Last week I described a situation where I was sailing on a port tack to windward. We were trying to clear Plum Point. Plum Point is the narrowest section of the bay. It is also where the 5 MPH / NO WAKE zone starts. In that particular situation; a large top heavy power boat was slowing down from 30 MPH, to the required 5 MPH. The act of slowing down, directly in front of us, created an unusually large and steep wake.Segue's freeboard is about 3 feet; so the wave this boat instantly created was at least 5 feet tall, tip to trough.
In this case, I don't believe the power boat intentionally tried to swamp us. I believe he knew that he had to slow down by law; and that he just did not understand, or care what occurred in his wake.
I learned this many years ago when I was out fishing with a friend of mine. My friend was not an asshole. In fact my friend had spent a number years in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and had over 20 years experience with his 30 foot Tiara Pursuit. But I saw him cross in front of several sailboats; and I watched his wake smack several boats, until I said something.
"Dude why do you keep trying to swamp all these sailboats? I had no idea, you were such a 'Motorhead'." "What do you mean" he said. I'm just trying to get out of their way. You 'Ragmen' have the right of way". "Yea, I said but look at all the havoc your wake is doing. Instead of cutting in front of them why don't you just head for their sterns"? "I never really thought about it" he said. Now this was a powerboater with 20 years experience, and it never even occurred to him that he was being inconsiderate to other boaters.
The next weekend I took him sailing with me. And he understood.
So I don't believe all Motorheads are Assholes. I just think we all just need to be able to see the world from the other guy's perspective.
But yesterday, when I was close hauled, on starboard, trying to pinch my way past the point and the guy driving Dorothy B decided to go from 5 to 30 MPH right in front of me, instead of behind. And when his wake hit me so hard, I heard sailors on other boats 20 feet away gasp...now he,...was an asshole.
Sorry, I've been rambling. I almost forgot the original reason I posted today...So here it is. Last week, when I almost failed to give way to the sailboat on starboard. My wife said he had his engine on. He was motor sailing.
So, when you have your sails up, but you are still under power, in terms of "right of way" rules: Are you a sailboat, or a powerboat? What do you think?
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Bacteria closes North shore beaches
Bacteria closes Piping Rock, Center Island Sound beaches
Elevated bacteria levels forced the closure of two Nassau County beaches Friday, the county health department said.
The Piping Rock Beach Club in Lattingtown and Center Island Sound in Bayville were ordered closed until further notice. The health department reported that Laurel Hollow Beach remained closed.
For updated beach closing information, call 516-227-9700. To speak with a health department representative, call 516-227-9717.
Manhasset Bay should be closed as well. It is filthy.
I windsurfed Manhasset Bay three times this Spring. In the Winter and Spring the water quality is pretty good... but as soon as Memorial Day hits; it's all over. Within a week's time the water goes from clear; to red, or brown. Just too many boats, too many McMansions, and too much fertilizer on all their lawns.
I still sail Segue from the bay. But spend way too much time having to clean the stains on her from the filthy water. It really sucks. I live less than a block from the Bay, but have to go elsewhere, if I want to windsurf, or swim.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Summer
Saturday was a pretty gusty 10 - 20 veering from SE to SW. So I am glad Lauralee and I decided to go sailing instead of heading to the ocean or Heckscher in hopes of a thermal. It doesn't look like it was an "epic" Demo day. Plus, sailing Segue allowed me to spend some actual time with Lauralee; not just the car drive. [Giving my shoulder another day of rest after all that waxing, was an added bonus.]
We finally had "classic" June Manhasset Bay sailing. Bright sun, cool breeze, just warm enough to get some sun on my back, and tons of Motor Heads! Evevery time we sailed past the No Wake / 5MPH sign, we ended up turning back into the bay. The confused chop and wakes from all the Cigar chomping Buddha bellied, top heavy Clorox bottles was just no fun. So we just toured the mooring areas, looking at all the floating real estate.
Most of the fleet are ugly Clorox bottles, or tennis shoes. These boats look so top heavy, and have so much freeboard, it's no wonder they need bow thrusters. Their hulls are strictly designed for wasting gas, and planing. And I doubt anyone who operates one ever looks aft at their stern wake. Plus, they have this obnoxious practice of powering full throttle right up to the 5MPH zone, then dropping their speed from 30 to 5 knots instantly. This creates a huge wake! One such wake hit Segue so hard yesterday, that her bow was completely underwater as she pierced the wake. LL and I were so shaken up by this that I stopped paying attention for just a few moments. I was so preoccupied with the boat who had no idea he almost swamped us, that I failed to notice that I was on a collision course with another sailboat. It wasn't until he screamed "STARBOARD!" that I noticed him and tacked out of his way. Sorry dude; MY fault.
