photo album 12/26/10

2010_12_26

Last Sunday the wind came in huge, low 30's gusts to 40, out of the NW. Several sailors were on the water with 3.7's and had it dialed in. I rigged a 4.2 on an axxis 285 and had way to much speed. I came in and put a smaller fin on and then had problems with spin out. Dino, Ron, James and Joel were on the water and seemed to be doing OK. Dino told me later they sailed the south side of the island and it was better. On the way home I stopped by a lake near my home and found the wind to be blowing 19 - 23 across flat water and I had to give it a shot. So I parked in front of the alligator warning sign and rigged a 6.0 on my 118L bic. The runs were kind of short and jibing at either end was nice. But, the gusts that came through in the middle were huge, I did some tail walking and got blown down a few times and then called it quits.

Merry Christmas

"Sail'n In A Winter Wonderland"
By Jon Plaster

There's some waves, let's go ride'm.
The winds a blow'n, it's excite'n!
No work'n today, it's time to play!!
Sail'n in a winter wonderland!

After a while you'll be gybe'n.
Pretty soon you're a smile'n.
Cause there's another wave, come'n your way
Sail'n in a winter wonderland!

(chorus)
All your friends are jump'n and a whoop'n.
Maybe it's time to try a little loop'n?
Up the wave face, you will go a fly'n,
Then flip around and end up on your head!

On the waves you're a carve'n
Smack a lip, and you'll be float'n,
In white frothy foam, that looks like snow
Surf'n in a winter wonderland!

Another set, starts a pitch'n
Miss your gybe, you'll be drift'n
Underwater you go, you're in the munch zone!
Swimm'n in a liquid wonderland!

(chorus)
All your friends are jump'n and a whoop'n
You think your sail'n like a pro!
So off the lip you will go for more air!
Then stuff the nose, and end up gett'n rolled!

Down the wave you're a slide'n
Like a fun rolla coaster ride'n
Back up the face, your headed for space
Float'n in a winter wonderland!

After a while you've got it wired,
Your ache'n hands are gett'n tired.
It's been a great day, just one more wave
Sail'n in a winter wonderland!

You . . Could . . Be . . . Sail'n . . In . . A . . . Winter! . . . Wonder!! . . . Land!!

Sunset Sailing

I was able to get out on the water late this afternoon and it turned out better than expected. David D was packing up and James was out on an 8.5. Wind was NNW and it was backing off slowly, wind line said 16 gusting to 25 when I got there. It looked 7.0 to me but David and Gaetan were steering me towards an 8.5. If I have to wear a full wetsuit I really don't want to be sailing an 8.5. So I rigged a 7.0 and by the time I dragged it to the water the wind didn't look that good. I had a 48cm fin on my 118L bic and it was enough to get me planing. Once I got far enough north of the island the wind was pretty consistant from the channel to the east side. I stayed out an hour, the sky was clear and on a west tack I was sailing into a setting sun on a east tack was a rising moon!
Last time I was on the water was 12/12. The wind was SW and pretty gusty. I rigged a 5.2 on a 285 axxis. When the gusts came through it was scarry fast and the holes left me floundering on the 88L board. But it was fun all the same.

Late post for Sunday/Monday

We had two great days last Sunday and Monday. Sunday was warmer, but less windy, more gusty conditions where it was hard to be out on a sinker board due to wind dying to the point where you had to swim until the next gust came. 5.0m was about the right size sail; most of the time.
Once the front went thru Sunday afternoon and wind shifted to the NW, it became windier but cooler. However, it wasn't until Monday that the winds with the gust to 50, as recorded by Jensen site, filled in. I tried using the 5.0m w/95l JP board, but it proved to be way to much too handle. Art tried his 4.6m and he found it to be too much as well. James and Ron were on 4.6m sails with sinker boards and seemed to have a handfull, but both managed. I told Dave about the wind condition and he was going to try and get a session in, but after Brandon told him he was overpowered on 4.7m, he decided against it. I can't recall the last time we had winds that strong. Hope we get some more soon. I'm itching to try my High Tech wave board that was recently repaired by Ron T.

Found small waist harness on the south side of East Island. If anyone lost one, call Ron Ternullo at 561 308-8637.

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Jerry clears the boat traffic.
Wind dropped off slightly from what it was yesterday, but still good enough for 6.5 to 7.0m sails.
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Brandon powered up on his 6.5m/105l board.
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Today ended well, I got to sail a 7.0 till sunset. Wind was out of the SSE with mostly clear skies. I had to put a 48cm pointer fin on to make it up to the House of Refuge because the wind at times was on the light side and the tide was coming in. Art, Bill, Canadian Dave, Alex and Dorian were finishing up when I go there. So, Chris, who was kite Boarding, and I had the whole river to ourselves.

