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launching / landing at the hatch

 
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bdennis

Since 01 Jun 2007
50 Posts

 



PostWed Sep 17, 14 6:55 am    launching / landing at the hatch Reply with quote

so, 6pm after work last night, and UB was dead but the hatch looked good so I decided to try it. Luckily a friend was there (Thanks Mark!!!) to help manage the lines and the point launch worked easy. Wind was gusty 8-10m for a while but really not bad, considering. The landing was a precision drop into the little rocky cove. Overall, I'm not liking this spot for launching and landing. But if it's got the wind, it's got the wind. I would only go there if there are hardly any windsurfers. Does anyone have any tips / ideas for the best places/ways to launch and land there?

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
697 Posts
white salmon
Addicted

CGKA Member


PostWed Sep 17, 14 8:25 am     Reply with quote

We always launch from the rocky point with the kiter in the water. A 2 man launch is best, one holding the kite, one feeding the lines out. For solo landings I always use the 3rd big bay to the east and get on a fast beam reach with my kite low and drive it into the calm air/water of the bay, then swim to the rocks and climb out with my kite in the water. Lots can go wrong and not much margin for errror. I would kite there only when there are few windsurfers because we are launching in their main launch area.
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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostWed Sep 17, 14 9:29 am     Reply with quote

launching at the Hatch is a bad idea for many reasons. it may be legal, but IMHO its's an accident waiting to happen.
first - it's a slippery slope. if a handful of kiters do it, then more kiters will think it's ok and eventually there will be conflicts and accidents.
second - it's dangerous.
i would not want to be the guy who fu**s up and causes a tangle or accident involving windsurfers at the Hatchery. it would get ugly real fast.... not just the accident scene, but the resulting attitude and bias against kiters.

this summer there seems to be peace between the kiters and windsurfers at the hatch. It wasn't always this way.

Please - think twice before launching and landing a kite at the hatch.

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JonMalmberg

Since 15 Aug 2011
340 Posts

Obsessed



PostWed Sep 17, 14 9:55 am     Reply with quote

Brian,

Ignore these naysayers... I have been drift launching at the Hatch with a kite for close to ten years. It obviously needs to be done with care and the utmost respect for the windsurfers, and we can talk over a drink sometime on how to do it...

Piece of cake...

Bams

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
697 Posts
white salmon
Addicted

CGKA Member


PostWed Sep 17, 14 2:38 pm     Reply with quote

Bam Bam, you have many extracurricular activities that put you on a different playing field compared to most schmoes that would attempt to launch at the hatch. Brian would have no problem either. The buddy system is very helpful at the hatch to keep people out of trouble. I have only seen the most advanced kiters drift launch here because it really interferes with the windsurfers landing zone.
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moondog

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cgka

Since 18 Jul 2006
278 Posts

Obsessed



PostWed Sep 17, 14 4:17 pm     Reply with quote

ldhr wrote:
launching at the Hatch is a bad idea for many reasons. it may be legal, but IMHO its's an accident waiting to happen.
first - it's a slippery slope. if a handful of kiters do it, then more kiters will think it's ok and eventually there will be conflicts and accidents.
second - it's dangerous.
i would not want to be the guy who fu**s up and causes a tangle or accident involving windsurfers at the Hatchery. it would get ugly real fast.... not just the accident scene, but the resulting attitude and bias against kiters.

this summer there seems to be peace between the kiters and windsurfers at the hatch. It wasn't always this way.

Please - think twice before launching and landing a kite at the hatch.


WORD! Very good points.
Keep the peace and the peace will be kept.

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bwd

Since 04 Aug 2007
385 Posts

Obsessed



PostThu Sep 18, 14 6:23 am     Reply with quote

ha ha ha.
hatch was first place I EVER saw people kite, lou and elliot,the windsurf-milfs were pissed!
oh to be young again....

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hilton

Since 15 Aug 2008
787 Posts

Opinionated



PostThu Sep 18, 14 6:49 am     Reply with quote

The only time I ever launched from the hatchery, Red Truck Jerry let me try his 2-line Wipika by handing it over to me in the water (already in the air). That was a long time ago.

I like the Naish team launching method better. Obviously, you can get away with more at the hatchery when it is less crowded.

http://vimeo.com/51263434

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brass

Since 15 Jul 2006
152 Posts

Stoked



PostThu Sep 18, 14 7:55 am     Reply with quote

Whatever happened to Jerry? He may own the dubious distinction of being the very first to consistently upset the good folks of the Jibatorium....

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moondog

Since 15 Aug 2007
697 Posts
white salmon
Addicted

CGKA Member


PostThu Sep 18, 14 8:31 am     Reply with quote

That Naish video was hilarious, especially their launch technique at the Hatch! Oh to young and brave again!
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moondog

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Sasquatch

Since 09 Mar 2005
2053 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot



PostThu Sep 18, 14 8:47 am     Reply with quote

hilton wrote:
I like the Naish team launching method better. Obviously, you can get away with more at the hatchery when it is less crowded.

http://vimeo.com/51263434


Great Vid. . .them boys have got some SKILLS!

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STORMRIDER

Since 17 Jul 2007
222 Posts

Stoked



PostThu Sep 18, 14 11:39 am    PEOPLE..you are all old enough to know.... Reply with quote

this is a first rule of fight club topic.......

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Kmun

Since 05 Jul 2009
250 Posts

Obsessed



PostTue Oct 07, 14 9:03 am    Re: Flight Club Rules... Reply with quote

STORMRIDER wrote:
this is a first rule of fight club topic.......

RE: Rule #1 in “Flight Club”; The below could be a theoretical discussion.

Concerns about kicking the Hatchery hornets’ nest? If this did happen; discretion was thee priority concern (Flight Club Rule #2).

Conditions were late enough in the evening that windsurfers already did their thing long before and light enough (marginal 10m) that ONLY ONE windsurfer remained rip-slog’n the residual swell on a big sail far to the east.

Had it been disrespectful to windsurfers, plan B launch site (also legal over the counter) would have been used.

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Gman

Since 11 Feb 2006
4907 Posts
Portland
Unstrapped



PostTue Oct 07, 14 10:50 am     Reply with quote

hilton wrote:
Red Truck Jerry let me try his 2-line Wipika by handing it over to me in the water (already in the air). That was a long time ago.


2 line Jerry for the win

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Freeride Kiter

Since 08 Jul 2011
698 Posts
Alaska / PNW / Baja
Instructor



PostTue Oct 07, 14 4:05 pm     Reply with quote

If you're going to do it - learn to drift launch and master it. Although I'm only here 4 months out of the year I don't launch there out of keeping the peace and I have a phobia of being "that guy".

Drift launching opens a lot of doors but it's not for the timid.

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dangler

Since 26 Feb 2006
1742 Posts
WINDY SPOTS
XTreme Poster



PostTue Oct 07, 14 8:01 pm    ok Reply with quote

The Hatch is a card carrying members only kite launch, and they maxed out and capped the memberships about ten years ago. If you kited there in the previous century, you are grandfathered in. So Lou and Elliot, come on back anytime.

If there are three or more windskippers there, go down to the last cove and drift launch. You hafta walk a bit to get there, its a bit east of Canada beach, and windsurfers never go there. You can toss your kite in, wind out your lines walking south along the bank. Once its squared up, (it'll usually drift out a bit, but there's no real wind in there) once you know your lines are straight, get in the water and swim to the wind line towing your kite, or on windy days let it drift hot and you can launch right there.

I pretty much always land there as well, nice little wind sheltered cov e.

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