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Today was my first time sailing as a Corpus Christi, Texas resident. I decided I would spend my first few sessions at Bird Basin Island, as I wanted to make sure I have a bit of experience under my belt before I head to the Bay and it's larger waves. I haven't sailed seriously since 1993.
Because I had no equipment and I had to scrimp and save to afford to move, I had to buy all used gear. It's all in good shape, but it's pretty old. The sails are circa 1993 and the board is mid-1990's (a Mistral Screamer, I've always wanted one). It's old, but for the board, a fin, 6 Sailwords sails (6.5, 5.6, 5.1, 4.7, 4.1, 3.5), 4 masts, 3 booms (all booms and masts with good carbon content), a mast bag, 3 bases, two unis, boom extensions, mast pad and harness lines I paid $1000. I spent another $300 on odds and ends, but total cost is about $1300 and I'm here and sailing. Fat lot of good it would have done me to buy a $1300 brand new board. It would be about as old as the Screamer is now before I would be able to use it! I'll begin upgrading when we recover from the move and the swap meets start up. Meantime, I get to sail!
Right now we have only one vehicle and today we were supposed to go to the beach as a family, but the kids have been unruly lately and we don't like to reward them when they are like that. They are rarely like that, owing to the fact that it earns them lots of time being bored while not acting like a brat earns them fun things. Well, it worked out for me. Since we didn't have a bunch of kids to haul around, I was able to load the car with gear to go sailing at BIB.
I arrived about 3:10 pm after spending 20 minutes at Cline Street Sailboards picking up a few last minute supplies (a weed fin, some harness lines for the big boom, a new harness, etc. I went with a waist harness after only using the same Da Kine speed seat since I started sailing. More on that a bit later). BIB was blowing about 15, about right to get out there and catch a few gusts on the Screamer and the 6.5.
Before I left Montana, I rigged the 6.5 and the 5.6 to make sure all was well. I didn't have a lot of problems. Today was different. I spent a good 20 minutes fiddling with the cambers, trying to get them to stay on the mast and not pop off when I tugged on the downhaul. This, after spending 20 minutes putting on the new harness lines, a new foot strap and the fin (which needed some Major shimming in the standard box). It was about 95 degrees and I was sweating like crazy in the wind shadow of my wife's minivan (note to self: bring more water, 3/4 of a gallon is about half of what is needed!), and getting a bit peedee odeed, too. Short story is that I got it working. I'm sure it'll get easier with time. I've only had two cambered sails before, and it's been years.
I was a bit apprehensive about setting off with the Screamer, because the deck says it'll float 93kg. I weigh 93kg, but my rig probably adds another 10, minimum. Well, it's BIB, 4 feet deep for 60 miles, so I won't be needing to uphaul anyway. This is why I'm sailing at BIB, and not the Bay!
I wade out about 50 yards, as the water is about calf deep for that far. Then it drops off to 3 feet pretty suddenly. I fiddle with a few more things, then waterstart and I'm off! I struggle with harness line placement for the first reach and my waist harness isn't tight enough, it's starting to ride up. I drop down into the a-bit-more-than waist deep water and move the harness lines a bit. They are about 6 inches too long, and though they are adjustable, they are adjusted as short as they'll go without cutting off some of the plastic tubing. I decide to tough it out instead of heading back in to cut.
I reach back and forth a few times, getting into the straps and harness, but not being able to commit to the harness as I'd like -- the lines are just too long. I'm struggling with placement still, too. Backhanded, move back, fronthanded, move forward, times three. The far rear footstrap (there are two on the Screamer) is too tight and I can't get my foot back there. The mechanism seems to be jammed, and I can't adjust it (it was a buckle, and I eventually figured it out).
By now -- about 30 minutes on the water -- my arms are already tired. I'm fighting it too much, and my harness isn't doing that much good. I've got to re-learn how to lean out a bit, and eventually things improve.
By the time I've spent 90 minutes on the water I'm pooped. My arms are tired from struggling and the wind has picked up to about 20, gusting to 25. Normally, this wouldn't be too bad on the 6.5, but as tired as my arms are already I give in. I live here now, no need to push it. I can barely hook/unhook, which led to some rather interesting reaches, as I can do little but slowly lay back into the water to stop. I'd like to try a few jibes, but that requires being able to unhook!
I slipped off the board a couple of times, which was an interesting sensation. I would be just starting to climb to a plane, and start moving back to get into the straps when... whoops! I'd be sort of sitting there in mid-air, hooked in and wondering just what the hell was happening. The mud on the bottom (some spots are muddy, some are not) gets on your shoes and if it doesn't wash off right away, "man overboard!" After my session, I stopped by Worldwinds (just down the beach from where I rigged) and bought some Redek. When it came time to sign my credit card slip, I couldn't do it. It was like trying to touch your right ear while looking in a mirror. I knew what I wanted to do, but my hand wouldn't do it. If I were the type, I could dispute that bill, because it looked as though my two-year-old signed it.
Earlier during the short session, I did manage a couple of at-least-I-didn't-fall-in jibes. They weren't pretty, but I managed the turn without going for a swim. This means I didn't get any worse during my 7 or 8 year hiatus, as "stop" jibes were about all I could do then, too (hey, I lived in Montana, where it blows a lot, but usually when it's below 40 and the lakes are one cold day from complete ice). I did manage a few really fast, on-the-edge-of-control runs, too. I love those. I live for those. I moved here for those.
When I got out, I chatted with a guy named Tim, who lives on Galveston Bay (near Houston) on a sailboat. He drives 4 and a half hours many weekends to get in on the better wind. He was friendly and a pretty cool guy. It was the first chat-while-you-derig session I've had in 8 years. Welcome back to Windsurfing, Hans!
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