Today I had two epiphanies about my Sirocco.
A preface first: Friday morning I had lifted my arms to braid my hair and I felt something in the left shoulder catch. I couldn't raise it or lower it. I ended up pulling the arm up with my other hand and felt a massive "pop" and incredible pain swept all over, like an electric shock, down to my toes even. My eyes teared up and I briefly thought I was going to either fall down, or barf, or both. This morning I woke up and had almost no pain. Elation!
Also Friday, before a giant sucking sound was heard from my wallet during a dental appointment, I took the Sirocco out to practice ruddering and braces. I am a bit fond of the boat. I have gotten comfortable laying the boat over and gently righting it, using a low brace, without jerking it or feeling alarmed by the lack of push-back.
Then, with an eye towards that class next weekend, I took it out into the windy chop of Belmont Bay today, with my husband in his Gulfstream. I remembered how well it handled the rollers down in the Keys. And it did again. But with a more discerning eye today I realized that while it climbs rollers well, when one turns the boat around and the seas are "following," that great performance disappears. The swells sweep around the boat, not lifting it or allowing one to "catch the wave," the way my Necky Elias does.
Instead, the boat was constantly working to turn broad beam to the waves. I think most boats will try to do that anyway more or less. The Sirocco is a long and heavy boat, turning it back straight took a lot of work. Ah so. Turning the shorter lighter Eli back takes a stroke or two at most. I want to take the best boat for the class. I worry if I am working so hard to keep the boat going straight that I will have less opportunity to learn the other skills I will be offered.
Leaving the water today I was already leaning away from taking the Sirocco. James helped me carry the boat over to the car and nestle it into the Hullavator cradles. I tied it down and then started lifting it. The Hullavator doesn't pop up with the Sirocco in the cradles, it is too heavy. So I have to lift the boat up on my fore arms, and then change the position of my hands half way up and continue lifting the boat. That's when I had the second epiphany: My left shoulder was struck by searing pain. Holy cow! I thought back, oh my goodness...my shoulder started getting *really* bad right after I bought this really heavy boat.
The Solstice weighs 48 pounds per the Current Designs website. That boat pops up in the Hullavator cradles so fast and easy it's disconcerting. Almost as though the boat is going to keep right on going, catapulting away. The Eli goes up with a bit more work, it weighs 56 pounds per the Necky website. Now, the CD website says the Sirocco only weighs 60 pounds. I just don't believe it. The Eli feels at least 10 pounds lighter, both in my hands and on the Hullavator, than the Sirocco. Brian suggested it would be worth weighing my boat sometime. I think my bathroom scales and I have a date with my boats. More on that to follow.
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