So again, we just stayed in the bay looking at all the boats. One trend I've noticed this season, is the return of "classic style" boats again. Yes; the bay littered with high freeboard, plumb bow, BenaHunterLinaToues.
But there are a number of new Hinckley, Picnic/Lobster style boats; not the modified day boats created by retrofitting an old Down Easter. These come complete with jet drives, modern under bodies, and vacuum bagged Kevlar, and Carbon hulls. I am also noticing this trend among Sailboats. I am starting to see a few new Hinckley's, Alerons, Tartans, and Island Packets.
The greatest trend I am seeing is restored, MBOs, Knickerbockers, Ensigns, Sparkman Stevens, Cape Dorys, CrisCrafts, Hershoffs, and Bristols. Beautiful to look at, as well as sail.
I promise I'll have some photos, ifI can find the cable to connect my camera to my PC.
We finally had "classic" June Manhasset Bay sailing. Bright sun, cool breeze, just warm enough to get some sun on my back, and tons of Motor Heads! Evevery time we sailed past the No Wake / 5MPH sign, we ended up turning back into the bay. The confused chop and wakes from all the Cigar chomping Buddha bellied, top heavy Clorox bottles was just no fun. So we just toured the mooring areas, looking at all the floating real estate.
Most of the fleet are ugly Clorox bottles, or tennis shoes. These boats look so top heavy, and have so much freeboard, it's no wonder they need bow thrusters. Their hulls are strictly designed for wasting gas, and planing. And I doubt anyone who operates one ever looks aft at their stern wake. Plus, they have this obnoxious practice of powering full throttle right up to the 5MPH zone, then dropping their speed from 30 to 5 knots instantly. This creates a huge wake! One such wake hit Segue so hard yesterday, that her bow was completely underwater as she pierced the wake. LL and I were so shaken up by this that I stopped paying attention for just a few moments. I was so preoccupied with the boat who had no idea he almost swamped us, that I failed to notice that I was on a collision course with another sailboat. It wasn't until he screamed "STARBOARD!" that I noticed him and tacked out of his way. Sorry dude; MY fault.
So again, we just stayed in the bay looking at all the boats. One trend I've noticed this season, is the return of "classic style" boats again. Yes; the bay littered with high freeboard, plumb bow, BenaHunterLinaToues.
But there are a number of new Hinckley, Picnic/Lobster style boats; not the modified day boats created by retrofitting an old Down Easter. These come complete with jet drives, modern under bodies, and vacuum bagged Kevlar, and Carbon hulls. I am also noticing this trend among Sailboats. I am starting to see a few new Hinckley's, Alerons, Tartans, and Island Packets.
The greatest trend I am seeing is restored, MBOs, Knickerbockers, Ensigns, Sparkman Stevens, Cape Dorys, CrisCrafts, Hershoffs, and Bristols. Beautiful to look at, as well as sail.
I promise I'll have some photos, ifI can find the cable to connect my camera to my PC.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Well what’s been going on?
I did attend the East Coast Windsurfing Festival this weekend. I arrived late. [I have too much going on in my life right now]. By the time I arrived, they had already completed a good portion of the racing. The wind was light [8-12 maybe] so the best competition took place in the 7.5 maximum sail class, on displacement boards. My quiver has a gap from an Ezzy 6.9 Wave Panther sail, to a 10 year old Ezzy Infinity 8.5. {I refer to my 8.5 rig, as my desperation sail.] I usually rig it once every year or so, when we have had a light wind spell, and I am boat-less; on a vacation.
Plus, I sold off, or gave away all my old “Race" boards years ago. So I would have sailed Lauralee’s 160 ltr Powerglide.[The Powerglide is designed for control; not speed.] Iv’e already bored you guys enough with my regrets of selling my 230 ltr Equipe longboard.
So I spent some time watching the Free Style Competition. I have a lot of respect for all you free Stylers’. My neck and shoulder hurt just watching you guys; and the fact that you already raced that morning…I sure couldn’t do it.
