Garage Works - 3/31/2024

I told Prayot I'd help him fix a friend's Auntie's house and also help pick mangos....

I skipped the dawn patrol and I think it was completely worth it (and not just the mangos - I like helping kapuna).

After I recovered from that work, I went ahead and started sanding No.35.  I decided to sand this one outside - it's bad enough I have white epoxy dust all over the garage... to have green also would be too much.

The above picture is of the bottom with half sanded.  I got through sanding the whole bottom, then Matt stopped by to see the progress (he was off island for a couple of weeks - the last time he saw it was before it was laminated).

Below is me starting to sand the top.  By this point I was losing light so I called it quits (and went in to the kitchen to wash all the mangos).

Tomorrow I'll finish sanding the top deck, then I'll laminate the carbon stripe down the middle of the bottom deck.  While I'm using epoxy, I'll also get a few of the low points filled (and hopefully that will cut down on subsequent fill coats/sanding/fill coats/sanding.....)

I asked Helen to print some more vinyl cut decals for this board.

This one is coming together nicely!!!  Might be done by next week (there is wind coming....)

Garage Works - 3/30/2024

And I got home in time to get the pigmented fill coat on the bottom deck.

Tomorrow will be a sanding day.  And maybe a carbon stripe laminating day.

Wing Foiling Session - 3/30/2024

In the afternoon, Harris said he would be at Hickam and would have a F One Strike V4 demo from Jeff.  I figured why not give it a spin.

By the time I got there, Harris was in and packing up.  Jesse was also there and had just finished a tow boogie session.

I setup No.34 with the Eagle 1090/DW210 - I did not want to have to swim in...

As the wind was light, I passed on the Strike V4 demo (was a 5.0), and pumped up the North Mode Pro 5.5.  I went with the 5.5 instead of the 6.8 because I had a feeling that there would be some decently strong gusts.

The wind was definitely shakey...

I did manage to touch on every to do point I had - made some speed runs, got in a toe-side tack (to build muscle memory), and even got to ride some waves.

With the up and down wind, riding today was challenging - which makes it fun.

The North Mode Pro acts like a much smaller wing - not a grunty low-end power house, but once pressurized it does get up and go well.  But it shines on the top end - just keeps going!

With the wind the way it was, I'm glad I brought the 5.5 instead of the 6.8

And this was surprising - 22.8 mph on the F One Eagle 1090!!!

I did pull a toe-side tack towards the end of the session - practice makes perfect!

W:41/FD:20/F:4/S:9

Dawn Patrol - 3/30/2024

I got a late start on the dawn patrol this morning.  And when I got there, I talked with Andrew and Kalani - making me even later ;P

I setup No.33 with the HPS980/400P and took a guess at the unit/mast positioning based on what I've been getting with the Spitfire 960. 

The waves were small - and they only got smaller.  And then the wind came up making catching waves even harder.

I did get some fun rides at the front half of the session.

Kalani was enjoying the beach and took some videos.

I stayed out almost an hour and a half.  I came in with 35% battery - and I was on the throttle the whole time.  This is pretty typical battery performance.

That jog towards Fenceline was me thinking I could get a mini downwinder.  By that point the waves basically died out.

I'm counting 21 rides - taking out time for the paddle out and back in, that's a ride every 4 minutes.  The front end was where I caught the most rides the quickest - after the midpoint of the session the wave count was blah.

This front foil - rear stabilizer combo has always been a session saver.

It was a fun session, even if it was probably wingable.

W:40/FD:20/F:4/S:9

Garage Works - 3/29/2024

I decided to get one of the pigmented fill coats onto Matt's wing board this evening.

This is two batches of 7 ounces of epoxy with 1 ounce of lime green pigment.

Matt wants a brushed carbon look where the carbon shows through the pigmented fill.  This is actually the first time I'm trying this so I get to learn something on this build.

Tomorrow after the dawn patrol, I'll get the fill coat on the bottom deck.  That will set me up for a rough sanding in the evening.  I'll see how this will come out then.  If everything is good, I'll get the labels placed where Matt wants them (he may come over to see where the board is at and hopefully bring some stickers he wanted on the board).

Wing Foiling Session - 3/29/2024

There was still wind today.  When I got to the beach, Prayot was already out.

The wind was up and down, but it looked completely doable on a larger wing.  I pumped up the SW2 5.2

For the foil, I fixed the C200 rear stabilizer so I wanted to test it out - I bolted on the SK8 950 

I have to admit, it is kinda cool when I see more than one of my boards out at a time.  Prayot has been using the one I built him more lately because his ankle is still hurt.