Cookout photo album

2010_11_28

Cookout at the causeway

Cookout at the causeway turned out great. Late Saturday the weather forecast did not look good, they were showing rain and light wind. Sunday morning it was mostly sunny and very breezy. At 12:00 I rigged an 8.5 on the formula board and met up with Ron at the sandbar south of the spoil island. The wind was out of the east and the water was very clear. Ron was on a 145L board and an 8.4. I was out an hour and was nicely powered. When I got back there was a lot of windsurfers on the water.
Around 2:00 people made there way over to the shelter. We had a couple grills going and the tables were getting loaded up with food. I was surprised to see Clark and Vi, they have been here a month. Later on Phil and Jennifer came over with there good friend Dasher, what a surprise that was! In all I would say 25 - 30 people showed up.
At 5:00 I made a few runs up and down the channel till sunset. Ron, Dino and Jake were out as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!

no power to overpowered

Today I arrived at the causeway around 3:00 and it seemed dead. The wind was out of the east with a partly cloudy sky. Mat was coming in when I got there and he said there wasn't much wind out at the House of Refuge. I called the wind line several times and it seemed like it was building. So I rigged my 8.5 and headed down the channel. I caught several gusts and ended up on the sandbar between the two spoil islands. Ron showed up on his formula and a 9.0. He had been out awhile and sailed down to the inlet and up to the Jensen causeway and back down to the spoil island. East of us some dark clouds were headed our way so we headed to the causeway. I could see Mat out by the House of Refuge and he was planing and then the wind really filled in. I made 4 runs from the causeway to the spoil island and back and was fairly overpowered. By this time the boat traffic was light and the wind backed down to a manageable level and it was fun. Then when I was coming in at sunset the wind came in huge!

weak front pushes through

By the time I got to the causeway on friday the wind had backed down. Earlier in the day Dino said everyone was on 6.0's - 7.0's. I rigged a 10.5 on the formula board and headed south. After getting my sail dialed in I went under the bridge and made some runs up to Joes point. It was a beautiful evening, partly cloudy and very little boat traffic. I sailed till sunset and even then some gusts were coming through.

Water Hazard removed

water hazard

David, Gaetane, Art and a Arts friend removed that water hazard I posted on a few weeks back. It turned out to be a 4" flexible hose that was attached to some concrete. Thanks Guys!

Cookout at the causeway

The cookout is set for Sunday November 28th starting around 2:00pm on the Stuart causeway east island. Everyone bring a covered dish to share and whatever beverage they like. I will bring a cooler with ice, plate’s cups and eating utensils. I will also bring charcoal to fire up one of the grills. See you there

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Started on 8.4m/Formula. It's filled in enough now for Art to go out on his 6.5/wave board.
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Wave Sailing South Jetty

It was awesome! On the way up I called the wind line and it was saying 24 - 27 so I'm thinking 5.2. I arrived around 2 and met Brandon who was rigging a 5.2. So I grab the 92L synchro and head for the beach. At first I was disappointed because the wind backed off some but then it filled in big time. This is the first time I sailed up there fully powered and it was great. About a half dozen times I was able to time my jibes on an approaching wave and the next thing I know I am streaking down a wave face, it was to cool. It was nice to meet up with a fellow windsurfer. Brandon sailed the causeway yesterday and was teaching some folks on his Kona.

Saturday I went up to the Ft Pierce inlet. The wind forecast was N 17 - 21. I arrived around 1:30 and didn't see any kites, not a good sign. The wind had a little to much west in it and occasionally it would switch north and fill in. I started talking to one of the kiters and his name was Dave, "Big Wave Dave." Are Dave's naturally drawn to water sports? I rigged a 6.0 on a 92L synchro and around 2:30 I went out for a half hour and caught some gusts but it seemed like to much work. Then at 4 I went out again but it wasn't any better. Today it's supposed to build late in the day and turn NE if so I'll give it another shot.

Front pushes through.

Sky was clear and the wind was NW and blowing straight down the river. I rigged a 6.0 and went out on my 92L synchro. I was overpowered for the first few runs and then the wind backed down some. Jerry told me he had been out on a 4.3 earlier and it was great. Water is warm and a shorty wetsuit was enough to keep warm. Ron, Ingrid, Jack and Marion are down but they didn't go out.

Nice sailing

That mild front that came through today brought some decent wind. There were a lot of sailors on the water. I saw Jerry, Peggy and Dave M. are here. Also Joel was on the water and Bill showed up around the same time Brandon did. The sky was fairly overcast and the wind was coming straight down the river. I rigged a 6.0 and went out on the 118L Bic. I made some runs but it was a bit out of control. I switched to the Axxis 258 and it was better. Later when Brandon sailed I switched back to the Bic as the wind had backed off some. The sun came out as it got low in the sky, it was a great evening sail.

Blog changes

This blog has been tweeked a little, two pages have been added. Underneath the Treasure Coast Windsurfer header you will notice Home, Weather page and Where to sail and maps. Click on these headings to access those pages.

Forum links

Click the following links for more information:

Water Hazard
Lessons, gear rental and local windsurf shop
Fall slalom event

2010_10_23

2010_10_24

This weekend provided some good sailing. I hadn't been on the water in a month so I was ready. Saturday the wind was ESE and Sunday it was SE. I rigged an 8.5 on the formula board on both days and had a good time. I wasn't able to stay late in the afternoon and according to Dino it did pick up. I saw Jon was down and talked to him some. Andrea showed up on Sunday and this was her first sail since May.

