Launching a Kite from a boat

[pok_17r]

Hi All
We live 10 minutes away from a massive lake 26 miles by 11 miles but the shore is on suitable for launching at our side. There are trees, rocks, barbed wire fences etc. We have looked but cannot find a suitable lunch site. So we are talking about buying an inflatable rid boat so that we do not have to drive an hour to two hours to a beach and we will also be able to get out in the evenings after work. Nobody kite surf on the lake that we know of. Problem is we know nothing about launching from a boat. Do we inflate the ribs on shore and inflate the main bladder when we get out to where we want to launch? How do we make sure the lines will not get tangled? And how do we let the Kite float away from the boat without creating problems? Can anyone please advise us???

Thanks Patrick

[davo]

Leave struts inflated, inflate main bladder on boat(if possible, electric pump sounds best for this) have lines connect including a fifth line. Using tension on fifth line only lanuch kite unroll lines as you go. Use a friend to help. Kite should stay unside down When all lines are unwound let out your 5 th line to tension other lines & water launch as normal. Be careful, if lines get tangled & you do it wrong kite can go out of control, if done right there's no problem. Good luck

[marina]

Check out http://www.kitelauncher.com. Mark Godley premiered the "turbolauncher" at Kite Show Cabarete in the Dominican Republic last weekend. It is made to launch from boats/jet skis or small beaches....

good luck!

Marina

[Toby]

yap, the Turbo Launcher is what you need!

Cool toy and works!

Keep us informed when you tested it.

[chemosavi]

After kite is inflated have kiter swim away from the boat upwind at a 45 degree angle while undoing the lines from the bar. After checking lines have person in boat release kite. Landing is a little trickier especially if there's only one person on the boat since he must steer the boat to the kite and catch it almost at the same time. But I've done it. It's very easy to self launch with a Flysurfer kite and if you do a search on this site you'll find it's already been written about thoroughly.

[davo]

saw the website... still unsure of how it helps to launch the kite. Anyone explain please???

[surf-turkey]

Is it possible to find out who the land belongs to and approach them about clearing a small area to go from?? Just a thought. Might be worth the legwork to save some hassle with boat launching all the time.

[jakemoore]

Checkout the turbolauncher gallery. It kind of looks like some grafitti I saw in a gas station bathroom:

http://www.kitelauncher.com/gallery.php

Seriously, Flysurfer is the way to go. I ride at a lake where trees go right up to the water. I find a point where the wind is cross off shore and blowing to a nice landing spot appx 1/4 mile downwind. Driftlaunch yourself easily. Look at the flysurfer.de website and find the waterstart video. You will understand how easy in can be for you. Land the kite in the water. I pack it up into a mesh scuba backpack and hike back.

[tplowe56]

Here is a thread showing one of my boat launch's using a 5th line on a Contra 19.5. It works great after you get a little experience. Wind your lines on th bar with the 5th deployed. Keep the struts inflated. Inflate the kite in the boat on it's back as pictured in thread. Then unwind lines fom bar to let kite out. Jump in and do a 5th line launch.

http://www.lakawa.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=2468

Kitelauncher looks interesting for boat launchs, I'd like to see it in action.

[Toby]

Turbolauncher will have a video and illustration on their site soon.
Then it explains it all.

I will try to get the inventor in this thread to answer how it works.