Okay,so I have broken 3 rigs while windfoiling in as many years. When all 225 lbs of me gets catapulted hooked in... well sometimes the mast breaks. It was all old equipment, possibly sun burnt so my bad. On a positive note I eventually figured out how to get in.
Open the boom clamp and slide the top mast down into the sail pocket below the boom cut out then re-clamp the boom. Now take your up-haul rope and lash the mast sections together at the clamp. Mind your fingers getting pinched as the gear bounces in the waves and be wary of carbon splinters! You may be able to water start it but I up-hauled by grabbing the mast. I was glad to be on a big stable board at that point.
After one explosion I actually managed to foil back a couple miles down wind to the launch site. I have not seen this anywhere before so I thought I would share this. The picture was taken Saturday; it blew 20+ all day and this happened early on. Fortunately my old Naish 4.5 has an adjustable head strap and I could rig it on a longer mast and keep sailing!
I was once able to take the top half out of the sail and insert it upside down into broken bottom section. Results in a very floppy sail, but I managed to sail in.
Great self rescue tip! I wish i knew that...I swam my rig in after a broken mast (20 year old carbon).
FYi, for a broken fin (or lost foil/mast), tie your harness to the tail...it's poor man's rudder, it got me home (2 miles) in Aruba when the reef ate my fin.
I broke 2 of those North Platinum carbon booms in foil crashes approaching 30 knots of speed (200lbs). Very hard to sail back with only 1 half of the boom remaining, which in both cases was also broken at the harnesslines.. if anyone has a tip for that? I just waited for a friend to tow me back in after derigging on the water.
No broken masts for me while foiling.
Select to expand quotelwalker said..
I was once able to take the top half out of the sail and insert it upside down into broken bottom section. Results in a very floppy sail, but I managed to sail in.
I like that idea even better! It would be stiffer and less chance to rip the sail pocket.
Hopefully I won't ever need to again.
I broke a boom on the out going side and slogged back on the good side. The broken side was just dangling on the other side of the sail, two cm past the mast clamp housing.
I haven't tried this yet but was told If you need to sail back on the broken side; take the boom off and mount it upside down.
Yes, twice I have broken booms that required turning the booms upside down to get back to the beach. Be very delicate--a one-sided boom is very fragile. DO NOT use harness. I hooked in as I approached the beach and that finished off the good side. Swim was not too long.
I once snapped a universal joint, so I loosened the bottom half where the bolt goes in the track and wound the excess downhaul around the bolt and tightened it up. The brocken uni rubber was moving around on the deck a bit, but I chugged in without damaging the deck.
I was a couple of ks off the Western Australian coast so there was a certain motivation not to swim in.
Select to expand quoteremery said..
I once snapped a universal joint, so I loosened the bottom half where the bolt goes in the track and wound the excess downhaul around the bolt and tightened it up. The brocken uni rubber was moving around on the deck a bit, but I chugged in without damaging the deck.
I was a couple of ks off the Western Australian coast so there was a certain motivation not to swim in.
Mate, that is clever! I had a LOOOONG swim in when I broke a uni when I was learning as a kid. So we covered fins, booms, masts and unis we should be good. I am still gonna work on staying closer to the launch site but it is hard given the distance covered while foiling. I love to cruz all over the place!
