Sparkling Winter Day

Nothing makes this messed up world seem beautiful again like a warm, windy, sunny day in the middle of Winter. How warm was it? High of 52 F! Igor sailed yesterday because he thought it was going to be unbearably hot today. Igor is from Siberia. For me it was just right. Not too hot. Not too cold. It was so nice to wear 2mm gloves again, and to have a few extra seconds after peeling off my drysuit before I had to jump in the truck or risk becoming a frozen windsurfer popsicle. 2 sessions. I didn't let any of this day go to waste. A front went through, late morning, and killed the wind for awhile, then it came back from a different direction. Early morning session- Deep Hole, Windsurfed, WSW, 17-22, 6.2/ Acid 94 & Carve 123, Solo. Afternoon Session- Camp Cronin, Windsurfed, WNW, 18-38, 4.2/ Acid 94 & RealWind 85, with Dan & King. Picture- King at Camp Cronin

DEEP HOLE & REFUGE HARBOR, windsurfed, W, 15-40, 4.2, 5.2/ RW 85, Solo, Air Temp 35-42

I jinxed myself! This is an email I sent to a friend before I went windsurfing-

"Yeah, I don’t think I would go in without a good drysuit, especially with the west wind at Deep Hole. I figure that I need to be able to stay warm for about a 1/2 hour to an hour in the water if I have a problem and get blown away from the point. Lots of people say they’ve washed up on East Matunuck Beach for one reason or another. It’s probably just a matter of time until that happens to me."

This is what happened, on my second run-

From on top of the rock wall, looking back towards Deep Hole

A wave snapped my mast and I got washed away from the point. I didn't go all the way to East Matunuck Beach. I came ashore in the middle of the rock wall. It wasn't a very user friendly landing but it worked-

The base of the rock wall, nice landing

I got a ride back to the truck from a kayak surfer, Carl, that I had been chatting with in the parking lot before I took my long swim. Thanks for letting me in your new car, saltwater and all, (I sat on a dog blanket)!

After that I didn't want to risk damaging another rig, or anything else, so I packed up and went inside Refuge Harbor. I launched from Camp Cronin Fishing Area, near the lighthouse, and sailed upwind to the edge of a gentle, south-swell break that those-in-the-know call K59. I think it's closer to get there by sailing down from Roger Wheeler Park but I took a wrong turn, ended up at the lighthouse, and decided that I would be different, sail upwind instead of down.

Deep Hole Wave

How did this happen? Mast breakage I mean, besides the fact that I jinxed myself with my prophetic email. I was hit by a big, meaty wave when I was down in the water. I thought that I was outside the break so I was taking my sweet time, resting, thinking about how good it is to be alive, floating in waterstart position. Then this unfriendly wave jacked up, out of nowhere, with my mast's name written all over it. The swim/paddle in took about 30 minutes I guess. I actually made it in to the point, at first, but the current swept me off into the hole before I was shallow enough to get some traction. At least I learned that my drysuit will keep me toasty for a leisurely late-winter swim.

Waves- The waves were the biggest I've seen here for a west wind, (sideshore). The strong south wind overnight, (30-40 mph), and morning high tide created some big sets. Mitch said the buoy reports were 8 to 10 ft. From what I hear, they really died down at Deep Hole as the tide went out, although they stayed big at the lighthouse until dark.




Picture- Unknown surfer
at the lighthouse.

Sunset surfer at Pt. Judith lighthouse

click on pictures to see large.