Everyone got foiling!

After a good sleep dreaming of foiling the crew woke up to some Eggs Benedict for breakfast.

A good start to the day

With the north wind being a bit light and gusty, we started with a boat tour out to the Bay to learn the safe windsurf / kite / foiling areas. The tour included a visit to the Dead Island channel, a walk on Oma’s island, a bit of prop damage (my first in 140 hours on the new boat). 

Dinged it

Then we walked a bit of the fire area up the Pickerel River.

A nice burger lunch was on deck at the Launch Pad as we got ready for an afternoon of foiling.

Sketchy BBQ!

Good burgers

Chuck went SUPing

Others caught some shut eye

A barrel fire kept us all warm

A while later everyone took turns behind the big Seadoo on the big 140l Fanatic Stingray board with the 99cm slingshot foil. We had a 100% success rate - but just didn’t get photos of everyone.

Chuck on the big foil!

Bryan flying high at the Launch Pad

And then the wind shifted to west right at 6pm in time for a quick wind foil session. I did two perfect jibes - it is amazing how much better I am when someone is watching. I came into the point and gave Steve the board. He did very nicely as well on the 27 year old NP V6 sail and 140l Stingray and 99cm foil.

A nice little foil session - with two great jibes to start

Kept my speed in the first two jibes!

Gusty NW changed to steady West wind at 5:30 pm

Back to the cottage for a BBQ pork dinner (extra salad for me), then some euchre.

Dinner time - you can even see Bryan in the reflection

Everyone turned in for a nice sleep feeling sun and windburned. And stoked for the forecast for Tuesday…

First visit of the Hatteras crew

I was pretty excited that most of the Hatteras crew were heading up to check out the Launch Pad for a few days. I went out to make sure the place was ready and found a breezy NW wind. So at 10:30 AM I headed out for a quick windfoil.

The Launch Pad ready for visitors!

My session saw me catch a few runs and then circle back around the island.

My 5 km morning foil session

3 cars with 4 people, 1 seadoo, 2 windsurf boards, 2 foil boards, 2 kite boards and almost a dozen windsurf sails, kites and wings arrived right around the 2pm pickup time. Oh, and a 5 boxes of Costco groceries and almost 100 beers! We loaded the boats and had a parade out to the cottage to unload.

  

Giving directions…

The parade

Stoked to be well stocked

Then it was off to the Launch Pad to see if there was any wind left.. The wind had backed off so Chuck and Bryan didn’t quite get going windfoiling but did get on the water.

Bryan trying out the readily rigged gear

Steve setting up a really nice foil

Chuck on the water

We then spent some time foiling behind the boat just as the sun was setting. It was spectacular and fun! Chuck amazed us with his ability to get up on the 105l foil board wakeboard style. The rest of us just stood up the normal way as the boat and board started gathering some speed.

Seadoo escort for Steve

Like angels singing in the background for Chuck

Oh yeah

Fun on the boat

We missed the wind, but it picked up after dark!
Air was around 13c, water 17c

Back then for a nice chicken dinner, a lot of good conversation and checking of the wind forecasts…

Foiling into the rainbow

After almost 2 weeks without being on the water I got to the Launch Pad just as a squall came through gusting up to 30 knots. I waited for the rain to end and caught some photos of the nice rainbow.

I searched my 424 posts in this 11 year blog and there are only 3 others that have the word rainbow in it. So I guess it is smaller than 1/100 occurrence to be out windsurfing and seeing a rainbow!

Nice rainbow over Pine Island!

Panorama

I headed out with the old 6.5 NP V6 and the 99 cm foil under the Stingray 140. I caught 4 nice foils before the wind backed off. My two jibes were slow but it was fun to foil downwind looking into the rainbow.

Had to get out a bit to find the gusty NW wind.

It took a bit of pumping to get my 5 foil runs…
4.8 km in 38 minutes

While the air was down to 12c, it was amazing to have the water still showing 17c at this time of year. 

My cold Hatteras guys’ reunion starts tomorrow with some wind in the forecast - let’s hope the wind stays around for a few days… but there are lots of other activities on deck too. 

First time at Peasmarsh beach!

Somehow I was a bit nervous for my first session at Peasmarsh beach. It is between Craigleith and Thornbury on the SW side of Georgian Bay. We'd checked it out last January after hearing about it from the Hatteras gang. With prevailing west winds it isn't often a great launch. But today it was safely blowing E (side/onshore) and it was the first time I've had foil gear in Collingwood.

Post session smile!

I arrived to a convenient and virtually empty parking lot save for two pickups at the hiking trailhead. I rigged the 6.2 Duke and put the 76cm foil under the Techno. The air was 17 c as was the water. I was ok in my 3/2 short sleeved wetsuit. I walked out quite a way to get past the gravel and boulders and then got going a few times.

A bit of a wind shift near the end of my session

Larger view showing the boulders near shore

I had my Spot GPS with me and sent an "I'm OK" message. The wind did turn a bit more SE (side/offshore) so I decided to call it a session after 45 minutes and just over 5 km. I'm going to bring my cell phone for extra safety in the future - guessing it will be a lot colder the next time there is wind. The spot should be great for heading out on a shortboard, the waves should form well before the boulders near shore.

My heart rate definitely went up when
I was trying to pump up onto the foil...

I was a bit surprised not to see any kiters there. Here are some photos of the beach and rigging area.

Side on 7-13 knot winds

The Peasmarsh beach was empty

Small grassy rigging area!

Lots of parking

One of three hiking trails nearby!