Tap Plastic has 3/16" fiberglass rods, but only in 6' lengths. I used short section of brass tubing to join pieces together to make get the proper length for the battens.

It's now ready to sail--just waiting for some decent wind to test it out. One thing I am sure of is that I'll feel very patriotic sailing this boat...

I’m wondering though, what are the target species when rockfish fishing is closed?

Seems to be mostly halibut...

I've been trying to put together a second AI from a Hobie Adventure (older version of Revo 16), and it's complete, except for the mast. The official Hobie mast is over $800, and I don't think it is even possible to get the pre-2015 version. So, I decided to try a windsurfer mast.

I found a used 460cm (15' 1") 90% carbon mast for $200 (no shipping, no tax), so I figured it's worth a try. The mast is exactly the same length as the Hobie mast, it's about 1mm narrower at the base, 2mm narrower at the top, the thickness at the center coupler is 1/16" (Hobie is 3/32"), and it weighs 3.86lbs (about 1/2 the weight of the Hobie). I did a few flex testing experiments, and as near as I can tell, the windsurfer and Hobie masts are virtually identical in that respect.

I bought the Hobie mast base and collar and attached them to the windsurfer mast (rivets for base, G-flex for the collar). The mast top piece seems to be currently unavailable, and since it fits inside the mast, it would not work without major modifications anyway. So, I made a little dohickey out of a solid piece of 1.5x1.5x3 inch piece of starboard plastic (not easy without a lathe...). That slips into the top of the mast. I've also got a mast topper that I use, which is the secret ingredient that makes it possible to fly a second sail (jib/genoa or spinnaker), and I figured out how to add that to the top. That was actually a bit tricky, as the sail is not a standard Hobie sail--it's from Intensity Sails, and was super-cheap (like $200, although, unfortunately, they don't sell AI/TI sails anymore). The non-Hobie sail has a narrower sleeve, so I could not slip 1.25" PVC pipe through it, and had to use some narrower (but, supposedly, extra-strong) below-sink PVC instead.

The only things remaining are to spray paint the mast-topper tube, and put one bolt thru to connect to the top of the sail, which should be done in a day or 2.

I might try to replace the mast-topping tube with aluminum tubing. I'd also like to redo that white starboard plastic piece in aluminum, but I don't have a metal lathe, and that would probably be beyond my limited angle-grinding skills.

The lighter weight aloft will be great, but a broken mast would certainly be no fun. A jib definitely puts some extra stress on the mast too.

I was hoping to test it out this weekend, but it looks like the wind will be practically zilch after Wednesday, so I might have to wait a bit to see if it'll hold up. In any case, I still need to find some battens, so if anybody knows where I can get 3/16" fiberglass rods in 10' lengths locally, LMK. I can find them online, but shipping is pricey.

A bunch of pictures...
 

There is an entire crew of watchstanders sitting in the Communications Center 24/7/365.  Additionally, each small boat station has a watchstander at the radios 24/7/365.  This doesn't ever change.  There is no instance where the radio does not have a watchstander, ever, period.  If I was the sole watchstander at the radio at the station in the middle of the night and I needed to walk away to use the bathroom, I needed to either wake someone up to come relieve the watch or I needed to contact the Comms Center above me in the chain of command to have them take my radio guard.  This is true for all watchstanders across the entire service.

The reason you didn't hear back on 16 for a radio check is because it's not legal for you to do radio checks on 16.  You really should brush up on your Marine VHF skills.  Every professional mariner and most recreational mariners at sea that night were hearing your radio check and not responding, too.  Why?  Because that's not what 16 is for.  16 is the International Hailing and Distress frequency.  You use it to call maydays, pan pans, securites, and to hail another vessel before immediately moving the conversation to another, more appropriate channel. 

Channel 09 is the proper channel for radio checks when 68 or 69 are not yielding good results.  That's the legal and proper way to do a radio check.  You should also brush up on local knowledge to know who your resources are.  You launched out of Pillar Point Harbor.  There's a Harbor Master there with an entire rescue force that consists of 2 boats and numerous jet skis.  They monitor VHF Channel 74 24/7.  You can do a radio check with them, too.  There are free publications called the Coast Pilot that outline all these details for all US coastlines and more.  As a distance sailor, you should be learning these things.

You often call my words harsh, but this is why.  You are proving that you are going out underprepared and riding a wave of luck.  Learn your shit and do better.

End rant and apologies for the threadjack.

Great info, and thanks for posting.

I can dig it - looks tasty!  Sounds like it would be a great recipe for small extra bits of fish left when cleaning/filleting.

Yes! After filleting fish, scrape the bones with a spoon, and that meat would be perfect for this recipe.

From the article:

“… around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff's office received a call about the missing boat.

The U.S. Coast Guard was informed of the situation around 11:40 p.m.”

Why would the sheriff wait an hour and 20 minutes to inform the CG? That makes no sense to me.

Welcome, gravity-defying DK...

Sounds like progress. I'm sure that you'll be on the water next year.