In the words of an OG Puffin named Dave in 1993, “don’t do that, do that!” More specifically, use a downhaul tool of some kind when attaching or releasing your downhaul, lest your hand be injured, as happened recently to The Art of Windsurfing. At the request of the editors, Artie is here to tell his cautionary tale. We urge all Puffins to learn from his error and heed his wisdom!
“When Mike asked me to write about my recent windsurfing hand injury episode and its impact on my sailing, my patients, and my work, I thought, “Why in the world would I wanna tell the windsurfing community about my stupidity?” But Mike very simply stated, “Easily half of the Puffin’s traffic comes from people searching answers,” and that actually made sense to me.
On Sunday September 24, most of the human population were probably hunkered down indoors with nasty, windy, rainy weather provided by a lingering tropical storm Ophelia. I on the other hand, with about 12 other wind-addicted souls, ventured out onto the Long Island Sound via Crab Meadow Beach in Northport for a killer wind and wave-filled 2+ hour session. Honestly, the rest is a fantastic blur of down-the-line jibes on chest to head-high waves, huge starboard jumps on the tack out, and enormous swell to jibe on way outside (remember this was day three of Ophelia and with that fetch on the Sound from the east, the swell was just enormous!).
And that was basically it: a somewhat eventful, but eventless day for me, outside of a buddy of mine, Bruce who tore his hamstring muscle jumping one of the aforementioned chest to head-high waves. Another story for another time. So, back to my truck I go and begin to de-rig my sail. The way I’ve de-rigged my sail for the past 25+ years or more. First, I wrap the outhaul line from the boom around my right hand while holding boom with my left hand, and pull with a LOT of force to release the outhaul line on the boom cleat. Then, I proceed to either hold the base of the mast extension with my left hand, or secure my foot against the mast extension, while wrapping the downhaul line around my right hand (again), and yank the (you know what) out of the line to free it from the mast extension cleat. And viola, easy-peasy. But this time, something was different, something went wrong. I felt a sharp pinch-like pain in my right hand, my working hand, thought nothing of it, strapped my board on the rack, tossed the rest of my gear in the pick-up bed, and drove the 50 minute drive home.
Less than two days later my hand swelled up like a catcher’s glove, and despite trying to “work through it” in my office, I found that was not happening and proceeded to have my receptionist call future patients to re-schedule them 1-2 weeks out. I’m an Endodontist, a root canal specialist, which requires intricate, detail fine finger movement…of my right hand; my working hand. This is a problem…a huge problem. I think it’s time I have an orthopedic surgeon take a look to find out just exactly what’s going on here. Turns out, I tore several carpal ligaments on the dorsal side of my hand and now have to immobilize my hand for the next 6 weeks in a hand splint, give or take a couple of weeks. Oh yeah, and by the way, no windsurfing or any physical activity requiring my right hand either; including work. Period. Not cool. Financially, emotionally, and windsurfingly speaking. Especially with the fall/winter season approaching.
So, was there a lesson learned? Absolutely. Could this have been avoided? Sure enough. Do the vast majority of us do this with the outhaul and downhaul line? I think we do. Will I approach rigging and de-rigging a little differently and use the proper rigging tool when I get my hand back? You betcha. Cause it just ain’t worth this stupid injury that’s for damn sure."
P.S. If you are on the beach far from your chosen tool you can use this trick to make your uni a downhaul tool.
(Photos: Top: Don't do that! Middle: Do that! Bottom: Alternative downhaul tool...$3 PVC tube with built in bend, sold at Home Depot. Do that too if you like! Photos by Artie.)
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