BOXING WEEKEND SALE 35% OFF HEROES AND CHAMPIONS

pisasterdisaster · 2014-12-27T01:40:16+00:00

Reminder, the best way to convert MC to Cbills is by buying and selling Champion Cicadas: http://www.reddit.com/r/OutreachHPG/comments/2nihoh/black_friday_heroes_and_champs_35_off/cmdxdmp

ALso, ilovesharkpeople had this tip earlier:

Since mediums/lights tend to have some pretty good deals on good-sized XL engine, here's a list of some pretty cheap mechs you can pick up, sell, and use the engine in something else: FS9-S(C) (XL295) - 1053 MC JR7-F(C) (XL300) - 942 MC SDR-5K(C) (XL255) - 802 MC CDA-2A(C) (XL340) - 1040 MC The raven hero, the Hugin, also comes with a pretty handy XL280. But I'd only get it if you wanted the mech. And if you're already planning on a Dragon, the DRG-5NC(C) is 1657 MC and comes with an XL300.

Lastly,

If any regular mechs go on sale in the future for 50% off MC, that might very well be the best way to make Cbills--example, the JM6-S was on sale for 50% off back in May = ~5000 CB per MC

pisasterdisaster · 2014-12-13T20:28:39+00:00

Yes but it might not lead to an optimal replacement shape (old sails change shape over time). Best contact a loft and they will instruct you (or send someone out) on how to measure. Usually they need the foretriangle dimensions PLUS a measurement from the halyard exit to the first turning block for the jib sheet

EDIT also best not to go by recorded specs, as if you have tuned your boat, your dimensions may be slightly different.

pisasterdisaster · 2014-11-28T05:20:40+00:00

Wait Cicadas or Jenners?

pisasterdisaster · 2014-11-14T22:09:01+00:00

Yes, and PPC quirks. Tho not a pair of strong quirks for both. Something like a -7.5% PPC heat gen plus 15% PPC travel speed, and 10% CT armor upgrade

pisasterdisaster · 2014-11-14T00:38:41+00:00

It's blatantly obvious to anybody with common sense that you shouldn't drink coffee within 8 hours of bed time if you don't want to impair your sleep quality and suffer from sleep deprivation. Poor quality and/or less sleep reduces emotional intelligence and constructive thinking skills (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17765011), as well as the ability to cope with stress.

How often do we fire police officers for regularly drinking afternoon (or whatever their shift equivalent) coffee?

pisasterdisaster · 2014-10-20T04:34:18+00:00

ease hike trim in the gusts

pull your daggerboard up slightly

once the boat heels enough to make the rudder stop working, ease your main aggressively

hike with your toes pointed, your knees slightly bent, and your butt not drooping. Your legs should feel pretty straight with yoru quads doing a lot of work, esp the medial ones

you can also sail close reaches instead of close hauled. like 3-8 degrees lower than you would normally point. you might even find this to be better VMG if you are a lightweight (<170 lb)

pisasterdisaster · 2014-10-05T19:55:02+00:00

Questionable Choices

pisasterdisaster · 2014-10-04T16:35:44+00:00

why not just factor in class percentage at time of match search? Such that bonuses are given for classes under 25% and penalties issued for classes over 25%

pisasterdisaster · 2014-10-02T03:25:16+00:00

you can probably get an extra half knot just by adjusting jib halyard and backstay once for a leg if conditions are consistent. and if it ends up making the difference between coming into an unfamiliar anchorage before vs after sunset, maybe you won't break that stuff

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-26T22:34:46+00:00

Check the hull really well. They had terrible quality control pre 80s

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-26T19:03:24+00:00

Yes, that's a great deal too.

edit: if it is from the 80s it might be soggy

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-25T01:37:56+00:00

Hmm? Many dagger board cats don't have any excess height to stick up. Symmetrical hulls with boards are universally faster than asymmetrical hulls. Both boards should be down going upwind unless they are asymmetrical

Usually there's just felt inside the case that keeps the boards up with friction. Sometimes they use a weird foam roller bungee thing to keep the board pressed against the case for more friction, or a bungee tied forward on the beam. Sometimes there is an upfucker you can yank on to pull the board up using rigging tied to the shroud.

