VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

OMG, that was Fantastic sailing today. Got there at 11:30 and rigged my 5.8 pretty flat for 30 mins then came in and eased it out for a bit more power. Then decided to rig the 6.9 and that was the way to go. I'm guessing I sailed from 12:30 till 2:30pm fully powered up. There were some holes but planing most of the time and 8-10 runs fully powered up in the straps going MACH-3 Yahhooo! Could have rigged the 9.0 after 2:30pm but didn't bring it with me ....I think that might have been the fastest I've gone for a long time.....seemed like a minute or two on a couple of tacks planing in the straps. WOW, that was sooooooooo much fun, I almost forgot how cold my fingers were as the endorphins were really going off!! There were a few holes after 2:30 but for the first 2 hours it was pretty steady. All in All probably 8.5 out of 10 day.

Yeah Bobson, I am jealous! It looked great - lots of wind and flatwater, no fighting the shorebreak, just sailing time. Didn't look too gusty on the cam, how was it on the water? I looked for you on the webcam (had it up as a small window on my desktop after 11) - but never saw you. The cam was usually too misty, Grant would give the window a swipe every so often, but you weren't in view the times I saw. I almost took another day off work (can't do that too often, bad for staff morale, everyone would want to do the same and we'd go broke!). Bobson, you've got to get a better suit, or at least a liner! 3/2 in snow??? My liner feels great - it wasn't even too bad to put on soaking last Saturday, after having been left out all night. The fleece really helps. The wetsuit was another matter. You'd really notice a big diff. The palmless mitts also make a big diff, even if I have the fingers pulled out - the mitt breaks the wind, makes a tiny lee for the digits.

It wasn't really all that bad, just the frozen finger fun. I probably came in about 6-7 times to warm them up for 5 mins. and then headed out again. I stayed to the South of the cam most of the time as the tide was heading out most of the day. The body warmth isn't the problem and I've pretty much got the waterstarts down pat it just the fingers are painful. Seems to get better each time they are warmed up. When it warms up I'm really going to practice my jybes as I'm tired of looking goofy tacking all the time. Although having practice my tacks lots I can do them quite quickly now. It was so nice not having to deal with the shore break and coming in as much as I did. I've got the front strap back and out and the back strap back but still in the middle and it seems to be working quite well. Lots of power and still in control...what a difference being in both straps...WOW!

It was pretty lonely sailing all day by myself. Good for practicing but and getting time on the water but like to sail with someone else too. A military helicopter kept passing over and I was thinking they thought I might have been Jimmy Lewis because we look alot alike....HA, HA, HA! Having every other Monday off RULES!!!

Bobson wrote:Monday off RULES!!!

Monday is always the windiest day of the week! you can bank on that!

Hey Dude, nice to see your input every once in a while .. How's Shirley.. Are ya thinking about comin' out sailing sometime soon.. How's the family doing..

Bobson wrote:Hey Dude, nice to see your input every once in a while .. How's Shirley.. Are ya thinking about comin' out sailing sometime soon.. How's the family doing..

hey Bobson, how's it hangin'
... Shirley is same , lotsa traffic from the hoards of new surfers trying to find some. seems like everybody is a surfer now a days
... the family is all gewd ... roz says hi.
i see you've been busy sailling lots at IV, you should be pulling off forwards by tha time the spring/summer westerlies kick in out here
unfortunately i prob won't be dusting off my gear untill then
enjoy those IV days! the place can have some of the all-time best wave sailling conditions! ... if it wasn't for the distance and knuckle pain, i'd be there. untill then all i can do is try to sqeeze in the odd surf day between babysittin' duty.
seeya out at Tugg when it kicks in!