Pulleys for adjustable outhaul

It is amazing how many things I don't know about windsurfing! There is always something to learn.

I apologize to experienced racers and others for whom what I will write now will look like discovering hot water, but maybe there are some others like me out there, who don't know about things that have a potential to make their windsurfing life easier.

The miracle of adjustable outhaul I discovered two seasons ago. At first, it was annoying that all this ropes get in the way of my back hand on the boom. But, I immediately recognized that adjustable outhaul in many cases can save you from going out and re-trim your sail. When the wind goes up or down, one movement of your hand can make a difference between comfortable sailing and being under or overpowered.

However, the rigging of the sail was much more complicated. Racing and Slalom sails are already enough hard to rig, and now you have more ropes to be pulled through and attached to different places on the boom. Annoying, but if you want to enjoy on the water more, quite necessary.

Before my last session on Košljun, island Pag, I was introduced to the solution: portable sail pulleys! This little things you mount in the clew hole on your sail. The ropes on your boom can stay there; no need for disassembling the adjustable outhaul. When you rig the sail, you just put them around the pulley and that's it!

Perfect. And how on earth I didn't know this before? And why someone didn't tell me? Amazing.

To prevent this mistake in other cases, I am revealing the pulley secret to everyone who will read this. :-)

Thanks to Boris Plečaš from SurfJam for providing couple of Chinook sail pulleys quickly.

Dust In The Wind, Kansas

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind

Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy

Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind

written by Kerry Livgren, performed by Kansas

Rainy day, windy joy

It was a perfect forecast with a minor flaw: a lot of rain! South wind 25-40 knots, enough for great fun. The entrance into the Košljun bay on island Pag was full when I arrived in the morning. Small windsurfers talk under umbrellas until, around noon, rain stopped (at least a little bit).

After that we got 3-4 hours of nice ride. It was choppy, wind was strong and gusty (sails from 4 to 7), from time to time rain was annoyingly pricky on our faces, but who cares.

On the photo: the Košljun crew from today (all from the norther part of Croatia and from Slovenia - southerners choosed to sail in the south :-) )

GPS results: KJD Zagreb & Soulwindsurf Team.

A lot of photos on Surf Jam Facebook page.

Srima, 14.04.2013.

Very nice maestral, quite strong: from 15 to 25 knots. I expected less, so I came in with 8,6 sail - too big! But, anyway it was a pleasure to ride up and down to island Prvić and back to the shore.

But, the most important thing was that I could be barefoot and in summer outfit! Finally, warm, warm, warm! :-)

South wind day in Croatia, 12.04.2013.

Very nice and windy day all around Croatia! South on the Adriatic, south-west in the continent. Windsurfers everywhere: on lakes near Koprivnica and Zagreb; northern part of Istria; island Krk, island Pag, Srima, Jadrija and Jadrtovac, around Split and all the way down to semi island Pelješac.

Some photos from around:

WKC Blades, lake Šoderica, Koprivnica

Soulwindsurf team and KJD zagreb in Srima

Me, alone in Košljun bay, island Pag

And nice video by Saša Svalina, Olimp, Split.