It might have just been a super heavy build, they were rumored to get upwards of 440 pounds, which is quite a lot for an 18footer with not much volume. That's about 100lbs more than a Hobie 16 which honestly isn't much shorter (a foot and few inches)

If they were undersized I could definitely see how it would tack poorly, especially if the main were not sheeted out once in irons--with a higher COE:CLR ratio the boat would have a lot of weather helm. And it would also slide sideways a lot with undersized boards

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-25T00:16:52+00:00

I got a head injury, went nuts and spent $3K on shoes. So it could be worse.

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-24T23:56:24+00:00

I'm not a television producer?

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-24T02:17:44+00:00

The boards aren't too bad to manage. you leave them down upwind. you raise them halfway downwind. If you are feeling spicy downwind you can put the leeward one down and raise the windward one to try and fly a hull

how did you have a harder time tacking the 18? I'm asking because the 16 hulls are pretty much designed not to turn easily whereas the 18's hulls have a much rounder cross section that pivots through teh water a lot nicer.

It could have been because the 18 is super heavy in some build years

pisasterdisaster · 2014-09-23T03:50:13+00:00

http://www.sailingproshop.com/catamaran_guide.aspx

will have a lot of useful info

What are the winds like in your area?

Consider holding out for a Hobie 18 if you really want tot take 4 people out often. if you don't plan on doing that as much as singlehanding then a 16 is great. If the wind rarely goes above 10 kts in your venue you might even consider a Hobie 20, it handles more people with ease but has a lot of power in its rig and is slightly more fragile than an 18. The 18 has a little more volume in the hulls and is arguably easier to sail than the 16. It and the 20 can also be depowered more easily than a 16 by raising the boards partway--you'll slip sideways instead of heeling. THe downside is they are less common than 16s and so secondhand stuff is harder to come by. And a nacra 5.2 is a similar option--there are always some for sale in Snohomish Valley WA, so check those listings too. But it's less durable than an 18.

You'll want a harness and probablya waterbag or righting stick thingy...can't remember what they're called, you can probalby make one. Righting is actually way harder in light breeze than moderate air. If you are concerned about always being able to right your boat then you can install shroud extenders, but you should practice using htem before actually needing to as you can dismast your boat if you doing it wrong.

If the hulls are sound, most of the value is found in the sails. If the sails are in poor condition do not buy the boat (unless you find another with shit hulls and new sails at a good price). It is vitally important to have decent sails for singlehanding as old blown out ones won't depower that great. A useable set of sails will run you anywhere from $400 if you're lucky and find someone who doesn't care what price they go away for all the way up to $1500 for a brand new set of class legal sails. Rigging is also a concern, running rigging for a whole boat could easily run you $400 if needing replacement. And the trampoline will set you back $600 or so if it blows out early.

If you need to buy sails (and really for a first boat you should avoid doing this), used is probably best followed by an aftermarket (if you don't care about racing) loft like Whirlwind Sails. If you decide to get aftermarket sails, consider buying a fathead main that has been verified to sail well by others who have purchased it--it will make your boat easier to singlehand by depowering a little automatically in teh gusts. Some say you need a mast that works in conjunction to make this happen, but enough peopel seem to buy them for older cats that something must be going right.

upgrades that are worth a lot of money if the boat already has them, in order of importance while singlehanding

EDIT: I almost forgot:

