Jimmy was right

[Ken]

Gang:
Jimmy King was dead on with his message yesterday about the conditions at Hamburg, except there was one other Rochester folk there. Me, just watching. The waves were as large as I have ever seen there and the wind was CRANKING!!!
I watched a couple of good sailors getting worked in the shore break and decided the flat waters at Cargill were more suited to my equipment and abilities.
Big crowd of sailors at Cargill getting worked as well. I did make it out to the wall where the Lake Erie waves were breaking over the top. The speeds achieved in the flat water by the wall were incredible. Had the feeling that if I even moved my toe I would simply explode. Trying to sail down wind to get back to the launch was as difficult as I have ever experienced. Thank God, water starting is one of my more accomplished skills, because floating would have taken way to long to get back. All in all a great day and one that has me thinking hard about some smaller windsurfing equipment. David, what is your email address?

[Windydoug]

Ken, maybe I am the only one who has the view because I am the all mighty administrator...(Har, Har,..chuckle chuckle) but I think if you look in the grey area next to his post, there is an e mail symbol and a pm mail (not sure what that is) icon. He wanted a pm mail.
Ken...smaller gear......did the earth rotate off its axis??? Z was considering the 104 synchro, but has to rob a couple of banks before purchasing it.
WD

[Windydoug]

Gary, Doug, Z, Matt, Joe, Mark, Dead Fred, Brian, and some others were at the Pond.....So Hamburg was the Gorge, and the Pond was the Pond.
5.8-7.nothing.
Gotta give big props to Brian for getting the most water time and haing his Hifly and 6.2 sail dial in most conditions.
Also, Z was the carving Turkey all day. When he gets the sail flip and that smaller board, look out. I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but Matt was out on his Techno looking pretty solid for a guy who just started sailing. Try turning the board off the wind to get planing and get board speed and then point across the wind some more. Nice job in some flukey conditions everybody.
Tuesday East wind? Where do we sail that? Directions to grass beach please.
Windydoug

[David]

Wow what a day yesterday! ;D Kel Shipman and I went up to Crystal Beach in Canada and Kited for 5 hours. Wind was 25-35 and the water was incredible, what a beach; HUGE HUGE HUGE waves outside the bay. I was on a 9m waroo and Kel was on an 11m GK sonic. Very fast conditions (obviously) but the little bay we were in kept the swell down to 2-3' while still being able to get the full blast from the wind because our kites were high. I am so sore today can barely move but man was it fun as hell. I am going to go out there again as soon as possible, way better than Hamburg in my opinion.

I am going to put it out there that anyone who refuses to give kiting a try again because of safety has go to try a modern SLE kite. I am 138lbs. and I was easily holding my 9m under complete control in 35mph gusts. I have problems holding a 3.7 windsurfing sail in those conditions (yes I know how to rig ) Cheers and I hope we get some steady wind...

[mikeyz]

You guys probably think I am rediculous, but I am still buzzing off of surfing at Long Pond yesterday. Keep your eyes on the rochester news, if there are any bank robberies don't let authorities know it was me. Again thanks everyone for the advice about jibing and general sailing efficiency, I owe a lot of progress to your lessons.

Oh question! Is there any windsurfing on the Chesapeake Bay? and if you had to live near Martha's Vineyard or Cape Hatteras which would you prefer?

- Z

[matt]

Doug,

Thanks for the tips. Alan and I had a talk afterwards and he was saying I needed to use my feet more to keep off the wind (before you are going fast enough to use the fin). I felt like every time I got hooked in, I was trying to move the sail forward to get off the wind. I got into the foot straps for the first time as well.

Had a nice drive from Canandaigua to Seneca to Canandaigua (called the wind phone) then to long pond. It was a bad day for my trial membership to expire on sailwave. I got to scout all the future locations. I also had a good time watching people at Webster park on Friday.

Anyhow, my windsurfing books I ordered from amazon 8 weeks ago finally arrived. They should help a lot.

