Bringing Blades / Lines on an airplane

16ccollier

16ccollier

New Member
Hi everyone,

so in December I'll be going from Baltimore to Miami for a regatta, and am unsure of what to do with my blades when I go on the plane (lines and blocks shouldn't be a problem seeing as they dont run the risk of cracking and/or breaking). Should I ship my entire bladebag (rudder, tiller, and centreboard) to my hotel prior to my stay, carry on the bladebag (not sure if it fits in the dimensions or if it could be considered a weapon), or have the bladebag be one of my checked bags and put padding around it etc. ? Any words of advice or past experiences are appreciated
 
Most guys who travel have a hard case for their foils (most use a gun case of some form as you can cut out the shape you require).

There was a thread about this a couple of years ago.

Personally I would not take my foils with me in a soft case given how badly treated they can get by baggage staff,
 
I have seen people take their blades in a normal blade bag as carry-on luggage to put in the overhead bin. One guy wrapped his life jacket around the centerboard, but that only offers minimal protection. I personally would not do this with any blade I cared about. This was pre 9/11, too. They are more strict about carry-on items now, but I guess that has more to do with money than security when they charge you to check baggage.

As far as hard-sided containers go, Pelican makes some pretty good stuff.
 
Some ideas for you if you decide on the hard case and have trouble finding one or have issues with expenses. Not sure where you sail, but there should be a few folks at SSA in Annapolis that have hard cases that you might be able to borrow. Contact Jon Deutsch http://laserdistrict11.org/contacts/ as he might have a handle on who has one.

If all else fails, contact me via PM, I'd be willing to let you borrow mine
 
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