Thursday 24 January 2008

Absolute Zero

There were only a few dog walkers at Nedland Yacht Club as John and I rigged the boat. It was hot at 36 degrees and I felt the same tingling that I often feel when I get in a moth. There are a couple of things that I've never been able to get over and sailing a moth is one. The law of diminishing margial returns dont apply. You know the law? You eat an orange, it taste great, so do the next two or three, but after the hundreth orange you are pretty sick of oranges right? Well my hundreth moth orange is every bit as good as the first.


The Fremantle Doctor was obviously on call and a underqualified locum came uncertainly towards us but you take what you get, especially on the national health, and a cool but patchy eight knots ensured the principals of sweating worked. My God though do you have to drink! I drank half a sandwich bars cooler and went for a wee and there was just a drip and a puff of steam! See how well I know you? I'm sharing the details! You're special. Anyway I'm now 66.7kg.


The boat and the KA are white. It looks like a footballers wife tetering home from a party. Well come on princess time to see if you are the real thing or just plastic.

Dolphins jumped as the nautical equivalent of a flying tampax shot towards them. Nothing worked apart from the boat. The toe straps were so long that my legs bounced around and everything needed adjusting, so lots of capsizing. A guy said to John, "Has he done that before?" Fair question. But when I'd got back in, the gPS read 21.9 knots. In 8 knots of breeze. Not bad. Then it went to sleep. Still on UK time


What can I say? The new flapless rudder is great, so much more effective than the old one. Both my old boats "hummed: as they went fast, this one is silent and as the breeze built so did my confidence in sending it down hill. The new wand means she's bolted to the sea, even when its bouncy

The new hull is very stiff, and feels very together and solid. The new foil sections were sensational with no ventilation of any sort and although this boat looks similar to the old Prowler its very different to sail. There's the new mast, new foil sections, the new rudder mechanism is effective with no play. The wing frames are lighter, the boat is 3 inches smaller in the bow and this particular sweetie is very very light coutesy of Advanced Composite group with a painted hull weight nowhere near 9 kilo's. Thanks guys, couldn't have afforded it myself.

Small house keeping note:
Greg. Have you been to the house and watered the plants yet?... If you can fit it into your busy day..


cheers
Si

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Simon

Lake Como is OK!
Please contact me.

Martin Zäh

Simon Payne said...

Hey Martin. I'm on for it. Will call when I'm back
S

Anonymous said...

Having spent many summer's afternoon's sailing a moth off the Nedlands yacht Club beach, occasionally with the likes of Mr Ilett, I am very jealous. Hope you get some good sea breezes before you leave. Good luck with the world's campaign.