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 Post subject: neophyte
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:13 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:11 am
Posts: 47
Location: Slippery Rock, PA
We just tried out our new kayaks today. I have an AI and my husband has a Revolution with a sail. We took them out today to try the sailing features for the first time. Admittedly, we are on the left side of the learning curve!!! My first issue was the cord for the sail. It took awhile to get it going the right way and I never seemed to be completely free of the knot that was holding to the mast. It didn't wind up neatly and got caught several times on the knot. I didn't tie the knot, it came that way, but I tried to push it above the ring for the next trip out. Any suggestions on that one? I also encountered the rutter issue, but didn't remember to cleat it down for awhile, after I did it steered like a champ!
My husband did well after he capsized. I suggested the akas, but he wants to try a bit more before adding the "training wheels" as he calls mine. He even bent the sail pole, but it went back to almost straight in the vice.
We plan on heading out again tomorrow but to another place at Lake Aruthur in Moraine State Park. Where we were had a tremendous amount of vegetation, like an underwater forest, and DUH! we forgot our paddles. :oops: Remember that learning curve!
We have used Sit on Top Ocean Kayaks for the last 12 years and wanted to add some variety to our yaking!
Any suggestions, experiences you would like to share would be greatly appreciated!!!! We both sailed eons ago on little Sunfishes. Thanks!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 5:06 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:36 pm
Posts: 73
Location: back in TX Inks Lake near Burnet Tx
practice,practise,practice and enjoy have fun it all falls in place.


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 Post subject: neophyte
PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:14 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:11 am
Posts: 47
Location: Slippery Rock, PA
We have a weekend planned of practice!!! We're hoping to push the learning curve to at leave the top. I've been reading and checking out all the advice on this forum. Just gotta get some sunscreen.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:09 pm 
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:36 pm
Posts: 73
Location: back in TX Inks Lake near Burnet Tx
one very useful tip I recently picked up, when you've rigged you main and furling sheets, tie the ends together so you have one continuos line, no searching to do,always in hand. be safe, have fun.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:42 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:40 am
Posts: 952
Location: Dallas, TX
makenmend wrote:
one very useful tip I recently picked up, when you've rigged you main and furling sheets, tie the ends together so you have one continuos line, no searching to do,always in hand. be safe, have fun.


That's a dang fine idea! Can't believe it didn't occur to me sooner. Mind if I take credit? :wink:

Brian C


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 Post subject: neophyte
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 5:02 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:11 am
Posts: 47
Location: Slippery Rock, PA
Great idea about the lines. I did do some fumbling with the lines along with many other things. After about 6 hours I was getting pretty good. I didn't have to pay 100% attention to the sailing and was able to take some short videos. It is one great Toy!!!!
We plan on another outing today, but this time I will remember a few important details, like sunscreen on my legs---boy am I burnt! I got up to speeds of 8.4 mph. I forgot less and less when landing. The dagger board survived me along with the mast when stopping in a treed area.
We may kick up the challenge this week and venture up to Lake Erie at Preque Isle for more of a challenge than Lake Arthur.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:15 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:11 am
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Location: Slippery Rock, PA
We went out again today for abou 4 hours with some friends. I think I may had pushed my curve up midway. I'm looking forward to more of a challenge off our little lake. We can get the boats on and off and set up in less and less time. I tried tying the two ends together, but they wouldn't stay tied. I tucked them in the net instead. The AI continues to GREAT fun!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:46 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:21 pm
Posts: 2498
Location: Central Florida
On the end of the sheet line, we tied a small loop in the sheet line. It prevents the sheet line from being pulled through the cleat, makes it easer to tie the reefing line to it, and lets us keep the lines tight during transport.

Image

Kayaking Bob


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 7:20 am 
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Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:36 pm
Posts: 73
Location: back in TX Inks Lake near Burnet Tx
I use a reef/ square knot with these lines and it holds fine, even comes apart easily at the end of the day


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 Post subject: Re: neophyte
PostPosted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:10 pm 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
janetandfred wrote:
We may kick up the challenge this week and venture up to Lake Erie at Preque Isle for more of a challenge than Lake Arthur.


Hi Janet & Fred,

Welcome aboard. I think you'll find the trip up to Erie to be well worth the drive. That's my original "home port", although I now live & sail in the Washington, DC area. I grew up sailing Sunfish, Hobie 16, and Flying Juniors, all over the bay & Lake Erie. Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie, and the park, offer a wealth of places to play. I've had my AI(s) up there a number of times last year. In fact, if your AI is yellow, you're likely to run into people who think you're me. I've had my own, and my friend's AI when he wasn't using it, all over the Erie waterfront. Last I knew, they were the only AI's in town. I usually launch mine from the Erie Yacht Club, since I stay on my brother's boat there when I'm in town visiting. I have launched at the lagoons, out on the peninsula though, which is a beautiful location. Here are a couple spots, with GPS coordinates, I scouted out one afternoon last summer, when I didn't have time to actually go out. You can pick up a map or the park from the ranger office. There are a number or boat launch ramps, but I was trying to avoid the traffic & such usually found there. I don't need a ramp, so I'll go find another spot.

