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NOAA says it's gonna happen! Scott thinks the call is Goff (launch at Napeague Lazy Point, reach and tack up to the sand bar betwixt Napeague and Gardiners Bay, portage across, launch in the Land of the Giants!). Sunday a return to Iron Pier. In a gale watch. Rig small or get blown (off the water)...
I'm in the mood...for air!
Leave it to the big bad Wolf to use an old drysuit as a scarecrow at his nursery. Thanks to Jeff Schultz for the photo and the post suggestion! #halloweenwindsurfing
Just a few days ago at the Vanderdome we were lamenting the lack of Iron Pier sessions. Iron Pier is epic because you only go there when conditions are epic, and the Pier serves it up!
Never sailed Iron Pier? I know what you're thinking: You don't want to. You imagine blowing a jibe and then having the current drag you into iron pilings covered with rust...they rip your wetsuit and lacerate your skin as you catch tetanus. Your rig gets destroyed too. That's what I always imagined, anyway. Then I sailed there.
There's no Iron Pier at Iron Pier. It's fine. Big rampy wavy Long Island Sound sailing, and as Bill says, you only go there if you're going to be on a 4.7 or smaller sail. Five meter? Go to Sebonac Inlet.
Sunday we were mostly on 4.2's. Oh Yeah! Me Frank Jan Bruce Scott Bill John Hulse the Wolf Tomas Joe Peconic Jeff & Kurt. 4.2's. Yes the beach break was challenging when we arrived (high tide) and there were some rejections and landing humiliation, but it got better. The ramps and waves I'd rate as 7 out of 10 on the Pier scale, but it was still "ten times better than Sebonac" (quoting Jan). Imagine that Sebonac Inlet and Gardiners Bay had a love child. Land of the Giants Sebonac. That's Iron Pier when it's working. Oh yeah.
We sailed to exhaustion (I did anyway). Until my arms no longer had the strength to control the 4.2. You don't want to be outward bound at the Pier and not feel strong enough to handle surprises. A great day...my body is in sweet pain as I type this post. More please!
(Top: What I lack in jumping ability I make up for in enthusiasm. Middle: John Hulse catches a wave whilst Jan motors through. Bottom: Iron Man Frank on a 4.6. Photos by Jeff Schultz.)
Joe reclines on Scott's latest bustage (at Goff's north o'Napeague). I'm sure his fin is benefiting from the experience. Oh wait...
(Photo from the Earl of Kielt's Facebook page).
Why wasn't Bill rigging? Or Hulse or Scott?
"We're waiting for you to leave. Or at least release your downhaul"
Ah. They wanted more wind.
I was on the early shift at Sebonac Inlet. Needing to accompany Mrs. Puffin back to NYC in the early afternoon I had to take what I could get...an hour of 5.0 conditions on the 5.5 I'd rigged...before the bulk of the chimpery hit the water. Sebonac on NW is less that ideal but WE'LL TAKE IT!
So I enjoyed my solo hour, and then became the wind sacrifice, bringing 4.7 conditions to the growing crew as Joe, the Wolf, Kurt, Christian, Peconic Jeff, CPU John, Frank and Felix arrived to tear it up. My leaving was good for three knots!
(Photos by Jeff Schultz)
I missed it Thursday, but others did not. Chimply Lord Scotworth the Earl of Kielt texted me: "Ponquogue went off! 4.7, easy to get out. William (He Of Whom Fun Shall Not Be Made) didn't want to quit!" I love Ponquogue. Missed it!
Meanwhile for those of the Saturday persuasion the coastal marine fricasee calls for NE 15-20 gusting to 25. If that holds there will be windsurfing. Scott says "hopefully enough for Goff" (land of the giants in Gardiners Bay north of Napeague.) May it be so.
(Photo: Lord VanderWolf holds station off of Scottworth's bow. Photo by Kielt.)
Wave sailing...on a Saturday...4.7 conditions...and warm? Yeeha! I hadn't sailed in the ocean since June (and it showed) but who cares! The Wolf, Scott, Jonathan, Joe, Jan, Bruce, Jeff, Bill, Hulse (kiting) a new guy named Remy and a few other kiters had a blast in head-high swell. The waves were not particularly ridable, but when you haven't sailed them in ages and you can jibe and jump off of six footers, well that's pretty great. Heading inbound and seeing only the top of someone else's sail reaching along side you...exciting times!
The launch at the Bowl has lost so much sand that big rocks are now an issue when you get off your board. I dinged my feet three times before resigning myself to putting on...booties. I love the barefoot ocean sailing thing...first time I've warn booties in ocean warm water in memory.
The other issue was "windsurfing shape" or the lack thereof. Arms were burning out quickly. "Doesn't matter if you're working out...all those thousands of little adjustments you do when you're sailing...we're not getting that excercise" lamented Bill regarding the poor wind year.
The SE wind was side on and fairly consistent 4.7, until the rains came and killed it. I was toasted anyway, but some of the later arrivals did not get a full serving. We all need 25 days a year like Saturday. Bring it!
(Photos by Scott. Top: Scott airs out his new board, very lightly used and I believe formerly the property of my friend Karin. Bottom: The pilings weren't a problem, but rocks under the water to the east made getting off of your board a little tricky.)
Thus spake NOAA:
E winds 10 to 15 kt...becoming se 15 to 20 kt in the late morning and afternoon. Gusts up to 25 kt.
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