The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

When the World Is Running Down...

“When the world is running down you make the best of what’s still around.”

-The Police, from the album Zenyatta Mondatta

The song is from 1980 but it sure seems to fit the times.   My gear is running down, so when my 20 year old boom (a big Fiberspar, reserved for the 7.5) came apart after a Mecox session last week, I had to think creatively about how to keep the 7.5 in active quiver.

Fortunately (in my mind, not in the wife’s) I hang on to my old booms when they’ve aged past safe usage.   I rig them for nonplaning freestyle, or I think “I may need the parts”.   For 18 years I’ve had this junk collection, and I finally got to use it. Swapped out the boom head from a Fiberspar wave boom.   That boom is so small it never gets used above 4.7, but I am no longer willing to jump with that boom so as a high wind tool it’s pretty much worthless.    I’m hanging on to the tail piece and swivel adjusters, but the boomy part is headed for the junkyard.

Now I just need 12-14 to test the rebuilt one.

(Photos:   Top:  The donor boom and the grateful recipient. Bottom:  Boom head detail.   Notice that the dead head is completely missing the red plastic shim stuff.   Also note that I used "grateful" and "dead head".   It's alright.)

Mecoxing

We were all wired for disappointment.   Saturday had been forecasted to be a beautiful southerly shredfest, but the forecast unraveled the day before, and all that appeared to be left was catching a bit of breeze in front of a thunderstorm.

Massimo and I chose Mecox.    It looked like we might plane in the occasional gust on 7.5's so that's what we rigged.

For ten minutes we marginally planed in the gusts.   Then we planed in the gusts.   Then the wind filled in and we were flying.

Thinking to myself that the 7.5 rig felt a little wobbly, I noticed that the boom head connection between the boom and the clamp was loose.  VERY loose.   First I thought "relax, sail easily, enjoy.   Also I have no other boom that will fit the 7.5.    Then I thought "it's going to be a long walk/swim back if this thing explodes on me."   So I gingerly sailed back to the launch.   Session over.

But the wind came up more, I rigged the 6.2, Massimo came in for a smaller board, and it was back to the races.   A fine Mecox day!

Andy Brandt/ABK Clinic Update

Andy Brandt/ABK mini clinic schedule for the NY/NJ area:   Andy is doing a series of one day clinics, limited to six people per clinic.   Some are windsurfing clinics, the others are foiling only clinics.   Here’s the plan:

June 27 foil clinic, Atlantic City,

June 28 foil clinic, Atlantic City,

July 5 foil clinic, Long Island

July 6 windsurfing clinic, Long Island

July 11 foil clinic, Atlantic City

July 12 foil clinic, Atlantic City

July 25 foil clinic, Long Island

July 26 windsurfing clinic, Long Island

All clinics are limited to six people maximum.   Sign up on ABK’s web site

 

Wearing and Tearing at South Jamesport

It was sweet. 4.7’s on a sou’westerly and Sou’Jamesport. All that was missing was full sun but Hey I’m on my 77 in June!   And low tide meant you could stand most anywhere in the Peconic, so we were happy campers.   Still everyone had their own twist to make it interesting.

Andy Brandt was there! ABK’s finest was sailing recreationally and put on a show, throwing leapard loops, inverted chacho 540’s, and the odd carve 360, plus various shuv its and so forth.  

The Wolf managed a pair of explosions. In the first he jibed without fully checking who was behind him, and nearly annihilated your humble editor.   I shouted and induced my own catapult , the Wolf bailed, and we both ended up laughing about six feet apart (good social distancing).     No harm no foul.   Later in the day Lord vanderWolf caught a rail at full speed…Scott witnessed the explosion.

“You’ll have that” we all agreed.

Christian was enjoying the jibing, and proclaimed SJ as having risen to a high rank in his estimation of launches (he and I agreed about East Landing similarly just a few weeks ago.)

Massimo was working out the kinks on his 5.5 and brand new 102, after he and I had been skunked at Mecox (the forecasted 22 materialized there as 10.)

Jon Ford was sailing upwind and upwinder and upwinder until he was practically in Riverhead, then took a massive broad reach to shore.

