Last sail from Balaena Bay

Balaena Bay is right out our front door. When I am desperate to sail and don't have the car, I just hoof it down to Balaena Bay. The conditions are pretty lousy, but it does just fine in a pinch. Today was probably my last Balaena Bay session... Sailed for about 2hrs in gusty 4.4. It is always interesting near the launch, since the winds are a bit offshore, and come gusting around Pt. Jerningham at light speed in short bursts, just enought to toss you over the handlebars, before dropping to zero.

Brilliant!

A sweet day in the ditch... finally a fun northerly wind kicked in today on this beautiful sunny day - about 20-22 knots, solid 5.0... OK, well maybe a touch gusty. But it was fun! Its been a while since we last had a good northerly ditch session. I guess I like it so much because the conditions remind me a lot of home.

I am pretty stoked! The spocks are really coming along... finally... only 4-5yrs or so in the making. Sheesh! I had one run where I stuck two spocks, turned around, and stuck a grubby on the inside.

Gary and James were out sailing too. Fun stuff. Those guys are so solid. James and Gary both sticking willyskips on the inside with no difficulties whatsoever.

Big L is just getting his waterproof housing all cooked up and running. These are a few shots from Plimmerton a couple of days ago. I am sailing pretty underpowered on my 3.7, and soon rigged up to a 4.4 to enjoy the onshore conditions and clean waves. Plimmerton is a really nice sandy beach, a fun treat compared to the rocky shoreline in the ditch.


The housing was successful and did not leak, but the trigger - a jimmy-rigged wireless doorbell - soon succumbed to the water. Leland was hanging out in the shorebreak, so it was tough to get in there close and try anything tricky. Thanks for the photos Leland! The funny thing about the trigger is that it is connected to the doorbell relay, that actual fires 6 shots, due to the little 6-tone ditty it plays.

Kinda lame, but all I could muster was a jybe for the camera... and I probably even botched it.

Tick list

Lofty goals for the spring! I have no idea how an old guy with stiff ankles and bones like myself can manage this, but here's what I want to learn before all hell breaks loose in January:

- Pushloops
- Flakas
- 1-handed Forwards

I would love to start landing backloops here... haven't stuck one here yet and there are many good ramps to work on them, so no excuses! I saw Woo land one at Plimmy on Saturday and it looked sweet. There is something I am definitely doing wrong. Just coming in too steep and not really oriented right with my kit. I don't get it...

Sweet ditch action today

A nice 20kt southerly came through today. I sailed Kio Bay in the ditch, finally squeezing in a nice long 3hr session. Southerlies are quite flat in the bay, owing to a pretty short fetch. It was a bit gustier than usual, but it was still top notch.

On my third run, my boom just spontaneously combusted on me. The whole Chinook boom head just cracked in half, and my side came away with me still holding on. The tail was bent to shit, and no more connection at the mast, but the other side was still in tact, so it was still possible to turn and sail back to shore.

A great freestyle session!! Lots of grubbys and more spocks than normal, several regular and 540s... definitely pleased. I tried about 3 flakas with absolutely zero sucess. Those are definitely one of my projects for the spring.

Vivid descriptions

Every once in a while, the weather man gets a little funky with his/her description of the weather conditions.

Check out this one...

I love it... 'Frisky northwesterlies'...

Waves suitable for mini-me.

Sailed plimmy on Saturday, 4.4. Winds were pretty strong but the waves were just little cute wee things, barely worthy of a cut back. Sailed for 1.5hrs.
All the pansies here get cold real fast, so there is not a whole lot of beach banter and comraderie! I miss that!