any way to modernize old rig?
Richard Chapman
Hello all -- I'm new to windsurfing (just got back from a week at
Cape Hatteras :-) ). I learned on my brother-in-law's decade-plus-old
Fanatic Lightwind. Being unable to resist, I bought a used board at the
end of the week, aiming to sail on the lakes around where I live (Auburn,
Alabama), Mobile Bay, and the bay enclosed by Cape San Blas in Florida.
The board I bought is pretty old also, but looked in good shape (not
used much). It says "O'Brien Competition" on it. I gather O'Brien long
ago left the windsurfing market. No one anywhere near here (including
Atlanta, nearest big city) sells any windsurfing gear. Here are my questions:
Mast base: this looks like the thing most likely to break sooner rather
than later. The universal joint is an hourglass shaped piece of rubber.
I have one spare. This just looks inherently less durable than the
ball-and-socket joint or car-drive-shift-style universal joints I've seen
on other boards. Is there any way to convert to another kind of universal
joint? Can you still buy these rubber things? (One says Da Kine on it, and
I'm pretty sure they are still in business).
On the board, there is a track that a plastic car slides along. (the
mast base fits into the plastic car and is held in place by a metal
clip). The car is held in place on the track by a rope on either
side. The rope goes around pulleys at each end of the track, and the
rope is kept from moving by friction with the cap on one of the
pulleys. If any of this plastic stuff (pulleys and car) breaks, can
spares be obtained? The pulleys say "Lipsticks" and "Alpha" on them.
The mast base says "Alpha". What do modern boards use?
Mast: one-piece fiberglass. I'd like to replace this with a two-piece
carbon mast. What numbers do you need to order a mast? I can measure length
and diameters, but what about the bending characteristics?
Boom: this is a North sail boom and looks pretty good. No need to upgrade
it soon.
Board: 12' (370cm) long, 24' (60cm) wide -- any idea what the volume would
be on this board?
Sail: Can anyone recommend a good large sail (for very light wind) for this
setup?
Thanks,
Richard Chapman
cha...@eng.auburn.edu
Scott R. Nelson
cha...@pecan.eng.auburn.edu (Richard Chapman) writes:
>The board I bought is pretty old also, but looked in good shape (not
>used much). It says "O'Brien Competition" on it. I gather O'Brien long
>ago left the windsurfing market. [...] Here are my questions:
I used to own an O'Brien Competitor. Maybe it's the same board, since
it sounds like the same one. It was a good shaped board, but heavy.
Mine was right around 50 pounds. The weight was the only complaint
that I had with that board. My 30 pound Alpha 375 is a similar shape,
but much nicer to live with.
>Mast base: [...] Is there any way to convert to another kind of universal
>joint? Can you still buy these rubber things?
New universal joints should be easy to get by mail order. You can
probably convert to most other types, but I would stick with a new
rubber one. You just unbolt the aluminum mast base and plastic
pin (or whatever it's called) and bolt them onto another u-joint.
>On the board, there is a track that a plastic car slides along. (the
>mast base fits into the plastic car and is held in place by a metal
>clip). The car is held in place on the track by a rope on either
>side. The rope goes around pulleys at each end of the track, and the
>rope is kept from moving by friction with the cap on one of the
>pulleys. If any of this plastic stuff (pulleys and car) breaks, can
>spares be obtained? The pulleys say "Lipsticks" and "Alpha" on them.
>The mast base says "Alpha". What do modern boards use?
The board has an infinitely adjustable mast track. You can step
on the pedal at the back of the mast track and slide it forward
or back. I usually would set it about in the middle and try not
to step on the pedal and accidentally move the mast the wrong way
(usually forward).
>Board: 12' (370cm) long, 24' (60cm) wide -- any idea what the volume would
>be on this board?
I would guess 240 liters, based on other big boards that I've sailed.
>Mast: one-piece fiberglass. I'd like to replace this with a two-piece
>carbon mast. What numbers do you need to order a mast? I can measure length
>and diameters, but what about the bending characteristics?
>Sail: Can anyone recommend a good large sail (for very light wind) for this
>setup?
I would recommend whatever reasonably priced 7.5 sail you can get, and
a mast that works with the sail. Usually you want to match masts and
sails to get the best behavior.
You should also try to get a decent fin for the board. I switched mine
to a 14" pointer fin and it behaved quite a bit better.
Good luck.
---
Scott R. Nelson srne...@speedsail.eng.sun.com
Sun Microsystems
BIC Astro Rock (9'4"), Alpha 375 (12'4"), wide variety of sails, etc.
Keith Meder
>
> Mast: one-piece fiberglass. I'd like to replace this with a two-piece
> carbon mast. What numbers do you need to order a mast? I can measure length
> and diameters, but what about the bending characteristics?
Most masts today are constant curve. MCS & length will depend on the
sail you get.
> Boom: this is a North sail boom and looks pretty good. No need to upgrade
> it soon.
The only problem you might run into is the compatibility of the front
end and how it attaches to the mast. Many of the masts today will have
a smaller diameter than the fiberglass mast you currently have.
>
> Sail: Can anyone recommend a good large sail (for very light wind) for this
> setup?
You might want to take a look at the new Naish Noa, which is one of the
new no cam sails. I think it is available in a 7.5m and would work real
well with your board.
I would recommend buying the sail and mast together. Bring your boom
and universal with you to which ever shop you go to. This way you can
make sure everything fits together like it should and know exactly what
addition pieces you might need. Than when it's windy and you get to the
lake your have everything you need to sail.
Keith Meder
Plano, TX
NLW TFW NM
Replacing the middle two or three, longest, full-length battens with
modern assymetrical tubular battens will noticeably help old sails hold
their shape better. But with 3-4-year-old sails being dirt cheap, I'd just
buy dirt cheap 3-4-year-old sails instead. Then start adding carbon mast,
stiffer boom, etc. as finances permit.
Mike \m/
Never Leave Wind To Find Wind
Walter Clark
Richard Chapman <cha...@pecan.eng.auburn.edu> wrote in article
<5v138g$n...@ultranews.duc.auburn.edu>...
>
snip
> Mast base: this looks like the thing most likely to break sooner rather
> than later. The universal joint is an hourglass shaped piece of rubber.
> I have one spare. This just looks inherently less durable than the
> ball-and-socket joint or car-drive-shift-style universal joints I've seen
> on other boards. Is there any way to convert to another kind of universal
> joint? Can you still buy these rubber things? (One says Da Kine on it,
and
> I'm pretty sure they are still in business).
>
The rubber hourglass U-joints are commonly available and tend to be very
durable. If yours shows signs of cracking, replace it otherwise it is
probably OK. Newer units usually come with a piece of nylon webbing that
attaches to the bolts above and below the hourglass itself to prevent the
rig from separating if the joint fails. There are a couple types of
replacement hourglass U-joints, which differ mainly depending on whether
the ends have bolts, nuts, or one of each embedded in the joint. You
probably need to take the mast foot you are using now apart to determine
which you have unless you are sure the spare is correct. DaKine is still
in business...
Walter