Scott?   By the time I arrived he had done half of his sailing, so most of what I saw was him standing around smiling.   

Around 3 the wind picked up, but after several good hours rigging down seemed like work so we left.

4.7 at SJ is a happy pill.   Can we have more please?

Foil Clinics....ONE DAY...from Andy Brandt/ABK!

You can make time for this.  You know you can!   It's not a classic three-day ABK, or an abbreviated two day.  It's a one day clinic.

On Foiling.   We all have lots to learn about flying over the water and Andy is coming to teach it on Long Island.   From his Facebook page:

All levels - one day Andy Brandt ABK Boardsports foiling clinics. Limited to 6 people. Demo gear available to try from Fanatic and Slingshot.

Try foiling for the first time or improve your foils jibes and tricks.9:00-12:30 lunch break 2:30-6:00

June 6. Long Island NY. Hampton Watersports
July 5 Long Island NY. Hampton Watersports

Clinic cost $200. Sign up on the ABK Boardsports website

That was a weekend!

So good!

Saturday a crowd formed at Sebonac Inlet for 3.7-4.2 conditions.   Partial list of the shredly includes Artie, Christian, Fisherman, Frank, Massimo, Joe N, George Pav, Scott, the Wolf (there were more).  The gusts were nuts.

Sunday the crowd was dispersed at various launches...South Jamesport, Webbies etc.   Massimo and I caught it at Mecox...4.7 conditions and even some ramps.   Fifteen years ago Mass was my regular windsurfing partner, but he took a long golf detour whilst I fell in with the Wind Chimps.  Now Mass is back in the hunt.   More adventures to follow... (Top photo: Artie eyes the sky. Bottom video: Chasing Massimo.)

Rig 4.7, Then...

"I think we should rig 4.7, then pick a board when the wind comes."   Wisdom of Frank

"But there's no wind."   Me.

Me I was thinking of going home.   It was 6PM.  We started at Sebonac, where there was not enough wind but what there was was too northwest for Sebonac.   At Meschutt, Artie, Frank, Scott, Joe Natalie, the Wolf and I were staring at the occasional whitecap.   It was 7.5 conditions, most of these guys Just Say No to 6.0, but the map showed stronger winds to the west.  So the plan was to wait.

The breeze began to pick up.  I was convinced that the wind wouldn't be happening until nearly sunset, and I was supposed to cook dinner!   So I hung out in the parking lot before I looked again at the water and saw Scott and Frank planing.   Rigged the 4.7, put it on a 93 liter board for safety, and had an easy sesh in gentle swell.   5.4 would have been ripping but everyone was on a 4.7 and a follower I shall be this day.

Good fun for an hour, then it backed off.  I went home to cook.  The wind came back up...whoever caught it ripped!

(Top: Springtime, and the duck jibes are easy.  Bottom:  Artie sets a rail.  Pics courtesy Chris Lamia.)

 

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!

Social Distancing at Sebonac Inlet

It was strangely heartening Good Friday, pulling up to park and seeing sailors wearing face masks.   Excellent…we’re serious!   And the sail call was 3.7-4.2…rock and roll.   A great windsurfing day…but how to manage protecting oneself against the coronavirus in 25 mph wind?   Standing 6 feet apart doesn’t mean sh** if someone is downwind of you.

And yet we managed. The sailing was excellent. Following Scott outbound I watched him catch some excellent air, and inspired got my own biggest jump of the year (it wasn’t that big, but there was that blessed extra beat of silence while airborne.)  

The crowd grew and grew (West Meadow and other venues were closed), and after a couple hours I found myself uncomfortable with the number of people there. This sucked, as I liked everyone I knew, and those that I didn’t were of course likely fine (they’re windsurfers!) but I watch and read the news, and think dying on a ventilator is to be avoided.

Can’t wait for the next session though!

On hand for the wind: Artie, Dr. Dan, Dr. Pain, Fisherman, Scott, Sky King Frank, the Wolf, some kiters I didn’t know, and I’m sure I’m missing some.   A good time was had by all.