Anyhow, about 3:30, the thermal started to fill in, so Al and I decided to rig our 6.9’s and biggest wave boards [mine is a 125 ltr Angullo Sumo] and go Free Sailing. It was a nicely powered 2 ½ hour session. We saw that the contest was running the relay races; but decided to do our best “up wind Mke” imitations instead.
Last week since I repaired the noses on my 90 ltr Syncro, and 125 ltr Sumo, [still haven’t painted them] I had some time to devote towards Segue, My Cape Dory 26.
It’s June. So the water in Manhassett Bay has gone from blue to brown. And this had created an ugly brown stain above my waterline. Sunday, I cleaned the waterline, as best I could. But still managed to get an acid burn on my left hand, my lip. and my eye. [there has got to be a better way]. Yesterday afternoon, I managed two coats of wax, [time for the Celebrex and Vicodine cocktails].
Still I have nothing to complain about. I missed Tuesday’s North Westerly; but managed two sunset sails in the dying thermals this week. I keep stalking this beautiful 50 foot Hinckley in the Bay this season. I love that I see them actually sailing a lot. Port Washington has so much unused floating real estate. It is such a waste.
Last night, [after waxing], I took a 2 hour sail through the mooring fields to reward myself for waxing Segue. As I am sailing for my mooring, [on starboard mind you], I had to tack out of the way of a 100 foot grey, space age designed power boat. I kept waiting for James Bond to pop up. Where as the Hinckley represents all that is beautiful about boating…the grey “James Bond” boat represents all that is wrong. First off; I was enjoying my tranquil sail. It was quiet, calm, and I could hear the music from a live band that was playing at the Port Yacht club up wind of me. Nice mellow, [Dan Fogelberg, CSNY, Jimmy Buffet, etc.] So here comes this ugly 100 foot “James Bond” thing trying to cut through the mooring field, instead of using the perfectly good channel as it is supposed to. Plus it is blaring some deep based no talent Rap music at 500 decibels.
Even though I clearly have the right of way; I decide the “Gross Tonnage Rule” applies here. So I tack out of the way. The breeze is dying, as it does at sun set, so I am trying to reach my mooring before it goes dead calm.
Again, I am on starboard approaching my mooring under sail and the thing is on approach to run directly over my pennant! Giant boat, loud Rap music, clearly incompetent helmsman, heading directly for my mooring, which is less than 20 feet from the channel, and he keeps running his bow thrusters!
I’m so pissed off at this guy by now, I figure,” Fuck it”,” I am not tacking away a second time for this asshole” and I head up in to the wind, Segue comes to a stop, and I pick up my mooring. {Yes I know he could have run me over},{but I had enough}. It seems the law was on my side; because no sooner then I had hit my mooring and the Harbor Patrol, lights-a-flashing, pulls up in between me and Captain incompetent. I didn’t have my radio on; so I don’t know what their conversation was, but they escorted the Grey SS Moron out of the mooring field and to the dock via the channel.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Glass work
So my forearms are so itchy from all that sanding...
But I made less progress than I would have liked.
The epoxy just didn't stick to the JP 109's deck.
I'll have to rough it up more next time, and use acetone to clean it before my next attempt. The trick is to lay down two layers of glass, with out screwing up the fin box and footstrap inserts.
The epoxy didn't want to adhere to the F2 Powerglide 160 as well. But the rail still seems solid. And it did accept the epoxy with silica.
I DID manage to laminated two layers of glass on the nose's of the Angullo 125, and the Synchro 90. We will have to see if it holds. If not; then I will have to tape the whole rail. Not just the dings. AND THAT will ADD Weight; something I am trying to avoid.
I didn't have time to paint the 125, or the 90 liter. But I did paint them with one layer of Epoxy thickened with silica. It isn't pretty but it is strong, and now, water tight[at least until I crash again]. I will have to worry about cosmetics next week; cause it's gonna' blow today. Maybe I'll ad a few strategically placed stickers so it wont look so bad.
But I made less progress than I would have liked.
The epoxy just didn't stick to the JP 109's deck.
I'll have to rough it up more next time, and use acetone to clean it before my next attempt. The trick is to lay down two layers of glass, with out screwing up the fin box and footstrap inserts.
The epoxy didn't want to adhere to the F2 Powerglide 160 as well. But the rail still seems solid. And it did accept the epoxy with silica.
