Good Time at the causeway

Early this morning the Jensen site wind history showed 23 - 27  mph out of the SE. I planned to sail around 11:00 and the wind died accordingly as a big rain cell developed. I talked to Ron and he made it out early on a 90L with a 6.5 sail, he said at times he was overpowered.

Yesterday I sailed at noon, wind was out of the ESE, very sunny and it looked dead at the causeway. I could see white caps way south and a kite was up. So I rigged a 7.0 with a huge fin on my 118L bic to get me out there. I caught several gusts and made it to the wind line. Dorian told me their were a lot of weeds out there, and their was. I had to head back and put on a weed fin. It performed great, I was able to motor through big mats of sargaso weeds with no problem and sail over some thin water as well. No wonder Art uses this setup.

I sailed again after work from the west island, by this time it was heavily overcast and the wind was building. Brandon and Mitch were there. I rigged my 7.0 again on the same board. There weren't any weeds on the west side and the channel was fairly clear. The best time was blasting up and down the channel and between the spoil islands.

Saturday the wind was ENE and mostly sunny. Ron and I rigged 9.0 and 8.5 on formula boards. We were well powered and cruising from bridge to bridge. With the big sails you could sail close on the east side in flat water, it was great. When I got back to the causeway Andria, Tom and young Dave were rigging. I went out a second time sailed south under the bridge and cruised the flat water in the channel and between the spoil islands.

Sunday the wind was out of the SE with a mostly sunny sky. Ron and I rigged 10.0 and 10.5 on formula boards. It was pretty good sailing. The only down side was weeds and chop from boats and jet skies. Canadian Dave and Dorian were finishing up when we headed out. Art was at the House of Refuge the whole time on a 7.5. I can't say I was sailing any better than Art but why did I require 3 more square meters of sail? Maybe because I was raking weeds with a 58cm fin.

TS Beryl brought some weather to our area. Sunday afternoon when I arrived at the causeway the wind fades. I was hesitant to rig an 8.5 on the formula board because it looked like it could light up at any minute. Dennis and I were on 8.5's, Dino on a 7.3 and I am not sure what Art was on. We sailed for 45 minutes or so and the wind did come up. I rigged a 7.0 on the Bic and as I was launching Ron pulls up in his boat. He was out at the sandbar with his wife and friends. He had been sailing a 10.0 on his formula. I sailed the 7.0 for another hour, it was great.
Monday was similiar; I showed up, wind dies. Although the wind was stronger so Ron, Dino, Dorian and Art were on 6.5's and small boards. Dennis was smart he was sailing close to the causeway the others were way out at the House of Refuge. The storm that rolled through Jensen shut the wind down at the causeway first, so Dennis came in. We watched as the others continued to sail as another storm worked it's way through Stuart and soon they were standing still. Then multiple lightning strikes and heavy rain came in. Dino and Dorian swam their rigs in, a power boat came out to assist and brought Art in. Ron swam over to IR Plantation, took a nap on the fairway, and schlogged back when the wind started to stir.

Around 4:30 Dino calls me and says it's blowing at the causeway. I haven't sailed in 12 days so it didn't take much to talk me into going. The wind is out of the SE with a fair amount of white caps on the water so I rig a 7.0 and head out. The wind is fading so it was 20 minutes of mediocre sailing followed by 40 minutes of schlogging. So we end up on the island of the causeway talking and around 7:20 it starts picking up, right around the time Dino finally de-rigged his sail. So I head back out, younger Brandon is already out and the wind really fills in. I had to stop several times and flatten out my sail, it was great. As Brandon starts heading in I notice 2 sails streaking back and forth close to the causeway, Ron and Dino are back out. We sailed after sunset, it was sweet.

Hatteras Island

Today was unbelievably calm. At noon I rode my bike from Frisco to Hatteras and stopped halfway between at a beach access. From the boardwalk you could see the ocean and sound, both were dead calm.

Hatteras Island

Yesterday the wind came up earlier and stronger than forecasted. No one was up, I told Tammy I should go around and bang on some campers. I sailed by myself, wind was out of the north and it was nice and sunny. It was blowing 18 - 20 and I rigged a 7.0 on my bic.

Hatteras Island

Yesterday the wind came up out of the SW and I sailed with two other windsurfers on a 7.0. It was warm, sunny and a pleasent ride. Last nite the wind changed direction and around 3:00am gusts were hitting 30+ out of the NW. In the morning the skies became mostly sunny with the temperature in the low 60's. At 7:30am I was on the water on a 4.7 but the wind was dropping fast. So I rigged a 6.0 and was out till 9:00. It was fun because you were sailing parallel to shore instead  heading out into the great void of Pamilico Sound.