Dolphin Address 35
December 20, 2004
After 3 days of storm and rain there suddenly was a day full of sunshine and stinging cold. We already let two days pass by to test the two new waterwings. A cutting landwind was up and we had to apply all the rules of the art of changing clothes in order not to end up hypotherminated in our wetsuits. Meanwhile we saw exceptionally high waves with razor sharp ridges rolling over the reef. A heavy in and outflow was exchanging in front of our entrance gully. The variance amounted to about a meter and between in and out the water halted for a few precious seconds. Verena shouted: 'How do we get out again?' 'We see to that later!'
Even before we entered the water a piece of the transparent PVC had gone loose. I was only just in the water or the whole front piece was flapping along. Some later we swapped wings. This one was still intact. After 20 minutes I called it a day, moreover as Dusty hadn't shown up. The wing swam excellent, but the extortionate Loctite glue clearly proved unreliable. Turning and maneuvering went easy and fast. At our exit gully the level variance had increased to 1,5 meter. Impossible to leave in the still water spell.
Verena had swum to the Emmenthaler rock and clambered, heavily hampered by violent waves, out of the sea's reach. Still in the water I had noticed that one of the sails of the wing had gone loose and I could just about grab it. Thus I let myself wash up the rocks in order to throw my wing to Verena. But I could just not throw far enough from my unfortunate position and got sucked back into the sea again. In all the turbulence around me I had given up the waterwing instantly. A little bit later it washed up the rock again before our very eyes. Regrettably too far away to fetch it. Without sails it wouldn't get far. One day, the water being clear, I might find it back, if Dusty hasn't found it before me. But it's storming still.
I think with some artifices the PVC sails can be mounted in a long lasting way. Still I believe that for the time being the future is in rubber sails, mostly because of it's elastic properties.
The reported loss clearly indicates the advantage of a floating wing. This wretched loss has produced some other valuable insights. The sea has taken, but given as well. Precious information that leads to ever amelioration of the waterwing, a sub science in its own right. Only this time it rather cost some more.
Jan Ploeg, Killohill, December 20th 2004
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