Monday, February 21, 2011
Sheraton Nassau Beach, Cable Beach, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
1:30-2:30pm
Well, Sunday I was sorer than I should have been from needlessly fighting the sail. And by the time we got back from exploring the island, the wind was blowing around 20. So, I thought that hanging by the pool with the kid was the better part of valor.
But Monday was our beach day, and it was just gorgeous again. Today the wind was sideshore blowing to the left, 10-12 knots. I was heading for the 4.5, but then a teenage girl joined in the windsurfing fun. I asked her a little about her sailing and since she had not too much experience I took the 5.5 instead so she'd have a better day. I helped her and the beach guy out with the assembly. She swam the board past the ropes and off she went. But she headed downwind initially, so I'm glad I gave her the 4.5.
Launching was easy of course, though I didn't beach start initially. The wider, shorter board than mine made it a little squirrelly for me. But sailing today was easy. Jack was still in my head. And the tide was higher, so I didn't have to avoid any shallows. The water was a little wavier, but nothing tough. And the wind direction made for long reaches, though I think the Wyndham towers gave some wind shadow and things were a little shifty around them. But I was reaching nicely even if my takes weren't confident -- darn foot straps! But the port tack toward shore gave the nicest combination. I managed to plane a few times, wishing for a harness even. Yay.
And on my final reach in, the green water just sparkled at me, as I gazed in happily toward the Sheraton.
The water always sparkles, but it's me that doesn't notice it unless I've found balance and stopped fighting myself, nature, and the equipment. So that sparkle means I'm in the zone.
I figured that was the best run of the day, so I came in. I noticed the girl on the other board blown downwind past the last resort. I briefly thought about going over to coach her back upwind but knew I was too tired to pull it off. And she was heading in toward the beach, so she was probably too tired too. After I landed, I saw her Mom run down there, but the girl was fine. Nothing a little walk of shame couldn't cure. She was sailing well - just a little adjustment and a better plan going out is all she needed. But I had given enough advice getting her out, and she was in no danger. So I left her to figure it out, as we all sometimes must.
I used the little remaining time to work on the beach start. Only took a couple tries, though without enough grace.
So, this is a nice spot. Easy access, good beginner equipment. The beach guys say it blows between 10-20 every day, usually stronger in the morning. On some tides, there are chest high areas and waterstart practice would be possible. Recommended.
Supposedly, this resort will be no more in a few years. There's a new project starting up called "Baha Mar" that will re-develop the core Cable Beach resort area to better compete with Atlantis, which is eating their lunch. The "grand opening" ceremony for the project is tomorrow. The locals I talked to say "wait and see." It's a big project, and could go in a lot of different paths before it is done, if it ever is.
All the more reason to go now. It's a standard big-chain resort experience, but understated (compared to the Atlantis) and the pools and facilities and beach all well done. And, the sailing is effortless and there for the asking.
Labels: bahamas, cable beach
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sheraton Nassau Beach, Cable Beach, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas
1:30-2:30pm
My most amazing wife really needed a long vacation, but could only take a short one. So she found this Sheraton resort on easy-to-get-to Cable Beach. Well, easy to get to if you have a direct flight, as we did not! It's 2:45 direct from JFK plus a 20 minute taxi to the hotel, but if you get the last flight to Ft. Lauderdale and then sleep for 4 hours and get up and take the first flight out to Nassau, it takes, well, about 13 hours.
But no matter! It's February, school's out, and it's warm in the Bahamas. Or, as our awesome Jet Blue flight attendant Timothy noted, "We're now landing at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas, and the local time is . . . oh, who cares what time it is? We're in the Bahamas!"
The Sheraton web site listed windsurfing among its offered water sports, but it's 2011 so I wasn't counting my chickens. Soon after arrival, wife and kid took a wander down to the Aquamarine tent on the beachfront and enquired -- "Yes, Ma'am, we have windsurfers. They are in storage, so we'll have to bring them out." Imagining a tattered 2.5 dacron sail on an Aquaglide, I had lunch first before checking it out. But I was very happily surprised that for my $40/hr (it's a resort, right?) I had access to two pretty new and well-maintained HiFly Motion wide boards, and a 4.5 and 5.5 half dacron/half Mylar Chinook sails. Even better, they were clean, in good shape, and competently rigged. "Storage" turned out to be a little fenced enclosure up on the beach over by the launch area. Meaning a two minute drag down to the water, attach mast to board, and off we go.
