Is it possible to install an independent buoy course with a 12´ (4 meter) yearly water variation?

[Alberto Soares]

If possible, any ideas about the project?

[BraceMaker]

how permanant and how much money do you want to spend?

 

any current?

[rodltg2]

SCUBA !

[Ed_Obermeier]

Yes. Here is one great way to do it. Note - this is not my design, I take no credit for the design. I copied and saved it, probably off this message board, at some point in the past. TW's design maybe?

[MattP]

Atlanta Water Ski Club would be the source of that design.

[Alberto Soares]

@Ed Obermeier - Thank you Ed, that´s exactly what I was looking for.

 

@BraceMaker - No current, its a big lake and the owner uses the water to generate energy. Every year the water goes down about 12´, the rain season fills it again.

[David Miller]

We have a record capable course in our lake that flucuates 15 feet every year and it is perfect all the time Call me 604 768 3800

[Alberto Soares]

@ David Miller - Thank you David, will call you.

[thager]

@MattP That can't be an Atlanta Water Ski Club source because that ball is green!! You must be mistaken!

[MattP]

@thager wrong club. George is with WaterSki Atlanta. Those other guys are pretty old school up at The Atlanta Waterski Club

[MattP]

@ob I got the joke... 3 ball timing buoy you hate those.

[Wish]

Thought I heard someone use a pipe system. Long pipe sunk into concrete base/foot. Weight slightly smaller then tube heavy enough to sink ball to hight and allowed to slides up and down. Weight attached to rope/cord, rope/cord attached to bouy and it has up and down travel. 12' pipe may be tough to do as well as making sure they r straight up and down but no cords/ropes to get tangled up. Could place a pin through the top of the pipe so weight won't come out of the top if water level exceeds travel allowed. Could add extensions to ropes if needed. Just a thought.

[BraceMaker]

@wish - float on the pipe and it will stand straight.

 

Cost will be higher, but weight shouldnt get tangled.

 

You need 12' plus of pipe, and a water level 12' plus deep at lowest level to do that.

 

 

Portable with stainless mainline and permanent anchors at each end is easier. Occasionally pull more tension on it if water drops.

 

Let line out if it raises.

 

Two good anchors set keeps course straight and you run tension line to shore.

[Phil2360]

Adding to what @BraceMaker suggests.

 

Serious Anchor at one end, engine block etc, with a pulley attached & a float of some sort above it. Anchor line thru the pully & up to the float.

 

Mainline tension can be adjusted at the float. Had this once & consisted of a Truck tyre with a couple of boards over the top.

[BraceMaker]

@phil2360 - we both fail the "independent bouy" aspect.

 

But on the plus side, the system is much easier to relocate if required/pull for winter.

 

Best method I have seen for serious anchors are ~50 pound concrete disc with eyelets or rebar embedded. Chain and shackled to an auger or spike/rebar driven into the bottom at an angle (away from tension). A float is on the anchor, but only so you don't have to dive so far, float should be only far enough under to not get hit by props during the offseason.

 

That float is then dragged horizontally by tension on the mainline.

 

The reason this system works better than something like an engine block is that the concrete disc acts to minimize any tugging/pulling on the auger, the auger then keeps it in place from pull dragging it over time. While at the same time being light enough to position with out a serious survey crew.

 

This is the only system that will meaningfully keep a swim raft in place year after year. Even extremely heavy concrete weights have a tendency to settle or drag through the bottom.

[Chuck_Dickey]

The Mission Bay Ski Club in San Diego has a self-adjusting course to accommodate the tidal fluctuations of the ocean. I'll look for the info and post it if I can find it.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Over the years we've put several self-adjusting, floating-type tidal courses into service. At least one I'm familiar with has a 15' rise/drop 2X a day. Customer tells me it's never failed to be straight with the turn balls correctly located. Anyone interested in such a setup feel free to e-mail me. Ed @ ez-slalom. com

[Phil2360]

@BraceMaker,

 

The "independent bouy" aspect seems only to make things more difficult.

Personally wouldn't want to have to deal with independent bouys.

 

For interest sake, our deep end anchor is a Crank shaft, dunno from what, but something fairly industrial. Its in about 10m of water & 70m out from the pre-gates.

 

Hasn't moved at all in the 11 years it's been down there. It's not the one with the pulley on it, that ones at the shallow end.

 

Probably what's a bit more impressive is that fact that that first 15m length of rope that we connect the rest of the anchor line to has been in the water for over 10 years.

 

Here's hoping it holds up a bit longer, so we don't need to deal with a new anchor.

[Alberto Soares]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I guess I am giving up the independent buoy course, the only reason I wanted to make it is because I thought a floating course could not be "record approved". @David Miller sent me a link of a approved IWSF floating course project (page 71)

 

http://www.iwsf.com/rules/2013/World%20rules%202013%20-%202.pdf

 

We already have 3 floating courses (stainless and wood) and it is pretty easy to adjust them as the water varies 12" over a year. I will make a new one using the IWSF project and @David Miller suggestions (stainless + aluminum arms)

 

@Ed Obermeier - I would love to have one of your courses but unfortunatly the international freight/custom duties makes the cost too high.

 

Thank you all !!!

 

 

 

[Edbrazil]

Alberto, where are you located? I've asked a few technical people whether they are familiar with the IWWF design and its use in tournaments.

 

Also, at your site, what is the depth, as in very deep? How about the bottom, if you know: even, firm, muddy, etc.?

[Alberto Soares]

@Edbrazil - I am in Belo Horizonte, Brazil - www.clubeserradamoeda.com.br

 

2 of our courses are about 2m (6') deep in the dry season, when the rain fills up the reservoir we have about 6m (18'). Our 3rd course is in a deeper area, about 8m (24') in the dry season. The bottom is firm and kind of even.

 

Thank you for your help!

 

Alberto

[A_B]

We use a floating course with fixed anchor at one end and the other end have a cable running down through a screw in anchor with an eye, following the bottom over to another screw in anchor a few feet offshore and up to a trailer winch mounted in concrete on shore. We adjust tension as level changes. Just have to remember to reset gate locations in ZO after major changes if you want precise gate locations. The cable runs at about a 45 degree angle to a side shoreline so the cable coming up out of the water is out of harms way.

 

I like the Atlanta setup for individual buoys.

[Phil2360]

Alberto,

 

Buy Ed's Book he has on offer. Think I got it about 15 years ago & have since built 2 slightly different coursed loosely based on ideas I learnt from it.

 

Most of the changes I made were based on what I already had available & what could be easily sourced here.

 

It's a great source of ideas.

 

[Alberto Soares]

@Phil2360 - Thank you, I will buy it for sure.