I rigged a F17 spin on my N5.2. Custom made a pole, hoop and bag. Launches and retrieves fine but I sailed yesterday for the first time in 14-16mph wind with 2-3ft seas and it seemed like the kite never really "lifted" the bows. It was either heating up and burying or just tame downwind sailing. Almost like there was not a balance point of happiness.
I had both CB up half way and the main sheeted in to act as a backstay since my rig lacks swept diamonds.
Any advice?
Give yourself some time to learn how to sail it. My first experience with a spin was much the same way. It takes some practice to keep the kite hot while sailing deep. I kept the tells on the main flowing.
I miss my Spin boat.
rch701 wrote: I rigged a F17 spin on my N5.2. Custom made a pole, hoop and bag. Launches and retrieves fine but I sailed yesterday for the first time in 14-16mph wind with 2-3ft seas and it seemed like the kite never really "lifted" the bows. It was either heating up and burying or just tame downwind sailing. Almost like there was not a balance point of happiness.
I had both CB up half way and the main sheeted in to act as a backstay since my rig lacks swept diamonds.
Any advice?
First to keep in mind is the type of boat you are putting the chute on. The F17 kite is very flat for a 5.2. There are two ways to sail a kite on a beach cat; high and fast or low and slow. I have found the older boats do better with low and slow. I had kites on Nacra 5.8s, Prindle 19s, Nacra 5.2s, Nacra 6.0s, and classic Tornadoes. On the 5.2, we used a Hobie 21 chute and ran the Harvest Moon Regatta (150 miles from Galveston to Port Aransas). That experience is a whole other story.
Unless you change the mainsail to a high-aspect main, you will be dragging a lot of sail trying to run it high. As in Low and Slow, keep the apparent wind at 90 degrees. Your driving will be very erratic at your speed will vary a huge amount. And when it falls out of sync, it will just stop. If you try to run it high, stick the crew on the wire and in a foot strap on the transom.
If there is a way for you to sail in some flatter conditions, learning the chute will be much easier. 2-3' seas is pretty tough to learn in. Mainly because you have to alter your course so much for the waves and it will take a lot of coordination with the crew to "rollercoaster" over the waves and not just punch into the back of them.
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Edited by william1950 on Jun 08, 2022 - 02:13 AM.
When I was 11, I learned on Round Lake in Eden Prairie. Just get out there and learn to dodge and flip her over. Sunfish are a lot of fun, and they're not so reactive that they get you in trouble if you don't know what you're doing (like a Laser).
Get out there and keep going. If the wind settles down in the afternoon, jump in the water and return your boat to the pier in time for lunch.
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