The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Winter Missed (by me)

For the entire winter a session had evaded me.  Scott too...between life schedules, cold temperatures and lack of wind, while many of us had gotten little, the Earl of Kielt and I had got none.

Then Sunday Sebonac Inlet beckoned.   Cold (36-40) but sunny and windy.    I had obligations, but Scott made it on the Last Day of Winter!   T'was Scott, Frank, George and Artie with 4.7 the sail call (Artie says Frank was on a 4.5 but this sounds unlikely.  Frank is mas macho.)   The Peconic Puffin salutes them all.

For myself it's been twenty years since I missed getting at least one winter day in.  I whiffed!  Oh well...bring on Spring!

 

 

Where is my first winter session?

It's March.  I haven't sailed since November.   The last time I went this long between sessions was 2006!   Bad luck, bad scheduling, bad winter for me!

Skunks and Puffins

The forecast seemed so promising.

Scott and I were at South Jamesport, willing the tiny whitecaps to become bigger whitecaps.  Didn't happen.  Some nice people installed a beach cleaning station (baskets to pick up garbage, a can to dump it in.).  I took a run with it, returning with a soda bottle, a plastic bag, and a couple pieces of paper.

On the phone George reported a breeze on the ocean but unfavorable water conditions.   Artie called with a promising theory of sunlight and wind shifts and a hope of wind at Sebonac Inlet, so off most of us went (George stayed by the ocean awaiting a wind report.)

At Sebonac it was more of the same.   Tiny whitecaps.  Good 7.0 conditions, argh.    A puffin flew by!   Then three more!  Not quite windsurfing but still pleasing to this editor.  (If siting puffins is your thing, Sebonac has been the best spot over the years.)   Cyrus (also spotted at SJ) showed up...he'd never sailed Sebonac.   Dilay arrived too.   I gave up (wife and house guest at home) but Dilay and Cyrus went for it, and got going for a brief while.

George wisely passed.

(Top:  The new clean-the-beach station.  Middle:  Dilay will not be dinied.   Bottom:  Cyrus' maiden voyage at Sebonac.  Sailing photos by Artie.)

 

West Meadow Fridge Session

Me I was on a plane flying from Europe to JFK.  We flew in straight east, so I knew it was still blowing straight west.  But catching it in the first frigid sesh of the year were George Pav, Artie, Chris, Rob and Steve...maybe others in 38 degrees (my cutoff is 40 unless there's blazing sun!)  We honor their bravery, and envy the sesh (it was still well within the Long Island Rule of 100). 

(Photo courtesy Ken the Kiter.  Reporting by Artie.)

 

Meschutt at High Tide is Just Fine

A sunny windy Sunday?  Yes please!    So what that the tide was high when the wind came.  Meschutt’s classic inside ramps may not have been there, but there was fun to be had outside, and some high speed sailing to boot.  With a slight wind hole near shore (5.7 inside, 4.7 outside) good times were shared by Chris, Frank, Dilay, Bruce, Artie, and your editor.  

I hadn’t sailed in six weeks, and just three sessions ago I was in a shorty, and as rust never sleeps, I sucked LOL.  Forgot the threading pattern for downhaul (Chris helped me out) and it took awhile to remember jibing.  Still much fun!

(Top:  Chasing Artie.  Bottom:  Bruce sets the rail...pic courtesy The Art of Windsurfing.)