February Visit

I drove down Thursday night (2/16) after work.  After ninety minutes of creeping on the DC beltway the rest of the trip was smooth. 

On Friday I worked around the house.  In the afternoon I bought a $120 beach pass for 4-wheeling and stuck it next to my $90 Assateague pass, ughhh!  I rigged up my 5.8 sail for my SUP  on a gloomy NW breeze beach just north of Avon (ramp 34?).  Just before launching the sun broke through and on my first run out I saw a pod of dolphins.  They stayed very near me for my hour-long session.   Nice mellow wave rides mostly 3 or 4 feet with a couple shoulder high sets.  A nice rentry into the Hatteras waters.

Saturday was a sunny light wind day.  I had an am SUP session at ramp 34.  Pretty good sized swell, easy to catch but closeouts mostly.  In the afternoon I launched a SUP with sail at lifeguard beach in an onshore light air.  A few nice rides but I quit early as things were setting up a little too much like when I broke a SUP board and trashed a sail near the lighthouse.  I tried out the south side. Ramp 49 where I saw a whale while driving on the beach.  I surfed knee high beach break in a light offshore breeze.  Nice mellow fun.  Oh by the way all action was in the presence of dolphins.  Quite close at times, got startled once by two six feet to my side.  Supposed to blow tomorrow.  Maybe a surf sailing session?

Well Sunday was gray and rainy all day.  The wind came up but tired after chores all morning, the gloomy cold windy rain did not beckon.  That night the northerly wind picked up to gale force.  The house really rocked!

Hopping at the Hole (photo Andy McKinney)

Me at Canadian Hole (photo Andy McKinney)

Monday the wind continued but the rain stopped.  I launched at the Hole with a 3.8.  Soon I was joined by Andy and Lopi.  What a great session!  Fully powered 3.8 sailing with Lopi and Andy spinning and looping all around me.  I got some shove it tips from Lopi and had a lot of fun doing nose first jumps off of the occasional steep chop. Andy took a couple pics. Check out his Wind-NC link. After the session packed up and headed home via Edenton to see what the place was like.