Garage Works - 5/31/2025

And after I got back from the beach, I got the urge to get the projects in the garage forwarded a bit.

First up was placing fill on the dings on Stu's big wing board.

After that work, I tweaked in the shape on No.41 - at the nose and around the track box.  Then I mixed more epoxy to fill the track perimeter, and saturate the first layer of carbon.

Then I mixed more epoxy to get the two carbon layers saturated.

Here's the board while I was getting the carbon situated.

And here it is post epoxy placement.

I make sure to hang around while the epoxy is initially hardening.  I want to make sure to flatten any large air bubbles that usually form if I glass during the day.

I'll place the fill coat over this work later today.  I can't push forward until the tracks are open.

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 5/31/2025

There was a window this morning where the wind was going to be light - Foil Drive-ing

Lower (but positive) tide.  Smaller, but still fun size swell coming through.

New (to me, but not yet touched water) High Output Motor (rotor and stator).

I set it up with the Magic Hub (but already swapped it out for the original 2 blade prop hub).

AFS Enduro 900/HA40/UHM 80cm mast on No.40 (I wanted to compare the new HO motor performance to the last session)

Using the throttle as closely as I normally would, I got two hours out of the HO battery using the HO motor - 45 minutes more than I would have on the old motors.

And I also ramped up the boost to maximum.  The boost is a significant difference over the old motors and previous boost level.

I had plenty of long rides today.  I tried to kick out well before the longboard lineup.

There was some residual chop in the water - not too bad, but enough to definitely make riding something you had to manage (and not just go like during glassy conditions).

23 rides today -

Going to try the original 2 blade prop hub tomorrow.  I want to see if with the additional power, I can get away with the 2 prop setup.

W:42/FD:78/PW:7/S:4

Evening Foil Drive Session - 5/29/2025

Similar weather pattern to yesterday - slack winds (initially), larger surf, decent high tide.

The usual suspects were out -

I decided to mix things up again - No.40 with the Silk 850/HA40 

Ever so slightly less lift than the Enduro 900/HA40 - so getting across the flats was harder, but carving is just so good.  Also steeper takeoffs are makeable with the Silk (and I am still waiting for the Silk 650 I ordered through Jeff - that'll be awesome for the summer south swells).

Takeoffs were at the peak in front of the Cabins.  Lefts and rights were good, with plenty of vertical face to carve, drop and repeat.

17 rides in just over an hour - ridiculous!!!!

Bigger waves tomorrow... and also wind in winging strength...

W:42/FD:77/PW:7/S:4

Evening Foil Drive Session - 5/28/2025

I got home after running errands after work.  I was actually pretty tired - and Marlon was zonked out on a chair when I got home.  And the wind was blowing from the South... I figured I'd take a cat nap before heading out.

The cat nap turned into an hour, and I was woken up by Norm texting me asking where the heck I was.

You can see the dip in the wind that I was waiting for...

And Norm and Roland waited out the wind at the beach.

Same setup as yesterday -

There were several takeoffs where I felt the Enduro 900 was too much foil (and I immediately thought about the Silk 650 I have on order with Jeff...).

Norm was out on the Enduro 1300, looking more and more relaxed on that foil (although the after session debrief he also said he felt overfoiled on some of the waves today).

Roland was out on the Nugget with footstraps - and also looking more and more comfortable on Foil Drive.

With the super high tide came the consistent backwash.  You had to factor that in even way outside.

When the set waves came through, the takeoffs were pretty thrilling.  The rights were long walls where I would carve top to bottom and track to stay in the pocket

SO MUCH FUN!!!

15 waves on both metrics

If I go tomorrow, the conditions will be more like it was yesterday - not calm enough for a good FD session, not windy enough to wing - and I may try to shortboard...

W:42/FD:76/PW:7/S:4

Afternoon Foil Drive-ing - 5/27/2025

FD crew was out this afternoon - Norm, Marvin, Roland and myself.

Tide was super high at 2.5'

Wind was light at first then eventually picking up to almost winging strength (definitely strong enough to impose a chop on the surface)

Waves were ridable - but you had to work for it.

I brought out No.39 to start getting acquainted with it again.  Everything else was the same as previous sessions. 

Earlier in the session when the wind was still down, the waves were really fun.  I got in tons of great turns and some racetrack runs on long walls.

Norm was trying out the AFS Enduro 1300/165 stabilizer.  He looked way more relaxed using this foil.

Roland was also looking a ton more relaxed.  He said he put the footstraps back on and everything is good now.

Marvin was giving the trench board a run.

18 rides today.  A few were aborts - the chop made catching waves difficult.

We'll see what the weather holds in store...

