Friday's big SW blow closed out the ocean early. "Fugedabada," Scott said. "Onward to New Suffolk!" But by the time I got there Scott had already taken a look at NS and determined the tide was too high, so Mattituck was the call. Scott, me, & Marty were the wind dummies...we were out on 4.2-4.5s for about 45 minutes as the wind steadily rose. Usually the Mattituck launches are for SSW (with the reach towards Robbins Island, side on winds) but with the SW the land was affecting the blow, creating a distinct Outside about 500 yards out that was too windy for me (4.5) and for someone's formerly anchored sailboat (later seen betwixt New Suffolk and Robbins Island). Soon it was too windy for everyone, everywhere.
Went in to rig the 3.4 (my 4.0 no longer exists) as the Wolf, Jan and Bruce arrived. I figured I'd bag out the 3.4 (who does such a thing?) and hoped I could make it work (everyone else was rigging 3.7's.) The wind clocked a teense more west, so now I had to shlog 50 yards to get to decent wind.
(Shlogging a 77 liter board with a 3.4...good times!)
The decent wind was very decent. Too very decent...I took off like a shot. After a couple of runs I needed to unbag and add downhaul. Windy! But ten minutes later, standing with Bruce in waist deep water preparing to launch while half the crew was on the bay, the wind shut off completely. It was a quick two-step: First it turned west (so it was blocked by the entirety of the North Fork) and then Off.
There is no Bozo Beach in such circumstances. But a few had to take a Walk.
Within a couple of minutes you couldn't have planed on a 8.0 in the middle of the bay. It was the most drastic shut down I can ever remember seeing. And there was nothing going on in the sky (clouds, sun, rain, black helicopters) to attribute it to.
Happily there were waves to come on Sunday.
I think the shutdown was all to do with the Hastert Rule.
Posted by: Tillerman | November 04, 2013 at 10:33 AM