Acquiring more and more gear...

I've accepted that I am a wind junkie, making up for all the lost time spent in grad school and during tenure. I listen to the VHF and check Metvuw (http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/) obsessively. At least I'm buying used gear, which is good since I'm still having some fantastic crashes that have not only lead to a ripped sail but a crack in the nose of the 75 L AHD board. The 96 L Starboard Kombat came with some good dings and a repair to the mid-deck. The Fanatic is bomb-proof. Solid German construction. Gib's andere aus Deutschland? The three boards cover all wind conditions now. While the Kombat is the "middle board" in volume it is actually a couple inches shorter than the AHD, but makes up for it in width. I can tell it is a great all around board for sail conditions of 5.4 m^2 and lower. For light wind days I prefer the Hobie 16 with my boys. Both Isaac (6) and Nik (9) are proficient at working the jib sail and are real trapeze enthusiasts. I may (just maybe) buy a kid's board from Marc that has a 2.5 m^2 sail and is super wide and stable. Do I dare introduce this sport to the next generation? Both Jenn and I have constructed swear-words prio unbeknownst to us during the early learning phase. But maybe the better equipment now available will reduce the frustration and pain?

Back on Waiheke

20+ kts at Tamaki from the SW (so says the VHF) meant good conditions at Surfdale. Sailed the Kombat on the 5.4 from 5pm to 6:30. A great board for jumping the waves. A couple cases of spinout were easily corrected with foot pressure (and no worries of catching the leeward rail since the rails are very soft (unlike the 90 degree edge of the Fanatic). Definitely a good acquisition.

Another New Used Board

I'm a junkie. I just had to have a middle sized board between the 125L Fanatic and 75L AHD. So through TradeMe I have added a 96L Starboard Kombat. We picked it up in Devanport on the way to the Bay of Islands. I tried it out on a low wind day with a 5.4 sail and discovered it does not point well, but does keep me afloat. A day later I tried it on the Waitange River (again on the 5.4). I only had 6 or 7 solid runs across the mouth of the river (We were heading to the Waitange Treaty Grounds, but I had to excuse myself to try out the board on planing conditions). The board took a little getting used to (being short and wide), but it was forgiving on the jibes and planed fast--a good acquisition!

3 solid days

Started the new year right and was on the water at Surfdale on the 6.4 shortly after noon--everyone else was asleep or hung over, so I had the water all to myself until Marc showed up and had a go on his 5.7 and mid-size board. I landed poorly off a wave and was slung into the sail, followed by a "pop" as the main Mylar panel ripped (ouch). An auspicious start to 2010.

Jan 2: Decent wind, but very gusty. Tried the AHD with the 5.0 (dual cambered beast, then the 4.0 Neil Pryde (mono-camber). Both sails are a bit dated, and the 5.0 is a slalom sail, whereas the AHD needs a wave sail. Marc tempted me afterwards with a couple sails he is liquidating...

Visitors from Auckland for the weekend, so a good day to go on the Hobie Cat with a 260 pound ballast in the form of Bryon Wright. Great sailing. The boat handled our combined weight with minimal creaking (I'm a trim 170 lbs these days). I was worried the trampoline might rip apart, but the "new-used" trampoline and 6:1 main sheet blocks are working great.

Jan 4: BIG WIND. Strongest yet. Gusting to 40 kts all over Hauraki Gulf according to the VHF. The <80 L AHD board was in order. I also purchased two Neil Pryde wave sails (4.2 and 4.7) and a mast from Marc, since the 5.4 was too big for the AHD, and the 4.0 and 5.0 that I brought back were not adequate--they'll make nice sunshades. I was encouraged that I was able to land 5 starboard and 1 & 1/2 port jibes. Unfortunately...during a case of high-speed cavitation I caught the leeward rail and flew forward, and the mast must have hit the nose of the board, opening up and extending an old wound that hand been previously repaired. So after several hours of blasting I returned home exhausted, and turned the oven on fan-bake with the door open and the nose of the board propped up to the open oven for several hours. Next morning I sealed the crack along the edge with a glue gun (we were out of duct tape). The 6.4 sail still needs repairing--I'll do the sail correctly with Mylar tape.

Jan 5: Bigger wind than anticipated based on VHF. By noon it was time to quit reviewing an M.S. Thesis and investigate. A few kite-surfers were there. Marc rigged his kite since the wind was not strong enough for the small boards. I left the AHD at home, and rigged the 6.0 on the Fanatic for 3 hours of solid blasting and chop hop--the board handles well for 9'6" and 125 L, but it is not meant for jumping in 20 kts of wind with higher gusts. I picked a small wave that was already breaking to use as a ramp, and somewhere off the ill-defined peak I lost control in a bad way--and again--was catapulted forward, but lucklily no sail rips, although my left shoulder said "enough", and I called it a day after 2 more runs. Since I'm starting 2010 off with gear collecting, I just purchased a 2008 Starboard Kombat 96 L board with 2 fins and a board bag for $800NZ on TradeMe. The Fanatic Shark will be good for Jenn or visitors and I can use the Kombat at the same time (might need another boom...Marc?!)