Saturday Evening Rocked

Got to the SC around 5:15pm and expected to be on Formula/8. something sail, but as I was setting up, I heard a voice from the top of the bridge. It was Brandon pointing out the whitecaps toward the spoil islands. After some more contemplating decided to risk it and rig the 7.2m/92l combo and it proved to be a winner. Had a fantastic sail for about an hour until it shut down right before the sunset. Glad I made it out after work, which would not have been possible if Ron T. didn't volunteer to change my car battery while I was at work. Thanks Buddy!

Had a nice run to JB Causeway. Filled in at Joe's Pt. Now it's filled in through out. I would say doable with 8.4m. Takes getting used to sailing the 10.7m again.

Light wind day

Thursday I finally made it down to the water. Wind was light so I took a passenger with me.

HIGH WINDS ALERT!

Starting on Sunday we had steady N to NE winds. Sunday I missed, but it seemed to me the wind came up around 2pm and I did see some 7.?m sails out on the water later in the afternoon.
Monday I rigged my 6.2m/92l board combo, and that was a bit hard to handle. Wished I was on 5.0m - 5.5m. Tuesday was good for the 6.2m and today looks like it's a steady 30-35mph. Thanks Dave! :)

Pleasantly surprised

For the past five days or so the forecast was showing 25-30+ mph. But all I was seeing was 15-20 on the Jensen website. It rained all day with little wind inland so driving to the causeway I was a little depressed. It was drizzling when I got there but a NE wind was blowing. I talked to Dino and he said the Jensen site was showing 20. I rigged a 7.0 and put a big fin on and had a decent 1 1/2 hour of sailing. It drizzled the whole time I was out and sometimes the visibility was less than 2 miles. Then around 7:00 the sun broke through the cloud cover, a rainbow formed and the wind started to fade.

Friday surprise - Sunday pleasant sail

Ron making his way in Sunday afternoon.

Friday I showed up earlier in the day, (around 12pm) and it seemed the rain shower that just passed thru would kill any chance of me catching a sail session before work, but to my surprise it ended up turning into one excellent hour and a half of sailing on 7.2m/92l which toward the end was getting to be more like a 6.0m. I spoke to Ron who was heading up as I was leaving the causeway and he ended up sailing thru late afternoon with his 7.4m/112l combination, but admitted he could have easily rigged a smaller 6.x m sail.



I did not sail Saturday and it seemed to me we had light winds for most of the day, but Sunday after looking at the chart on Jensen Beach Web Cam showed a consistent increase in winds giving me the feeling that we might have a decent day. Sure enough as I was driving across the Stuart Causeway, I could see the whitecaps forming thru the House of Refuge and was able to spot the familiar red and clear sail that is seen most sailable days at the Causeway.
David and his dad were both readying their boards and rigs and Ron T. was rigged and ready on his 8.4m/Formula board. I rigged the same and headed out to the H.o.Refuge where I met up with Art and Ron T. High tide gave us access to sailing by the islands without too much concern for running aground. Wind filled in some more and it was a very pleasant sail. Later I was joined by my fiancee Karen and we sailed together into the sunset on the Formula board.

Great evening sail

When I got to the causeway Art was packing up and he said this was the best day yet. He was out on a 6.5 for 4 hours! The wind had backed down slightly so I rigged a 7.0 and put on a big pointer fin. Max and Jake were buzzing around, Ron, Larry, Eduardo and David were on the water. I made my way out to the House and Larry and I raced around for awhile. Then Eduardo, Ron and Dino came out and we were all racing each other, it was a blast. I wanted to sail under a full moon but when the sun ws setting some heavy cloud cover came in and the wind was up and down so we called it quits.d

Max and Jake

Sunday turned out to be another great day on the water. The wind clocked around to NE and it was mostly sunny. I showed up around 2 and rigged an 8.5 on the formula board. I ran up to the Jensen causeway and on the way back it became clear I needed to rig smaller. I went back out on a 7.0 and it was great. When I was re-rigging I counted 7 sails on the water and 3 sailors on the beach! Max and Jake were at it again and I was able to talk to there dad, Phil. He was busy rigging sails and moving gear around.

Max

Saturday was bright and sunny with the wind ESE. I arrived at the causeway around 2 and a lot of windsurfers were showing up. Art was out on a 7.5 and looking south it seemed I would have to rig an 8.5 which I wasn't thrilled in doing. So I thought I would wait and see if the wind would come up some. Their were two young windsurfers, Max and Jake, buzzing around and it was fun watching them. I started talking to their mother, Jennifer and she said they just moved here from Aruba. The kids are into kite boarding as well. I shot some photos but then my batteries died. Ron showed up and he rigged a 9.0 and I rigged my 8.5 on the formula board. We went down to the House of Refuge and I was wishing I was on my 7.0 and the 118L board. So I ran the channel a few times and it was fairly flat next to the sandbar. I ended up putting the 8.5 on the 118L board and Ron and I sailed under the bridge and up to Jensen causeway and back.

