Sunday, September 8, 2013

Wellfleet- Unwind Me

It's one of those weeks that winds you up, tighter and tighter, like a tether ball twisting on a pole. What do you do to unwind?

I drive to Wellfleet, throw some kiting gear and my lunch in the dinghy and motor out to the tip of Great Island, where there's nothing but sand, seagulls, and seals. No tether ball poles.

I explore. I kite. I get lost in the moment. Here's what I find.




1- Breakwater. This spot looks like fun at low tide but is disappearing quickly just 2 hours past low. Wind is light SW. I take a few runs then scramble to derig before it all goes under.

2- Nice slick on W wind, where the plover fence ends, probably has some shallows on any tide if wind is straight W. But wind is light NW. Riding in offshore wind in these conditions isn't smart. I take some runs.




3- I walk upwind nearly 1 mile, do a downwinder on oceanside back to boat, still light NW wind, deep water, pretty choppy. Might have some tidal pools at dead low. Lots of curious seals.

4- A little slick at mid tide, nothing fantastic, very strong N wind now, I need a smaller kite. There's a lot of chop in the harbor, bouncing me around in my tiny boat, as I motor back to the truck.

5- Boat is packed up. I drive to end of Griffin's Island road, park where it says Permit Parking Only. I'm told it's O.K. off season. I walk over high bluffs and dunes, kite with 8M kite. Very gusty from the bluffs upwind in straight N wind, mostly deep water and chop 2 hours before low.

Overall impression of Wellfleet- Lots of seals. Kiting is probably most fun on- SW and low to mid tide, W any tide, NW low tide. Need boat. High dunes and bluffs on all of Great Island to #3 on map limits kiting in spots such as The Gut. Very quiet and deserted out on the sandbars. I didn't see any other kiters anywhere. A good adventure.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Scooper,
Hadn't read your blog in a while. Glad to see you are still kicking! Warm winds from CA, Olivier

scooper said...

Mr Olivier, good to hear from you! I'm still kicking and getting kicked. I hope you're enjoying the perfect CA winds and weather.

Dunoyer said...

You were smart to get a boat, this seems like a paradise playground. Did you not get hammered with a Northwest blow?

scooper said...

Jean- Actually, I've had my tiny boat for about 15 years. I just don't take the time to set it up very often. It's fun though. Any place you want to explore by boat?

Was a honkin wind in the afternoon but it was N, even NNE a little. NW would have been better in Wellfleet, high bluffs were messing with N wind.

Kitermike said...

Great way to spend a day...love your accounts of the adventures you take....well written and a joy to read while enjoying my morning coffee and thinking of what I will do for the day

scooper said...

Mike- Your starting off your day with my drivel?! You're a brave man. Thanks for the encouraging comment.

Dunoyer said...

You see kiting as way to go places. I do too. This is why snow kiting is so exciting to me, it is an expedition tool.

scooper said...

Jean- Yeah, it's all about the adventure. A snow kiting expedition sounds like fun.

Dunoyer said...

Greenland crossing

scooper said...

jean- Fanastic! I want to see the pics from that trip.

Dunoyer said...

retrace Fridtjof Nansen's steps...