See ya on the water,

Matt

[Windydoug]

Matt and/or Z,

Also try out a website called totalvid.com

They have instructional videos that you can pay a fee and watch forever or pay a lesser fee and watch unlimited for one week on your computer.
A couple that I would highly recommend would be Dashers waterstart video, and Dashers 12 step jibe video.
Also, I am working with Iwindsurf on a new product that will revolutionize where and when you sail.
No more calling the windline to find out where people are. Look to the sky when you don't know where to go! I am going to tow a huge spotlight behind my car and shine it in the air much like the Bat Signal. It will be in the shape of the RWS logo. Additionally I will rig up my car with loudspeakers to play the Batman theme (old TV show theme) while I am en route at 80 mph to wherever the wind is. Na na na na na na na Batman, batman, batman...............

[brianw]

Doug,

I would say you spent as much if not more time on plane than I did- at least while you were there. I had some good rides after you guys left, but I had to cut out for work around 4:30(I hate leaving wind). All in all it was another disappointing long john day, but it least we got some time on the water.

I'm looking for directions to grass beach as well. I have to work tonight and may take advantage of some comp time tomorrow if the conditions are good. Does anyone have the coords so I can plug them into a GPS? Probably wishful thinking...

Brian

[Windydoug]

I know that it is a spot on a bend on the Parkway. The road (heading west) makes a turn to the right about 60-100 yards from the lake and their is a little field right along the road between the lake and the road.....that's all I have. Saw sombody launch there 15 years ago as a kid.

[waterauthorityrick]

OK Guys,

"Grass Beach" I believe is a phase coined by the late Chuck Tanguay because the turnoff from the Parkway is just grass. AKA Cow Sucker Creek, there was a sign for this along the road (Parkway). Each and every time I went to sail there I was speeding westward from Long Pond and had to slam on the brakes and back up to pull off the Parkway because it comes up abruptly.

Drive West along the Parkway past North Ave. Route 259 (Hilton) The next Major intersection is "Hamlin Parma Townline Raod" After this point you MUST pay attention. The moment you can see the Lake from the Parkway. no houses no trees just the road GRASS then Lake you are there, & you likely missed the dirt turnoff.

There will be a small bridge over Cow Sucker Creek SLAM ON THE BRAKES and pull off the Parkway onto the grass.

I was sailing Montana 11 years ago in an east wind trying to make a 5.2 work on a Mistral EDGE but had no luck the wind line was off shore more. I had to attend a mandatory family function (40th wedding anniversary for the parents) so I didn't have time to drive to Grass Beach, ask Chris about this day I think he sailed a 3.7 boy was I mad.

Good luck rocky launch, no beach to speak of.

H2O Rick

[waterauthorityrick]

I just looked, Grass Beach sticks out into the Lake over 5 Miles more north from Montana Beach, no wonder I couldn't get to the wind line that day years ago.

H2O Rick

[mikeyz]

Hey Guys, you have me intrigued by this Grassy Beach business. Has anyone ever tried to launch from Braddock Bay? Take a look at it on Google Earth or www.google.com/maps. You will notice that it is almost as far north as Grassy Beach (1 mile shy) and just to the east it has a nice sandy beach and grassy area to rig up.

[waterauthorityrick]

Braddocks has been sailed both in the Bay and on the Lake, I think it was Chris who wasn't careful of the rock wall that is submerged and crashed hard years ago, perhaps with the low water level that rock wall is visible now.

There were two parking problems with launching there, when we parked at the marina they wanted us to pay a launch fee just as if we were putting a boat in. The second is no parking along the neighborhood side streets; that is if your using the east corner of the bay and yes it is a nice sandy walk out to the deeper water.

Braddocks was a fad that came and went. I think the last to sail there was Doug Blanding & Chris Klasner and in a NE to East wind.

Chris,
When do I get my tree "bull line" back? I think it is a bit to large to be used as a spare Kite Line.

H2O Rick

[Windydoug]

Maybe this is useful, maybe not.....

