Actual Sailing Time on the Water

[hrwindsurfing]

I am curious, especially with the River Nose Survey that is ongoing, how much time do you actually spend on the water sailing? Many times when I launch, I'll see sailors bragging how they were sailing for 4 hours! Let me see, you were on the beach rigging when I launched, and you were back on the beach when I quit sailing 2 hours later - that is not 4 hours of water time.

To take care of my "wind fix", I need a minimum of 45 minutes on the water, and prefer 1- 2 hours of actual on the water sailing without a break. I don't need to be at the beach all day, and I feel that I've had a great work out.

Am I a spoiled local, because I can sail every day and not have to put in 8 hours a day like the weekend warriors to get their time on the water?

Will the numbers be quite skewed on the River Nose survey due to bragging rights of the participants? The question I was asked on the survey, was how many days did I sail last month, and how many hours did I spend sailing last month.

Thanks!

[scorpionfish]

By your definition, yeah, you could be spoiled. But I wouldn't call it spoiled. But your good fortune also counts into the totw for you. I wish to be so lucky. Back in the day when I could afford to come to the gorge, I would try to come often. That hasn't happened for a few years. But I think being a weekend warrior accounts for a few things. One is not being in 4.5 & swell sailing shape. I used to gauge my seasons by how long I was actually in the water, also. In spring I could sail maybe 1/2 hr to 1 hr depending on the terrain & wind speed. By summers end I could do up to 1 1/2 to 2 hrs with only brakes on shore for adjustments. I would be at the beach all day. Sometimes I would do 3-4 sessions... sometimes 1-2. Another is the ww is there for, well, the weekend. We all know it always isn't the best on days when we can come. Being there affords you more choices to sail. I've heard people say they sailed for hours on end as you have. They may also be the same sailors who sailed on their 4.2s when it was actually 4.7 - 5.3. I want to be going above slog rate at all times. I may also embellish a bit on my real totw. But like everyone else, I suspect, I know when I'm doing it! I may even feel guilty about it. Or not!

[LeeD]

Not at the Gorge, but SFBayArea....
Easily sail 4 hours physically, but usually lose it mentally after 2.5, maybe getting clumsy (out of balance), or even falling in.
Kinda depends WHAT you're riding and what you're doing.
In 20-35mph winds, usually sub 70 board and 4.2-4/7 sails, really only jumping high, riding swells, and staying in control, about 2.5 hours.
In 18-28mph winds, slalom board, 6.6 sail, going fast short distances and really jibing well, no more than 30 minutes before a break is needed.
Same winds with bump stuff, 5.5 sail, usually couple of hours.
Lighter 14-20mph winds, usually 7-8 meter sails, +68cm boards, usually 1.5 hours and boredom sets in.
Also depends if you've moved a ton of rocks just before sailing, or played tennis for 3 hours....

[isobars]

I can't imagine that our actual sailing time is important to this River Nose Study, and I'm cynical enough to have some mild concerns that its results could be used an excuse to regulate our water activities according to pollen counts, bacteria counts, Hanford hicccups, some dude peeing in the river, or crop spraying activities. Stranger excuses have had stranger impacts.

I sail a lot. I crash a lot because it's boring otherwise and because I'm not perfect (there; I said it). The river and I exchange exchange fluids often, partly because I not only can't but won't hold my bladder for several hours of hard play. The river's solution to my pollution is dilution, and my solution to its pollution is a cough, a snort, or a swallow followed immediately by a waterstart and resumption of my appointed duties. If the worst impact of the most important activity in my life is freaking stuffy sinuses, throw me in that brier patch every damned day of my life (and give me a sinus rinse if necessary).

I grew up playing in the Pea River 100 yards downstream of Elba, Alabama's raw sewage outlet pipe. By "raw" I mean there were turds, TP, and condoms in the water. I'm still here, and I've had only one cold and one case of influenza in my entire life, probably because I built up immunities to it all before I was 10 years old. "River Nose", my ass. Don't try to tell me when and where I can play, and don't spend billions of the taxpayers' money to keep juniper pollen out of the river. If they're worried about polluted recreational waters, go check out the Sacramento River Delta or Jones Beach.

Mike \m/

[LeeD]

Wow, good post there, Mike...
Yeah, the "powers that be" are always wanting to pull a full on big brother whenever they get a chance..
Paranoid here, eh?
They might consider.....how long are we actually headunderwater, as opposed to standing in our powerboats with dry clothes.....but on the river.
Then, bubbleboy won't last very long when he gets his bubble pierced.
Think measles.
And "WAR OF THE WORLDS".

[mot-manhead]

Who cares how long did they have fun

[LeeD]

dey ain't trying to monitor our "FUN"....
It's technoweenies trying to monitor anyone's time on the water based on "polutioncount" of the water, which of course means "bigBro" trying to flex it's muscle.
Old survey, Gorge was maybe 3rd most polluted US waterways?
SanJoaquin maybe 5th?

[tetiaroaxx]

[isobars]

Alright, who's giving beer to the 10-year-old?

[tetiaroaxx]