I DID manage to laminated two layers of glass on the nose's of the Angullo 125, and the Synchro 90. We will have to see if it holds. If not; then I will have to tape the whole rail. Not just the dings. AND THAT will ADD Weight; something I am trying to avoid.
I didn't have time to paint the 125, or the 90 liter. But I did paint them with one layer of Epoxy thickened with silica. It isn't pretty but it is strong, and now, water tight[at least until I crash again]. I will have to worry about cosmetics next week; cause it's gonna' blow today. Maybe I'll ad a few strategically placed stickers so it wont look so bad.
Monday, June 7, 2010
repair week
I have six board repairs to do this week. count em' six. I only own eight boards.
This spring has need very rough on gear. Last weekend I spent a good deal of time on my hands and knees taping tears in my sails. I bought two new universals... one last season, and one two weeks ago. all my Skinny masts are less than two years old. And while I did buy "used' a new boom this season: the rest are at least 5 years old.
I need to spend some bank on some new sails. They work; but have been showing signs of age.Especially my 5.0 and 6.0. I replaced my old 7.2 with a 6.9. And I already have a puncture in the 6.9.[BTW The Tape Fix worked on that repair.
In the old days, I would just go out and buy new gear. BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THESES PRICES!!!
so...
JP 109: cut open and re glass tail buckle. Then just cover it with Hydro waffle.
Syncro 90: Fill in nose chip small repair.
Sumo 125: open up and re-glass nose, before she starts looking like Ms pac man.
Power Glide 160: this is technically LL's board. I dropped it while loading the truck and split the tail. So some exploratory grinding is in order.
the next two are not as urgent...
Naish wave 85: major nose surgery
Seared Ahi fish: 3 semi repaired dings
I am usually pretty good about this kind of stuff, Not this year.
Oh and BTW windsurfed both days this weekend.
I just gotta' go when it blows. Summer will be here soon and I can work on my tan, and my gear. I'll make all my patch jobs look pretty when there is no wind. Right now my priority is to stabilize the dings, cracks, and chips: seal out the water, keep it light, not pretty, and retain the structural integrity of the boards.
That is get them back out on the water ASAP.
Sorry Segue; I know you need a fresh coat of wax and some sanding. you will just have to wait.
This spring has need very rough on gear. Last weekend I spent a good deal of time on my hands and knees taping tears in my sails. I bought two new universals... one last season, and one two weeks ago. all my Skinny masts are less than two years old. And while I did buy "used' a new boom this season: the rest are at least 5 years old.
I need to spend some bank on some new sails. They work; but have been showing signs of age.Especially my 5.0 and 6.0. I replaced my old 7.2 with a 6.9. And I already have a puncture in the 6.9.[BTW The Tape Fix worked on that repair.
In the old days, I would just go out and buy new gear. BUT HAVE YOU SEEN THESES PRICES!!!
so...
JP 109: cut open and re glass tail buckle. Then just cover it with Hydro waffle.
Syncro 90: Fill in nose chip small repair.
Sumo 125: open up and re-glass nose, before she starts looking like Ms pac man.
Power Glide 160: this is technically LL's board. I dropped it while loading the truck and split the tail. So some exploratory grinding is in order.
the next two are not as urgent...
Naish wave 85: major nose surgery
Seared Ahi fish: 3 semi repaired dings
I am usually pretty good about this kind of stuff, Not this year.
Oh and BTW windsurfed both days this weekend.
I just gotta' go when it blows. Summer will be here soon and I can work on my tan, and my gear. I'll make all my patch jobs look pretty when there is no wind. Right now my priority is to stabilize the dings, cracks, and chips: seal out the water, keep it light, not pretty, and retain the structural integrity of the boards.
That is get them back out on the water ASAP.
Sorry Segue; I know you need a fresh coat of wax and some sanding. you will just have to wait.
Friday, June 4, 2010
breakin' the law
LIBAG from jesse fawess on Vimeo.
LIBAG: The Long Island Beach Access Group, are individuals who work to keep the beach open to everyone.
Long Island is losing its waterfront and wet lands to private homes at an alarming pace. Beach Access is disappearing right along with it. In addition, NYS laws concerning Beach Access are archaic at best.
I want Long Island to be a place where the next generation can surf, windsurf, sail, swim, sunbathe, fish, kayak or just soak in Long Islands’ Natural Beauty.
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