Taking Off the Training Wheels (Sailing a Hydrofoil Trimaran Without the Amas)

[Busman1965]

If my memory serves me right, the rudder foil was 4ft, when fully extended for flight. The rudder foil was made of some old Harken Sailboard Foil Extrusion.
It was not a kick up rudder, but rather a dagger type, that retracted vertically. A pin was inserted when fully extended, to lock it in position.

Since the rudder foil was a fairly thin foil section, it was easy to stall at low speed. The flap on the foil was controlled by a small push pull cable, in the cockpit.

The rudder foil was deeper than the main foils by about 6". In practice, it worked out well, as it did not ventilate. We had a bright orange stripe on the main foils, which was the danger zone. If you could see the stripe above the water, you were about to ventilate. That usually ment giving the rudder foil some more lift, to change the angle of attack downward on the main foils, decreasing the lift. Also, we found that falling off the wind a couple of degrees would cause the boat to settle lower on the foils,which was handy in puffy conditions.

The fountain off the foil was something we saw at times,also some great roostertails,at times. Alot of it was the rudder to foil joint, and the foil ends.
Both areas need careful fairing and smoothing.

I still have 2 sets of J-foils from NF3,in my warehouse. I will dig them out and post some pictures of them.

[Doug Lord]

Originally Posted by Busman1965

I was able to duplicate this feat, 2 more times over the years, but with a cockpit seatbelt, I stayed out of the wing sail....a big plus!!

Thanks
Don Carson

======================
Don, I've been thinking about this since you posted it for possible application on a couple of my boats down the line. If your rig had broken what was your "quick way out" plan? Any thoughts on your system would be much appreciated...

[Busman1965]

Doug,

Since NF3 was operated from a seated position, with foot steering, I was able to utilize a lap belt bolted to the floor. I sewed 2 loops in some 1" nylon webbing and used a harken snap-shackle as the buckle.

I had a large, orange monkeys fist knot on the release,to make it easy to find underwater.

I left the belt slightly loose fitting, as its only function was to keep me from flying out, during a pitchpole.

As a final exit strategy, I had a Swedish "Mora" sheathknife velcored on the belt. The "Mora" is the sharpest rigging/survival knife I have found......it has saved my hide on a number of occasions!!! And they are CHEAP!

The belt did work, as I pitchpoled with it, and I DID NOT fly into the wingsail.

[Doug Lord]

Thanks, Don. Would you use it again?

[Busman1965]

I would! There are so many variables in foil boats which can cause a crash,
a little safety is a good thing. I am a walking monument to various crashes
sustained while foiling.

All of the foilers after NF3 were trampoline type boats, which precluded using a safety harness or belt.

I received some serious thrashings on these boats.
Wrenched neck, broken ribs, puncture wounds on my legs,were just some of the fun adventures.

[Doug Halsey]

Don,

I'm more worried about safety then I was the first couple of years with Broomstick. Last summer, I got thrown off the trampoline twice & turtled both times. In the photo shown (when I broke a foil), I didn't hit anything on the way over the forward crossbeam, but the other time I gashed my hand pretty badly on something (probably the stay).

I've thought about some sort of strap to help keep me in place, but so far have shied away from that for fear of getting tangled.

[Gary Baigent]

I've done my share of crashes and juddering stops but have never been catapulted off ... and that is because my tiller is well aft, and gripping that helps stop you flying forward, but most importantly, I'm also gripping the main or traveller sheet which is behind me, ALL the time ... and that's a good safety harness.
Years ago on Supplejack cat, coming back singlehanded from Kawau in a strong north easterly, again using only the wing mast (and travelling bloody fast passing numbers of fully crewed keelers running for home) we all got into a wind against tide waves over a deep shoal out from A Buoy ... and the half dozen keelers beside me all broached on a large and ugly shaped, breaking wave - while Supplejack went up to what seemed almost vertical on her side, completely burying her leeward hull under white water, me with the helm hard up trying to turn downwave and my other hand gripping a bit of hatch cover rope ... which without I would have been to leeward in a flash with the boat going over on top of me. So a bit of rope in one hand could probably save you guys with foot or wheel steering. I don't like the idea of tethering yourself to a multihull.

[Doug Lord]

I don't like the idea of being "tethered" but maybe it's worth thinking about. On boats like the Moth with shrouds some guys have been really hurt flying into the wires. Dons experience is enlightening but I'm still not convinced-on my boat one will sit on a seat with feet down in the cockpit(or in a single seat in the center)-and the flying version will have shrouds.....

[Busman1965]

I agree that it is not good to be teathered to a multihull, in principal. But when dealing with the excessive speeds and rapid stops a foiler can generate, it may be the lesser of the evils? My personal feeling was it was right for NF3, however, on other foilers I have sailed, it was not possible or desireable to do.

The idea of holding the tiller and mainsheet is very valid, it will keep you from flying, but on NF3 the rudder was foot controlled, and the main sheet was ahead of the helm position, so that was of no use.

I remember thinking during the first pitchpole, as I flew out of the cockpit into the rigid wing...I should of had a seat belt.

On soft sail foilers, the potential damage is about the same as a fast catamaran, so it is an acceptable risk, but there is the issue of hitting the foils themselves. I calved a good hunk off my shin, on the rudder foil of Mosquito when a strut failed, and the leeward foil folded (don't ask me how it happened, it was a blur...).

The single best safety device was a good thick wetsuit, and knee pads. I know this saved me from many injuries during crashes. But, it will not prevent broken ribs......I know this first hand!!

It's funny, I still have little chunks of glass and carbon fiber come to the surface of my scars, from my first pitchpole. Every now and then, I will see a little black fleck in one, and have to dig it out. Amazing,as it happened almost 20 years ago!!!