Jake

Brian enjoying an afternoon on the water with his dad.

I had expectations of being on a 7.0 or smaller today but it was definately an 8.5 day. Dino was out at noon on his 8.4 and was running from bridge to bridge. Ron was finishing up on his 9.0 when I arrived. Earlier he made a run from from the causeway to the inlet and then back north under both bridges and then back to the causeway! I measured it on google earth and thats about 14 miles. I was feeling to sore to rig so I started shooting some pictures.
Ernesto was there with his son Brian and another youngster with a curly head of hair. I was amazed how well Brian is doing. Check out the photos below.

click photo to enlarge

Wednesday was good. I rigged a 7.0 on my 118L bic and spent two hours out at the House. I was having a blast on flat water making some real nice jibes and then Dino shows up. He was riding his 92L JP slalom board with a 6.2 sail and blows past me, that board is sick!
Thursday the wind was lighter, Rick was on an 8.5 and Art was on a 7.5. Art said he really flattened out his sail and could have been on a 6.5. So I rigged my 7.0 and ended up schlogging down the channel. Rick came blasting by showing me the error of my ways. Once I got past the spoil island I headed over to the House. The wind was filled in enough so I could get up on plane. I spent most my time trying to learn how to do a duck jibe. I could get to the new side of the boom OK but my front foot would get hung up in the strap. One time I was able to complete the jibe without falling in, that was exciting.
It looks like we will have 3 - 4 more days of wind, courtesy of hurricane Igor. The wind is forecasted to clock around to the NE by Monday in the 16-24 mph range.

It could have been better

Yesterday when I arrived at the causeway Art was finishing up and Ron was rigging. The wind was out of the SE and it was mostly cloudy. From the forecast I thought I would be rigging a 7.0 but I had to drag out the formula board and my 8.5. The tide was high and there was a lot chop and seaweed in the channel. I ended up sailing near the House of Refuge and Eduardo joined me out there. It wasn't bad, but not what I expected.

Dogs can windsurf too!

Monji looks on

Art wins schlogfest

Yes folks the wind was really cranking this weekend. It was blowing out of the SE 10 gusting to 13 and Art was on the water both days! Not wanting to be out done, Dino thought he could boost his score by taking some passengers. But the only points he scored were with Karen. See photos below.

Click photo to enlarge

Dino catching some air

Looks like today ends four great days of sailing. Earl heads up the coast so our friends in New England can do some sailing. On the way to the causeway I passed Greg, aka Kawabunga, with his boards strapped to the roof. At the east island Larry was sailing, Art and Brandon were packing up. After talking to them I decided to rig a 7.0 and it turned out to be the right rig. It was mostly sunny, like yesterday, and the wind was out of the NE. I sailed up to the cove north of Joe's point and couldn't get enough of the flat water and gusts coming through. After 45 minutes Dino showed up and we raced around awhile. Then I made some long runs on the river and called it quits as the sun was getting low in the sky. My GPS track is posted below.

Hurricane Earl provides another great day of sailing

Another day on a 7.0, how sweet is that? I stopped at the west island and Brandon, Connelly and David D were finishing up. Brandon was out on a 7.5 and he said it was good. On the east island Ron and Larry were derigging and Alex was taking a break. Eduardo was rigging when I got there. I headed down the channel and made it past the first spoil island fairly easily. Earlier in the day Dino mentioned sailing to the inlet so thats were I headed. Boat traffic was light, the wind seemed steady and the tide had just started going out. The closer I got to the inlet the heavy wind seemed to favor the south side and I was really starting to see the current pick up so I headed back. Ran the channel a few times and then went out to the House. It was a great sail, I posted the track above.

Hurricane Earl takes over

I guess the weather today and the next few days are under the influence of hurricane Earl. Click on the weather link for magic seaweed and it shows the forecasted track of Earl, looks pretty cool. After work I stopped at the west island and spoke to Dick. He was out on a 7.5 and said it was nice sailing unlike the ups and downs of yesterday. Ron T was out on the water and he was sailing his 7.5. I headed over to the east island and was going to rig an 8.5 because 2/3rds of the way out to the House of Refuge there were no white caps. The wind was blowing E and to the W it was raining and the wind seemed to be backing down. At the last minute I decided to rig the 7.0 and I am sure glad I did. I was suprised how fast I was able to get out to the wind line by the frequent gusts coming threw. I sailed out at the House for an hour and then I had to flatten out my sail. By this time Dino had shown up and I sailed another hour. I wished I had sailed the channel but was to tired to do anything about it. It was a great evening sail.

Ron take's a break

David D calls it a day.

