Windxtasy (13938km):
2222 days ago Peel Inlet, WA, AU 54 Manta, 18 Kestrel, 5.7Koncept
The forecast for today was warm, sunny and windy; a combination we have not had for months, and I had day off! I was so excited last night I could hardly sleep!
Fate tried to trip me up at the first hurdle this afternoon when my wetsuit would not zip up. Even with assistance the zip would not budge, and I ended up abandoning that wetsuit entirely. Fortunately the other sailors were spared the sight of my winter white body in a bikini because I had a backup wetsuit with me.
Finally I got on the water and went to hook in but... no harness. Back to the car for the harness.
I thought I'd go for a nautical mile, and knowing that a mile is from the carpark, across the channel to the end of Point Grey, my plan was to go further. Unfortunately fate succeeded in tripping me up on that one, as I was unable to sail deep enough to avoid the weedclot on Point Grey and was catapulted into the shallows.
Back over to Liptons corner, there never was enough power to get up any decent speed. The forecast had delivered on sun, but it never got quite as warm as forecast, and the wind fell far short. Unfortunately all of us rigged for the forecast (which was meant to pick up as the afternoon went on) and not the current conditions, so we were sadly underdone. After taking a wind meter reading I was very tempted to rig my 6.2, but to go out with the same size sail as Lunny and Hardie, and a bigger one than Boz and Decrepit seemed a bit silly.
It was a bity about being underpowered because the gear all felt nicely balanced and set for more speed if the power was there.
Never the less I went for my fave nautical mile run down Ward Point. There were lots of areas of thick weed on the surface, which made for nervous but very smooth sailing in places, although there must have been considerable drag on the fin.
On the way back a disguised weedberg catapulted me again, and I came up out of the weedy soup looking like the creature from the green lagoon. Me, the sail and the board were covered in green filamentous weed. I wish someone had a camera.
Unfortunately the second catapult was too much for my harness line, and it decided to part company with the boom at the mast end. I managed to tie it back on with a piece of rope I used as an outhaul rope last week when the sail I was using did not have an applecore in it, but it was not very secure.
I made it back up to Liptons corner and about this time the wind decided it had blown enough for the day and would go home. I was wanting to get home too, and that required two long upwind legs across the channel, which was hard work, demonstrating light wind skills on a speedboard. I guess I should be glad the wind was not nuclear, because I doubt the harness line would have held on in strong wind. Lunny was dogging along trying to get home too. For the first time in history I actually caught up with him and passed him. The advantage of being a light weight again.
Thanks to Boz, Tim and Lunny for the company, and it was good to see Decrepit and Hardie again, and to meet Toby.
It was good to feel healthy enough to sail. I am not sure I will be able to say the same tomorrow. I feel multiple sore spots that were overstretched during the catapults. Even a heavily raked weedfin is not protection enough for the Peel Estuary at present. Sailors beware.
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