The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

West Landing? Yes Indeed!

Where can we park?

It was blowing 16-18 NE today but we could not figure out where to sail on account of all the parking restrictions.

The logical choice was East Landing.  Yes it's posted as requiring Town permits but many of us (your editor, for example) have never been asked for one there.  East landing was where Christian, Artie and I were headed.

Scott suggested Meschutt (no permit required.)   In the interest of all sailing together the call was made to go to Meschutt.  I arrived first and was promptly stopped by a park attendant who said $18 to park.   I said "I've been sailing here 20 years and have never heard this".   Apparently as long as it's summer they can charge, and today was Hassle People At Beaches Day (there were no cars in the Meschutt parking lot.)

So we headed to East Landing.   Where a police car immediately showed up and told us we could not stay without town permits (next year I'm getting one).   He was kind enough to tell us about West Landing, where there was an area to park sans permits.   After some running back and forth between Landings East and West, we ended up at West Landing.   Nice beach, but the wind is pretty much dead onshore in NE.  Still we have a good session.

Scott and his Rope Fins

Scott, the Wolf and your editor at Meschutt.   The wind was blowing straight north...a little weird, and barely enough to plane on larger gear.  Scott was on his 5.8, I had a 6.2 on my 109, and the Wolf was trying to make a 5.3 work on his 102.*    

Meschutt Beach is still rigged for summer, meaning that swimming areas are roped off.  I'd never sailed there in the summer so it was all news to me.   My first run where I needed to go through the swimming area I spotted the full ropes soon enough that I was prepared to jump them and clear my fin.   Execution is everything though, and I failed to get the fin high enough.  Kapow, as Batman would say.

Soon after Scott launched, and I watched him head towards the swimming area.   He went through a section that apparently had no rope.  OF COURSE he knows the ins and outs here I thought.  So I headed the same way, but fortunately remembered that Scott's boards all sport weed fins.  He's cheating!  He has ROPE fins on!

So I tacked and headed upwind towards the jetty, where I was finally able to get high enough to reach past the ropes.

Other than that it was an unremarkable session...the forecast had called for a lot more wind but it wasn't to be.    Still, I learned a new rigging trick.  Rope fins!

August?

I did get one session in, a couple weeks ago at East Landing...nothing special...6.3...but I thought "I'll write about it when I post about my next session."

But here we are, on another Skunked Saturday, and the month is getting SHORT!    Maybe tomorrow (Sunday) we'll get a westerly at Sebonac Inlet.   Fingers are crossed.

Steel Bolts Fail (over enough time)

I'm a two-bolt mast base man.   No single bolt uni's for me (except on the SUP which only has an insert.)   The attraction is the extra safety...if a bolt fails I can still sail home on the other, though the mast foot may get out of position.   Also the two bolt plates can be left on every board, and just the uni(s) can be attached and removed as needed, speeding up derigging.

End of sermon.   Here's what happened at the last session:   I was adjusting the mast foot position on my 99 Skate in the parking lot of South Jamesport, when, while tightening the bolts, one sheared off while I was not applying that much torque.   I wasn't close to using a strong twist.   That bolt was ready to fail...happily it did so on dry land.*

I'm guessing I bought the foot ten or twelve years ago...maybe more.   I'm not sure how I'm going to be inspecting the others, but taking them off of the boards (I have a two bolt plate on all four boards) for a look I will be doing.    Gear breaks.

*More happily I had an extra one in the van.

(Photo:   The bolt in two pieces.)

Catching Some in 80 Degrees

We don't have a category for "warm water sailing" on the Puffin, but we could have with sessions like yesterday's.  When signs of a thermal began popping up the texts went out, resulting in a small turnout of Scott, Artie, and your editor.   Sceptical Scott sat in his pickup saying "get me excited before I rig".   Artie and I had no time to waste...it was HOT out.   Artie only brought his 6.0...the perfect choice it turned out.  I rigged 6.3 and a 100 liter board, and down to the beach we went.   Once we figured out how to launch in between the two dozen people swimming (walk all the way upwind, shlog most carefully) we were on it.   There were lulls but there were also speed patches, and soon SceptiScott was out on his 5.8.   The forecast was for it to build, but after 90 minutes it seemed to be dropping, so in the interest of spousal points we wrapped it up.

(Top:  Artie jibing on the inside.  Bottom:  Me happy to be hiked out.  Photos by Chris.)

Summer Shortboarding

Friday at South Jamesport:  I arrived to find only Scott and his 4.7.   I rigged 5.4 and the easy breezy planing began.

Soon the Wolf arrived, followed by Christian and Artie.  And more wind...4.7's for all!   By the time Pav and Joe Natalie were ready to rock 4.2's were being sailed.   I had to leave by then, but returning home saw some texts about 3.7's.  Wow.

Sunday at Mecox:   Massimo arrived first, then Sally and I pulled up in the van.  My wife hadn't sailed in two years but got a good run in on the 4.7 whilst Mass and I were sailing 6.2's.    Warm and sunny again.   Easy windsurfing!

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!