The Famous Last Run

[KUS]

I have had tons of fun on my "gee I'm just gonna go for one more here" adventures. It applies in a lot of sports: skiing usually where people blow out their knee cuz they were way too tired, the last round of inner tube river rafting in that super cold white water u've been in all day, windsurfing on that last puff that then isn't enough to bring you in.

Today went like this: marginal lulls at times but super fun day, usually quite powered on the 4.7. I make my way out again cuz I feel the pain in the body subsiding and the wind "is surely picking up" (mistake #1) "would you just look at those rollers". I head off body dragging through the onshore break that is Klover, flossing with seaweed and other items I'd rather not think about. I waterstart on starboard and head upwind but the wind lulls, I see I'm not gonna make the point...but hey, it's gone pretty darn good today, maybe I will after I get a puff. I keep on. (mistake #2) Nope, ain't gonna cut it, I jump in right at the barnacle infested point as there's no room to gybe, sail flip to head back to gain more of an angle. Mid flip I turn my back on the ocean to waterstart away (mistake, ooooh big mistake I have made before, #3).....I see a large roller arriving "WTF did that come from??", looks to be 12' (reality perhaps 5 ), I think "bummer" and a few expletives escape....It picks me up with my rig, chucks me right onto the point, my ass impales on barnacles. I clinch my gear in an outstretched arm thinking to save the sail from damage instead of trying to immediately stand up (mistake #4). The roller's 3 friends arrive repeating my pounding, me lying in supine turtle position on the barnacles (shredding a good portion of the harness instead of my back, thanks!) and raking me and both hands/knuckles/ass and the kit across the rocks 5 feet at a time.
I finally gain my feet, a few needles in them as well, bail the hell outta there and sail off, pulling small chunks of barnacles out of the bases of my hands. I neglect to check the board for damage since the sail is unscathed (mistake #5). When I quit a crappy slogging, pumping, somewhat powered time later, I am rinsing the blood off the sailcloth. I note the 4" gash in the midrail of the board w/ small chunks hanging off and road rash through the cloth on the base of the board as if it survived an encounter with a Sabretooth. Small surprise I was a bit more underpowered....... Nice we have few Great Whites here Now, where's that epoxy

What's yours

[nanmoo]

Sounds like the stairs at kook aren't so bad after all!

[xmyxlife]

Ah shit! And you were so close to calling it quits! You were right about the wind though, i checked shortly after i left and it was back down to 22-26. From now on... "Just two more runs"

[more force 4]

Part of my June 26, 2006 log, I remember the barnacles on Clover Point very clearly still!:

Well that was a series of stupid mistakes. Tried to get the 7.5 past the shore bubble to what looked like 12-14 knot wind on the outside. ... If I lifted the luff enough to get wind under, then the clew would dig in, swimming upwind, sweeping the sail, etc.. Tried a whole bunch of times, realized I was getting dizzy from bouncing around in the big tide chop. Finally uphauled, but was by Clover Point and headed quickly for Trial. Tried to weather Clover instead of ducking in behind and going for Ross Bay. Ended up on the reefs at the end of Clover, couldn't save the sail, blew out the top panel & luff tape, busted the longest batten dinged the board , everything flailing around in the now 15 + knots and surprisingly big waves. Good imitation of the rocks at Ho'okipa. Fell several times in the sharp rock ridges, onto barnacles. Many barnacle cuts and bruises. Board too dinged to sail the 5.8 which it was blowing by the time I walked back to Cook, and found Kus & others had kindly picked up my board from Clover and left it by my truck. Thanks guys!

[nanmoo]

Come to think of it, it was on my "just one more" at Pistol River where I got leveled by a mast high juicey wave and then pounded into the sand by 5 of his friends only to end up in the river mouth stuck in beach break purgatory where I gashed my foot and ripped holes in my sail. So if you don't do "just one more" doesn't it just mean the one before comes your last and the same bad luck applies only sooner?

[KUS]

Sounds like the stairs at kook aren't so bad after all!

Us geriatrics need closer access the ramp n point's just fine if you don't pull bonehead maneuvers in dying winds w/ onshore flood tide Any other stories or do I have to share more of mine, I have lots and little pride

[MartyD]

I was having an amazing day in Rarotonga 5 days into a 100 day trip. Landed my first ever railie, then a couple of F-16's. Dog tired after 2 hours of looping I decide to go for one more F-16 and call it a day...
Lost the bar and when the leash caught the centerline snapped Luckily I was in a warm lagoon and a local grabbed my kite before it got wrapped in the palm trees. Not too much damage... but I was unable to ride for 4 more days of perfect wind in the tropics with no kiteshop in sight.

[KUS]

BTW- for those who think large dings are a huge deal, glad to share info on basic and maybe not so pretty but certainly functional repairs

1- Cut out/off all loose materials and round the repair areas with a razor, leave solid chunks in place and fill behind later. Pry open to dry in sun, hole down, water evacuated by pressure of gravity, heat and added by some steady pressure pumping air into vent, gently!! lotsa force here, 3-5 days
2- reinforce with Gorilla Glue (fill behind foam) and Wood (shoved a roughly shaped splinter in there) to provide structure and rigid foam fill, sand/cut with razor to shape, grind with dremel tool to feather the edges of the damaged areas so it can be progressively filled, 1/2 day cure
3- layer with epoxy Cold Cure or the like, cover large areas in (if required several layers) fiberglass/carbon mesh, add fibreglass chopped strands as required to fill voids, tape with packing tape to shape and spread evenly and get a smoother surface; cure 24
4- sand lightly everywhere! u don't want any smooth areas for next coat, dremel w/ grinder attachment helps for roughing holes, wear your mask, that shit cloggs the lungs feather and smooth holes/bubble areas; epoxy with microballoons, at least 30% or more balloons/volume to make sanding easier, wait for the epoxy to "kick" (~1hr after mixing for 24hr cure, if it gets warm work faster ), then apply to keep runs to a minimum, again cover with packing tape (allowing the shaping/flattening and getting bubbles out without it sticking to you or everything you wear/own)
5- sand with palmsander (mask esp here w/ those balloons!) ensuring the rail is consistent; refill as required (if careful the first coat to ensure holes filled this is not usually necessary); wipe, tape off, paint with Krylon Plastic paint in sweeping motion (move prior to depressing trigger to avoid boogers ), lotsa shades available and doesn't run easily, 2-3 coats dry very quickly.

Voila, no biggie....if you spend more time, u get a neater product also u drive yourself crazy ...but I digress from the thread

[nanmoo]

Wow, that ding WAS really bad. Based on your description I was still envisioning far less damage!

[downwind dave]

nice job.
i try to keep those types of shenanigans on the down lo.

[nanmoo]

I embarked on a similar repair mission this evening. One 2x3 cm gash on one side of the rail near the tip and two 1x1 cm cracked sections on the other side. Not sure if either of those were through the glass to the core, but I figured while I was at it, why not!

[more force 4]

Is this the board with the long-term ding-stick repairs Nanmoo? Happen to weigh the board and write it down when you bought it? (I always mean to and always forget).

If you take your single board out of commission for a few days we're bound to get some good wind, thanks for the sacrifice

[nanmoo]

Indeed, my only board, my RRD 91L, wind is certain to happen now. I don't know about long term ding stick repair though, that sucker was only just done on the Oregon coast back at the very end of June. It has now sat in the sun for a couple days and it isn't bubbling anywhere, so I don't think much water got into it. Going to leave it out tomorrow once more then start putting it back together. Hoping for a 3 day turn around.