Commitment

Against my better judgment, I have just become committed to shaping two prone foil boards.  This is a 11'2" (Model B) 1.5# density EPS blank from Fiberglass Hawaii.  The darn thing barely fit inside the Odyssey.

My plan is to split it right in half and shape something between 5'0" and 5'6".  Probably going for 3.5" thick and flat as I can possibly get it.  22" to 23" wide.  These boards are only to get the foil lifting, so paddling speed and release from the water surface are the design targets.  The thickness and width are such that paddling speed is maximized (planning surface, minimized rocker and overall volume), and squared off rails will enhance release.

Now I need to build a couple of shaping racks and grab a couple of buckets of sand...

Run Flat - Engage

We were on our way to use the second day of our Boat Show pass - driving along Route 50 in Maryland - 9 miles out and we heard the proverbial "ping - pop - bang". I thought it was just road debris, but five seconds after the sound, the tire pressure alarm went off and the run-flat indicator was lit. We pulled off on the next exit and assessed our situation. 50 miles from home. 9 miles from the boat show. A flat tire with a run flat donut inside. We could go home since the car manual said we could go 125 miles at 50 mph on the run flat. Or we could drive 9 more miles, get to the boat show, then go back 60 miles. Read on to see what we did...