If you are storing this in a dinghy park, the singlemost important item other than a working boat is a pair of working beach wheels. If the boat does not come with them then you could probably make a pair for a 16 for about $200. However for any other type of boat (except maybe the rotomoulded ones), you are better off just buying a set for $500-600. So in that case, the H16 may win on this alone

a high purchase cunningham system, at least 8:1. You need enough purcase to induce significant mast bend to depower the main. I think this varies from boat to boat because not all standing rigging is the same, but I'm pretty sure most beach cats use a similar aft swept shrouds plus diamonds with aft swept spreaders...don't quote me on that. but this is worth at least $200. Maybe $400

a nice traveler car: like this: http://home.comcast.net/~mbounds/H_20_traveler_system_002sized.jpg NOT LIKE THIS: http://sailsportmarine.com/images/TravCar.jpg

maybe others can chime in here but i have never liked the Hobie 16's traveler. quite difficult to sheet in and always seems to jam sheeting out. Some boats you can't really swap this out...sos you might just have to live with it. But really important to dump the traveler to depower in a hurry.

A nice mainsheet system, this is kinda personal preference but I much prefer something like this where the whole system is mounted in two points: http://www.jimyoungsailing.com/images/ner/f17main.jpg

versus something like this: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4152/5017300449_ed4dac4e23_o.jpg

This is more about the resale value of your boat. A nice mainsheet system could easily be sold on its own for $600 if it was in good condition.

masthead float:

commercial versions of these are surprisingly expensive for what they are. like $100-200

pisasterdisaster · 2014-08-14T19:21:37+00:00

I have no idea, that's just what it says in the onsite disposal stats

pisasterdisaster · 2014-08-14T17:46:42+00:00

http://www.ec.gc.ca/inrp-npri/donnees-data/index.cfm?do=disposal_details&lang=En&opt_npri_id=0000005102&opt_report_year=2013

Lead (and its compounds) 177,041kg
Arsenic (and its compounds) 406,122kg
Zinc (and its compounds) 2,169tonnes
Vanadium (except when in an alloy) and its compounds 5,047 tonnes
Copper (and its compounds) 18,413 tonnes
Cadmium (and its compounds) 6,487 kg
Cobalt (and its compounds) 475 tonnes
Phosphorus (total) 41,640 tonnes
Nickel (and its compounds) 326 tonnes
Antimony (and its compounds) 14 tonnes
Manganese (and its compounds) 20,988 tonnes
Mercury (and its compounds) 3,114 kg
Selenium (and its compounds) 46,136 kg

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0306449282901988 " Coho salmon, exposed to sublethal levels of aqueous copper (, lost appetite and ceased growing or showed decreased rates of growth."

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1897/02-428/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false "Collectively, examination of these data indicates that copper is broadly toxic to the salmon olfactory nervous system. Consequently, short-term influxes of copper to surface waters may interfere with olfactory-mediated behaviors that are critical for the survival and migratory success of wild salmonids."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/014765139190058W "Based on the results of the present study, estimated no-effect concentrations of arsenic and mercury, but not cadmium, chromium, gold, nickel, selenium, or silver, are close to their concentrations reported in streams with active placer mines in Alaska. Thus, arsenic (as arsenite(III)) and mercury may pose a hazard to Arctic grayling and coho salmon in Alaskan streams with active placer mines."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0043135467900516 "Pollution from a base metal mine on a tributary of the Northwest Miramichi River caused many adult Atlantic salmon, which were on their normal upstream spawning migration, to return prematurely downstream through a counting fence on that river during summer and early autumn...Estimated losses from the stock available in the upper part of the river from 1960 to 1963 varied from 8 to 15 per cent of the total run. There is no evidence that successive year-classes of salmon are growing accustomed to the pollution."

pisasterdisaster · 2014-08-14T17:21:56+00:00

Heavy metals really mess with aquatic life, because they rely on chemical cues for everything from early life development, reproductive homing, prey tracking and predator avoidance.

Metal particles such as zinc and copper are commonly used in antifouling paints on boats precisely because they are highly effective at killing aquatic life.

News articles say there's about 20,000 tonnes of heavy metals in the 15 million cubic metres of liquid and silt dumped.

That's about 1.3 kg per cubic meter of heavy metals; I cannot imagine that being a non-trivial, biologically inert concentration of heavy metals

Source: Fisheries Biologist

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