The affable beach guy who helped me select and move the gear doesn't know the first thing about windsurfing (he was clearly low man on the beach-guy totem pole there). So I had a fine time teaching him how to carry a sail so the wind doesn't kill you, that carrying a big board over you head can be less effort than dragging it through the sand, that the downhaul goes arond the mast before you attach it, and how attach the mast to the board. But hey, we live to help others, and teaching is one of the privileges and joys of middle-age. He's a nice guy but not very ambitious. He asked how hard it is to windsurf, and I told him that with a good instructor he could be up and going in a couple hours. "Two hours?" he exclaimed, "I could never put that kind of time into that. That's too hard!"
The wind was perfectly onshore, which I liked as I was unlikely to get blown to Mauritania, but it presented a little launch challenge. The launch area on the beach was about 30 feet wide between two sets of roped off swimming areas, and featured a lovely set of coral rocks at the outer right edge. So my tacking skills were exercised extremely nicely right from the outset. Of course, I could have swum the board out past the swimming area, but where's the fun in that? Only took me 3 or 4 tries to get out. Only got hooked under the rope once!
Wind was blowing in at 12-15 knots and I picked the 5.5. As out of practice and out of shape as I am, the 4.5 would have been a better choice, but . . . well, humility is learned skill. Nothing matters really once out on water. Beautiful white sand bottom, water in all shades of Carribbean blue and turquoise, flat except for jet ski wakes. A fine time. I was so out of it though that I was just fighting myself almost the whole hour. Tacks were comically bad. Balance all off. No independent arm motion. The footstraps were placed uselessly way forward and toward center, so the only thing they were good for was tripping over, which I did on every tack! Just as I was prematurely tiring, I thought, "Now what would Jack say to me if he were watching? WWJS?" After a few seconds of mind clearing, I heard in my mind: "Point the mast with the forward hand, butt cheeks together, independent arms! Come off the wind a little." And everything came into balance. The board stopped fighting me. And then I heard Tinho say "mast foot pressure!" and I started to move a little.
And everything was beautiful for a while.
The sailing area is really a kind of cove-like area off the beach. Way out is a reef, and breakers beyond. I didn't get near there. To the left is a little island which I think is owned by the Sandals resort. To the right is the Wyndham, and further you can see the old tower of the destroyed Coral World, with the cruise ships at Prince George Wharf beyond, and then squinting pink and enormous in the distance, the Atlantis Resort on Paradise (formerly Hog) Island.
The wind got stronger further out, and seemed to be picking up, so when my hour was up, I went in gratefully. A little frustrated with my own regression in skill. But I plan to go back out later in the week.
When I came in, a guy in a kayak I'll call Bob called over to ask if he could sail, too, and I directed him to the beach hut. He came down, I helped him re-assemble, and he went out. He struggled a bit, like me, getting out. But, good not to be the only windsurfer there. Go Bob!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Camp Caribou, Winslow, Maine
If anyone every wants to know why on earth anyone would have a kid, the answer is this: if you don't have kids, you have no chance to be invited to Father-Son Weekend at Camp Caribou.
Needless to say, this is where my kid spent 7 weeks of his summer, and this year I went to Father-Son. A perfect weekend. The weather was perfect. The camp was perfect. The kid was perfect.
Well, OK, everything was perfect except the windsurfing, but it was close. Saturday on Patti Pond was one of those gorgeous mid-80s blue-sky, puffy cloud days where nothing can go wrong. We were only missing one thing: wind. But, undaunted, I grabbed one of the underused camp windsurfers and went out for a spin while the kid kayaked around me. Was on a very wide 9 foot HiFly something or other. The biggest sail with hardware that worked was a 4.4 ("hey mate, getting an 11-year old to hold a 3.5 is hard enough," said Miles the waterfront guy), totally un-downhauled, so I fixed that up as best I could with no downhaul cleat around. Screwed around a bit, a little freestyle when there was breeze. Fun for a while.
