The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Six Years Ago By Comparison...

...there I am at South Jamesport, chasing the ever speedy Scott in the distance.  In a shorty.  Not a DRYSUIT!!!   I am ready for summer shortboarding.

Is the Water Getting Colder?

Can't remember the last time I got a headache after a dunking...January?    Arctic Artie dubbed yesterday Frigid Friday, and it was cold.  Or it seemed cold.   4.7's for Scott and me, Christian on a 5.0, and Artie arrived late to sail 5.4.   Big holes meant shlogging, but when the wind came up we were lit.   Looking forward to retiring the gloves for the season (two weeks ago at SJ they weren't needed.)  Shred on!

White Caps, Sun, Firing Sandbar!

That's the text I got from Christian at Sebonac Inlet, and it was spot on.  Also Windy!

I was lit to overpowered on my 4.2...must learn how to properly rig my 3.7...and when I wasn't overpowered it was glorious.  The sand bar was sending evenly spaced wavelets across the reach, to jump or to S turn for fun.   

Unfortunately for me it was often two knots more than I could handle, and with limited time (family obligations) I chose overpowered to rerigging.  Will work out the kinks of the 3.7 on the next windless day (backyard project) so that I can rip comfortably when it blows like that again.

On the scene:  Scott, Christian, Frank, Marty, Jonathan, Bruce, and Jan arrived as I drove away.

Sun index:  I got color on my face even while wearing sunscreen.

Cold index:  Didn't need gloves at SJ last Friday, but they were necessary today.   I'm optimistic it was the last gloved day of the Spring.

(Top:  Lord Scotworth leaps on starboard.  Bottom:  Jon Ford airs it out on port.  Photos courtesy Mike O'Connor.)

 

Arctic Artie Asks "Where Is Everyone?"

The dude is hardcore.  Last Friday while usual suspects like Scott and myself hid from the low thirties air temps, Artie and Frank Strobel were on it a Meschutt.  "Yes I froze my Tuckus off, BUT…Meschutt delivered with some very nice port ramps and fun hero jibes on the inside…not really trying to think about the wind chill in the lower 20’s!!"  Thus spake Art (ie).  For me I continue to hold out for 40 degrees (36 in full sun).  Maybe soon?!

(Frank on starboard, Artie on port.  Photo courtesy the frozen one.)

Arctic Artie

When your sail is icing up, you know it's cold!

We all knew it was windy.   Artie was on location at Meschutt, salivating at the site of beautiful ramps.   But the air was 30 degrees!

"40 is my limit" Scott said.

"36 in full sun" I noted.   We were out of the running.

Jeremy said he'd be in the sauna.

But Artie would not be denied.   25 gusting to 29, with waist high swell on the outside, he had Meschutt all to himself.  Would have loved to have joined him...in ten more degrees!

(Photos courtesy the Iceman!)

Two Seshes, Two Launches, Two Hours

I t began with a debate over West Meadow vs South Jamesport.   Pav's WM report suggests that it was the better choice, but I was with the SJ crew.  4.7's or smaller for Scott, Artie, Christian, Jonathan, the Wolf and your editor.   But after a half a dozen runs the feeling was that 

A:   The wind shadow near shore sucked.

B:  Any breakdown would have you wishing for near shore...the wind direction would blow you clear across the bay.  When the air is 39 and the water very cold, this is not what one chooses.

So we packed up and headed for Sebonac Inlet.

At Sebonac the call was 5.3s and midsized boards, at least for Christian and I.    The wind was up and down (4.7, 5.3, 6.3, 4.7).  The Wolf arrived to find his mast no longer attached to his truck, so he left immediately in search of lost carbon.    The rest of us caught what we could when we could...a beautiful day but pressing up against the cold border (my own rule is 36 degrees in full sun, 40 otherwise.)

Am glad to have got some!

(Christian up top, me at the bottom, at Sebonac Inlet.  Pics by Artie.)

Cold but Good

When the air gets below 40 degrees, the sun means a lot.

38 degrees at Sebonac.  4.7 conditions for most of us.   The day before had been a 3.7 nuker at Meschutt that I passed on (I don't like 3.7 very much, and pouring rain isn't a fave either in 40 degrees) so I was eager to get out on the water.   Jon Ford, Artie, Christian, Joe Natalie, the Wolf and a kiter were already there when I arrived.  Super low tide and uncharacteristically very few ramps inside.  Also some lulls.  Still I was happy...I'm ALWAY happy hiked out on a 4.7 and 77 liters of joy!

