Hi All,
Ok my first time, It was dark and and i was alone. /boom /boom
I was lucky enough to pick up some beginners rigs via ebay earlier in the week and Ive been dieing to try out my luck in Narrabeen lake since i won the auction.
The wind was non existant today but i headed out anyways because i figured never having sailed before low wind conditions would probably be best suited for me anyways.
So after struggling for 45 minutes to set up my rig i waded out in between two groups of people fishing i proceeded to have an absoulte blast by myself. I owe a windsurfing tutorial called beginner to winner which i found on a torrent website. As I'm unsure of wether you guys approve of torrent downloads etc I wont link the torrent address on this post, but if you would like it pls just PM me.
It raised a couple of questions tho. which im hoping you guys would have some ideas which could help me out please.
1) The previous owner repainted the board so with my muddy feet from the lake and the boards surface as smooth as a babys bum i found it pretty bloody slippery, whats the easiest way to improve the grip on the board. ( sand and spray paint ?? )
2) The Mast base slides back and forth if i attempt to pull the rig out of the water when the mast is not 90 degrees to the board im assuming its doing this because the rig is old, is there a way to "service" the mast tracks or should i just put the mast base where its comfortable and fill the channel with stuff to prevent it from moving in the future.
3) last but not least Is there any recommended windsurfing schools that you would suggest in the sydney area ( besides Balmoral windsurfing school) I had so much fun today that i want to improve myself so i can stay out there longer : )
Thanks in advance
Best Regards
Matt
Hi Matt,
Welcome aboard! You must be keen to be starting out in the middle of winter. Don't worry I did the same thing a couple of years ago.
1) Regarding the deck grip, you can regrip a board. Check this thread:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37208
2) Is the mast track one of those that has a little button that allows it to move forwards and backwards? If so then pull the whole lot out (it usually screws in) and have a good look at how it's supposed to work.
If it's the newer type without a button, then just screw it in tighter. A picture of your setup would be good here to figure out what's going on.
Hi Matt,
We were there at around 4.30pm after the storm moved through. We didn't see anyone windsurfing, but there were a few fishermen around. It must have been cold. It sure looked cold.
In regards to windsurfing school, I don't know of any in Sydney besides Balmoral. There is a windsurfing school at Pacific Palms close to Foster. Thats an excellent place to windsurf as the water is very shallow and clear a long way out.
What sort of board do you have?
Call WSS
wssboards.com.au/ they'll organise you someone to give you lesseons - ask them if Lachlan is still giving lessons, he's local to the lake, and a good beginers tutor.
Damnit I must have just missed you guys, i left at about 330 pm, the wind had dropped off to a complete nothing, i had to paddle back from the closest bouy just off the western carpark area cause i stood there on my board looking like a twit for 5 mins unable to catch a breeze.
Heres the discription of the gear i got won on Ebay:
1987 mistral Equipe raceboard, 3.72m long 64cm wide. - I've done a fair bit of work on it, replaced some of the skin on the deck, repainted it; its in good working order now.
F2 funboard, 3.4m long - good working order, bottom has some scratches and paint's a bit faded.
3 sails:
Neil Pryde 'world cup slalom' 5.5 (yellow) - good condition.
North 'infinity' 5.6 - has some taped patches where delamination has started.
North 'infinity' 4.3 - no delamination but has a patch over a tear.
460 fiberglass mast - works with all sails.
clamp-on boom - grip is torn is some spots.
two mast bases with universals
two fins and two centreboards.
Today i took out the Mistral Equip board and the 5.5 m Neil Pryde slalom sail( Only reason i choose this sail was cause i thought it was a 6.5 m sail, the sail bag lied to me). I forgot to take the centre board but seemed to manage ok with out it.
Water temp wasnt actually to bad considering i was in a full wetsuit and gloves, my feet were cold tho : )
The mast track on the equip has a (Foot lever??) which allows you to slide the universal point of attachement up and down the mast track when pushed in, when its out I cant physically move it, but i guess the force of the uphaul on the rig is alot stronger than what i can exert.
Im thinking i use the plastic F2 funboard for alittle while and use that time to give the equip board alittle bit of a make over.
Sorry i missed you Karl, i think the winds going to be good tomorrow tho so i might give it another whirl after work.
Also thanks guys for your help i shall call WSS later this week
Hi Matt,
Great to hear you had a good sail (despite the minor problems!)
1. As far as the board grips concerned the sugar in resin does work and gives good grip. Through previous experience I'd advise castor sugar as granulated took the skin off the bottom of my feet which in salt water was a little sore! There are commercially available cans of spray you can apply to the deck but I can't vouch for any I'm afraid.
The other thing that helps is a pair of wet boots/shoes or even just an old pair of trainers until you get to the stage of needing to get your feet into straps.
2. I had the same problem with an old mast track. The solution I came to was as you suggested I just plugged it with some filler. It does depend what sort of track it is really and although moving it around might not be that important to you at the moment it might be worth getting it looked at before you plug it (either someone at the waters edge or in a shop maybe).
3. Not having been here long I can't suggest a school but as I mentioned earlier don't be afraid to ask anyone for pointers when you're out.
Hope that helps and might see you on the water soon,
Cheers,
Giles
Don't plug an Equipe's mast track - when you get planing you'll find it's vital if you want to get anything like the best out of the board.
Unfortunately, the rope that stops the mast track from sliding back and forth can get worn, and apparently it's a tricky job to replace.
I think there may be some info on the net, under IMCO or Mistral mast foot repair or some similar term. The other alternative is to come to Rodd Point this Saturday, when the Raceboarders will be out, and ask around - some of the guys there have re-done their Mistral tracks.
If you have to jam it, make sure it's temporary; I'd much rather wedge some timber in there to hold it until you get the time and know-how to replace the rope and get it working, than bog it up for ever which will really hurt the performance.
