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PostPosted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 6:03 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
The late John Ross-Duggan questioned my statement "I've been sailing in Kaneohe Bay for 20 something years and never hit a coral head or reef". I flat out told him, no, I've been very cautious and have never run any of my boats aground. Many cat sailors in Kaneohe have run across reef or hit coral heads especially with daggerboards down either splitting the daggerboard trunk wide open or sheering off a daggerboard, I've even seen the stainless rudderpins sheer right off when hitting a coral head.
Well, I geuss it was just a matter of time this loose nut on the helm put one up on a reef (worse part was I was in the channel!).
Last afternoon Sailing in a beercan race in Kaneohe bay, I guess I got to close to the reef, like way to close to the reef.
I was on a broad reach with my boards half way up keeping a squaretopped main Hobie 20 from rolling over the top in 18-20MPH winds, my Tiger almost came to a screaching halt! both daggerboards hit and both rudders popped up, in fact my one rudder popped up so hard it came up to the upper resting position. I immediately released the main and yelled to the boat behind me "REEF". They dove under me and continued racing. as soon as we cleared the reef I put my rudders back down, had the crew slide the daggerboards up and down a little then sheeted in to continue racing. Well, 15 minutes later on a upwind leg and I feel the boat kind of rolling fore and aft like when there is a lot of water in the hulls. This freaked me out and I'm thinking the worse like what kind of repair am I going to have to do now!
We crack off and head back to the club as fast as we can thinking the daggerboard wells had split open and she was taking on water. We get back to the beach roll her up and check for water. Nothing! dry!, check the rudders for damage. Nothing, no nicks! Check the daggerboards, just the tips are chipped and scuffed up, no trailing edge chunks missing, no split trunks.
I'm feeling pretty lucky!
Looking back I'm glad the kite wasn't up and the tide was high. couldn't see the reef because of a setting sun and glare.
Now I'm thinking of changing my strategy to follow others right to the end and pass them right at the finishline.
Good thing the Tiger is built well!

Still looking for used sails in good shape, especially a battened jib and a newer than 2008 chute


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 2:05 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Tue May 18, 2010 2:31 pm
Posts: 3068
Location: Kailua 96734
Dodged a bullet! Was it on the Marine-base side of the Sampan near the lower buoy? That's where the flat reefs seem to curve and jump out at you at the last minute. Had a narrow miss there at high tide too, but at my speeds there is plenty of reaction time. :roll:

I dunno, maybe the Marines are moving those things at night,..


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 11:01 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:46 am
Posts: 1054
Location: eureka,california
Glad you escaped Dray. The Tiger is a well built boat. I'll keep a eye out for Sail for you.

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Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
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http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:34 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 16, 2013 7:47 pm
Posts: 15
How tough is a Tiger? Insane!


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 12:22 pm 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
Nohuhu,
That's the exact spot! Yeah, I think the marines are pushing the reef out into the channel at night. He he


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 6:40 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
Another Thursday evening bulkhead race bullet!
It's getting darker as the days get shorter and even harder to see the coralheads and reefs but we stayed clear and passed all boats after starting last.
Started just behind a sq. top main Hobie 20 and Supercat 22 tall rig and a few minutes earlier a singlehanded Hobie 17 with sq. top main and jib started.
light wind (under 10mph) we popped the chute and chased down the fleet. We actually passed all the cats before the first mark and started reeling in the big mono's passing the last monoslug 50yards before the finish. Heck they started 13 minutes ahead on a 4 mile course. Wish there were more F18's to race here but will have to do for now running the suped up Hobie 20's off the course.
helmsman is getting more dialed into the technical crew work of a Hobie Tiger as we eased off on the rig (so the mast could rotate to 90 degrees in the light air) and eased off on the diamond wires (to keep the main fuller). We even eased off 8" on the spin tack line so we could sail higher on the reaching leg. I found myself really working the main traveler with the spin up to keep the boat moving.
Aloha,
D


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PostPosted: Fri Aug 23, 2013 11:03 pm 
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Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2010 12:31 am
Posts: 133
Location: Netherlands Europe
Nice work /sailing

It,s nice to sail and catch up the slower boats

Here we start at the same time ,andd with the Texel rating the slower cats get compesated sailing time So you don,t know exactly where you finised

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F18 Hobie Wildcat sail nr NED 066 & NED 1111
F18 Hobie Tiger sail nr 973 sold
Hobie 16 sail nr 104195 sold
470 sailnr NED 560 sold


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 12:05 am 
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Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 12:15 am
Posts: 104
Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii
The loose nut on the helm has now gotten to the next level at "Tiger Sailor" the game!
I was out single handing last weekend and had a top speed of 19.4mph while flying the chute (according to my speed puck). I would say the wind max'd out at 11/12mph.
Beautiful day on Kaneohe Bay.
I've got a nice and crispy almost new Glaser chute, still looking for a full batten jib.


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