Wednesday, August 13, 2008

harness hook + first north Pacific fetch

I don't like the fact that the harness hook slides for two reasons:

1) After a jibe it's hard to hook in, since it is usually resting on the opposite side of the body.
2) I don't seem to be able to sheet in as much. Specially when sailing upwind.

So I wrap the webbing around the hook of my harness, in order not to make it slide. Now I have another good reason to do that:


The hook broke, but I made it happily back, thanks to the webbing wrap that hold it together...

On a different note, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce you the first fetch of the season in the north Pacific oriented towards Hawaii .


The related north swell will hit Friday and Saturday and I can't wait.
Well overhead at Hookipa is my forecast. Keep your fingers crossed!

PS. Check the new Hot Sails Maui ad on the right. It features a young german sailor called Leon Jamaer in a sick shot taken in South Africa. Don't know the photographer, but congrats to him too.

8 comments:

Lano said...

Thats a good tip GP, I too dont like the hook slipping, so will do the same with the excess strap.

Anonymous said...

G,

I thought you'd be the right guy to enjoy this ...in case you've never heard about it.

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/videos.shtml

'loha,

P

cammar said...

Lano,
be aware of a minor drawback: the webbing will last slightly less, because it will be working twisted and that wears it out a bit faster... but then you hop on a plane, go see Tom at Hot Sails and he sews a new webbing for you!

Patrick,
I knew that guy already. But maybe some other reader didn't! Ciao.

Nelisblog said...

Hai Cammar,

I just changed from a fixed hook to a sliding hook... WOW why did I take so long to do that!
Upwind is MUCH better
Getting going in low wind is easier
And With High wind you do not have to keep fooling around with your harnas lines ON the boom!

Keep them comming!

Fish said...

I prefer the sliding hook too, and have tried the odd fixed-hook harness here and there. Being a freestyler, I like the ability to twist my body a bit more while hooked in and I don't think the fixed hooks offer that range. Maybe that is why more pro FSers have super long lines?

cammar said...

Nelisblog, you mean you switched from a sliding hook to a fixed one?

Please clarify and explain in either case how is getting going in low wind easier.
And what you mean fooling around with the harness lines on the boom in high wind?
Sorry, I'm just curious...
Another major improvement, IMO, are the adjustable lenght harness lines...

Fish, absolutely!
Kitesurfers are another category that won't like fixed hooks, since they ride miles switched stance...

Anonymous said...

For lake sailing with a seat harness I prefer sliding over fixed any day. Need all the help I can get.

Nelisblog said...

Nelisblog, you mean you switched from a sliding hook to a fixed one?

--> otherway around ;-)
Before: Fixed hook
Now: Slider ( Da Kine)

I wrap my body around the mast( leaning forward to the max)
Meanwhile I keep mij sail closed and almost on the dek of my board
My body moves but my sail stays in a stable position. I almost get pulled out of my backstrap this far I lean towards the mast.
So weight is up front and tail does not get pushed in the water.
The sliding hook makes it possible to NOT pull the lines forward but only your own body.

Please clarify and explain in either case how is getting going in low wind easier.

DONE ;-)

And what you mean fooling around with the harness lines on the boom in high wind?

DONE!

Instead of moving your lines over the boom when the wind increases or decreases just slide with your harnas so you give more or less pull on the front part of the loop or the back part of the loop.

Capice? ;-)