A lot of gear for 5 people

Hurricane Daniel

The effects of Hurricane Daniel were just starting to be felt on the Treasure Coast today. At 12:30 I rigged a 7.0 0n my 118L Bic and was surprised when I was overpowered when I got up near the House of Refuge. At the causeway David D was reading 14mph on his wind meter but the wind line was saying 30! When I got out to the House it was blowing at least 21. A light stinging drizzle was coming down under a heavily overcast sky and the wind was out of the east. It blew pretty hard for 30 minutes and then backed down. When I got back Ron, Dino and Austin were rigging. At 2:00 the cycle started again, very dark clouds were coming on shore and the wind picked up. David D was on his futura with a 7.5 and he started moving. The wind had shifted some to the SE and the rain came in again. I was nicely powered for 40 minutes and then it started to back down. On the way back Dino was on a 10.5, Ron on his 9.0 and Austin on a 7.2. Tuesday and Wednesday show more wind as the hurricane passes to our east
The last time I sailed was last Sunday and Rick was out on formula gear when I arrived. Dino was rigging and it seemed like we could get away with 7.2, 7.0's, so that's what we rigged. We should have rigged 8.5's because we did a lot of schlogging.

Fall slalom event???

Geez its been its been almost a week and a half since I have been on the water. On the 10th a tropical depression was forming 100 miles west of Key West and it was creating some wind. When I arrived at the causeway there was a fair amount of whitecaps and the railings were buzzing now and then. After rigging a 7.0 a heavy rain storm passed through and shut the wind down. I waited 2 1/2 hours and it finally came back up. I was out for a half hour and then it started to fade.

Here's something to look forward to. Rick has a post on the forum concerning a fall slalom event. Check out his post and respond accordingly.

Saturday I arrived at the causeway around 3:00. Art had been on the water for a couple of hours. I rigged an 8.5 and sailed out north of the House of refuge. I was fairly well powered and stayed out an hour. Wind was SE and the water was kind of choppy from the boat traffic. Dino and Austin saw art Art and I from the dock at the House of Refuge and said it looked like we were flying across the water.

Doesn't get any better than this!

Sunday turned out to be the best day on the water. I arrived mid afternoon and rigged a 7.0 as Art was coming in to rig smaller. Ron had his family were there, his son learning on a windsurfer and his wife and daughter on an SUP. Larry was rigging and Brandon had just pulled up as I was heading out. Wind was SE, the sky and water was clear and tide was low. I felt a bit overpowered heading out and the heavy chop wasn't helping. I sailed out to the House of Refuge and as close to Hutchison Is as the sandbars would allow. Larry joined me out there and we had a great time blasting around. Water was flat and we had plenty of speed and then some gusts would come through and turn it up a few notches! Wish I had brought the GPS. I stayed out an hour and a half, it was hard to leave, jibing was sweet. Dino was rigging as I came in and the wind stayed up for him as well.

Fridays track

Thanks T. S. Bonnie

Thursday I talked with Art as he was packing up. He said Dino and Ron were on 8.4's and it appeared they had sailed down towards the inlet. I was not thrilled with rigging an 8.5 but Art said he was well powered on his 7.5 and indicated I might make out alright on a 7.0. Shortly after Art left Ron and Dino came blasting up the channel and under the bridge (see photos below). Dino came in and said I should do OK on the 7.0. So I rigged and went out on the north side and after some pumping got going and had 45 minutes of some decent sailing.
All day Friday I checked the weather links and saw the average wind speed hit 36mph and could only hope it would be that way when I arrived. When I got to the causeway Bill was out on a 94L board and a 5.8 sail. I rigged a 6.0 and went out on an axxis 258. The current was strong and I couldn't get up wind and was happy just to make it back to the east island. This rig didn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the box. I put the 6.0 on the 118L bic and I was able to cruise way down the channel. After a few tacks I was between the spoil islands and it was unbeliveable. Strong wind blowing through and the sandbar cutting down all the chop. When you sailed north along the edge of the bar you could really get powered up and make some nice jibes in fairly flat water. There was some big rafts of seaweed coming up the channel and from a distance it looked like a sandbar. Occasionaly I would go between the spoil islands and head towards Indian River Plantation but it was to choppy for that board (see track above). Dino made his way down and we sailed around for awhile. I was out over two hours and had a great time.
Saturday at 6:30 am the wind was still blowing SE 18-23, so I was at the causeway at 8:00. The wind seemed light but wind line indicated 17-21. I rigged a 7.0 and schlogged for an hour and a half. I couldn't get up to the House of Refuge because of the current. I was derigging and the wind came up some so I went out on an 8.5 on the formula board. I had a good half hour sail and the seaweed was almost completely gone. Then the wind came up even more, I was overpowered and fatigued so I called it quits.

