Light winds keeping us ashore and demise of the old hut.

 Just a short update to let everyone know that things are fine and that we are simply being kept ashore by light winds.

Whilst we would have ventured out in these lighter conditions with the first boat as we worked her through her lengthy development process, we simply need more wind for the stage we are at with the new boat. Anything over 22 knots is good.

As usual, we use the lighter days to work through a list of modifications, maintenance and improvements.

One of the mods is to increase the area of the front planing surface. This should assist us in the early stages of acceleration where the boat currently 'shovels' along a little until she eventually breaks free and begins to plane at around 8 knots. The tendency for the boat to push the nose down as she accelerates has prevented us from sailing with two people but we hope the larger front planing surface will enable this... and we can really start scaring some people.

We tooke VSR2 over to speed spot a couple of days on what turned out to be one of the biigest tides we have seen here.

There was also a good swell running so we decided it would be pretty risky to launch. There was a lot of water moving around which could make it hard just to hold the boat as the wing went up.

The waves were actually washing through the old timing hut and after many years of standing up to the harsh, windswept and highly corrosive conditions on speed-spot, we knew we were witnessing her demise. Anyone who has come out to help us knows what a vital little piece of sanctuary this hut is against the relentless wind and blowing sand out there. I've spent a lot of time in that little cube. I hung out there when I first came to see what Walvis Bay was all about nearly five years ago and it has featured in every run we have done since. For a while it was the only reference on an otherwise featureless terrain. As it has been the scene of many emotional and project defining moments, I'm quite fond of it's stark little shape. I'm also surprised that it's still there as it really was meant as a temporary structure for a speed week 6-7 years ago.

A few days previously we had knocked her back in basic shape hoping to use her one more time... but the tides and swell had other plans. We were witnessing her demise and it is time to move to pastures new.

The above two pics are from a couple of days ago. The waves had started to pull her apart.

So here are some photos from happier days.

Now we will build a balcony over the new 'igloo' and take down the old square timing hut... before it falls down.

As I type this the wind is piping up and beginning to whistle in the palms outside. Thus we are gearing up to get out there. I think we will get some sailing in today. Gotta go.

Cheers, Paul.

p.s. it's bloody cold out here today!