Date: Mon, 8 Aug 1994 17:26:37 -1000 From: esinger@extremeone.win.net (Eric Douglas Singer) Message-Id: <5@extremeone.win.net> Subject: Kiting on a boat I am interested information regarding flying a kite from a boat. I have a friend that has a regular recreational motor boat and he is interested in driving he around a lake with one of my kites in the air. Does anyone have experience with this, and if so any tips or suggestions? Eric D. Singer Collinsville, VA = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 03:55:49 -1000 From: reich@nosc.mil (Ronald S. Reich) Message-Id: <9408091355.AA24785@cod> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat Date: Tue, 09 Aug 1994 03:26:37 GMT From: esinger@extremeone.win.net (Eric Douglas Singer) Subject: Kiting on a boat >I am interested information regarding flying a kite from a boat. >I have a friend that has a regular recreational motor boat and >he is interested in driving he around a lake with one of my >kites in the air. Does anyone have experience with this, and if >so any tips or suggestions? I have done this several times and as a matter of fact my team mate, Pam Kirk and I will be performing from the back of a new jet boat in a promotional night show in Sept. For that show we will be using 30 ft. lines so that we can maintain control as the boat makes turns in a cove. Other times I have used 150 ft lines. I usually have the kite in the air and then step into the boat. Landing is done by locating a clear land shore area and then have the boat slow down as it approaches the shore diagonally to the shore. Then swing the kite over the shore much like a waterskier and land the kite. Another way is to keep the kite in the air and step out of the boat at the shore. (or Dock if possible) The problem that you will encounter is that when the boat is headed down wind it will need to travel at least 5 mph faster than the wind speed in order for you to maintain control. Also, when the boat makes a turn you will need to steer the kite to the outside of the turn direction much like a water skier. My 4 person team has even flown formation of the back of a boat. At Disney World in Florida there were kites flown from the back of boats in a major production number. They actually enter the performance from under the water. (So I was told. I never actually saw the show.) Good Luck, Ron Reich = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 00:43:38 -1000 From: andrewh@holly.harvard.edu (Andrew Hawken) Message-Id: <327mkq$gsc@beta.qmw.ac.uk> Organization: Queen Mary & Westfield College, London, UK Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat Eric Douglas Singer (esinger@extremeone.win.net) wrote: : I am interested information regarding flying a kite from a boat. I : have a friend that has a regular recreational motor boat and he is : interested in driving he around a lake with one of my kites in the : air. Does anyone have experience with this, and if so any tips or : suggestions? : Eric D. Singer : Collinsville, VA I habe two interpretations of your post. If you want to do some kite powered sailing.... Andrew Beatie is probably your man on line for this, but see.... Buggies Boats and Peels by Peter Lynn. The text from it is in the archive. Also try to look at Stunt Kites II. New Designs, Buggies and Boats. by Servaas van der Horst and Nop Velthuizen. Many words of wisdom and caution in both. But maybe I am misunderstanding you..... If you want an "airborn flag" to fly from the boat, or you want to fly a stunter, then the issues are more about launching the kite and recovering it from a boat..... The KiteSki system uses a modified banshee kite, and a pulley for recovery. This is interesting in that the Banshee can (I believe) be water launched. A single liner such as a stable parafoil or delta could probably be winched out with some tackle on the boat. If it falls out of the sky you would probably need to release it before it hit the water (or get the tension off the line/zero boat speed) otherwise the kite would be pulled apart. Hope I am helping somewhere? Andy -- ____________________________Andrew Hawken______________________________ "However many ways there may be of being alive, it is certain that there are vastly more ways of being dead" R Dawkins. Home : 0895 420110 QMW : 071 975 5542 AIIT : 0494 677045 Email : A.Hawken@QMW.AC.UK = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 8 Aug 1994 23:16:20 -1000 From: crowell@teleport.com (Carl Crowell) Message-Id: Organization: Kites By Carl Crowell Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat In article <5@extremeone.win.net> esinger@extremeone.win.net (Eric Douglas Singer) writes: >From: esinger@extremeone.win.net (Eric Douglas Singer) >Date: Tue, 09 Aug 1994 03:26:37 GMT >Subject: Kiting on a boat >I am interested information regarding flying a