The Peconic Puffin Windsurfing Blog

Windsurfing in the NYT Puzzle

At first I typed in Kanaha, on autopilot.  Then I realized "wrong island".

Ladies, Why Date a Windsurfer? (Valentines Day encore presentation)

10. The ratio of men to women is 4 to 1.
  9.  They can talk about something besides football.
  8.  They don’t smell too bad because it’s a good bet they’ve gotten wet recently.
  7.  They have another interest besides sex.
  6.  You know they’re rich enough to afford windsurfing equipment.
  5.  You always get the latest weather report, several times a day.
  4.  They are capable of commitment, at least to their sport.
  3.  They have no issues about wearing rubber.
  2.  You always know where they are, at least when it’s windy.
  1.  Windsurfers are generally fit, tanned, and have cute butts.

Windsurfing vs. Kiting...Which Is More Dangerous? Ask Laurie.

Laurie from Toronto is back!   The Peconic Puffin's favorite on-camera correspondent for explaining stuff presents the findings of a Danish study, looking at which is more dangerous, who is most likely to get hurt, and where will that happen?   Of course with Laurie (one of the ten most earnest people on the planet) half the fun is just listening (you haven't lived until you've seen her comparison of wind speed measurements.)

 

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.)

If 2020 was a jibe attempt...

Windsurfing guru Peter Hart posted the above on Instagram yesterday.   Sounds about right!  Looking forward to a windy and happy 2021.

Christmas Eve Gust Sesh

It was warmish and blowingish from the south, so a few of us showed at South Jamesport to get in some pre-Christmas action (wind was forecasted for Christmas as well, but the consensus was that our spouses would kill us all if we left home to shred on the 25th!)   George Pav, Joe Nat, Rob, Scott, Artie, Fisherman and mois all showed up (Fisherman and Artie didn't rig...saving it for a later attempt at Hart's Cove) and dealt with on-off 5.4 conditions...30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.   30 on, 30 off.   

"This is a terrible direction for the wind here" Scott declared.   But Mattituck (normally good for SSE) was closed.   So we dealt with it.  Can't say it was a great day sailing, but it was good to sail, and gloves were not really needed.   When do we sail next?

(photo of me inbound 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.  

New Suffolk Thirteen

When was the last time we had thirteen sailors?  When was the last time we sailed at New Suffolk?  Yesterday was something!   Windsurfers foilers wingers a kiter...it was quite the crowd in the sun and warm air.   Alphabetically as best I can:  Artie, Bruce, Christian, George, Fisherman, Frank, Frank, Jan, Jon, Marty, Scott, the Wolf and your editor were there.   The wind...yes and no.    I was mostly doing fine on a 5.4 and my 109 (a cheater board in these conditions) but generally 6 meters was the best call.   Behind the magic sandbar the water was super flat, disturbed only by the occasional school of bunker beneath the surface.  The mogul side of NS never really went off, so I hung out in the table flat water, messing with duck jibes.    It was good fun in the gusts for those who went out.

(George Pav inbound.  Photo by Artie.)

Better Late and Rigged Bigger

I arrived late at Mattituck.   Such a sweet spot for SSE!   I pulled up to see a bunch of sailors shlogging or on the beach with their 4.7's...the wind had dropped.

So I rigged 5.4.   Planed half the time.  Great half!  Only Christian sailed with me (on a 5.7).   I know that as winter approaches some are loathe to rig anything larger than 4.7, but sail we must.  Me I put my 7.5 away as of October, but otherwise I'm ready to sail.   

On the water before me:  Artie, Scott, Joe Natalie.   Never launched:  The Wolf.

(Photo:  Scott inbound.  Pic by Artie)

What lurks beneath the surface at South Jamesport?

"There's something out there" Scott said, pointing at a spot about 50 yards out at SJ.   "Look at the hit my board took!"   A sharp gouge about six inches long could be seen on the bottom of his board.   He was planing when he hit it.    It had to be narrow...like an iron rod...because his fin didn't hit anything.    The theory is that the very low tide we had Saturday brought the bay to the point where the Gouger was just under the surface. 
So we moved west about 50 feet to launch.  Heck it was a 4.2 day!   Me Christian Zee Artie Scott the Wolf Joe...guys from Brooklyn and Queens and Heckscher all showed up to catch SJ glory...at least ten windsurfers on the water.   Joe says that at a previous session he once saw something poking out of the water...the spot seems to be straight out from the beach if you line up with the road, and Scott places it 50 yards from shore.  I wouldn't want to fall on it.  Be wary!

(Photo:  Scott, Christian, Artie and the Wolf discuss the perils of SJ)

Andy Brandt One Day Foiling and Windsurfing Clinics

Three one-day clinics:

October 10th Foiling only
October 11th Windsurfing
October 12th Windsurfing

Each clinic will be limited to six students. Andy Brandt teaching. Get good while the getting's good!

Register at the ABK web site.

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!