The helicopter?" > >
> > "Yeah, they picked me up off the bridge." > > "The bridge?" > >
> > "Yeah, I had a little problem..." > > > >And even before she got
> > there, Steve showed up to give me a ride! > >I later realized I
> > might have passed a message thru the Coast Guard > >radio. > > >
> > >And when we arrived at 3rd around 9:00, Dave had packed up my 5.4
> > and > >was waiting by my car! What a guy! > > > >So thanks to
> > everyone for all the help! What a great bunch of people. > > > > >
> > >Plusses and minuses for the overly analytical: > > > > --
> > inadequate maintainance (stripped fin screw) > > + carried hood > >
> > + wore a really warm wetsuit > > + asked for help - at first mostly
> > letting others know I am floundering > > + told Mike to call Coast
> > Guard > > + carried flasher > > ++ carried radio > > - failed to get
> > my 50' line out in time to save my sail > > ++ got myself out of the
> > water > > - but not in the right place > > > > -- > best regards >
> > Kirk Lindstrom > Please Try My Online Store:
> > http://home.netcom.com/~kirk_69/Gifts.html
> >
> > [V-Card file jim.murdy.vcf deleted by listprocessor]
> >
>



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