Patti Pond is a little lake that's narrow enough that the kids can swim all the way across it in about 45 minutes, at least on their branch of it. Camp Caribou exists on a peninsula that juts out into the pond. A magical spot. "You don't get this kind of beauty at Andro," camp director Bill gruffs out.
But better than sailing on such a day was jumping off the water trampoline, onto The Blob, and then running down the "Log" and into the water with the kids.
But, hey, I just windsurfed in a new state! Another notch on the belt.
OK, never mind all this. Gotta go play paddle tennis.
But oh my goodness, what a perfect day to spend with a kid who will probably never be 12 again.
If anyone every wants to know why on earth anyone would have a kid, the answer is this: if you don't have kids, you have no chance to be invited to Father-Son Weekend at Camp Caribou.
Needless to say, this is where my kid spent 7 weeks of his summer, and this year I went to Father-Son. A perfect weekend. The weather was perfect. The camp was perfect. The kid was perfect.
Well, OK, everything was perfect except the windsurfing, but it was close. Saturday on Patti Pond was one of those gorgeous mid-80s blue-sky, puffy cloud days where nothing can go wrong. We were only missing one thing: wind. But, undaunted, I grabbed one of the underused camp windsurfers and went out for a spin while the kid kayaked around me. Was on a very wide 9 foot HiFly something or other. The biggest sail with hardware that worked was a 4.4 ("hey mate, getting an 11-year old to hold a 3.5 is hard enough," said Miles the waterfront guy), totally un-downhauled, so I fixed that up as best I could with no downhaul cleat around. Screwed around a bit, a little freestyle when there was breeze. Fun for a while.
Patti Pond is a little lake that's narrow enough that the kids can swim all the way across it in about 45 minutes, at least on their branch of it. Camp Caribou exists on a peninsula that juts out into the pond. A magical spot. "You don't get this kind of beauty at Andro," camp director Bill gruffs out.
But better than sailing on such a day was jumping off the water trampoline, onto The Blob, and then running down the "Log" and into the water with the kids.
But, hey, I just windsurfed in a new state! Another notch on the belt.
OK, never mind all this. Gotta go play paddle tennis.
But oh my goodness, what a perfect day to spend with a kid who will probably never be 12 again.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars, NJ
Finally got on the water this year. Spring was dedicated to Little League, and early summer to travelling elsewhere and attending to family.
Laurie came down and sat with me, and help haul some gear. Wind blowing down the canal, but not hard to get out. Maybe 12 knots at the peak? Enough for me, as I'm out of practice. Was there early enough - 9:30ish - that the motor boats weren't out much and could cruise the channel unperturbed. Managed to plane a bit, but couldn't hook in to save my life. Felt good, but never got really in sync.
The park is still fine for sailing. The grass area is unkempt -- I wonder if it was Jack that mowed it? But the erosion hasn't gotten any worse.
It's really time to get a new sail. But sailing - what? - twice a year? Hard to justify.
Finally got on the water this year. Spring was dedicated to Little League, and early summer to travelling elsewhere and attending to family.
Laurie came down and sat with me, and help haul some gear. Wind blowing down the canal, but not hard to get out. Maybe 12 knots at the peak? Enough for me, as I'm out of practice. Was there early enough - 9:30ish - that the motor boats weren't out much and could cruise the channel unperturbed. Managed to plane a bit, but couldn't hook in to save my life. Felt good, but never got really in sync.
The park is still fine for sailing. The grass area is unkempt -- I wonder if it was Jack that mowed it? But the erosion hasn't gotten any worse.
It's really time to get a new sail. But sailing - what? - twice a year? Hard to justify.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars
A very quick session between 10:00 and 11:00, crammed in before leaving for a flight to Toronto. iWindsurf reported winds in the mid-teens and seduced me, but when I arrived they were around 10 and falling. Lots of pumping. Still, "a day on the water. . ." so I worked on jibe technique in the light air.
With Laurie helping ferry the gear from car to beach and back, possibly the fastest setup and tear down time in memory -- 20 minutes in, 15 out.
