Sunday, March 3, 2013

Winter water


CIB.12.26.2010.edited from Frank Messina on Vimeo.


This is from a few years ago in a NNE at CIB home of the infamous "Mysto" wave. The Mysto never showed up,and unfortunately, the snow got to the point that you had little or no viability. Add to that, rising water from an incoming tide, and there was literally no beach left when it was time to leave the water. I wast pushed so far down wind I had to climb some guy's sea wall to get out of the water. I'm pretty sure I dinged my board in the process. Then I had to walk about a quarter mile back upwind to my truck. My friends were a little pissed that they had to stop sailing to look for me.

That: is why I love Winter sailing...it's the friends. Spring, Summer, Fall; everyone sails or surfs. In the Winter we are all alone. Our crew is a tight group that has be out together in these conditions for over three decades. We look out for each other. We have all rescued or been rescued by each other over the years. Although, maybe I've been rescued more than my fair share. I can always count on these guys.

Yesterday we didn't sail, but we were in the water anyway. we donned our thickest wetsuits or drysuits and walked a search grid at three beaches. We were looking for any hidden underwater hazards that may have been there due to Hurricane Sandy. We found a few and removed them. One we are just going to just have to mark with some buoys. So why would seven guys spend three hours walking around in chest deep water?  Both the air and water temperature were in the high 30's. I'm sure we all had better things to do... We did it because the State Parks asked us to. They are already overwhelmed with trying to re build Jones and Fire Island, so they could not have done this; but we could.

Now this video is from George [a great windsurfer]. But it shows that in the Winter the best days can become serious in an instant. This is why we always have each others backs.


Friday, March 1, 2013

Jersey shore

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A few posts back I mentioned my summers at the bungalows in Point Pleasant. They were all due to this man: my Uncle Rich.

He and my Father gave me the gift of my love for the water. They taught me to fish, how to crab, dig for clams and muscles; how to surf, Kayak and swim. My brother Joe, cousins Kristinn, Karin and I would spend eternities together, in the tidal pools, bays,sounds, and ocean from North Carolina to Maine. Kristin was always much braver than I when it came to touching the squiggly stuff.


I gained my first understanding of the environment. Whenever my Uncle Rich saw litter on the beach he would say " hey look, a people plant". We would always pick it up and and pack it out.
Happy Birthday Uncle Rich.
Tomorrow when we clean up Heckscher State Park, I'll be thinking about you.
Visit LIBAG.ORG for clean up details