Dino planes through

Dino approaches causeway

Larry searching for a gust 7/17/10

SE winds continue to blow

Saturday morning I was out at 9:30 am and sailed the 10.5 just north of the spoil island. It was good, I was nicely powered and the water was flat.
Sunday Dino and I waited for the wind to build and showed up in the afternoon just to watch it fade out completely.
Monday evening when I showed up Dino was out on a 7.2 and the wind was backing off so I rigged the 8.5 and by the time I got out the wind was done.
Tuesday the wind had been blowing steady all day. Dino was out midday on a 7.2 so I was hoping for a good evening sail. When I arrived it didn't look that good. With binoculars I could see good wind at the House of Refuge so I rigged a 10.5. Ernesto showed up and rigged the same. The wind was ESE so we sailed the channel. It was great, water was flat with light boat traffic. By 7:00 the wind was back up and we were ripping up and down the channel.
Looks like higher winds are coming. A tropical wave is over Hispaniola, development is expected with a forecast track straight towards us. Check out the magic seaweed link.

Thursday I was finally able to get out on the water, it had been almost two weeks. Art was packing up when I got there. He said Dick, Roger and Dino had been out earlier. I always know when Dino is out and if you see his cell phone laying around while he is rigging please hide it. I was going to rig a 7.0 and use a big fin but while I was talking to Art the wind seemed to be backing down. So I rigged an 8.5 and used the formula board. It was a good choice because the wind was trending downward. Ron showed up and we sailed for almost an hour. The wind has been blowing out of the SE courtesy of a tropical wave passing to our south and its supposed to continue through Saturday.

Video from Hatteras trip in May

Ron sailing in Jamaica.... yea mon!

Wednesday - ENE Wind - Perfect for Causeway to Causeway runs

Wednesday winds were ENE around 17-22mph, perfect for sailing the north side of the East, or West Island as another sailor preferred. I arrived around 11 something and Art was rigging his 7.5m sail which is his biggest sail I believe, so I kind of wondered what to make of it since the Jensen web site and the wind line indicated 19+mph of wind and Art sails it when winds are mediocre for the rest of us.

The water looked incredibly clear and flat with some small whitecaps forming in the distance. There is usually a wind shadow on this direction for few hundred yards, so it can be deceiving. All my uncertainty was blown away as soon as Art sheeted his sail in, and took off planing toward the Jensen Causeway. I quickly, (some might argue that:) rigged my 7.2m sail/92l JP board. Ron T. showed up and was trying to decide what to rig. I convinced him there was enough wind out there for the 7 something sail, so he rigged the 7.4m and 145l JP. I sailed off first and was able to stay planing up to the J.C. where I met up with Art. Followed him back thru some shallow looking water, but Art has a keen sense of water depth, so I tried not to worry although I did at times close my eyes and prepared for the worst.

Ron joined us and we sailed all over the place with some other sailboats and beach cats enjoying the windy day. Ron switched to a smaller board later which worked for him. He even tried my 92l board and was able to get it moving quite well. When I purchased this board I was expecting it to be primarily for the higher wind days (6.2m and smaller), but it turns out the board is fantastic at planing out with my 7.2m sail which makes it my go to board when not on the Formula gear. I am convinced that the new short and wide designs are the way to go.

Friday was the end of that ESE wind. After work Ron, Dino, and I buzzed up and down the channel on formula gear. Mike was out on his Mistral Pacifica with a 7.5 sail. I was trying to film our session with my helmet cam but got real frustrated. I had to sail back to the causeway three times to get batteries and at one point deleted all the video I had shot. On my last attempt I was able to shoot this video. It turned out well despite the sun setting behind some.

Great Day for Family Windsurfing

I was somewhat surprised the wind filled in the way it did on Sunday. Forecast was downgraded Sunday morning to around 12mph and I was not expecting much to say the least. Once I got there around 2pm, Dave had his 7.0 rigged, so I rigged my 7.2m sail with the 92l JP board. Dave took off and seemed powered up. Once I got away from the boat traffic and the bridge, it was surprisingly easy to plane and head up to the "House". Dick joined us from the IRP for a short while, but I think he might have been slightly underpowered. Dave and I hung out by the "House" and buzzed the spoil islands cautiously since the clear water made it look much shallower. Glad I was using the 40cm fin and not the 58 -70cm fins we got accustomed to sailing. After coming in for a short break, it seemed the wind picked up even more, so I went out for few more runs. When I got back Ernesto and his family were rigging up for a windsurfing lesson. Looks like we might have some more windsurfers at the causeway in the future. Later in the day I received a text from Ron who is vacationing in Jamaica, telling me about the 25-30mph winds and being overpowered on a 5.5m. And I thought we had it good. :)

Another great evening session

We have been in the same weather pattern since Monday. A high to our north and a tropical wave to our south causing SE winds, so I was expecting the same conditions as yesterday. When I drove across the bridge I didn’t see any white caps at all so I rigged the 10.5. Ron was out on his 8.4 and Edwin, who I just met from Wellington, rigged an 8.5 on his starboard formula. Same board that David D uses. I forgot my booties and my board needs to be redecked so I was slippin and slidin around until I got the hang of it. Man it was so nice out there buzzing up and down the channel, flat water and plenty of power. I could probably have gotten away with the 8.5 but speed is good.

