Sailed out from Kowawese park today. Winds were from the east, which meant the east side of the Hudson was a bad place to be. It was only a half-hour drive from home. I should check it out more often.
The view from Kowawese, looking east. That's a nice schooner across the river.
Winds were about 10 mph so I rigged my trusty 7.0. When I got out, the winds were more like 6 mph, so I resigned to some comfortable sailing near Bannerman Castle. After sailing for about an hour, the winds picked up, then they picked up more. I was told iWindsurf said the winds were about 20-25, which meant my 7.0 sail was way too much sail. After planing serously on the fin alone, I took one of many spills. I though I was being clever, taking time to fall, but I ended up putting my hand through the main panel of my sail. Damn.
You know, sails get really heavy once you punch holes in them. Combine that with the 20-25 mph winds, I was in a bit of a pickle. After falling a few more times, I uphauled and scudded back to the beach. I had a short walk of shame, but I didn't mind that too much. I got back.
After chatting for a while with some of the kayakers I rigged my trusty 6.5 and sailed again. The winds were pretty variable and I fell a lot after committing to the harness. Not that I'm complaining: Every day on the water is a good day.
It occurred to me that this was a perfect day for a longboard. You needed a board for wind conditions between 5-25, including chop. I had a lot of fun, but man am I sore.
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