Uphaul on small board

A few weeks back, me and something like 15 others swam back to shore (3:rd Ave / SF Bay) after the wind dropped quickly. At times, it was 'schloggable', but not consitantly. The wind dropped all the the way down so nobody were able to stay on the board.

I'm 180lb (80kg) and I just couldn't uphaul on my 81L board. Is this possible? If so, what is the teqnique? I have no problems uphauling on my 96L board.

Thanks!!!

It's going to depend mainly on weight.. yours, your rig. Another factor will be the amount of chop on the water. If you can't balance, you're hosed. I can uphaul a 6.5 on my 87L, but it's been a while since I've had to do so, and I'm not sure if I could do it in heavy chop. If you can schlogg, there's a chance you could pull off a light air waterstart, which would be easier than trying to uphaul.

I've never been able to pull off a light air waterstart, but it's done by grabbing the bottom of the sail, and the mast, rather than holding onto the boom. If you keep yourself low enough, you should be able to pull yourself onto the board... at least that's how I've seen it done.

Brian

Whichever you choose to do, practice is key. I doubt

I've batted 60-70% on 'no-wind' waterstarts by holding onto the mast and sailfoot until the sail is up, then leaping to my feet and grabbing the boom w/both hands. Worked first time I tried it LONG before I had ever jiberd anything. If there's so little breeze that I must uphaul a sinker, I'm going nowhere standing up that I can't go sitting down on the board or lying in the water.

But I almost never bother. If the wind's that light, I'm not going anywhere even if I do get it up. Instead, I deliberately do most of my sinker-sailing upwind of an acceptable landing site if the wind is not trustworthy. Then if the wind quits I just lie in the water in the water start position, feet in the straps to control board position and reduce drag, hooked in if the remaining breeze will hold the sail ip, and butt-sail (sail in the waterstart position) back home. I probably have schlogged sinkers less than a few miles altogether in 22 years at this, much of that in just two or three long schlogs, simply because schlogging is no fun.

There are easier ways to get back home:

Such as swimming. I'd much rather swim than schlog a sinker above a broad reach, or in any direction in barely perceptible breezes.

Such as staying WELL upwind if the wind is suspect (evening, squalls in the vicinity, front approaching, thermal patterns, sailing thunderstorm winds, etc.). I'll sometimes take upwinders of a mile or four, if I trust the wind not to drop off completely. As long as there's some breeze left, I can always sit on the board and cruise straight downwind, then when my van is in sight I just drop my butt off the board into the waterstart position and butt-sail home. If at any time during this trip a gust hits, I just pop to my feet into plane a from either the butt-sail or sitting position. This isn't some whizz-bang hero skill; it worked with 80% success the first time I tried it back before I could even jibe. Try it some boring day; you can surf down the swell sometimes while sitting on the board, feet straddling the mast, holding the boom in front of you, and cruisin' dead downwind. Great way to enjoy a hot summer day with on'an'off wind, or a great way to gat back upwind when the current is vicious but the wind is flakey. Vital right now in the Maryhill-Rufus corridor, where rumor has it the currents's hitting 14 knots.

I understand the necessity of doing SOMETHING in your case, but on a related topic (I think), I will never understand the hordes of people who slog sinkers back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and back and forth across the Columbia or some lake all afternoon or in every lull, even where there's no current. Please, for the sake of your arm tendons and your endurance and your shred time and your fun and sanity ... GIVE IT A REST. Do one of two things: rig bigger if this is consistent (it often is) and/or drop in the water and wait a minute until the wind resumes if it's just a wind quality problem (common until summer sets in in the Gorge to steady out the winds and common on many lakes).

Examples. 1. It's a gusty day, so we're all underpowered now and then. Most people slog for hundreds of yards, even a mile or two, in the lulls while a few just lie in the water relaxing. No one is actually going anywhere, but the sinker-sloggers are working their BUTTS off in the process while the snoozers are regenerating. Both groups are planing the minute the next gust hits. 2. It's a less gusty day, so the folks who trust their sails to work as designed plane all day, never getting over- or under-powered. The people who do not trust their sail designer (plus some who simply don't have the skills yet) slog fully half the time.

Which group is having more fun and learning how to sail better?

Mike m/

Yes!

Basically - I just wanted to know if people were doing it. If you can, I'll (try to) make sure I can. So yes it helps. Thanks for the information, I'll get to it next time it's not enough wind.

In the gorge right now you can't just drop in the water and relax, otherwise you end up 2 miles downriver

Hey Mike i was so glad to hear of your drag your butt in waterstart position rather than try to uphaul. I thought it was a dying art. I love doing this as it's the one thing i can do really well. I can't count the number of times i've come it that way while others are cursing all around me. Just sit there relaxing sinking the rail and drifting it . I can steer it and get pretty good speed. Sort of like and endless very wet chin up. good on ya ray in toronto ' upwind of an acceptable landing site if the wind is not trustworthy. Then

I can uphaul my 85l waveboard and 90l slalom board. I'm 85kg. I find snaping the sail up as the board sinks under you is the trick.

But the best uphaul is usless if the there is not enough wind to push you forward and bring the board back to the surface.

cheers

Yep. Amazing how often I used to waterstart only to find myself standing there up to my thighs, going absolutely nowhere at full strength. Now I just flick water into the air with a hand to measure the windspeed profile in the lower 6-8 feet of the atmosphere, and waterstart only when I believe I can plane. Saves beaucoup energy, and energy = shred time. In addition, one can often butt-sail faster than slog if the slog is knee-deep.

Mike m/

As taught by Andy Brandt:

Get the sail out of the water.

Kick the windward rail under water so the leeward rail flips up so now the board is upside down,leeward rail against the mast.

Grab the bottom of the sail and the bottom of the mast. The lower the wind the lower you grab.

Put your feet on either side of the mast , roll up in a tight ball.

Let the wind get the rig past vertical and then it acts as a counterweight to roll you and the board over.

Stand up and reach for the boom!

Takes practice and being limber helps but the only wind you need is enough to fly the sail in a water start position. I don't even own an uphaul anymore since if there's not enough wind to do this there isn't enough to sail anyway.

I once sailed out to a guy and sold him an uphaul. He had been waiting about 45 minutes to waterstart and was getting tired of boats almost mowing him down.

I don't even own an uphaul

This is not the signature you are looking for. Move along.

'I uphaul all the time.' - Robbie Naish.

You never know when the wind is going to shut off. And there are times even in high winds when the uphaul can greatly assist setting up the waterstart, or combo uphaul-waterstarts.

I don't even own an uphaul

Michael