I catapulted the mast into the nose of the board.

Is it a writeoff? I don't think I'm ready for an skillwise, so I had probably have to replace it. Before the Guy Cribb course, I put a deposit down for today. :) Can anyone recommend someone for a repair job in Melbourne?

I probably got a bargain when I bought it for my old man a few years ago.

"Gaffer" tape. Just saying...

A tube or two of Knead-it should help hold it together and keep water out until proper repairs can be carried out.

That's not a write-off. No way. Plenty of life in the old girl yet.

7tim said..
I catapulted the mast into the nose of the board.

Is it a writeoff? I don't think I'm ready for an skillwise, so I had probably have to replace it. Before the Guy Cribb course, I put a deposit down for today. :) Can anyone recommend someone for a repair job in Melbourne?

I probably got a bargain when I bought it for my old man a few years ago.

Easy fix. Try Oke Surfboards Factory 1/ 7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside VIC. They do a good job

I did the same a few years ago took it to a prof guy who did a really nice job that y couldn't tell it was a repair however a week after it didn't last so I Sanded it back and glassed over It ,get some wide sheets . It's still going strong .

Did the same to my xcite within the first few months. Easy fix as mentioned above. I also bought a nose protector which saved it from happening again.

Just don't sail it in the meantime and lean it up on its nose somewhere warm to allow the water to come out.

A good knead-it job will only last until it cops another bump (which it will).

Slightly OT, but Guy Cribb suggests sheeting in when going over the front like that. It takes some balls and is counter-intuitive, but it will land you on the leeward side of the board thus avoiding mast-to-nose collision.

P.S. Definitely fixable. Agree with others that you could just gaff tape it for a few days while doing the course. It'll be fine as long as you use waterproof tape.

All the best.

Gos said...

As a beginner/intermediate i am very interested in this as i get catapulted constantly due to my addiction to speed and my relative lack of skill.

Gos, during your intermediate stage, try sailing with a front hand inverted grip. Like this guy:


It feels a bit kacky when you're not used to it, but, it's a much stronger grip than the normal over hand grip, and you'll have a lot more control of the sail. You'll be able to recover from a catapult as the sails starts pulling you over. When this happens, you pull this hand down like you are doing a one armed chin up. This depowers the sail and you can recover it.

As you progress, you'll use different grips for different situations.

Glad you've got your back sorted. I believe windsurfing is good for bad backs as it strengthens/conditions the lower body muscles that make them better able to support the back.