We stuck a fork in it yesterday. Weather was warm & sunny, wind steady 30, gusting to 50 clicks,(18 G 30mph). Launched the H18 for an hour & half of screaming reaches, near pitchpoled once, & a "both bodies as far over the wing to bring her back" once. Didn't really want to go swimming.
With enough wind you can flog an old H18 to 20mph with not a single telltale properly streaming. That boat certainly ships more water than the Nacra, going upwind into the swell, I'd swear there lives a troll, with a firehose that can be aimed up through the tramp.
We stayed within a mile or two of shore, so if things did blow up it wouldn't be an all day drift, or impossible to swim. Never saw another boat of any sort.
It turned out to be a beautiful sail. Wind south westerly, resulting in only a few mile fetch, & much smoother water than the big rollers a pure south wind gives. Wearing cold water gear makes you feel like the Michelin man, but it's essential, just in case one ends up in the water for several hours.
Coming back to dock was a bit of a challenge, the water level is now down almost a couple of feet. I should have rounded up further out & drifted onto the dock. I let myself get too shallow, both rudders kicked loose, & it's a b*tch to steer in a strong wind with trailing blades. Luckily my buddy jumped, grabbed the bow & swung it around, just before we took out the dock.
We debated leaving it in for another couple weeks, just to do a sail in Dec, but decided the extra few days weren't worth it. I got 47 days on the Hobie, a couple more on the N5.0, I think I hear a Fat Lady singing.
We pulled the last couple sections of dock & dropped the mast, which took longer than it should have as that's the first time I've dropped the H18 mast, & the wind was now pretty much steady around 50 clicks, & I'm remembering a post by Damon about busting mast hinges.
We left the jib furled on the stay & stuffed the whole thing into the basement, alongside the other masts. They'll all get sorted out & placed on racks near the ceiling, eventually, promise. Besides, I need to install the new jib FX Loop sold me.
Lastly, we tossed the Seadoo lift onto a stinkpot lift, then rolled the Hobie over & put it back onto it's lift.
I must hold the record for the most underutilized Cat Trax ever, 75' from shore to storage, twice a year.
Still, for an old guy, it beats the hell out of trying to manhandle that tank around.
That's it til next May for us. Masts Down!
Storage of Nacra 5.7, Nacra 5.0, & H18 Magnum masts in basement.
Lots of room on that ceiling, wife never goes down there, I could hide several more Cats.
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Hobie 18 Magnum
Dart 15
Mystere 6.0XL Sold Was a handful solo
Nacra 5.7
Nacra 5.0
Bombardier Invitation (Now officially DEAD)
Various other Dock cluttering WaterCrap
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