VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Ok so I went out again yesterday cause the winds were stronger then then day before. Thinking it would be good I went out. I got the mast up and only sheeted in enough to get moving forward. Then the wind would send a gust in a different way and cause the sail to push back to me sending me swimming. It was very discouraging since I felt so good the day before. Any tips on how to deal with shifting winds/gusts?

Jeffreyheslop9 wrote:Ok so I went out again yesterday cause the winds were stronger then then day before. Thinking it would be good I went out. I got the mast up and only sheeted in enough to get moving forward. Then the wind would send a gust in a different way and cause the sail to push back to me sending me swimming. It was very discouraging since I felt so good the day before. Any tips on how to deal with shifting winds/gusts?

Always be looking over your shoulder (upwind) to begin to read the wind gusts and prepare for them. SE winds along Lochside just south of Sidney can be very steady 10-12 kts once Summer settles in, easy learning conditions.

Thanks, I'll have to go there one day.

What you're describing is why they have improved sails a lot since back when yours was new. The board is useful to you now but the sail you are trying to use is already holding you back, like your last session. As you try to point upwind at all the sail is quickly back-winded because it simply doesn't have the design characteristics to do anything else. It needs full length battens and more. Try to put together a reasonable rig (post year 2000 at least) before the summer gets eaten up. You'll be ready for a shortboard fairly soon if you do. Otherwise you will never get there. A decent rig can serve you for some time so consider it a wise investment. It's easy to suggest a 6.5 square meter (or so) sail , a 460 carbon mast (75%), appropriate aluminum Chinook booms and appropriate length aluminum base. You will have to haywire (don't use haywire) the universal to your mast foot thingy that fits the Windsurfer board so a trip to the hardware store for stainless steel bolts or a clever pulley may be in order. A decent sail on the old longboards is quite fun in pre-whitecap conditions. I think you'll enjoy it.

if you are out on Shawnigan the wind is often quite swirly near shore especially near the park on the west side. i've had good luck sailing out of the govt dock side near the village on westerlies and south winds. i live in Cobble hill, give me a shout if you need a hand with anything. a nice non-ripped rig will be pretty helpful for you! cheers dave
geodaveb at gmail.com

another tip for dealing with gusts is to try and sheet in a little more before the gust hits and then ease out to about where the booms would have been before as it hits. That stops the sail getting backwinded and puts your weight more upwind where it needs to be and will eliminate the board turning into the wind (because only the leach of the sail is providing power). You will accelerate instead. THe wind may be less squirrely than you think. if it is really bad you are going in.

But yeah get newer gear, even a hundred bucks would set you up with 10 year old rig that is WAY better.

more force 4 wrote:another tip for dealing with gusts is to try and sheet in ...But yeah get newer gear, even a hundred bucks would set you up with 10 year old rig that is WAY better.

likely the limitation will be the board attachment of the mast foot and a new boom to go with sail/mast

Post a photo of the top mid of the board?

As for shifting winds....don't sail on Shawnigan short answer, most small lake suffer from this, Elk lk included esp during lighter beginner winds...try off cherry point in cow bay

Mast track on board

image 0240 is the one. What fits onto that pin? It's called the mast base. It houses the universal joint and the downhaul cleat for loading of the sail. Photograph it. My Windsurfer was older than that one so I'm not familiar. How the next piece fits on is important. Perhaps some other BWDers have experience with upgrading these. I see some forgo the foot operated sliding ability of the mast track for a bolt up through the car into a standard Chinook universal joint. Here is someone doing the same job on a Mistral board. http://joewindsurfer.blogspot.ca/2013/0 ... natic.html

Here's pics of the mast foot?
The pin on the board slides into the key hole and you tighten it down by turning the knob in first set of photos.

As I thought.... Do yourself a favour and throw that mast base away for an upgrade. Get a chinook single bolt base and universal and hope that somewhere you can slide the single threaded rectangular washer into the mast track or under something metal inside the track. Then you are golden

http://www.windance.com/Windsurf/Bases- ... -US/10526/

Extensions for standard mast are around used

Which base style is recommended? Mechanical, rubber, or tendon.

I like mechanical but they are quite fussy about the length of the bolt you are going to install. I think a regular old hourglass rubber joint would be easier and work just fine. I've never had a tendon. Get the stainless steel bolt (nut, washers and whatever else might help do the job) you need from Chinook as they aren't that easy to match up with. (the one that goes into the bottom of the rubber hourglass). You don't want it to break down on you so make it plenty solid.

if you are near cobble hill i have a few chinook bases (1 or 2 bolt), you can bring your board by to see if something fits.

Jeffreyheslop9 wrote:Which base style is recommended? Mechanical, rubber, or tendon.

Avoid tendons. They hide damage at the pins that secure the tendon to the base. Hourglass rubber UJ is most popular. Mechanical ones are ok but can be hard on mast boxes as they transmit forces directly to the box/deck (not great once you start jumping and sailing in heavy chop).