OBrien Poly Lite Plus

Question
We were given this older windsurfing board, boom, mast and sail from a relative.  Wow, is it heavy! We can hardly lift it from the water!  There were limited instructions as to how to assemble - where does the boom rope/clip attach to once it's all put together??  Or should we not use the heavy mast and sail if there is a lighter mast and sail that will fit into the existing pin attachment that we can purchase? Help please - we'd love to learn this awesome sport; we live on a large lake that gets brisk summer winds.  Thanks,  J & G

Answer
Hey J & G,

Those old poly boards were extremely heavy compared to other boards made at that time. They were also given the nickname of 'slowbrien' due to their weight. But on the good side, they are almost indestructable.

It is good that you seem to have all the parts, mainly the mast base. This is the part that connects the mast/sail to the board. The bottom part of the base, from the rubber hourglass (known as the u-joint) down is the most important part as they don't make them any more and are very difficult to find. Be careful with this part when connecting/disconnecting the base because if you break it, your board becomes a float toy.

All other parts from the u-joint up can be replaced with newer, lighter, and more modern gear. You can definitely replace the mast, sail, and boom with newer gear. Masts are now made of carbon and are 3-5lbs lighter than older fiberglass masts. Booms are much lighter aluminum and are also made of carbon but the carbon booms are very expensive. Sails are definitely the biggest change and are much lighter and much more efficient than the old sails.

Here is a site that you can check out for newer base parts, extensions, and booms. www.chinooksailing.com  If you decide to upgrade, I would recommend that you replace the u-joint and everything above it with new parts.

As for your board, it will be an okay board to learn on but you will probably want to upgrade as your skills develop. Again, if you don't want to buy new, look for a board no older than five years old.

Mast, sail, and boom can be found used in good condition. Just don't buy any gear that is older than five years. Decent used gear can be found on ebay and craigslist. Looking at used gear is not difficult. On masts, check around the base for small cracks and also around the boom connection area for excessive wear. Booms will show wear on the grip but check the part that connects to the mast for stress lines or cracking. Sails should be inspected for tears, repairs, and excessive wear.

Here are some instructions on rigging that I've posted before. Go to where you found me and then you will need to go to the dates of the questions. First is 'how do I set up my windsurfer' on 8-16-09. The second is 'running ropes on the sail' on 6-29-09.

You can also go to www.windsurfingmag.com in the 'how to' section for some good instructional information. If you don't have access to lessons, I would recommend checking out some instructional videos. Google Peter Hart for some of the best videos available.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover