Lost Rig (Yellow and Black 9M Nona)

[737flyboy]

Big Hurt!

Yesterday,Thursday Aug 20th, at the far north end of the Warren Dunes Parking area (past all the swimmers and beach goers). I was in the water and my board got upwind of me. An older woman who had been hanging out and talking to me all day decided she was gonna help me out and swam out toward my board. I tried to wave her back in and yell to her to just leave it, but she couldn't hear me (I guess). I was worried that she could not swim out that far and then get back (I was a lifeguard, so I will forever worry about people "in over their head") and there was no way I was gonna be able to carry her back in (I'm old now, and she was a bigger woman). So I ditched my rig (which at the time was heading downwind, in toward the beach). I swam back upwind and cut her off, sent her back in, gabbed my board and swam in.

By the time I got back to shore my rig had drifted down the beach and I trotted down to catch up with it. As I came along side it I realized it was drifting not just down the beach but out with some kind of off shore current. I knew I was too tired to swim out to it and if it kept moving out I didn't know if I would ever catch it, so I just watched it drift away resisting the urge to cry.

I eventually ended up down at Weko, where a bunch of guys (windsurfers and kiteboarders) sailed out to it but couldn't recover it (by now it was a good mile off shore). I called the Coast Guard and advised them that if anyone called in a rig with no body attached there was no need for a search.

Any info greatly appreciated,

John 773-562-5888
737flyboy@gmail.com

[Gerard]

Let the coast guard know. It will eventually drift to shore and someone will call it in, If the coastguards knows you were missing it, they will contact you.

Same thing happened to me years ago in St. Joe and I got my kite back.

Good luck.

Gerard
www.chicagokiteboarder.com

[skysurfr]

Good call not swimming after your kite!

There are no mysterious offshore currents in the Lake. Your kite was drifting out to sea because the wind was side-OFFshore. Other than in the surf-zone, and around piers, there's not really a current in the lake. You'll notice river sediment pretty much falls within a about 100 yrds of the end of the piers.

A harsh lesson that we can all learn from when it comes to even slightly offshore wind.

Let's hope it turn up. I sent you an email.

Mike

[kiter_dude]

for calling the coast guard

good call!

kd

[gbleck]

I call tottal bs on no current in Lake Michigan. The current around Waukegan can run up to around a knot all the way out to at the reef marker. Mostly south to north latley. If the wind was pure side shore and dead maybe the current would carry it paralel. I suppose a rip current could have pushed it out then caried it along.

[snowball]

Good luck finding the kite

try posting on the Mackite forum. One of them may have found it

you definately did the right thing calling the coast guard etc.

[737flyboy]

First I would like to say thanks for all the calls and e mails I have gotten, all but one have been extremely supportive and sympathetic.

I know this happened because I am new, I know I could have avoided the loss of my kite and rig if I had done somethings differently.

I know not to kiteboard in offshore winds! The winds were NOT offshore.

I have been sailing for 42 years, 20 years on Lake Michigan and I have seen and felt currents in Lake Michigan. I can tell you for a fact (because I watched it) that the wind was blowing one way and my kite was drifting another way.

I am also not a child, I am a novice, so I don't appreciate being talked to like a child, even if it is under the vail of being "helpful".

I know not to endanger myself or others. I have taken lessons and will continue to do so. I realize my kite floating in the lake or washed up on shore is not making any extra points for the sport. I am not injuring anyone else or myself and I do not intend to do anything that might sully the reputation of this sport.

As your mother told you, "if you don't have anything nice to say..."

Thanks again to all the great people that have been so helpful and kind.

John

[snowball]

i second what johns saying

i was at weko earlier that day (beach connected to warren dunes) and the wind was indeed onshore

[skysurfr]

I'd say you did everything right.

You may have saved a lady from drowning.

You didn't try to swim after a kite going out into the lake and maybe drown yourself.

You saved the Coast Guard from going on a goose-chase.

This sport is full of kite eating crazy events. It's not "if" but "when" it happens to all of us.


Mike

[Safe_Cracker]

Life always comes first, what would you have without it?



Polo..

[V]

depending on the drag of your bar and lines on the kite and the position of your kite, it could be pulled a little to the side of the wind, which would prevent it from going straight downwind. I think it was Brian who lost his kite in pretty much sideshore winds at Miller a few weeks ago and his kite was heading in a 30 degree direction off shore pretty quickly. So the kite won't just go straight downwind. It is curved like a wing and will create lift from the wind with an drag (bar and lines dragginig in the water behind it). We should consult the resident expert, Greg, who loses his kite every month. He would know! haah

Why didn't you just drag over to the woman and tell her you'll get it, then head to the beach and walk upwind and drag back out? Or land the kite and swim out yourself?

[Rorke]

I lost a kite.
My control bar jammed up so I couldn't relaunch. The kite was on the out tack side of the window on a side/side on day.

Welcome to the club. Our chapter meets every other Thursday at 8pm to share, discuss, and support.

A local kiter had a pretty funny reaction when I told him the saga. His eyes lit and he said "Sweet, so your getting a new kite!"

[737flyboy]

A local kiter had a pretty funny reaction when I told him the saga. His eyes lit and he said "Sweet, so your getting a new kite!"

No doubt, my favorite reply so far. First time I have smiled in regard to anything to do with the loss of my rig.

Thank you

[West]

Shit happens!! And believe me, it will happen again. Pt. Betsie no doubt, Rourke....had to let that one go! Place disappears into nothing.........

[Safe_Cracker]

Sooo what ya flying now?


Polo..

[Safe_Cracker]

Sooo what ya flying now?


Polo..

[737flyboy]

Another 9M Nano, even the same color. Still have a 12M Kima that I have yet to get out on.

[737flyboy]

Have you been down to S. Padre?

Have some time off after Labor Day & everybody says that is the place to go to get dialed in.

[737flyboy]

Rorke,

Too funny, you being Justin's old sailing instructor. Thanks again, like I said that was the first time I laughed in regard to the loss of my rig. Justin is all about comin up to TC and taking some lessons. We will def get in touch and get the name of your boy. If your travels bring you back Chicago way be sure to get in touch and we'll go out for a sail.

John

[Rorke]

Small world (with a big kite eating lake)

When you come up here, bring some wind. Just a few knots, as it blows 11 every day!
Great sailing. Epic really.