The evening crew

Great time despite light wind

After following the NOAA hourly forecast for several days I had visions of white caps and 7.0 sails dancing in my head. So I was a little disappointed yesterday as I drove over the causeway and was seeing an occasional white cap. On the upside the wind was ESE so we could sail up and down the channel south of the Stuart causeway. Ron, Dino, Austin, Rick and I were out for almost two hours. Boat traffic was light but just enough to make it interesting. I was sailing an 8.5 on the formula board and enjoyed buzzing along the edge of the sandbar on the east side of the channel. Water was very flat with some nice gusts coming through. Dino and I would get into an occasional duel, well frequently actually, which really made it interesting.

iWindsurf gets it right... well... close enough!

Expecting to be on Formula gear with at best 8.4m sail, I joined Ron, Art and Canadian Dave on the north side of the East Island today. It seemed that Art was moving at a decent pace, but he was too far to make out clearly, and Ron decided to change to his 11m sail with his homemade ~60cm fixed extension and the stock 490 mast, from the 9.0m he tried earlier. Canadian Dave was on the 9.0m sail and his very cool looking Starboard Formula, but not seeming to have much luck getting up on a plane. I decided to rig the 10.7m rigged a bit loosely for the light winds which proved to be a somewhat questionable decision later on. By the time I rigged, the wind has come up some and Ron took off without any hesitation followed by Can Dave, who was going to call it a day until he saw Ron skipping across the water. I followed soon and few tacks later joined Art just south of Jensen Causeway. Art headed back and Ron and I sailed what seemed a deserted river. It was a drastic difference from the weekend when we had to wait for the flottila of boats to pass up and down the channel. We made it to the J.Causeway when a small group of dark clouds rolling in from the East, started to create some serious white caps on the water. I decided better to play it safe and head back considering all the storms we had lately. That was one crazy downwinder. I tried to keep it in the channel to avoid having to look for the pvc pipes (marking the sandbars). Glad the Formula board has a "chicken strap" for those out of control downwind rides. Made it back safely followed shortly by Ron who had a blast going that much off the wind.

It seemed that the wind might hold up, so to be ready I rigged a 7.2m sail and got my 92l JP Slalom board ready. The wind did stay up and came up some, so Ron rigged a 7.4m and sailed it with his Bic. I could have easily been on a 6.2m and sailed almost flat waters until near sunset.

Sorry you missed it Dave. :(

Memorial weekend provides great sailing

For a weekend that wasn't forecasted with much wind it turned out great. The prediction was SE at 9 but the afternoon thunderstorms seemed to position themselves to enhance the wind.
Sunday I was at the causeway at noon, rigged a 7.0 and sailed about 2 hours. The causeway was packed with people, boat traffic was heavy and the water was very choppy. Ron, Art and David were on the water and I sailed mostly up at the House of Refuge were the water was a lot smoother. I saw James D. and I suspect he was getting his new Exocet warp slalom dialed in. I was hoping to check it out and talk to him but he left before I got back.
Monday I arrived around 3:00 and went out on the same rig. If I had arrived an hour earlier I could have been on a 6.0! Art, David, Ron and Dino were on the water. I forgot my booties and was slipping around on my board and then I went into the shallows on the west side of the channel to avoid boat traffic and messed up my fin. After swapping out fins I had a good hour of sailing. Dino was sporting his new, well almost, JP slalom v board. Very nice looking board, looks like "the pack" was starting to catch up with him and he had to upgrade his equipment... ugh. I met some new sailors at the causeway; Kim, Jim and Linda. I did take note of their rather dated windsurfing equipment but what really caught my eye was their 7 year old Weimer' named Tess. When I was about to pack up they offered me a beer wrapped in a coolly that looked much like a windsurfing glove, how cool was that! Anyways, Kim used to race like 20 years ago and Linda has a boat load of old equipment. They live locally and we will probably see them more and more at the causeway.

Summer heat and formula gear

Saturday afternoon we got home from our trip. I was able to get down to the causeway and rig an 8.5 on the formula board. Art, David and Dino were on the water. I had plenty of power, the wind was out of the NNE and was able to make some long runs up and down the river. Boat traffic was heavy which created a lot of chop close to the channel but the east side was fairly smooth.
Sunday the the conditions were similar with the same sailors on the water. I rigged the same but the wind was a tad lighter.
Tuesday I was able to get on the water after work. Wind was still NNE and I rigged the same but it was definitely lighter. Art was just finishing up on a 7.5 and he said the wind was good coming out of the cove north of Joes point. Ron and David were on the water and I headed up the river. I made some good runs and was opposite Joes point when the wind faded out. I was pretty disappointed and started to schlog back to the causeway. I was 2/3rds of the way there when the wind started to fill in. Ron and Dino came out and we had a blast. Very little boat traffic, fairly flat water and some real nice gusts coming in. We sailed almost to sunset and had a great time.

This was my last day of sailing on Hatteras. In the morning the wind was out of the south so I sailed the canadian hole. In the afternoon the wind shifted west and I sailed out of Frisco Woods campground. It was pretty cool making long runs parallel with the island.

