Post by rider1200 on Aug 15, 2011 17:09:48 GMT -5
Managed a half day last Thurs & headed to Fairhaven to try to use all that west wind that was coming at us. Looked great on a map but was mediocre in person.
I called ahead, they said no problem just stay out of the swim areas. I asked again at the gate & they said a windsurfer had been there earlier in the day but turned around & said he was headed to 'rock bar' or something like that...something with 'bar' in it b/c I had to ask if it was a bar place that serves beer or a shallow area of water...they said no beer and it was just the other side of the outlet.
Greg helped me launch in weird gusty conditions and I headed out on the water where I found, um, weird gusty conditions. It appears the few trees to the west stir up the wind when it comes from the west making the point of going there in a west wind not so much of a point.
Worse yet, the only friendly launch site was a swim area! It was closed due to lack of people so I used it and waited for the bullhorn or signal or whatever asking me to leave but it never happened. several officials walked & drove by without saying a word and they were plenty close enough for me to say they don't mind us there.
It wasn't all bad though. The sun was out, the scenery was incredible with huge bluffs to one side and a long pier with waves splashing over to the other. And the waves close to shore where incredible; very far apart, big and rampy with lots of smooth water in between! Unfortunatley the waves got choppy & close together the further out I went. So I had a choice: great waves & rough wind or ok wind & rough waves. The wind got better as I went out but it never got great, maybe it was just a bad day. I went pretty far out but the lack of anyone, anywhere brought me back in.
Greg had me paranoid at the terrain downwind so I hardly threw a jump (for fear of accidentally winding up there). There is an old beat up pier downwind and he said something about a lot of rebar, probably near the pier. After I packed up I drove downwind to see what the shore was like and it looked like mostly cobblestone. Certainly not ideal but as long as you got in before the pier you could probably do it without bleeding, minus the zebra muscles.
The 'usable' area was probably 2-3 times the length of our lines. Once you get away from shore there was plenty of room and zero boats (eerie almost). On a day that had more North to the wind it would probably be alot of fun but I don't see much reason to drive there from here. Good spot for the family maybe. And they have diving boards! The day I went I would classify as 'much better than working the full day.'
I called ahead, they said no problem just stay out of the swim areas. I asked again at the gate & they said a windsurfer had been there earlier in the day but turned around & said he was headed to 'rock bar' or something like that...something with 'bar' in it b/c I had to ask if it was a bar place that serves beer or a shallow area of water...they said no beer and it was just the other side of the outlet.
Greg helped me launch in weird gusty conditions and I headed out on the water where I found, um, weird gusty conditions. It appears the few trees to the west stir up the wind when it comes from the west making the point of going there in a west wind not so much of a point.
Worse yet, the only friendly launch site was a swim area! It was closed due to lack of people so I used it and waited for the bullhorn or signal or whatever asking me to leave but it never happened. several officials walked & drove by without saying a word and they were plenty close enough for me to say they don't mind us there.
It wasn't all bad though. The sun was out, the scenery was incredible with huge bluffs to one side and a long pier with waves splashing over to the other. And the waves close to shore where incredible; very far apart, big and rampy with lots of smooth water in between! Unfortunatley the waves got choppy & close together the further out I went. So I had a choice: great waves & rough wind or ok wind & rough waves. The wind got better as I went out but it never got great, maybe it was just a bad day. I went pretty far out but the lack of anyone, anywhere brought me back in.
Greg had me paranoid at the terrain downwind so I hardly threw a jump (for fear of accidentally winding up there). There is an old beat up pier downwind and he said something about a lot of rebar, probably near the pier. After I packed up I drove downwind to see what the shore was like and it looked like mostly cobblestone. Certainly not ideal but as long as you got in before the pier you could probably do it without bleeding, minus the zebra muscles.
The 'usable' area was probably 2-3 times the length of our lines. Once you get away from shore there was plenty of room and zero boats (eerie almost). On a day that had more North to the wind it would probably be alot of fun but I don't see much reason to drive there from here. Good spot for the family maybe. And they have diving boards! The day I went I would classify as 'much better than working the full day.'