I honestly havn't checked where the Olcott Harbor windmeter on the NDBC sitei s on a map, but it was going 22k ENE gusting to 26k at 2 pm today Durand was 17mph. I was hoping that Olcott was close enough to Grass Beach to give a reading for it. Probably not, but it reads better than the sheltered Durand meter no? The meter appeared to be between Durand and Niagara River Coast guard station.
Doug

[Windydoug]

The link for NDBC Olcott harbor windmeter.

seaboard.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=olcn6

WD

[David]

DOn't know if anyone read my post about Hamlin but what a waste of NYS resources keeping people from sailing there. We should all try to get access to that place because it would be great. Take a drive up and walk the shore in the park if you never have. Zoom in on Google maps and your will see the sawtooth pattern of the 7 jetties that make up the sheltered sandy beaches. I sailed there for about 30-45 min. before getting the boot and the waves were setting up nice around the tips of the jetties and peeling into the beach ;D. Would definitely be worth getting some letters together to lobby the commissioner of parks and recreation.

[mikeyz]

Did you guys know that the pier at Charlotte has a meter.
www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=rprn6

Also on www.weather.com the different golf stations have wind meters that they broadcast online. I have found this useful when planning surfing for Canandaigua.

www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/golf/local/14623?lswe=14623&lwsa=Weather36HourGolfCommand&from=whatwhere

David, I am sorry to hear someone put an end to your session. Why did they stop you? I read on their website that it says, "Visitors can launch car-top boats". A surf board is kind of like a car top boat. I would write a letter to the commissioner.

-Z

[waterauthorityrick]

Mikeyz,

Interesting regarding the car top boats. I have NOT done any investigating on this Hamlin subject, but on a whim, Is Hamlin a State Park? If so, then so is Seneca. A State Park is a State Park so who is wrong, Seneca or Hamlin?

Dave,

If I were you in that situation I would have let them come out into the water to ask me to leave. At one time I was Ice Sailing on "lake Riley" in Cobbs Hill Park (not really a Lake) one night and a cop car kept flashing his lights in an attempt to get my attention I trust because there is no ice skating permitted there any longer. But for me I was not putting an end to my session until he got out of his warm car and walked up to me on the cold ice to ask me to leave. Eventually he left and I kept sailing.


H2O RIck

[David]

Yes, you are allowed to launch car top boats there from an unkempt jumbled pile of cement blocks that are covered with slime, not pretty and a ding waiting to happen for sure. The beaches would be so awesome to launch from, not wind blocked, and good from several aspects although they are a 150 foot walk to get to This is my previous post...

windseeker said:

Along the lines of this thread I sailed Hamlin Beach State Park last October, mid month off one of the nice beaches, I think the 3rd pull off. I was out for about 30 minutes, good waves coming in with a side onshore wind with nobody around when a truck pulls up and a worker stands on the shore and waves me in. He proceeds to inform me that I cannot windsurf off the beach and that if I am going to launch I need to do it in the small boat launch near the entrance. Not sure if any of you have seen the small boat launch but it is pathetic; some old broken cement slabs that are in a jumble and covered in slime, a ding on the board just waiting to happen and way downwind of the good sandy beaches. I asked what the rules are for beach launching at any time of the year and he said there is no entrance to the water from any point that is not guarded and no access to the water outside the marked swimming areas. Unbelievable! There is some great sailing to be had up there with sand bars and 2 nice points that waves in a West wind break around for some good rides. Seems like a waste of resources and another example of NYS making rules for the sake of litigation and not allowing people to have fun. Anyway I am moving form Rochester for better wind soon but it would be worth someone pursuing because it is a good western aspect that is only 1/2 hour away. Just a thought.

Rick, I would have pulled the "I can't see you trick" and kept sailing but coming from the Adirondacks, dealing with access issues I have learned that a quick sign of respect to the manager/owner can make or break the access to some great spots; unfortunately in this instance they were park employees incapable of independent decision making, or so it seemed. Additionally I would like to point out that although state parks generally allow unfettered access to their attractions they are not all like Seneca. I feel that Seneca is a good example of sailors and kiters respecting the park employees and vice versa, we talk to them, they talk to us and all is good; get one pee pee head in there with an attitude and that could change quickly. I have the rest of the week off if there is any wind and anyone wants to sail, I'll travel.

BTW one last thing. I went to Southwick beach state park kiting the other day, WOW, that place is awesome, S, SW, W, NW, N all good, 2 hrs driving but the beach is huge with a nice sand bar. I can email a pic if anyone wants to see a 180 degree view...

[Windydoug]

Send the pic to [e-mail]
I'll put it on the photo site.
WD