Dawn Patrol - 4/21/2024

Nice waves on the dawn patrol this morning.

Same as yesterday, except for the 3-blade prop and the wingscrews.

I actually hit bottom twice while trying to get out - I see filling and sanding in my future...

Other than that, I have a great session.  It was nice and clean and the rides were really long.

Lots of carving to stay in the pocket.  Other times it was running to take advantage of the long walls.

Dennis was there early, but didn't come out until later.  Marvin also showed up.  By then I was halfway through my battery and my session.

25 waves today.  SO MUCH FUN!!!

W:49/FD:26/F:4/S:9

Garage Works - 4/20/2024 (part 2)

La and I ran some errands and I picked up this cool bucket - that is 1" too short to place the Foil Drive in straight.  That means I'll still have to dismantle the unit/mast to soak it in fresh water post session.  It's still a really cool bucket!

And I had ordered a set of M7/M8 wingscrews for the Foil Drive board.  The straight M8 set I had gotten previously did not fit properly because the port rear bolt had an ever so slight angle to it.  These have a touch of wiggle room and it all fits perfect now!  Which is great so I can start to try out different foil sets!

Worth every penny!

And Prayot paid Jeff a visit, and he picked up some stuff I was needing - the 3-blade propeller kit for the Foil Drive and a n Axis Skinny rear stabilizer.

And here is the 3-blade propeller all assembled.

Going to try this stuff on the dawn patrol tomorrow!!!

Dawn Patrol - 1/14/2024

Today's dawn patrol was probably the smallest waves I've ever caught with the Foil Drive - but I caught waves!

Same setup as the previous few sessions - HPS980/400P on No.33

When I popped up, there was very little gliding - I had to pump to keep on the waves.  There were a few rides where I got to carve some turns, and I did get a few double dips - but it was still a lot of work.

My tracks were largely straight - this was me pumping to stay with the waves.  Having the 3-bladed prop was key - I don't think I could have done this with the standard prop.

From this graph, I caught 18 waves (but this was over nearly 2 hours - so not as productive a session as the past couple of days).

I am amazed at what this equipment can enable - 

Kalani paddled out on his Dragonfly - and he caught multiple waves.  He is definitely ready to do a downwinder.

Tomorrow may actually be a tad bit bigger than today...

W:4/F:6/S:1

Dawn Patrol - 1/13/2024

Hit the dawn patrol this morning with the small wave Foil Drive equipment (No.33, HPS980/400P).  I did not have long (had to take Noe to music), and the waves were small - but I did not want to turn down an opportunity to get some rides on the 3-blade propellor. 

This is the first session I was on this prop entirely.  It definitely has the torque of the Magic Hub and the high end of the standard prop.

The waves were really small - the regulars weren't even paddling out (I think they were waiting for the tide to drop as it was really high at +2.5').  The 3-blade prop made getting onto nothing waves easier than either of the previous prop setups I had.  

The waves were coming in so I could ride one wave for a bit, then peel off and catch to one behind it - so most of today involved double dips.

A conservative count has me at 14 waves in under an hour - again in waves that couldn't be caught by longboarders. 

Its been slim pickings with both the north winds and winter in the northern hemisphere.  Having a Foil Drive has been a game changer!!! 

W:4/F:5/S:1

Garage Works - 1/8/2024

It was raining buckets today.  It was also blowing like stink so the thought of winging did cross my mind - but bad traffic (partially because of the heavy rain and flooding, and also due to everyone going back to work/school) squashed any hope of winging (and it was even sunny over at Ewa for a while).

That's ok - I have a build in the garage.

After walking away from a project, coming back with fresh eyes helps zero in on the parts that still need attention.  I worked on the top and bottom of the tail.  I feel much better about the tail now.  This board is definitely a departure from my regular shaping results - more rounded bottom and thinner rails/tail.  In a nutshell, this board is more racing SUP and less windsurfer.  Will be interesting to test out!!!

I also shaved down the excess from the polyurethane block I placed on the top deck yesterday.

After all the shaping and subsequent sanding was done, I added the epoxy/thiksil fill to the voids around the mast track box and used the excess fill to get the seal coat finished.

Tomorrow I'll do the same to the top deck (and I'm going to think about this, but instead of installing a SUP handle, I may just install a couple of 2-hole footstrap inserts that I can bolt on a webbing handle).

The other thing I got done today was switching out the standard 2-blade propellor hub for the new 3-blade hub.  Dennis let me try his and at first pull of the trigger I knew this prop setup was a necessary addition.

I think this is even better than the Magic Hub (has the low end punch of the Magic Hub and the top end speed of the standard hub, and it is easier on the battery???).

Can't wait for the next Foil Drive opportunity!!!