In Need of So-Cal Launch Ramp for Hobie 20

Its funny how some things on the web seem very difficult to access.  Looking for places to launch a beach-cat has been difficult due to the lack of information about fees, locations and so on.  This mirrors the problems that I have had researching schools where even Wikipedia doesn't really provide much light.

I wonder if internet searches are not the "oracle" that they are perceived as.  All algorithms have limitations, and I feel that due to the increasingly commercial and sophisticated nature of google's search algorithm, it is creating more marketing opportunities than true valuable searches.  I still think google is pretty much the only option unfortunately (as other engines seem to merely mirror their results) but I think there is still much room for improvement in relevance. 

On Financial Statments and Human Nature

It occurs to me as I read Babson College's Preparatory Material regarding financial statements, that it is much easier to organize information that is in your favor, that is to say, that doesn't indicate poor performance.  Regarding how to present finances, I wonder why there isn't just a single standard to not allow any variation in how these crucial numbers are reported.  With a single standard, every company would be on an even playing field and "ethical deviations" would be easier to spot.

Tornado Catamaran

http://yachtpals.com/olympics-sailing-3001

This is a wide boat at 10ft, and the link shows the 2008 Olympic version.

University of Edinburgh Business School Video

Why the University of Edinburgh Business School? from uoebusiness on Vimeo.

Accepted to University of Edinburgh Business School, Hult International Business School

Both of these schools have some merit despite their lackluster ratings and second-tier status.  I have been updating the Wiki articles to reflect my research into ratings and overall structure of these two schools.

Hult has a shorter program (1 year) with a very international student body and good review in both the Economist (#27) and the Financial Times (#84).

The University of Edinburgh is well known, although the business school is in a state of development and appears to be near the bottom of the second tier of U.K. universities.  It is ranked lower in the Economist (#75) and the Financial Times (#90).

Finally, I have the offer from Babson to consider.  Babson College is ranked 91 by the Financial Times and 52 by US News.

My impression is that the earnings reported from graduates of these schools (Babson leads here), combined with blog reviews of each school will form the basis of my final decision.

Reviewing Halyard Ring and Hook System

The following is from a Hobie Forum Post that was emailed to me by a friend who saw first hand the trouble I've been having with this mysterious and unpredictable halyard restraining system:

Locking the Hobie 17/18/20/21 Halyard:

It is best to simulate the halyard locking with the mast down so you clearly understand the system.

Be sure that the knot tied to the ring is very low profile. A long bowline knot will hit the mast head before the ring gets to the hook.

If the ring has a small loop at the top... The line should be passed through the loop and a small knot tied. The knot (when ring and shackle are affixed to the sail) should be facing the mast. This tilts the ring closer to the mast.

Then (before attaching halyard shackle to the sail) spin the halyard 3 or 4 times clockwise (looking down on the shackle). This "pre-loads" the halyard line and causes the ring to swing back towards the hook. Keep the boat into the wind and hoist. Should lock easily.  

My Hobie 20 (now named Jasmine) was sailing along yesterday

Thanks to generous help from Mr. Mark Darley (http://www.markdarleyphoto.com/) I got Jasmine (what I have named my H20) up and running yesterday on Tomales bay.  I had issues with the rudder cams which are now plastic (delrin is not good in this application as it fractures too easily...) and very susceptible to jamming.  I had forgotten my spring force adjustment tool for preloading the rudder lock cams, and Mark pointed out that there was an additional adjustment feature atop the rudder casting.  I hadn't ever considered loosening the 1/2 inch head to reposition the casting side of the locking feature, but after he pointed it out, we were able to get the rudders locked down and they worked well.

I substituted felt for the pintle bushing (also delrin and easy to loose) that I dropped while rigging.  Felt works well in a number of applications on this boat, including as a liner for the daggerboard trunks.  On a previous post I left a link to APS's site where I ordered some carpet material for lining the trunks as well.

After struggling to hook the mainsail off, we flipped the boat on it's side to hook it.  The halyard ring was close, but not inclined correctly to flop onto the mast head hook, so next time, I'll have to confirm the orientation of the halyard ring (knot away from the mast?) and try to get it right.

I learned alot after the rigging fiasco as there was a strong wind blowing around IYC, 10 miles inland from the mouth of Tomales Bay.  I haven't been cleating off the main sheet, but in these strong winds, as long as I have confidence on my ability to blow the mainsheet if necessary, it seems perfectly safe to do so.  The high tide was at 730, and that was around when we returned, after about 2.5 hours of sailing and almost reaching Hog Island.

As far as rig tension, I had the side stays on the fourth hole (about as much as I could tension them using my own weight on the trap-harness) and the forestay was on the top hole of the adjuster.