Spring Fling

Hey windsurfers, Rick is proposing another event at the Stuart causeway. So check out the info on the forum and respond accordingly

Saturday was not a fun day on the water. I envisioned 8.5 possibly 7.0, the wind did not come in as predicted. I rigged an 8.5 on the formula board and got up on plane a few times but for the most part it was work. Art, David, and James were on the water; Ron L showed up later rigging an 11.0.
Sunday was great! I hit the water at 11:00 and finished at 4:00. Wind was out of the SSE and it was heavily overcast. I rigged a 7.0 and it was a good choice, the wind was fairly steady. The Daves represented at least a quarter of the windsurfers: Canadian Dave, Cape Cod Dave, Michigan Dave, just learning Dave (local), just learning Dave (Canada) and myself. It was nice out at the House and on the west side of the channel it was flat and the wind was still filled in. A few of us sailed from the east island but most were from the west island. Later in the afternoon I sailed over and was greeted by Ron L who promptly told me to go back to the other island, nice guy.

Sunday afternoon the wind came up big! At 1:00 I arrived at the causeway; Dick, Darren and Jerry were on the island. Ron T, Dino, Art, James, David, Dave M and Dorian were on the water. I rigged a 5.2 on my 92L board and headed out, I was nicely powered and could see 4 sails out at the House of Refuge. I was about 2/3rds of the way there when I broke another boom. I drifted/sailed back to the causeway and was looking for Paul to see if I could rent one. Dick saw the fix I was in and said it was to nice of a day to miss this wind and he graciously loaned me a boom. About this time Dino came in and said the wind had come up more, so I applied more down haul and headed out. Frequently I felt overpowered but made my way out to the House of Refuge. I had a great hour on the water. Water was flat near the House and at the spoil island, this made for some great jibes. I think I am getting this synchro dialed in. Getting back wasn't the white knuckle affair I expected because a storm rolled in and the wind backed down. It was just a matter of hitting the island before the lighning hit me.

photo album 3/14/10

2010_03_14

Thanks to daylight savings time...

Wow another day on the water! I expected lighter winds than Sunday, so much for weather forecasts. I arrived at the causeway after work and James, David, Brandon, Jon, Alex, Mike and a few othere were on the water. Jerry arrived when I did and he rigged a 4.8, I rigged a 5.0. I made one run and was dissapointed thinking I should have rigged a 6.0. So I bagged out the sail and headed out. I was fairly well powered and then it started to fill in and I was pleasently suprised. I had a good hour on the water nicely powered and then it came up and shifted slightly more north and now I was overpowered. I had a great sail, what a great way to end the day

photo album 3/13/10

2010_03_13

Saturday and Sunday, great time on the water!

Saturday brought an end to a day and a half of rain. Skies were clear and there was a cool dry wind blowing out of the west. I arrived at the causeway around noon and it was crowded with windsurfers and kite boarders. I rigged a 6.0 and and after struggling with it for an hour or so I rigged down to a 5.0. It felt good but a 4.5 may have been better at times. At one point I counted 8 kites up in the air, it was a bit crazy coming into the beach.
Sunday the conditions were the same but the wind was a bit less. I rigged a 7.0 on the 118l board and was sailing for 3 hours. There was more holes early. I was able to catch a gust shortly after heading out and blasted up to the Jensen causeway. I was pretty much overpowered and was concerned because I would have to sail off the wind more to get back. I cruised back to the sailing center and then hit some holes. Around 4:00 it picked up some, less holes and the 7.0 was a bit much. I did sail under the Stuart causeway down to the spoil island but the wind was a bit flaky.

Andrea catching some air

Big wind yesterday

The wind was out of the south and the sky was heavily overcast. James C., Dorian and a couple other sailors were on the water. Brandon pulled up when I did, David arrived shortly after and a few others were rigging 5 somethings. I was reading 17 - 23 mph on my wind meter, so I rigged a 5.0 on my 92L board. I was nicely powered and thought I could sail from shore to shore as I made my way south. I scraped the sandbar near the channel a couple times so I stayed over on the west side of the channel. The first 45 minutes were great but the wind was building and jibing was becoming a real challenge. Three times I stopped to flatten out the sail but it reached a point where I was definitely overpowered. I passed James C as he was heading back from the House of Refuge and it was shortly after that I decided to turn back as well. Bearing off wind brought on so much speed it was the fastest I had been on this board. I had good control until this gust hit and the board was tail walking and the sail started shaking and I got blown over to leeward. The tail piece on my boom bent on impact so I decided to let the wind blow me back to the causeway.

Kite boarders everywhere!

Saturday I went up to the Ft Pierce inlet around 1:00. The wind was out of the N 17-21 mph and the temp was 55 degrees and sunny. There was 8 kite boarders out on the water, so I rigged a 6.0 and headed out. I planned up easily enough but there was some holes. I was having trouble pointing up wind so I was experimenting with boom height and mast position. It seemed like I was always trying to pinch upwind on the way out and then having a pretty decent ride in. I did get trashed in the shore break when I came in to far south of the jetty. I had a pretty good time but I thinking I need a bigger fin with the 6.0.

I need to post more often the week tends to blur after a while.
Sunday I was at the causeway around 1:00 wind was out of the NE and it was fairly sunny. Greg just finished up on a 9.0 and the wind was fading. Dino was rigging an 8.4 and to me it was looking like 10.5. I was dragging my feet to see how Dino made out on his rig and was waiting for Greg to de-rig (this is a guaranteed method of making the wind pick up!). Greg, the wise windsurfer that he is, took his boom off and and changed out of his wetsuit and waited. Sure enough the wind started to build. Dino was planning more often so I rigged an 8.5 on the formula. Greg suited up and we went out and had a good hour or so. I was glad I hadn't rigged a 10.5 because I was getting overpowered.
Tuesday the wind was out of the SE and overcast. The wind had been fading slightly before I got to the causeway. James took off on a a 5.1 so I rigged a 5.0. Just as I was ready to hit the water Dorian informs me that showers were on the way and sailing would be better in a couple hours. I headed out as a drizzle comes down and I am struggling to get planning. Brandon and James were out near the House of Refuge and I wasn't having much luck getting there. I ended up on the shore line near Dicks house as Brandon and James schlogg by. It took awhile but finally I was able to get up and schlogg back. I checked the wind history on the Jensen site and I was out during the biggest downward spike of the day :(
Wednesday the wind had swung around to the NW and was very unsteady. It was heavily overcast and in the 50's. I wavered for quite awhile deciding what to rig. At first I dragged out the 5.0 and ended up rigging a 7.0 heavily down hauled. It turned out to be the right setup. There was heavy chop awaiting at either end of the island due to the incoming tide but further out it wasn't bad on the 118L board. I had wicked speed in the gusts but I was able to coast to the next gust most of the time. I had a blast!