The water was cold, and having misplaced my good pair of winter gloves I was wearing some oldies with holes in them.  Not good (to the shop with me!)   And face dunks were at near ice cream headache levels but not quite.    Fortunately the low tide meant it was standable most everywhere. 

Two hours was enough for me.  I'm sore today!

(Top:  Joe westbound.  Bottom:  The editor shreds east.   Pics by Artie)

Meschutt (Not Symbolic Inlet) Happened on Monday

The texts said we were sailing "Symbolic Inlet".  Methought this was Sebonac mangled by a spell checker, so there I went.

Nobody.

They were at Meschutt. 

The thing about most 4.2 windsurfing is that the water is too choppy to get up to crazy high speed.   But not on the inside at Meschutt.   I went out thinking "I want to have some good jumps" but then next thing I new I was FLYING across flat water, going faster than I cared to for a jump attempt.

So I picked my moments.

So did Jon Ford, Frank, Fisherman, the Wolf and Scott.  I was last to arrive but still had a nice little sesh.  Particularly since it was my 23rd wedding anniversary.   At one point I was talking to Scott in the shallows, explaining that even a short sesh was a get since it was my anniversary.  He agreed.   I said "it's our 23rd anniversary and it's on the 23rd!".

Scott's face fell.  "Today is the 23rd?"

Yes.

November 23rd was Scott's wedding anniversary as well.  Oops!   Well now he at least was able to plan a comeback when he got home.  

South Jamesport Goes Off On East

Now in the fourth month of the warmest winter ever (aka a chilly Spring) we headed north to South Jamesport to sail the easterly.  Normally we'd be at the Bowl, but the forecasted wind strength was prohibitive.   The word was that South Jamesport would be 4.7.

Arrived at SJ to find Pav on a 4.7 and big board, modestly planing.   Scott and the Wolf hadn't brought anything larger than 4.7, so they were sitting and waiting.   Artie and I decided to go for the gusto and rig 5.4ish.

That didn't work.

Well it worked for ten seconds, then the wind came up bigly.   Came back to shore to rig 4.7, but Scott was howling louder than the wind.  "It's 4.2!"   Surely he was wrong...I wasn't THAT overpowered on the 5.4.    Walked down to the beach to remonstrate when a gust blew me backwards.  Okay it's 4.2.

Once we all sorted it out and launched 4.2 there were two things we all noticed.  First:  We could have been on 3.7's.   Second:  Nice ramps out there!   George was throwing shuv-its, Scott was doing his thing, the Wolf was getting some, and I was doing okay (jumping is not my strong suit) when I watched Artie get some air.  I'd never sailed behind him in big chop before.  He makes it look easy...not a lot of work, just a POP and up he goes.   Let me try that...

And I got a foot more air than normal.   Let me try that again...

Two feet more than normal.  I'm going to have to see if this works in lighter wind or smaller chop, but yesterday the smaller effort in front of the ramp trick was a winner.   

The sand was blasting on the beach.   At one point the Wolf was downwind on the beach about 30 feet away tending his rig when SOMEONE (not me) picked up a dead fish and threw it in the air.   Happily it dropped before hitting his wolfliness.

A day later and I'm still sore.  Great sesh!

Three Days

We had a warm winter.   Which one third of the way through Spring is still with us.   Would love to hang up the drysuit, but so far it's still too cold for a wetsuit.

Sunday was at Mecox, with Massimo.   Me on the 5.4, him on the 6.2, nice clean flat water session.  

Tuesday at Webby's with Scott and the Wolf.   4.2 and small boards.  One crazed reach to Cupsogue by the Wolf...Scott and I stopped 3/4 across.  There was concern that the outgoing tide would drag the Wolf to Portugal.  Finally he started sailing our way, so we all sailed back only to have the wind die.  Scott planed all the way home, I shlogged (with a little walking) the last few hundred yards.  The Wolf was nowhere to be seen.  After waiting for 20 minutes for him to appear on the horizon, he finally came planing back triumphant.  Scott said "watch...he'll say there was no problem!"   And so it was.

Wednesday at Sebonac.  4.2 again!   A nice group including Frank, Fisherman, Christian, the Natalies, John Nat, Scott, the Wolf, and someone I'm missing.  Beautiful day, the sand bar was working, plenty of faux waves to ride.  Good times!

