Sailing test drive... New gear!

A section for the yak sailers around Victoria!
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Smish
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1747
Joined: 23 Nov 2010, 22:12
kayak: Viking Profish Reload
Real Name: Andrew
Location: Williamstown

Sailing test drive... New gear!

Post by Smish »

Happy Australia day! Although for the indigenous folk, commiserations... but hey sh!t happens, my folks were refugees and I'm first generation Australian, a lot of people have had a hard life... we live and die and the world moves on. This is the lucky country and opportunities are up for grabs, carpe diem... we don't live forever...

Ahem... emotional crap aside... I finally finished fine tuning my sail rig on the... "balloon" ...yep for all those not familiar with my yak... it's inflatable... kinda like a zodiac on "Weight Watchers"... I've been mucking around with the sailing stuff in my spare time and finally... joy. Yep I think I've got it just right, I took it out to Sandridge beach today and in the lumpy conditions with 15-17kt winds going head to head with a Hobie TI and a yacht I held my own. My $200 sail rig out pointed the TI and surprisingly upwind kept up with... :D a very average yacht :lol: ... Top speed on the GPS was 8kts which sounds weak but in >1m swell I was happy with the performance. It's been a journey getting it right but now I can tick that tiny insignificant box! :D

I wish I could post some pics but I lost my WP camera and the rig is too big to fit in the studio for a shot and taking the work cams out seems like overkill for pictures of my toy balloon... soon though...

I haven't been fishing since Xmas eve, Saturday looks like a pearler!

...Yep, I'm happy... it's amazing the therapeutic value of a few beers!

Cheers,

Smish
Dognut
Square eyes
Posts: 721
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:07
kayak: .
Real Name: Sean
Location: FTG

Re: Sailing test drive... New gear!

Post by Dognut »

Sounds like you got it sorted Smish.
8knts, cant complain about that. AIs max out at not much more than that. Nice to have options when the weather shits up isnt it?
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Smish
Lord of the fish
Posts: 1747
Joined: 23 Nov 2010, 22:12
kayak: Viking Profish Reload
Real Name: Andrew
Location: Williamstown

Re: Sailing test drive... New gear!

Post by Smish »

Dognut wrote:Sounds like you got it sorted Smish.
8knts, cant complain about that. AIs max out at not much more than that. Nice to have options when the weather shits up isnt it?

Having read some of Elms old posts... can't remember which forum... I thought AI's did easily better than 8kts but after seeing a TI all-be-it in pretty noxious conditions, it seemed to struggle in the chop into the wInd. It was the first time I had a chance to compare the balloon's performance against other vessels and I was surprised at how well it went. Sometimes it felt like my yak was being lifted across the water.

I had to build a pretty substantial rudder to sail downwind and I was amazed at how small the rudder was on the TI, it obviously does the job but for whatever reason a tiny rudder like that wouldn't work on my yak, I'd have no control, I modeled mine from a Laser, it looks ridiculously big but it works.

The wind has been crazy lately so I thought F'it... *perfect* the sailing thing and have some fun... It takes some concentration in blustery conditions but I've simplified the rig and with a bit of practice I'll be covering some serious ground fishing and trolling. :thumbsup:

Cheers,

Smish
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ELM
Yak Master
Posts: 3180
Joined: 26 Jan 2010, 17:25
kayak: A very dusty one.
Real Name: Ed
Location: Rye - In a cage next to the gunie pigs!

Re: Sailing test drive... New gear!

Post by ELM »

G'day Smish, that's a great effort :clap: , were you running helium :evilgrin: ? Please PM me a link when you get some photo's up (not on much these days and don't want to miss them).

8kts "average" for an AI is pretty darn good, in fact, extremely good. On a 10 to 15 knot day, I would say at best an AI would get 7 maybe 8 knots as a top speed, with an average of 4 maybe 5 knots depending on chop/swell and of course tack maneuvers and direction.
To get better "top speeds" not "average", you need near perfect conditions (flat) with 20+ knot crosswinds. For memory, the best I ever got was around 12 knots "top speed" and it was blowing it's tits off. Adding weight and those speeds can drop dramatically, specially if it is scuba gear and 100 scallops :thumbsup: . TI are supposedly quicker than an AI, I still have not seen one on the water, let alone have a go, so cannot comment.

Eddie
Edit; Ow and happy Aussie day to.
When we say it's BIG RED SEASON, we don't mean a big red blood stain on the bay,
GET YOUR LIGHTS ON + YOUR PFD'S.

Happy Sailing Fishing and keep blowing bubbles.
Cheers
Eddie

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Dognut
Square eyes
Posts: 721
Joined: 05 Feb 2010, 22:07
kayak: .
Real Name: Sean
Location: FTG

Re: Sailing test drive... New gear!

Post by Dognut »

Im heading out tommorow. conditions should be similar. I will take some speed measurements. I usually talk in kpm cos it sounds faster.
Sean
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