kite from a boat. If the kite hits the water, be prepared to dump line FAST! carl = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 07:09:30 -1000 From: gaffer@ibmpcug.co.uk (Andrew Beattie) Message-Id: Organization: /usr/lib/news/organiszation Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat Andrew Hawken wrote: >Eric Douglas Singer (esinger@extremeone.win.net) wrote: >: I am interested information regarding flying a kite from a boat. I >: have a friend that has a regular recreational motor boat and he is >: interested in driving he around a lake with one of my kites in the >: air. Does anyone have experience with this, and if so any tips or >: suggestions? >I habe two interpretations of your post. If you want to do some >kite powered sailing.... I think that he is after the other angle - "driving round the lake with a kite in the air. There is a team in Florida who invested millions of dollars in this technique to put on a regular show for Disney. They bought a fleet of speed boats and used them to fly a display of large stacked diamonds with stars & stripes motifs. They would launch the kites from rigs that held them under water. They had the advantage that the show went on, regardless of the weather. There was an article on the show in one of the kite mags a few (3?) years ago. Other than that, it's fairly unheard of. I reccommend hand-holding or using a dead-man release (depending upon size), because if things go wrong, you might want to release it *real* fast. Note also that the pull of a moderate kite applied with the leverage of the whole length of the mast may be sufficient to capsize a surprisingly large boat, (particularly if stationary), so watch out for others! Andrew -- This is not the account that I usually Email from. Please continue to use my usual addresses, thankyou: Work, computer stuff, demands for payment -> gaffer@rec.com Play, kite stuff, party invites, offers of Pizza -> andrew@tug.com = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 9 Aug 1994 16:38:28 -1000 From: mgraves@leadingedg.win.net (Michael Graves) Message-Id: <862@leadingedg.win.net> Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat In article , Andrew Beattie (gaffer@ibmpcug.co.uk) writes: >There is a team in Florida who invested millions of dollars in this >technique to put on a regular show for Disney. They bought a fleet >of speed boats and used them to fly a display of large stacked diamonds >with stars & stripes motifs. They would launch the kites from rigs that >held them under water. They had the advantage that the show went on, >regardless of the weather. Several members of Disney's team are from the old Canadian team known as Shooting Star. They moved to Florida to work with Disney on the water show, and pioneered many new show techniques. Michael Graves = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 10 Aug 1994 11:08:37 -1000 From: sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: Organization: Harvard University OIT/NSD Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat In article , gaffer@ibmpcug.co.uk (Andrew Beattie) writes: >There is a team in Florida who invested millions of dollars in this >technique to put on a regular show for Disney. They bought a fleet >of speed boats and used them to fly a display of large stacked diamonds >with stars & stripes motifs. They would launch the kites from rigs that >held them under water. They had the advantage that the show went on, >regardless of the weather. > >There was an article on the show in one of the kite mags a few (3?) years >ago. The article ran in Stunt Kite Quarterly. They did a review of the equipment and inviewed several of the "performers". I went to Walt Disney World just after the Jacksonville AKA Convention and saw the show. The show was not run when it was really windy since it involved ultra-light planes and parachutests along with the kites. There was also a water-type show (dancing waters, you know!) and daytime fireworks. Overall the show was entertaining. The kiteflying wasn't very exciting to me, but I heard many people wondering out loud "how do they control those kites?". I think that the general public was quite taken by the kites. The kites weren't launched from under water, but from floating platforms with what looked like special kite holders. The kites were Hawaiian Team kites (maybe 3/4 size) and Peter Powell diamonds. The launch system worked pretty well, the kites being held in place until the boats pulled the kites out of the holders. There were two flyers per boat and maybe 6 boats, I don't remember for sure. -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 10 Aug 1994 09:02:25 -1000 From: pwmeek@garnet.msen.com (Peter W. Meek) Message-Id: <32b881$pgd$2@heifetz.msen.com> Organization: Msen, Inc. -- Ann Arbor, MI (account info: +1 313 