That's it... I'm going!!!

[ron.c]

I check in here everyday so see what's going on.

I can see tomorrow will be another day were family commitments will limit my window to about 2 hours - door to door.

Please excuse me if I'm guilty of being a SCOOPER of less than useful info. I plan to be an OUTCAST and head to Pleasant Bay. With an east wind, the Orleans side should be a better launch. For those who do not consider themselves a SPEEDYSAILOR, but more of an average SAILINGJOE, the sailing aint too bad there with anything that has an easterly component.

hEVANS knows I probably won't advance to looping this year. I'd say my goal will remain the same as last year, incremental progress by sneaking in as many 2 hour - window sessions as possible.

Speaking of sessions - Although I did OK in CC Bay last Sunday, it was cut allittle short by the fact that my 4.2 ran out of steam. Just like SCOOP's report. I did't care to rig up, so one hour was enough.

However on Wednesday. a perfect hour on Pleasant Bay with a constant NE fan delivering 100 to 110% 6.0 power. 100% BLUESKY without a single direction TWIST or gust. Strapped in for every run - on my own - no wasted effort - just sweet.

I plan to hook up with you guys someday!

Ron C.

[scooper]

Juan- no, it seemed crazy to ignore a sunny, windy day today for the potential of wind tomorrow, but that's what I did. I'm glad you had a good one!

The Cut seems like the best option for tomorrow based on current forecasts. What do you think Outcast?

Ron- there's nothing wRONng with Pleasant Bay. Maybe our paths will cross.

[ron.c]

I tried today. Cold, cloudy and very marginal 6.0 conditions made me run right home and get on the couch!

RC

[outcast]

ron....i know the family deal....i just trade on a 2:1 ratio .....
even with that, my box of marital coupons is almost empty

scooper....if you do the cut, the best stuff will be south of the point....no current, and about 3/4 of a mile of inside with a bar outside.....fun but straight onshore...you can work your way progressively to the outside. depending on what ou want to bite off.

i'm going to be patient till the afternoon.....my old dead great-uncle used to say "an east wind blows no good"....and he had more salt in his socks than i'll ever sail on.

[scooper]

O.K. I've been mopeing around the house all weekend. I think my wife is happy to get rid of me.

The waves look pretty flat on the Coast Guard Beach cam. Maybe they'll come up later.

I'm leaving now for The cut, got a 2 hour drive. I expect it to be blowing by the time I get there, thank you.

[glewis]

I would have to comment on pleasant bay (outside the bowl) that it can serve up some pretty good sailing if the following conditions are met:

1.) Directions - W, SW, NW (sideoff - sheltered on inside). NE can work with nice swell out in the channel, smooth water up until clear the rocks of bowl - you can also go rig down on castle island and walk your gear over the park to the main channel and sail just downwind of shipping lane - swell is scootch bigger and at least at low tide you gybe on somekind of tidal flat. Other NE options are Wollaston. NW / N - head to Squantum - sail off the point over to Thompson Island (short reach but nice port ramps -max 3 feet in heavy air) with couple mile fetch above (fetch length will vary depending on tides) - because of the point and Thompson island the waves get squezed and organized - I have yet to sail, but stopped by last Sunday on a scouting mission. I'm looking forward to sailing there soon.

2.) Outgoing tide - water tends to be smoother, incoming you always get some ugly chop due to current since so much water moves in and out of the place.

Other comments - Heating of the city I think helps make this place fire at times. Warm days in winter and through spring into early summer can cause this place to crank when others are fogged in. At times it has been a good choice, and yes, sometimes I have guessed wrong when other locals fired better. I pretty much sail here late fall, winter, and through spring and more often than not I am on 95l board and 6.0 or less. When the tide is dead low there is a shallow oyster flat out over by JFK library - water is clear and you will know when you are over it. It's a pretty big area, with flat water and is good for praticing new gybes, tacks or freestyle since you can touch bottom, there are a couple channels interspersed but a nice piece of water none the less.

Be careful in the mooring field when there is heavy glare (some of those mooring are logs and can cause mass carnage). In terms of rigging - I generally tend to hold onto more sail than I should because the water is flatter, when you hit a nice piece of chop though you can launch some lofty airs for bay sailing.

Quincy Seawall is another option - Anything with W or N in it. I have had hit or miss luck here. You don't want to be there on an incoming tide near peak - the bounceback off the seawall is possibly the worst I have ever seen. About 3 hours into the tidal cycle little waves will start to break over oyster flat about 100 yards offshore. It makes for some nice portside bump and jump, at least with 5.5. I have heard in 4.5 or less wind it can be really nice. At the tide fully dumps out though there will not be much water left to sail in. Because you're sailing on the flats the water is very silty and even though you may be in 2 feet of water or less you won't know it.

If you are pinched for time or don't feel like driving far - you can find some surprising good places to sail within few miles of the city. No you won't have big waves if it is in the harbour, but something is better than nothing.

There is a second ring of places as well that include the likes of Nahant, Winthrop (both sides of point) and Nantasket.