Bough Beech Blaze Open

Weed is quite a problem all the year round on the Medway especially on a 4000 which has a deep dagger board.  The weekend before last I was rather peeved to find we had blasted off at a hot angle as we rounded the windward mark with a Phantom (it had started 20 minutes before us).  About 15 minutes later we came back on the reciprocal gybe and crossed behind the Phantom!  By running off we were able to get the board up and down again without capsising and we left a sizeable clump of weed behind.  We thought there was something wrong with the angle!

Up to that point I think we were winning on handicap - we came 6th in the end!  Its always a problem on a high tide and of course the mud is a problem when its low.  The 4000 exacerbates the problem by having a particularly deep board.

One palative we are working on is to slightly sail backwards on the occasional tack to clear both board and rudder.

Originally posted by Villan Originally posted by Xpletive Swans love the weed. It can be quite a challenge on a spinny reach weaving between all the upturned feathered arses! How we've avoided collecting one on the pole.................................. Just dont avoid them .. infact, think of them as moving targets. As long as you dont maim it, itll be fine. If your planing it'll just pop under your bow and appear out the back, slightly dazed and with a lesson learnt.

Swans are pretty scary when they get angry. The whole ability to fly thing gives then a bit of an advantage too

Originally posted by Xpletive Swans love the weed. It can be quite a challenge on a spinny reach weaving between all the upturned feathered arses! How we've avoided collecting one on the pole..................................

Just dont avoid them .. infact, think of them as moving targets.

As long as you dont maim it, itll be fine. If your planing it'll just pop under your bow and appear out the back, slightly dazed and with a lesson learnt.

Swans love the weed. It can be quite a challenge on a spinny reach weaving between all the upturned feathered arses! How we've avoided collecting one on the pole..................................

We used a trailed V blade from a launch starting in november, keeps the bottom well churned up.

This year we have used chemical and not dragged so much. It is horses for courses, once the weed gets a foothold there is not much can be done!

We did find that cutting only made it worse as it grows twice as quickly!

Paul