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Launching a Kite from a boat

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lever
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Postby lever » Mon Apr 11, 2005 10:07 am

Is the IKO method unknown to you gentlemen?

I can't fault this system;

Enter the boat with only the struts inflated and the kite lines unwound in a bucket.

Drive out to your spot.

Pump leading edge.

Kite pilot jumps overboard, with bar and swims across wind.

The lines start to come out of the bucket. (no speedy unwinding required, never had a tangle)

The boat is manouvered up wind until the lines are nearly taught.

Boat at slow speed (relative to kite pilot, still swimming) keeps kite depowered until pilot is ready.

Kite is let go at the edge of the window....

Kite in the air and board delivered to pilot by boat (slightly upwind)

I have done this a few times and never had a problem.

No risk, like with drift launching. 2 people required in boat. Or 1 awesome boat driver.

:thumb:

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tonycp
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Postby tonycp » Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:39 am

I've often thought about trying to launch around lake geneva, which has very few good launch spots, especially near the city. It seems to me the boat is an unnecessary expense/complication for this kind of lakeside case. Here's the (untested) idea:

- put a buoy 50-100yds off-shore
- put a sort of giant clothes peg on the buoy
- follow the IKO procedure with lines and bucket
- swim the kite and bucket out to the buoy and clip it by one side to the buoy using the giant clothes peg so the kite is lying on its back, the free end pointing downwind. clip the line bucket to the buoy
- swin at 45% to wind away from kite and buoy with bar
- tauten the lines, pulling the downwind side into the wind in a normal water-launch procedure
- as the wind pulls the kite, the clothes peg will release the side/under-side fabric of the kite
- launch (away from shore...)

The idea is to have a solo, boatless, safe in-water launch technique.

Tony

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Postby pok_17r » Mon Apr 11, 2005 3:51 pm

Thanks lads for your help. The problem with the lake is that it is very rocky under the water close in you could not walk out with a kite. There are some parts that have a sandy shore but these parts of the shoreline are covered with reeds and trees. The lake would be so handy, yesterday we went to Rossnowlagh Beach in Co Donegal it was a two-hour drive their and a two-hour drive back. Whereas the lake is 10 to 15 minutes away from us and with a boat it would not matter what direction the wind was coming from.
Thanks
Patrick

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Postby Adolfo » Mon Apr 11, 2005 3:53 pm

Now and then I solo launch from a boat. I do it on waist to chest deep water, but I guess it can be done in deep water too. This is what I do, and never had a problem so far:
1) On land inflate strunts and put lines in place. Wind lines in the bar and secure the bar tightly to the central strunt so it won’t go through the lines. I use a piece of webbing with Velcro for this, but a normal rope will do.
2) On the water anchor the boat, inflate the LE, and put it the water leading edge down facing the wind (as in the beach). Tie a rope from the pump leash to the back of the boat. I use a rope with a shackle but it’s not necessary.
3) Get to the water, go to the back of the kite, take the bar, unwind the lines while walking back, and check that everything is OK. At this point I shackle to the chicken loop.
4) Walk back to the kite, put a lot of water over the canopy (as if it was sand), untie the kite from the boat and let it go. With the water over the canopy it will drift downwind slowly, facing the wind. Once it gets to the end of the lines, it will get in position for a normal relaunch. Relaunch and body drag back to the boat. Grab the board and kite out. I live the rope with a little buoy and the shackle at the end on the water tied to the boat for when I come back.
5) When finished kite to the back of the boat, take the shackle or rope that you left tied to the boat and tie it to the leash or the chicken loop if you use Cabrinhas. Let go the kite to the leash, or activate the Recon, walk to the kite, and take it to the boat.

Regarding the turbolauncher. It looks very interesting, IF everything goes as planed. BUT, if for any reason you get a tangle while the kite is drifting downwind (one line tangling with a leash or chicken loop, or another line, etc) you will end with a powered kite that may solo relaunch, with no way to control it or to use the leash. Of course if there isn’t anybody downwind you can let go everything and then go after your kite with the boat, but depending on the place can not be doable.
Hope this helps.

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chemosavi
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Postby chemosavi » Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:26 pm

I used to anchor my boat as well but inevitably I would sometimes kite too far from it or worst case, get blown downwind of it if there wasn't quite enough to stay upwind. So I made a sea anchor out of a cheap plastic tarp and now I let the boat drift and never kite further from it than I care to swim. When I'm done I just let the kite go and go pick it up after I'm on the boat. I also carry some fins in a mesh backpack if the shit really gets crazy.

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Postby pok_17r » Mon Apr 11, 2005 6:00 pm

Have to say chemosavi I like that idea

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Postby windjunkie » Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:27 pm

First of all props to goddles for coming up with the idea and marketing it. I don't launch from a boat but was interested in the idea to cut out walking my lines. I watched the video and see that that key is keeping you organized in your wrapping process. I made my own "santoprene head" out of a rubber slipper. Place your lines onto the santoprene head then wrap your lines without flipping your bar around. Next time you unwind, you’ll only have to walk out a few feet of line between the kite and the santoprene head, unwrap your bar and launch. I have to admit the first few times winding up, it is tricky unhooking your kite and keeping the orientation of your lines correct.

For the person who plans to use the turbowinder on the beach to save time there is one big problem. What do you do with it once you unwind. At our local beach there is about a 90% probability that it will be gone if you leave it behind. At $125, I don’t think many people are willing to take that risk. Most people would put it back in the car which means one extra trip. This eats up your time saving over walking the lines out.

Goddless, I can definitely see what you mean about learning a lot about your lines with this tool. I think next I’m going to try the bucket idea.

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Postby goddles » Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:59 am

Windjunkie,
Next time you use your santoprene slipper, before you rap your figure of 8 lines on your bar, gather the lines as close as possible to the sheating system and bar. This makes a nice triangle with the two side lines shorter than the base of the triangle(the bar) and this prevents the bar looping or slipping through the lines. Now take the gathering point and attach it tempary to the middle of the bar( use a rubber band that can easily come off. Now start rapping your lines around the bar and then use your santoprene slipper. Your lines are garanteed to always be good. You can definitely attach the kite and be safe to unroll and go!
Alternatively, send me an email with your address and I'll be kind enough to send you a Turbolauncher!!

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Postby goddles » Tue Apr 12, 2005 4:05 am

Adolfo and chemosavi , I'll send you a Turbolauncher also if you want one.
goddles.

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Marty
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Postby Marty » Tue Apr 12, 2005 5:50 pm

goddles,

Received the demo/prototype Turbolauncher.

I'll post review as soon as the wind allows.

-Marty


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