Videos
H-made AI sprayskirts
- Category: Gear reviews
- Published on Sunday, 02 May 2010 17:24
- Written by Josh
In favour of focusing on the recently fitted Adventure Island spray skirts as supplied by Holger, I'll sum up today's report with as much attention as it deserves: the fishing sucked, due mainly I think to a high degree of water clarity. Signs of fish were few and far between today, and within the 30 or so km I pedalled and sailed today I only spotted a couple of small boil ups and only hooked a few small inconsequential fish that were swiftly returned.
This being my third trip out using the Holger-made spray skirts, collectively wracking up over 60km, I've already used the skirts in a variety of conditions. Not only are they effective at doing their job (of keeping you dryer) they are better at it than I thought they'd be. Small waves that would otherwise wash up along the side of the bow and splash all over the deck now just magically dissipate into nothing. Whilst the skirts are decidedly less effective in rough and sloppy conditions - especially when the bow digs in under the waterline - the reduced splashing on deck definitely helps to keep me, my sounder and camera (one mounted each side of the gunwales near the forward crossbar) a lot drier than without it.
They are quick to assemble and having them there has at no stage been any kind of a hindrance. On the contrary... I've found a couple of small unexpected benefits of having them there that I wasn't expecting. One being that I now have a handy little mesh platform perfectly positioned to rest the furling lines when not being used. Coiled up loosely on the starboard side shirt keeps them up out of the way of pedals and daggerboard, helping to keep the deck clearer. And having that extra platform space is makes for added security when resting the heavy end of the rod upon the crossbar when re-rigging. It serves this purpose so well that I no longer use a RAM rod holder there to place the rod but for rigging and untangling the rod tip.
5 hours ago