(Photos by Artie’s wife Chris.   That's Artie airborne inbound.)

What is enough social distance in the wind?

Artie sent me an article that advised surfers they need much more than six feet to be safe from and for infecting others with COVID-19.   The breeze is the problem.   Droplets with the virus float with the wind.

Oh shit.

I will confess that during last Thursday's beautiful session I was holding my breath whenever I passed downwind of the other guys.   It seemed both goofy and prudent.   And strenuous...I like to take regular breaths when I shred.   Doh!

We must keep being mindful and cautious.

(A little more detail can be found in this piece from the San Diego Union-Tribune.)

 

Picture Perfect 4.7

"It's good to see you!" I said to the Wolf and Scott.

"Yeah, it's good to look at real people" the Wolf agreed.    No Zoom conversation this.   We were social distancing at Meschutt on Thursday, and rigging 4.7's.    I was ambivalent about windsurfing...it seemed so decadent and out of touch with all the mess and suffering, but my chores were done for the morning, my wife blessed my grabbing a (short) session, so I went.

Conditions were beautiful.   In classic Meschutt fashion the inside was extra flat and smooth, followed by small but perfectly formed ramps, and on the outside the swell was well spaced.   Easy peasy jibing.   Threw my first duck jibe of the year, and it felt GREAT.   The air was comfortable in the mid 40's, the wind was exactly 4.7 and consistent...the sailing was a joy.

After an hour of sailing Fisherman showed up.   "How's the water temp?" he asked.

"Nobody knows" Scott replied.  Nobody was falling.

About twenty minutes later the wind began to build, my out-of-windsurfing-shape arms were beginning to fatigue, and I thought "you're so lucky.   Enjoy what you had, now go home and get back to pandemic life.

I am grateful for the session and the time with friends.

 

Sailworks is making face shields for Oregon's health Care community

That's Bruce Peterson of Sailworks.  From their FB page:  "

To help mitigate the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in our local healthcare community, Sailworks has re-tasked our staff and sail loft to make medical face shields. The shields are lightweight, just 1.1 ounces, made from 7-mil monofilm with a foam headband and adjustable 1" elastic strap. It took a week to get stocked up on materials and get the 10-step cutting and production line set up, but we can now make 400-500 face shields per day.

This face shield project is in conjunction with the Hood River County Health Dept. and HMB 50, an Oregon not for profit to procure and donate PPE to health and public safety workers in the Columbia Gorge and beyond. HMB 50 stands for "Hand Made Brigade, 50" -- 50 being the number of hours it took to initiate this effort from the first plea from our local medical community. Please contact the Hood River County Health Dept. with requests for face shields - please don't call Sailworks for face shields."   There's more, including how one can donate to the cause, on Sailworks' Facebook page.

Thanks to Jill for originally posting this on the LI Windsurfer FB page.

Very Nice Digs for a Windsurfer

Flipping through a seven year old copy of "Hampton Cottages and Gardens" living underneath our coffee table (saved for a picture of some friends in the issue) I stumbled across an ad for "Steven Dubner Landscaping." The boards in the backround caught my eye.  Two Mistrals, a Seatrend, two F2's, a Naish, and a Pro Tech (also a surf board).  A solid connection at what looks like a very nice house.  Does he/she/they sail out the back?  Looks good in any event!

Sebonac Tonic

"Almost warm enough to not need gloves" Scott said.

I needed gloves for sure, but otherwise was quite warm in 25 knots/full sun/low tide Sebonac perfection.   Scott, John Natalie, David, Fisherman, the Wolf and moi on 4.2's and the occasional 3.7.   The sand bar was working, and for a few hours the wind was consistent and smooth.   How smooth?  I can't remember the last time I attempted a duck jibe on a 4.2 (I fear exploding) but it all seemed so nice on port that I took a shot.  Planed through boyeeeee!

Very nice.  More days like this please.

P.S.  with the fresh dredging of the inlet proper, landing on the east beach requires sailing the nose of the board onto dry sand if you want to step off in water that isn't overhead deep.  The north launch was favored (though I did do the sand landing thrice...makes me feel like an eight year old.)