Canadian hole

Weather forecasts on the Outer Banks really don't mean much. Well they are pretty accurate with sunrise and sunset. Today it was supposed to be windy early and then it would fade. This morning the wind was out of the South so I went to the Canadian Hole. I was the only one there at 8am. It was drizzling and there were some small whitecaps on the water. I rigged a 7.0 and some heavy rain came in and then the wind faded. A few more windsurfers showed up and eventually two guys went out on the water. They were catching some gusts so I went out and joined them. The gusts started to fill in and eventually I was overpowered so I went in and rigged a 6.0. By this time 6 of us were on the water and we were buzzing back and forth. Eventually it started to fade so I went back out on my 7.0 and there was about a dozen windsurfers and a dozen kite boarders by this time. I quit after 2 hours and went back to Frisco Woods for lunch. Around 3pm the wind came in out of the west so I rigged the 6.0 and went out but it dropped. So I rigged a 7.0 and went back out. It was pretty cool because you could cruise the coastline. Great way to end our last day on Hatteras.

Sunday the wind was light so we took a trip down to Okracoke. Monday the wind was out of the SE so it was mostly off shore at Frisco Woods. In the morning I drove over to the Hatteras lighthouse and checked out the wave sailing. In the afternoon I rigged an 8.5 and went out for an hour and a half. The water was super flat and their was six of us buzzing around in the sound.

Saturdays track. I measured the longest tracks at 1.8 miles on google earth.

Saturday the wind was supposed to fade early so I rigged a 7.0 and was on the water at 7am. I had the whole sound to myself. I was out for an hour and a half and the wind seemed to be backing down. Some kite boarders were rigging when I came in. The wind did stay up all day and I went out for another hour and a half at 1:30. There was 4 other windsurfers on the water and it turned out to be a good day of sailing.

Today the wind was out of the SW like it was on Wednesday. I rigged a 7.0 on my 118L and was out for an hour and a half. The wind was building slowly and I dropped down to a 6.0 on my 92L synchro and was out another hour. It was bright and sunny and the water wasn't very cold so I was wearing a shorty wetsuit. Their are some weeds in the water so my fin does get fowled occasionaly but other than that it has been some nice sailing. I didn't get out yesterday. The wind was out of the north and it was heavily overcast. There was a 2 hour period where I could have sailed a 7.0.

We finally arrived at Frisco Woods campground yesterday. It took 10 hours and two ferries to get here from Wilmington NC. I was able to get out on the water and sail past sunset on a 5.2 which was pretty sweet.

Spring fling 2010

Check out this post James Douglass placed on windsurfingmag.com regarding the spring fling event.

Those SE winds were still blowing

I wasn't able to sail Monday but Tuesday I was able to get on the water after work. I was suprised how hard the wind was blowing, I rigged a 6.0 on the 88L axxis. Mitch was sailing, Art was coming in and Alex was on the water. James stopped by just to relax, I guess 5 days sailing had taken its toll. As I headed south to some flat water I was certain I could break 30mph. I made some runs from the House of refuge heading west and bearing off the wind as I approached the shallows in front of the spoil island. There was a bit too much chop but I was able to hit 30.2. Then I headed further south for flatter water. I made some runs heading east and when I got to the vicinity of this moored catamaran I would bear off heading for the dock at the House of Refuge and I hit 32.1. That was cool and much easier in flat water. I was out an hour and a half. Eventually Dino showed up but the wind was starting to tapper off.

photos from 5/1/10

We have had some good SE winds blowing for the past 4 days or so. I was able to get out on Thursday and Friday after work on my 118L bic with a 7.0. It is so nice to end a work day on the water sailing with friends! Saturday I wasn’t able to sail but the wind was good. Sunday I arrived at the causeway around 12 and rigged a 6.0 and sailed it all afternoon. I was sailing south of the spoil island on my 88L axxis racing around with Art, James, Dino and eventually Andrea made her way out. There was a couple hundred yard stretch of flat water, between the spoil island, with some strong gusts coming through. It made for some fast, close, very competitive sailing. When we got back to the causeway Alex and Raf were doing that freestyle and kite boarding thing. Later in the afternoon Clark and Dr. Connelly showed up. As the wind started to back down I put the 6.0 on my 92L synchro and sailed over on the west side of the river.

All our windsurfing friends from up north departed last week and it appears they took all the cool air with them. These SE winds have heated things up but it has made for some great sailing.

Sunday the wind was nothing like Saturday, those darned weatherman. I got to the causeway around 3 and David D and Art were on the water schlooging for the most part. Around 5 some gusts were coming through mostly south of the spoil island and Art was flying. Ron had gone out with a 9.0 and he and David were catching some gusts as well. Eventually the wind did make its way to the causeway and the railings started to buzz. So I rigged a 7.0 and headed out about the same time the wind started to back down. I had a few runs but the current was really ripping and I couldn't get any further south then the marina. I came in and got a bigger fin but it didn't help much. After we called it quits I was able to check out Davids formula board. Its pretty cool 228cm long and 100cm wide.

saturday 54.1 miles