East is a Beast at SJ

Okay not a BEAST exactly, but after previous joy in ENE we came with high expectations.  The thing is straight east gets bumpy out there...bumpy and deep as the bays fill up.  Still we sailed 4.7...Artie, the Wolf, Scott, Pav and David.

"What a difference between ENE and East," Scott commented.  We'd had an excellent session at South Jamesport back in August during an ENE blow, and had hoped for the same yesterday.   But t'was not the same.  The normally smooth SJ was quite bumpy...disorganized chop with only the occasional jumping ramp, and modest swell.   Tiana might make for more enjoyable sailing the next time its East and we're not in the ocean.

Around 3PM as we started to tire the wind increased to something like 4.2.  We each began to call it a day when David decided to take one more run.  While adjusting his outhaul we spotted a major crack in his uni.   A "there's no frickin' way you're going out on 40 degree water in 30mph gusts with that uni" crack.   We are grateful for discovering this on the beach and not after a rescue operation!

(Photo of le craque courtesy David.)

Warm Windy January?

50 degree air, winds SW 25 gusting to 30 in January.  On a Saturday.  Calling South Jamesport!!

With a Coast Guard plane flying low laps overhead (they practice in high winds) we had quite a turnout.   Scott, George Pav, the Natalies, the Wolf, Frank, Frank Sky King, Marty, Kiter Marty, and Rob were there.  Frank had his maiden SJ session.   The Wolf was going for air! 

Beached were Jon Ford (mysteriously grounded by Kristine) and Artie, recovering from illness (but on the camera grabbing photos).   For myself the sessions have been so few during the fall and early winter that my arms were less than prime, and I only got a few hours in.  Still a great Saturday!

(Photos courtesy Art Lamia)

Meschutt with the Ramps

The ramps! Scott said.  He was right.   Meschutt usually has fine rampage...clean leaping on port...but Sunday was fun day with some particularly beefy launch pads.  Too bad about my knee...

But still!  Frank, Jon, the Wolf, Scott, Artie and YT caught the solid winds (4.2 for most of us) and about two hours of fun before the sun set.   With air temps of 42 and the water starting to chill it was strictly drysuit conditions, and any gear not well placed got blown down the beach. 

That would be my board, anyway...

But still!  Nothing beats a windy Sunday.

Spring is Back!

3.7's and 4.2's were the call at Sebonac, as a small crowd including Scott, the Wolf, Frank, Artie and company were making the most of some big west winds.  Sand was blowing off the beach in the gusts, air temps high 30's water temps about the same. 
The previous week we talked about going gloveless but that was a fantasy borne of warmer air...the water is still Chilly.

Me I tweaked my elbow after a couple runs...off to the orthopod for what I hope is no more than a cortisone injection.   Meanwhile Frank took his customary three hour run, whilst everybody else sailed like mortals.   Need to fix my elbow and get back out there!

(Top:  View from the board.   Bottom:  Scott directing traffic.)

Cold Weather Windsurfing, Old School

I like this photo, posted on Facebook in the Old School Windsurfers group.   Stick a rig in a small iceberg and sail clew first!    I wonder how that thing helitacks.   But he's not a lone cold-weather sailing fool...the fishing boats in the background may be in port, but windsurfers got their sessions in.   

They embarrass me...six weeks into winter and I don't have Winter Session One under my belt.   Pathetic.

Blown Off the Water at Mattituck!

Hot Damn! Or is it Cold Damn!   Either way, that's windy!   I was not there myself to be so overpowered, but Frank and Scott were.   Huge warm (50ish) winds from the south drew those who could make it to Mattituck.   Following the text feed from Chimply Lord Scottworth (the Earl of Kielt) Frank arrived first, pronouncing the conditions "4.2 and no ice".   Well that works!   Scott soon joined him, sailing for about an hour before he was duly blown off the wet Peconic*.  "Thermonuclear" he pronounced it...also shallow (low tide) quite a ways out.  Mattituck is usually good for ramps, but give the wind strength keeping the boards on the water was the priority.

I haven't sailed in two months.    Argh!   Glad for them though...

*"Wet Peconic" at Mattituck.   A quarter mile east word is the bay was frozen.  So place that water temp around 33!

(In the distance we see Frank sheeted out in the big winds, as viewed by Scott from his chariot.)