Making the Cut

Gerry S and I sailed out from Scatteree/ Pleasant Bay for an afternoon session, chasing each others wakes in the smooth water behind North Beach. It was big sails and hi speed blasting to boost our egos. It was great. After Gerry left, the wind picked up a little. I went down to a 4.2, ditched my glasses (too rainy to see with them on), and did some exploring. The exploring happened mostly because I couldn't really see where I was going without my glasses. I found myself standing on a small strip of beach separating me from some nice looking waves on the ocean side near the new cut (not that I could really see anything). It was almost a mile from where I had launched and it was completely isolated out there, just sand, seagulls and waves. I knew that I shouldn't go to the ocean side that far out, by myself, but it was such a small strip of sand to walk across. It would only take about 30 seconds. How could I resist that? Ever since the new cut opened up I'd wanted to sail there. I told myself that I would just do a few runs to test the spot. After all, the tide had just changed and was now flowing in, or it was supposed to soon, I wasn't sure. I was little cautious but the sailing was fantastic. I stayed just inside the outer bar, where the waves and shorebreak were smaller, except for once when I went too far and took a tumble in the shorebreak out on the edge of the crescent shaped area that I was in. I had a thrill from seals swimming under my board and jumping out of the water right in front of me. When I first saw their dark shapes in the water I thought that they might be sharks and it really improved my focus. I got one of my best quick waterstarts ever. I didn't stay out there for as long as I would have liked. I sailed upwind, avoiding the outer bar, and eventually cleared the last spit of sand, let out a whoop, and went back into the bay through the new cut. It was getting close to sunset by the time I made the last speed runs down wind back to the launch at Scatteree. It was a great Nor'Easta session in the Summer! Boston Globe photo in the paper a few days later P.S. It turns out that the remaining camps on Nauset Beach were washed out by the NE storm while I was sailing there, or shortly thereafter. These houses are right on the new cut, where I was sailing, but it was too misty/drizzly for me to see them, (and I didn't have my glasses on). Scatteree, Windsurfed, 15-30, NNE, NE, 5.7 & 4.2/ RealWind 85, with Gerry S.