998-4562) Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat Eric Douglas Singer (esinger@extremeone.win.net) wrote: : I am interested information regarding flying a kite from a boat. I : have a friend that has a regular recreational motor boat and he is : interested in driving he around a lake with one of my kites in the : air. Does anyone have experience with this, and if so any tips or : suggestions? I showed up for a fishing trip with friends (trolling for walleye was the fishing style) carrying a long thin bag. Bill and Jim seemed somewhat surprised when I pulled a 6' delta single line kite out of the bag and flew it during the entire expedition. Points to note: you need a kite that can stand wetting (it may fall in), you need a kite that can stand the entire range of wind speed plus or minus boat speed. If boat speed exceeds wind speed there may be times that you need a kite that can fly in zero wind , unless your kite will hover until the boat can be maneuvered to a different heading. BTW, many single line deltas *will* hover, or at least glide forward at a gentle slope, when the weight of the line is hanging straight down from the bridle. If the purpose of the trip *IS* to fly a kite from a boat, then adjusting boat speed and direction for most favorable flying conditions will make things much easier. When the kite falls into the water, you will find it is much easier to move the boat to the kite (watch you don't get the line entangled in the prop) than to pull the kite to the boat. Also note, that other boats will have no idea that a line in the water is there, and there is no established sign language that will convey that information -- the line will be trashed and probably the kite will be too, from the sudden strain. -- --Pete "Since at first there was no space, | Cao Xueqin ca. 1760 Things can have no proper place." | (tsao schwechin) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 01:21:30 -1000 From: tom@ksr.com (Tom Varga) Message-Id: Organization: Kendall Square Research, Waltham, MA, 021254-1379 Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat I had a real blast doing this last weekend. I went sailing with a friend on his 32 foot sailboat. We were anchored at Block Island just south of Newport with a real steady 12mph breeze when I decided to fly my little eclipse off the stern. It took a lot of concentration to let out the lines evenly while letting them slip through my fingers. Next time I'll use leather gloves. Anyway, I got the kite out on about 75 feet of line and started buzzing around. This one's a real loud kite and I enjoyed annoying all the neighboring boats. They obviously didn't think it was as funny as I did. It was just hilarious to be flying off the boat. Well, as you might figure, I eventually tried one too many tricks and ended up in the drink. I figured I'd lose this one for sure and in fact because of the wind, there was a good surface current away from the boat. The kite immediately dove straight down in the water. Instinctively, I tried to turn the kite around, even though I could no longer see it. It sure surprised me when 10 seconds later, the nose appeared out of the water and with a gentle tug, it lifted back into the air. By now, we were laughing our heads off at how funny this all seemed. This'll be one of my more memorable kiting experiences I'm sure. Anyway, next time you're in a boat, give it a try. Just make sure the kite 'flys' down deep into the water, turns around and then emerges going straight up. Otherwise, it'll just flap over and fall onto its belly. -- -Tom '====`. '====`. []---'====`.[]---'====`.[]----[] Tom Varga / .'====`./ .'====`./ /[] Kendall Square Research Corp. []----[]/[] []----[]/[] []----[]/[] 170 Tracer Lane, Waltham MA 02154 []----[]/[] []----[]/[] []----[]/[] "High Performance Computing" []----[]/[] []----[]/[] []----[]/[] 617-895-9415 []----[]/[] []----[]/[] []----[]/[] tom@ksr.com []----[]/[] []----[]/[] []----[]/[] uunet!ksr!tom []----[]/ []----[]/ []----[]/ packet : N2UA@WA1PHY []----[] []----[] []----[] amprnet : n2ua@n2ua.ampr.org = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 15:17:48 -1000 From: kevin@hawaii.edu (Kevin Mayeshiro) Message-Id: Organization: University of Hawaii Subject: Re: Kiting on a boat Tom Varga (tom@ksr.com) wrote: : This one's a real loud kite and I enjoyed annoying all the neighboring : boats. They obviously didn't think it was as funny as I did. It was : just hilarious to be flying off the boat. Were they really annoyed? Have those people ever done anything to you? Do you think that this might give kiters a bad image? - Kevin -- When posting, please keep quoted material to a minimum. rec.kites archive: ftp.hawaii.edu:/pub/rec/kites mirrors: ftp.uni-bremen.de:/pub/kites, ftp.funet.fi:/pub/misc/kites = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =