It started windy at breakfast, and just kept it up all day! I was too stoked to even play with the camera, and maximized my chill before the ride in the beach, just socializing and riding the beach chair.
I finally
was psyched enough to hit the water, and selected the 80L, 8’4”
As I made my next run, I again found the sweetest looking ramps about a mile out, and took the opportunity to make some air off a particularity juicy ramp. I swept the fin, popped the board off the water, and pulled the sail down for some more fat air! As I left the water the mast snapped from the pull force of the jump, just above the booms, POW! I guess the mean weight of the average sailor is 165 to 185 lbs, I’m simply outside the design limits being a 220lber, especially during jumps!
I splashed down on the surface, the board flipping upside down, and the fin snapped thru the top sail panel, my ‘Specs’ glasses washed off, and I was grabbing for them, but could only feel ‘em for the one stab into the water, and couldn’t come up with them. Darn! I had failed to attach the safety cord thru the strap. I know better!
When I jump this far out, I always make sure some other sailor is in sight, farther out than me, in case this very thing happens. This paid off perfectly, as a fellow sailor saw the wreck, and pulled alongside, not 1-2 min after the dunking! I stated the ‘BROKEN MAST’ reply to the ‘ARE YOU OK?’, and yelled ‘WITH VELA’ for the ‘who are you with’ question, and he was off to fetch the boat.
I was now confident that help was on its way, and proceeded to start the self-rescue procedures, to make ready for pickup. Now I could have just waited for the boat, and do it then, but I had to start the de-rigging from habit. The helpful fellow sailor returned, and informed me the boat was on the way, THANK YOU!!
For self rescue, the first thing should be to get the boom off the rig, for the up-haul rope and clew lines that can be used to tie the rest together. I failed here, and started with the downhaul instead. This effectively disconnects the rig from the board, not the right thing to do! I did tie it back onto the cleat, but not tightly enough, and as I was removing the booms from the mast, and clew, I looked up to see the board drifting away! SH!T!! I dropped the sail, and swam after the rapidly drifting board, struggling against the life jacket drag, and after the third try, I was no longer gaining any distance. I thought about dropping the jacket, to get some better speed, but common sense prevailed, I simply hoped we could find it with the boat.
I did the standard panic at this point, fearing I might drown, shark bait, oh shit, I’m gonna die! Then I calmly returned to some deep breathing, resting in the buoyancy of my life jacket, back stroking towards the floating rig. I figured the sail, bright red, would help the boat find me.
It felt like a lifetime for the boat to arrive, but it was actually 2-3 min max! We had no problems de-rigging the sail and loading it all up. Once in the boat, it was a downwind ride to find the board. We searched for a couple minutes, and saw it drifting along on each wave. A simple pick-up, and we were on the way back to the beach.
I got some good crowd response, as I carried the board in, with a 5ft piece of mast still attached! Lots of razzing from clients and staff alike! I feel like I’m at home! I calmed down, got some water, and climbed right back on the horse, with an 85lt 250 style, and a 5.2m again! Managed to stay no farther than a ¼ to ½ mile out for the rest of the day! The waves complied, and still gave me plenty of ramps to jump on the inside!
A perfect day, even with the small trauma, as the jumps and rides washed it all away! Happy hour, we relived the day, and made plans for Dinner at Mobu tonight.
We all had
some delicious pizza, beer, and friendly conversation, before it was time for
Samba night at Ipanema! The dancers were as flashy as anything you
could see in
The dancing was over, and the crowd moved on down the street to Los Piratas disco. There was a good batch of folks on the floor already, and I got to mingle with guests and locals alike, sprinkled with a couple dance moves of my own!
I was lucky enough to be thee when the local folks got the Tambor music they love to dance to, and a circle formed on the dance floor for some intense one on one Tambor dance! This is very fast jiggly hip shakin sexual movements, and partners switch off very quickly, alternating from guys pushing the male dancer out, and taking his place, to girls switching in and out in the same fashion! Wow what a sight! I was standing, jaw dropped, and in awe! Great Experience!
Tired, and content, I walked on home to Casa Rita, another day of bliss! Off to sleep!