Owner:
squiz
Member
Member#: 145 Location: South Somerset Registered: 20-02-2003 Diary Entries: 17
Mood: Margarita Bound 08/12/04 Bring
|
27th May 2017
Windsurfing: The Dip-Felixstowe Wind Direction: SE the SSW Wind Stength: 10/23 Surf / Sea State: lumpy mess Air Temperature: 19 Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny and warm + thunder storm and rain for an hour Max Speed: 24.51 (knots - unless stated otherwise) Distance Covered: 33.81 (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise)
Saturday 27th May – Windsurf **** The Dip, Felixstowe – sunny and warm
+ thunder storm and rain for an hour! Wind started SE turning SSW.
With the forecast saying breezy early I was up at 5.30 talking to Al Wiz on
Facebook checking the wind, he said it was windy enough to sail and good as
low water. I had breakfast, hitched the trailer arriving at The Dip with
Mag at 6.36 and the sea looked nice with small rolling waves and the wind
dead onshore. We were soon joined by Nick and Ed Swain, one to windsurf and
one to kite and with 15 mph on the gauge I rigged 8.5 on the big Xantos. I
was on the water at just past 7 and set off beating out as Mag walked home
along the prom. The wind had dropped and I struggled to get going, kiter
Nick and his mate had a good half hour at golf beach but I only planed in
short bursts and lost the wind completely towards The Fludgers where the
cliffs killed the wind:( It then dropped to next to nothing as I wobbled
back to The Dip where Mark Swain had rigged 8.2. We chatted for a while as
the sky darkened as a storm front approached. The wind did seem to pick up
so I tried again but not enough and then the lightning started so I headed
ashore while. Nathan had arrived but didn’t sail as it started to rain
and I was left by myself in the carpark.
I had an hour dozing and reading while the storm passed over and the sun
returned and the beach soon filled up but the wind was very light. With
high water, there was a lot of boats coming and going in the River Deben, I
nearly packed up even taking my board back to the trailer. The wind then
returned from the SSW so I had to put my wet wetsuit on again and try
again. Nathan had returned with his big kit so we headed out. It was now
wind with tide meaning you had to beat both ways just to stay in the same
spot, not ideal but at least there was some wind. It was nice being out in
the sunshine with not a cloud in the sky, the sea was the usual Felixstowe
lumpy mess but there were some interesting waves in the river mouth caused
by the outgoing tide!
Going fast was hard in the big sea and very time you went broad it was hard
to make it back to The Dip. Mag had biked down at 3 with my lunch so I took
a break with her as Cambridge Alistair arrived and rigged 6.9 and headed
out. Refreshed from chicken rolls I headed out again as Mag biked home.
Mark Smalling had arrived and rigged big but on launching sadly his mast
just snapped, luckily it was right by the beach. It meant he then had to
rig 7.8 and that was not enough.
Although completely knackered I had one more go to get over 60 km and
record my fastest speed of the day 24 kts, not too bad on big kit in a
lumpy sea.
Loads of kites out to make the most of the dropping tide and then some
plonker runs aground in a small yacht trying to motor out of the Deben
right by the first red bouy! It is next to impossible to navigate the river
entrance at any time other than near high water!
So although there was quite a bit of struggling, the good breeze at the end
upped the session to 4 stars finally making it home at 6.45 shot to pieces,
that’s hope the wind doesn’t blow tomorrow!
Photo Gallery
Here
|
Toys Used:
Statsbar:
About MY Statsbar
|