Presque Isle Launch Sites
Lagoon Kayak Launch
N42 09.598 W80 05.643
Near the East end of Presque Isle State Park. Just past the parking lot for Perry Monument, behind Misery Bay. Misery Bay & the monument on your right, the launch area is on your left.
Leave mast unrigged until after you pass under the bridge and out into Misery Bay. Mast is easy to rig while in the boat, so not a problem.
Can also go explore back into the lagoons. I haven't done it yet, but I'm told there is a passage through the lagoons that will bring you out into Marina Bay. Hope to explore that this year.
While in the neighborhood of Misery Bay, check out the houseboats on Horseshoe Pond. Go through the little channel off the East end of Misery Bay, and there are about a dozen houseboats back there. These are permanently anchored residences, mainly used as summer & vacation places. Residents are very friendly.

Marina Bay launch
N42 09.198 W80 07.467
At the West end of Marina Bay. Follow a little dirt road/trail down to the water. Several people launched there the day I was scouting spots.

Sommerheim Pumping Station
N42 06.887 W80 08.736
Near the West end of Presque Isle Bay, at the foot of Sommerheim Drive. Go North from W 6th St, right next to Tracy School. I used to fish there when I was a kid. Now there are several rowing teams that store & launch there.
If you're at this end of the bay, check out the shipwreck located at approximately
N42 06.896 W80 08.966
You can see the ribs & timbers sticking out of the water.

Dirt road to Thompson's Bay
N42 09.844 W80 04.883
Not sure if it's an "authorized" launch point or not. A friend told me about it, but I haven't tried it yet. You'll have to unload at the roadside, and then portage about 100 yards to the water. This will put you in on the lake side of the peninsula, where Thompson's Bay opens to the lake.

Thompson's Circle
N42 09.991 W80 05.022
Like the dirt road above, I'm not sure if it's an "authorized" launch point or not. A friend told me about it, but I haven't tried it yet. You'll have to unload at the roadside, and then portage about 100 yards to the water. This will put you in on the lake side of the peninsula, where Thompson's Bay opens to the lake.
I have seen kayakers on Thompson's Bay, but I had gotten there by sailing out the channel from Presque Isle Bay, into Lake Erie. So I didn't talk to any of them to see where they put in at.

I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves. Let me know how it goes. I don't know when I'll get a chance to get up there this summer, but you can be sure I will at some point. I'm hoping to make it up there the week of July 13. The Sunfish North Americans are being held in Erie that week, and I think that would be a fun time to hang out.
I'm actually toying with the idea of sailing the AI across to Port Dover, Ontario. It'd be 29 miles across from Presque Isle to Long Point peninsula, and then another 18 miles across Long Point Bay to get to the mainland. I figure about 10-14 hours, if conditions are right. Camp over there for a day or two, and then sail it back home. Of course, I'd only attempt it if the weather looked like conditions were going to be right for a few days. Have to hope that the schedule & the weather mesh enough that I get a chance.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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 Post subject: Launching sites
PostPosted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:41 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 28, 2008 8:54 am
Posts: 59
Location: Albuquerque
As a true Park Ranger and involved in boating education and safety I was wondering if anyone has come up with a set of good standards for launch sites. If you have any or any ideas for those to make for rivers, marinas, lake entry let me know. I'd like even photos of what works and why and even those that don't work and why. Diagrams would be great also.

Just did a run on the Rio Grande with my AI with Amas and Mirage Drive mode for our "Annual Great Race" with close to 400 participants.



[email protected]


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:28 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:11 am
Posts: 47
Location: Slippery Rock, PA
Thanks for the info on Erie. We went to Pymatuning Lake and had a great day. We sailed from Jamestown almost to Tuttle campground then turned around. Not quite soon enough because we lost the wind and had to peddle a LONG way back. Erie is on our list to do, probably in September. We head to Virginia Beach for a couple months and will try out the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic ocean and any inland bays we venture into. It surely is a fun, fun toy!!!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:48 am 
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Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:34 pm
Posts: 139
Location: Northern VA
Drop me a line when you are planning to check out Presque Isle. I'll try to make it up & join you.

I've been up in Erie this week, and have been sailing all over the bay. The water level in the bay is up about a foot & a half this year, so the shipwreck I mentioned is covered with water this summer, and I noticed that my GPS coordinates are not actually the wreck itself. I guess I was sitting about 10 ft North of the wreck itself when I landmarked it. Use those coordinates, and head toward the mainland, while watching into the water. The ribs stick up out of the bottom, to within about 4 inches of the surface. Watch the daggerboard, mirage drive & rudder!

I actually encountered two other AIs while sailing here yesterday. Daren & Martha were visiting from Virgina (where I live as well), and wanted to try their new toys on the bay. We sailed for a few hours, and took some pictures in front of the US Brig Niagara, Commodore Perry's flagship from the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812. Great time!

Enjoy your Virginia Beach summer, and I hope to meet up, either down there, or up here. I'm trying to figure out if I can make the Virginia Beach gathering I see talked about.

Happy Sailing,
- Jim L


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 Post subject: newbie
PostPosted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:32 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:11 am
Posts: 47
Location: Slippery Rock, PA
We are having a great time in Va Beach and have met up with Gwiz a couple times. He's taught us a lot about the AI. We will be back up in PA for the get together they are planning, but hopefully next year they'll plan something during July, August, and early September when we are here. This sure is a great place to play!!! We will definitely be checking out Lake Erie on our return. Do you know anything about the campground that is located on the Bay. Not Sara's at Presque Isle, but near the Marina. We had to replace the rudder control on the AI as it gave way under pressure. The local Hobie Dealer took care of it, it was great!
Thanks!


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