I really love this foil!!!  So smooth and carvey

Prayot had the Vyper 150 bolted on.

I didn't want to be out too late - and the wind was kinda shakey so I called it after a little over an hour.

The waves were small - but with the wind largely up, I was able to ride through the Cabins break without dropping off foil.

At one point the wind did drop off so pretty much everyone - Duke, Roland, Prayot (but not Eli) had to wait for the wind to pick back up.

This is Hickam's chart - it didn't feel that strong at WPB, but this was the general pattern.

Not a bad session!!!

There is a break in the wind forecasted - should let me get some things done around the house (Matt's board, resecuring the gutters, edging the grass, starting No.36)

W:40/FD:19/F:4/S:9

Wing Foiling Session - 3/28/2024

Strong winds were forecasted for this afternoon.

I set up the Eagle 890/DW190 on No.32

And based on what I was seeing on the water when I got to the beach, I pumped up the SW2 4.2

It wasn't nuking when I launched, but it did ramp up significantly as the session went on.  So much so that I could have easily been on the 3.6

The waves were there, but they didn't have a ton of energy.  Still it was enough to have a great session.

Norm actually fell into his wing and ripped the canopy/popped the middle strut.  Prayot, Roland and I tried to figure out how to get the wing back to the beach, but it proved too hard based on not being able to open the leading edge inflation valve.

That straight downwind line was me chasing down the wing before we found out about the technical difficulties.

Nice strong winds!!!  

Conditions were challenging - I only got 19.8mph from the Eagle 890... 

I went in earlier - to check in with Norm.

Prayot and Roland stayed out longer.

High tide in the late afternoon - gotta love it and nuking winds!!!

W:39/FD:19/F:4/S:9

Wing Foiling Session - 3/27/2024

Today was definitely better than yesterday.  Stronger wind, slightly bigger surf and a higher tide (and despite the higher tide and the fact that I paddled way out before trying to launch - I still somehow contacted the bottom...!!!).

Reedin SW2 4.7 - and I was perfectly powered for 95% of the session.  No.32 with the F One SK8/C200.  This foil is so smooth - it is pure bliss to carve with this setup!

I was out 30 minutes before Norm launched, and an hour before I saw Roland setting out.  About 20 minutes before I went in, Duke launched.

The waves were on the small side, but periodically a good set would roll through.

If the winds are the same tomorrow, I will probably pump up the North Mode Pro 4.8

I used the time off foil to rest... lots of miles today.  The water surface was still a little choppy, but definitely easier to ride than yesterday.

Fun session!!!

W:38/FD:19/F:4/S:9

Wing Foiling Session - 3/26/2024

Hit WPB after work (and after sanding the laps on No.35)

The wind LOOKED like it was up.  The tide was up and so were the waves.

I did not trust the wind strength - Duke has gone out earlier and he said he got skunked.  I pumped up the North Mode Pro 5.5 and countered that with the Spitfire 840/325P

Marlon came also - and he was nice enough to take some drone footage.

When you paddled out, the wind was light and swirly.  A little confusing - and it didn't help that the ocean was really choppy (hard to balance on the board).

But I did get up after what seemed to be an eternity.  Looks like I'm getting ready to finish off a jibe here.

Gear shot -

Was down in the water almost as much as I was up and moving.  There was definite incentive to not fall down today.

There's blue tracks in the spaghetti - 

I don't want to paint the image of doom and gloom - I did nab several really fun waves and some decent runs. 

And from this chart is seems as if I should have been overpowered - but I wasn't

It all leveled off in the second half of the session.

Tomorrow should definitely be better - 

W:37/FD:19/F:4/S:9

Garage Works - 3/25/2024

I worked on No.35 this afternoon.  I started out by sanding the laps and routing out the slot for the SUP handle.

I used Gorilla Glue to get the handle set in place.

I taped up the handle slot and then placed the innegra layer.

Innegra layer up close.

I placed the carbon patch over the area where the rider's knees and feet will go and then draped over the nose to tail sheet.  I got the relief cuts made and got the epoxy mixed.  First pour was 16.5 resin + 6.6 ounces of hardener.  I needed a second pour and used 5.0 resin and 2.0 ounces of hardener.

And here it is all laminated up!

I'll sand the bottom laps and get the transome fill coat on.  Matt wants a pigmented fill coat on the top and bottom, so that will go on after the transome clear fill.  After the first fill sanding, I'll then laminate a carbon strip on the bottom that will double as a racing stripe.  That will need another laminate coat, followed by two fill coats.

And before the final fill coats I'll need to get the labels and the stickers he wants put on.  Definitely a few extra steps on this one.

With the wind coming up, it may be next week before this one is finished.