Berkeley Marina safety boat

[Blackbird]

Kudos and thanks to Reini and Scott (spelling?) of the Berkeley Marina on Sunday. If you don't know, the marina has a paid rescue boat milling about the harbour. Might just be on weekends, but the Baywatch style crew was extremely helpful Sunday. I rigged up the reliable 12m Bow, did one long reach out to the Restaurant, small air hop turn, POP. something broke, kite spiraled, smacked into the water. Turned out the something was the larkshead on the front line that acts as the final safety, real in the kite line. So, absolutely NO WAY to real in the kite and self rescue at this point. Considering the mess of line that was accumulating from the one now slack line, I released the entire kite. Watched mournfully as it drifted down wind. I started swimming hard to make the beach and hopefully run around and retrieve the kite before hitting the rocks. Thankfully this boat with Reini and Scott shows up, picks me out of the water, we grab the kite, and they bring me all the way back to the kite launch. Talk about nice service!!! Kudos and thanks to the Berkeley Marina!!!

Now, that larks head was only about 12 sessions old... Hmmmm.

[Sander]

Blackbird, you did indeed get some good service, including a taxi ride back to the beach. Must've had some good karma coming your way.

I was at Pt Emery when they dropped you off and know that was the Cal Sailing Club (CSC) skiff. It's much too hoopty to be the Harbormaster's boat. I worked there in college for a couple years and am still a member today.

The CSC and Cal Adventures next door both have skiffs in the water primarily to look out for their members but of course will come to the aid of anyone in distress. Still, no one should think that there is a rescue boat patrolling Berkeley looking for downed kiters.

If you have a chance stop by the club and write an entry in the logbook. The club uses those entries to show the City of Berkeley that they are an asset to the community when their lease comes up for renewal.

Bummer about the line breaking. But I still don't get why you released the kite if you still had some lines attached to your bar. Why not wind the lines around the bar as you make your way to the kite and self-rescue in? I would be worried about a runaway kite making it's way to the frontage road or worse yet HWY 80.

[busski]

I learned how to windsurf at cal sailing, and have to say they are always willing to lend a hand. They're a non-profit that are almost completely member supported, so if you kite at berkeley regularly, it might be nice to throw them a couple of bucks or offer up some work time (it's a co-op in berkeley, go figure!)

Also, when they have their open houses, the BBQ is always amazing. Bob can marinate like a king.

[Blackbird]

Sander, thanks for the advice on the log book. Will make a point of it. As far as the self rescue, you should try this exact scenario with a crossbow sometime. Break the front line, that has the 'safety' ball attached, and then try to self rescue. I tried everything. Pulling in on a rear line, the other front line, etc. There is NO option if THE front line safety is the one that breaks. This makes it TWICE that something happened to this line only for me. There is so much tension on the other three lines, the only option to NOT letting go of the entire kite would be to cut the other two lines. Knowing that surface tension on the water will generally hold down a drifting kite, and being about a mile upwind of 80, I went for the kite release. Sure enough, after a few tumbles, the kite settled down and stuck to the water. This points out the fault in the Crossbow safety system for sure. They should be putting a safety recover ball system on BOTH front lines. This way if one breaks the other is an option to reel in the kite. Basically, when the kite is down, and shit is going wrong, lines are starting to wrap, and the kite still has power, getting rid of it is the only option. Even doing so I had a couple scares with the broken line having wrapped my arm unknowingly and giving a tug. That will wake you up to the realities of quickly ditching your kite in a heartbeat. You figure it out... lost arm, finger, or other exteremity, or possible lost kite. No choice for me. Ditch it.

[Bob]

Not sure I understand why you were attached to the kite but had

absolutely NO WAY to real in the kite and self rescue at this point.

Not sure I understand the circumstance that drove this decision.

I released the entire kite.

I've always thought staying with the big floaty object was best...
Could you please elaborate as to what drove those decisions?
Thanks!

[Blackbird]

Sure. Easy. One kite, still at least 50% powered up, flopping around. One line slowly winding itself around me in the water like a snake. Pull one line on the kite, the other two do NOT go slack. Unless all of your lines go through a ring attachment on your bar, they will not depower. The crossbow system attaches three lines basically directly to the bar. The fourth has a stopper ball that slides through a ring in case of needing to self rescue. I could not find a SAFE way to reel in the kite and stay with the big 'floaty' thing. Pulling one of the other lines was so painful on the hands I was unable to get far enough down the line to effectively depower the kite. I am assuming that would be at least 15 feet, the length of the kite. This is certainly a good reason to wear an impact vest with a little more floatation, and know how to swim. You may never understand unless you're in the same position. Just remember, better to float/swim for a while in one piece than stupidly lose part of yourself to something that is replacable.

[Bob]

Thanks Blackbird. I always wear a bright red life vest when I kite for some of the reasons you mention. It makes the discretion part of separating from the kite way easier to contemplate - even a small floaty thing is better than no floaty thing at all. -

better to float/swim for a while in one piece than stupidly lose part of yourself to something that is replacable.

Kudos to that!

During KWS water lessons they always conclude the lesson with a self rescue exercise. These are done on everything from C's to the latest Bows. I've witnessed students coming to terms with the forces involved in a variety of conditions, including working their way along a non stopper ball line in strong gusty wind lashing at a bucking kite.

The technique is to work your way up one line as you mentioned - but use the bar as a fishing rod - using the leverage of the bar to take in 18 inches at a time, after the first few tuns it gets easier and you can spin line around the bar a few times to help hold it in place. Once the kite is flat on the water you can lock the line by slipping a loop over the end of the bar (sort of like a clove hitch). After that you can reel in all the lines together onto your bar without worry of your kite powering up again.

Not sure if that technique would have helped in your situation (unclear if you still had your bar) with the random loose line trying to hog tie you...

I've had enough kitemares (bows included) to know that it's different when your there - and easier to type technique at a computer.
The fact that you made it back in one piece speaks volumes! Your equipment too makes it a bonus.

[sflinux]

Blackbird,
Every bow rider should modify their bar so there are orings on both front lines, rather than just one (just modify the neighboring front line to be the same as the stock leash). This gives you a backup leash. If one line breaks that your leash is clipped into, then unclip the leash and clip it into the other front line's oring.

Sander,
Some bow kites don't flag out when you put all the tension on the rear line. The waroo will go into a powered up (dangerous) death spiral when you grab the oh sh*t handle on the bar end.

Bob,
I like your proposal for a new alameda launch.