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Sailing with Rene Potvin
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Author:  DogsLife [ Wed May 18, 2011 4:46 am ]
Post subject:  Sailing with Rene Potvin

This weekend I crossed the Chesapeake with Rene Potvin who is traveling on his Adventure Island from Miami to Montreal.

I posted a short report with more pictures on my Blog http://dogslifeadventures.blogspot.com/2011/05/crossing-chesapeake-with-rene-potvin.html

Image

Author:  Slaughter [ Wed May 18, 2011 11:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

That's a pretty impressive performance for your 2nd time out on the new AI Dogs. 40 knots, 46 miles, it doesn't get much harder than that. I've also been following his trip and wondered how he got around the hours in the standard Hobie saddle. A Wal-Mart seat, very ingenious.

Looking forward to your video.

Author:  DogsLife [ Wed May 18, 2011 1:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

You are right about the new AI handles kicking up water into the seat area. I was continually sponging just not to sit in water all day. I am thinking of a booster seat for the AI??? The 46 miles comes from all the Watertribe training that I did over the winter. I seem to do well on the 1-2 day events up to ~100 miles. Now I have to work on the week long challenges...

Author:  DogsLife [ Wed May 18, 2011 1:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

You are right about the new AI handles kicking up water into the seat area. I was continually sponging just not to sit in water all day. I am thinking of a booster seat for the AI??? The 46 miles comes from all the Watertribe training that I did over the winter. I seem to do well on the 1-2 day events up to ~100 miles. Now I have to work on the week long challenges...

Author:  Slaughter [ Wed May 18, 2011 11:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

I heard you the first time Paul. :lol:

Author:  DogsLife [ Thu May 19, 2011 4:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

Something about my browser hung up. The preview never closed after Submit???

I posted the Video on You-Tube:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQf7n2gk-Xw[/youtube]

Author:  Slaughter [ Thu May 19, 2011 6:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

Thanks for that mate. Can't wait for Part 2. He's doing a mammoth effort and it must be good to be a part of it.

Author:  DogsLife [ Fri May 20, 2011 8:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin Part 2

I posted video of my return trip:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSMFvONeOXc[/youtube]

Also, talked to Rene last night. He was heading to a campground in Chincotegue, VA. The night before he stayed in Quimby in a house for $35. Can't beat that.

Author:  renepotvin [ Fri May 20, 2011 11:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

The second video is just amazing but it does not show how bad it really was. I sure would have remained on the other side until it cleared. You are much braver than I :lol:

I put the two videos on my blog. Now people are going to ask me to to Vlogs :roll:

Thanks for crossing with me. Now I could find someone to cross the Delaware River with me. :P

Author:  KayakingBob [ Fri May 20, 2011 12:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

Great Videos!

Except for the cold and storm, could have been here. :) The videos never seem to display the true wave size or the wind gust effects, but still wonderful.

Great sailing!

Author:  Slaughter [ Fri May 20, 2011 6:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

Great video Paul. I reckon you captured the wave size about as good as it can be done. In fact I had it on HD on a 27" Mac and felt a bit nauseous from the motion. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being 'I'm gunna die', where do you think your situation rated ?

Author:  Chekika [ Sat May 21, 2011 5:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

Excellent videos, Paul! The real sound was great on the second video--it gave a real feel to the whole thing.

Nice to see Rene again. He is doing a hellava job.

Keith

Author:  DogsLife [ Mon May 23, 2011 12:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

I never thought that I was in any mortal danger. My biggest fear was if I flip or break the boat, how long it would take to wright it and would hypothermia take over before that. Big waves do not scare me. I sailed as a merchant seaman for 15 years. The biggest waves that I have seen were 60', standing on the bridge of a 650' ship looking up at the waves.

You have to maintain control of your boat. That means do not overpower or ride dead in the water. I altered course and reefed the sail past the second batten. Kept the Mirage Drive going and watched the oncoming seas. If a wave started cresting I would turn into the wave and pump as hard as I could.

I would like to know how many AI/TI sailors completely flipped the boat, how they recovered and what damage was sustained. In the dingy sailing world you practice righting the boat. If my boat was not so new I would flip it on purpose. Most of the safe water around here is too shallow and doing this in the bay would attract too much attention.

Author:  KayakingBob [ Mon May 23, 2011 3:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

I finally flipped an AI over after almost 4 1/2 years, but it was during a launch at a spot that stays a bit shallow for 400-800 feet from shore. I rode over the first wave, a 4 footer, but didn't realized that I had snapped the rudder pin by barely touching bottom with the rudder in the trough when I went up the wave. The next wave was a 5 footer and getting ready to crest when the AI started turning as I figured out why it wasn't responding to helm control. :o

The wave just picked up one ama and rolled me over. After surfacing, I checked for more waves coming, then stood on one ama, pushing it under. I couldn't quite hold the hull and lean enough, so I grabbed one of the Mirage drive fins, squeezing tightly, so it wouldn't slide down the mast and leaned as far back as I far as I could. It felt like a minute, but my buddy launching behind me said I was back in the boat in less than a minute.

When the boat was back upright, I lifted myself back in and grabbed my paddle and went over the next few waves before getting to deep water. Then changed out the rudder pin. Everything was where I left it in the boat. Leashes are great!

Things I did wrong: I should have released the sheet line when going over. Would have made flipping it back over quicker. I should have folded in an ama to right it quicker, but adrenalin is a wonderful thing! :) Lastly, I should have waited another half hour for the tide to rise a little more, or pick a different launch spot, but it's nice to see the waves coming for a bit to prepare, verses getting clobbered 10 feet off the beach.

It was nowhere near as bad as I had imagined it could be, but I was lucky too.

Author:  Slaughter [ Mon May 23, 2011 8:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sailing with Rene Potvin

Looking up at a 60 footer, not for me I'm afraid.

With the capsizing, we don't have to get wet, Holger has done it all for us. If you start at about 6min 30 secs. When he first positioned himself on the folded Ama, it looked like the best way to do it, but then as you can see, he swapped over and stood on the unfolded Ama and it all came together.

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=22159&p=98392&hilit=capsize#p98392

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