W:42/FD:75/PW:7/S:4

Garage Works - Progress on No.41 - 5/26/2025

After riding Bill's board today, I felt inspired to get progress done on No.41

One of the things I noticed about the Amos was the lack of ability to open the nose cone latches (so if you want to change batteries, you have to take everything apart).  I did some layups with the Foil Drive unit and decided to make some cutouts for latch access.

And then I cut out the trench and cleaned up the cuts.

The FD unit fits comfortably.  There are arguments on multiple fronts on how much space should be given here - hydrodynamics, access, volume, etc.  I ended up adjusting and going with what was aesthetically pleasing.

And while I'm placing epoxy on Stu's board, I'll get the boxes laminated and maybe the vertical walls of the trench.

Lots of extra steps here...

Garage Works - Stu's Board - 5/26/2025

This is Stu's board (which used to be Norm's board).

It flew out of the back of his truck and has some good dings.

I sanded the dinged areas this evening to prepare them for either fills (deep dings) or patches (shallow hits)

I'll start placing epoxy on this tomorrow.

Foil Drive Dawn Patrol - 5/26/2025

Dawn patrolled WPB this morning.

The tide was super low - and where I normally would have gone to Hickam, I just didn't feel like that drive this morning.

Light winds and fun sized waves rounded out the conditions.

And today's objective was to test drive Bill's Amos Cruzer Trench Board.  At 34 liters, this is definitely a sinker for me.  And the drive unit when placed made the balance rear biased.  But I did manage to get the setup paddled out to a deep enough spot.

I lined up the foil/mast/drive unit at the same mark where Bill lines his Code 980 at.  This point balanced the foil out for the Enduro 900 also.

This board did the following:

1. Made maneuvering the Enduro 900 even better - closer distance between rear foot and the mast

2. Made taking off on a sinker easier - reduced form drag from recessing the drive unit

I felt for a sinker, it was not difficult to start.  I could "pop tart" start it pretty effectively if there was a pocket forming on an incoming wave.  But if I had to match speed, it seemed to need more power - I think that is a function of the wing screws I had on.

The crew was out in force.  Andrew, Makana, Rick, Noel, Dennis, Derek (F One foiler), Mark, Maile, and a couple of others.  Erik Eck also showed up all the way from Kailua. 

Takeoff was pretty much from the same spot where we wing (and sometimes get caught in lulls and chop).

14 solid rides with a couple of missed takeoffs.

So this board concept is interesting and confirms that I should build one to get better familiar with it's use and benefits.

W:42/FD:74/PW:7/S:4

Parawing Session - 5/25/2025

The forecast changed from what was predicted yesterday (nice steady, strong wind) to super up and down wind.  But wingers were assembling (Eddy and Roland, eventually Duke) and there was some wind outside (northerly flow).

The tide was rising to a super high at +2.3' - and although there were waves, it was all manageable.

I opted to continue parawinging - BRM Ka'a 4.8 and the big foil setup (No.34 + AFS Enduro 1300/HA43)

All that matters is I got up on foil three times, and I was able to jibe - progress.

I also feel I am balancing on No.34 better than I ever have.

Even Eddy, Roland and Duke were having issues on conventional wing - so I don't feel too bad.

Kinda explains the lack of being up on foil...

I had contemplated rigging a harness line today, but didn't.  The weather forecast calls for a break in the wind, so I may take the time to string the harness hook and install a line for next time.

Once I'm up, as long as the wind is steady (or really above minimum), I can stay up and keep going.  Using a harness I think will help with increasing endurance.

The swirly wind and the up/down strength really made today painful.  But I did get up and every outing is building the experience base.

Probably Foil Drive-ing tomorrow...

W:42/FD:73/PW:7/S:4

Garage Works - 5/24/2025

i was able to go to Lance's house today to use his hot wire cutter.  We were able to split No.41 -

And I decided to skip out on the afternoon winds/waves to get some work done around the house (painting for La), and to go ahead and make some progress on No.41.

I measured, remeasured and adjusted the box location - I ended up moving it up about an inch.  I used my projected feet positioning to figure out where the mast would go, then I made sure there was enough adjustability back and forward.  This isn't the 16" thick box - so I wanted to be a little more accurate with placement.

And I got the box glued in.

I also measured and marked out the trench cut lines.

Tomorrow I'll trim off the excess glue, make the trench cuts, tape up the tracks, laminate the carbon strip that tops the tracks, and laminate the vertical sides of the trench.  I'll do all this in the morning.

If the laminates settle in nicely, I'll glue the pieces back together to set the board up for the regular lamination.  If I keep at it, this board may be done next weekend -