A very quick session between 10:00 and 11:00, crammed in before leaving for a flight to Toronto. iWindsurf reported winds in the mid-teens and seduced me, but when I arrived they were around 10 and falling. Lots of pumping. Still, "a day on the water. . ." so I worked on jibe technique in the light air.
With Laurie helping ferry the gear from car to beach and back, possibly the fastest setup and tear down time in memory -- 20 minutes in, 15 out.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sunset Park, Harvey Cedars
Nice afternoon of decent 12-15ish S winds from about noon to 3pm. A couple 45 minute sessions in the channel and the cove. Tack technique has gone to the dogs. The beach/launch area here has gotten narrower in the last couple years and overgrown with reeds so that I now have to rig to the north of the jet-ski/kayak launch. Still a nice place to rig.
Between sailing sessions, finally got the chance to use the SUP paddle I got from ISS in June 2008. It was kind of challenging to get back to shore against the wind, but not much problem with balance.
As I was packing up, a personal trainer and his two charges came down with SUP boards and paddled around for a while. Then they started to do exercises on the SUP boards. I overheard the trainer said people were now doing this kind of thing in Florida as "Paddle-ates"in organized classes -- a discipline so new I can't find any mention with Google. They were doing push ups, side to sides with paddles overhead, some yoga positions. Wave of the future?
Nice afternoon of decent 12-15ish S winds from about noon to 3pm. A couple 45 minute sessions in the channel and the cove. Tack technique has gone to the dogs. The beach/launch area here has gotten narrower in the last couple years and overgrown with reeds so that I now have to rig to the north of the jet-ski/kayak launch. Still a nice place to rig.
Between sailing sessions, finally got the chance to use the SUP paddle I got from ISS in June 2008. It was kind of challenging to get back to shore against the wind, but not much problem with balance.
As I was packing up, a personal trainer and his two charges came down with SUP boards and paddled around for a while. Then they started to do exercises on the SUP boards. I overheard the trainer said people were now doing this kind of thing in Florida as "Paddle-ates"in organized classes -- a discipline so new I can't find any mention with Google. They were doing push ups, side to sides with paddles overhead, some yoga positions. Wave of the future?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Bayview Park, Long Beach Township, New Jersey
Now that this is pretty much the only gathering spot for bay side windsurfers on LBI, thought I would sail out of here for a change. Indeed, a good number of sailors came over an introduced themselves, noticing my unfamiliar face. I'm guessing some of these folks have sailed here for decades. Nice!
It was a quite windy afternoon -- in the 20s. Challenging for me as I was out of shape, but exhilarating to be able to plane after all this time. I sailed I think from about 2-4pm.
As I'm writing this post a couple months after the fact, I can't remember whether it was Sat May 30 or Sun May 31 for sure but (and isn't this typical for a windsurfer?) I remember the wind better than the day, so checking the iWindsurf archive makes me think it must have been Sunday, as I wasn't sailing all that late in the afternoon.
This is a great spot to sail from -- shallow sandy launch directly on the bay, and the aforementioned friendly community. Only downsides are there's no grassy area to rig (beach or parking lot are your choices) and the boat channel is not very far offshore so on a busy summer weekend you are dodging some pretty big and potentially not very intelligently piloted craft. Need a beach tag in season to park.
Now that this is pretty much the only gathering spot for bay side windsurfers on LBI, thought I would sail out of here for a change. Indeed, a good number of sailors came over an introduced themselves, noticing my unfamiliar face. I'm guessing some of these folks have sailed here for decades. Nice!
It was a quite windy afternoon -- in the 20s. Challenging for me as I was out of shape, but exhilarating to be able to plane after all this time. I sailed I think from about 2-4pm.
As I'm writing this post a couple months after the fact, I can't remember whether it was Sat May 30 or Sun May 31 for sure but (and isn't this typical for a windsurfer?) I remember the wind better than the day, so checking the iWindsurf archive makes me think it must have been Sunday, as I wasn't sailing all that late in the afternoon.
This is a great spot to sail from -- shallow sandy launch directly on the bay, and the aforementioned friendly community. Only downsides are there's no grassy area to rig (beach or parking lot are your choices) and the boat channel is not very far offshore so on a busy summer weekend you are dodging some pretty big and potentially not very intelligently piloted craft. Need a beach tag in season to park.
