On November 10th he sent me this pic:
I fell in about 3 or 4 times and had to do the "walk of shame" from Steven's bay ... and was NOT cold at all --> did NOT even take a hot shower !!
That was my 2nd outing this year on that board and it has NOT been used for a few years ... It was probably the first time with the sail this year and was a first with the cagoule and gloves. NO EXCUSES = I fell in cuz I suck lolol
Also, the clips are NOT in perfect shape ☹️
MS GlobalWaveSail 5.0 400mast 166cm outhaul = not Chinook
HSM Fire 6.2 = 460 PX RDM 187cm outhaul = can use the Chinook
SW Retro 8.0 (ripped n fixed) 490SW 225cm outhaul = can use the Chinook
======================================================
sails should all be there - bring SW490 &PX460 masts to the country
practice rigging those sails and take boards out of "chalet" to WhiteHouse
and check if MS Global 5-oh is at home !?!
Peter Pumpkin says it was "fucking cold" and apologizes for his inappropriate use of French. Yes, I took two hot showers after - one with the wetsuit and one without !!
Naturally, as female shopper, she took that to mean that I needed the car ar 13h00 !! Txted her before noon and asked ETA ... "Oh sorry, will finish ASAP and be home in 20 minutes, okay?" Man, it's a good thing I love my wife lol
Yvente of QuebecWind and I received the ZIP for the Montreal WindSurf sites in html. Yvente thinks they can get it to work there. I can get it to function properly on my WIN10 PC, but NOT on Google My Drive - apparently html cannot be run from there since 2016. And github was not much help either (can only load 100 files at a time and I had about 700 - felt like I was working with shitty UNIX that needed a parm esti)
.....BleuH hybrid Mendo BubbaKush may save the day lol
Yesterday I was trying far too many new things at the same time. It was time to go back to the "one change at a time" principal !!
............I will do updates on that subject !!
........................when it RAINED 😄
Actually checked OKA first - only VOilOKA at La Crête and about four guys setting up at the far end of the main beach. They all seemed to be rigging ~ 100 liter boards with sails in the 5 to 6m² range. Wind seemed to be ENE and there seemed to be a wind-shadow.
At Vaudreuils people also seemed to be rigging 100 liter boards or less with 5.x sails with the occasional 6-oh. Someone said there was a fellow out there with a 7-oh and not planing. So, like an idiot, I rigged my NS Duke 6.9 on the Fanatic BEE LTD 124 with a 40cm free-race fin. and I was OVER, OVER and OUT lol
.............Think I tore my left bicep and cracked a rib lol.
- it is quite large
- there were few boats as it is "end of the season"
- the water stays quite flat
(did ANYONE know this was gonna happen ?!?)
08SEPT2023 FryDay
still warm !!
Had to be quick about it as we need to drive the granddaughter back to Mascouche. Brought ONLY the AHD SL140, GA GTX 8.5, HPL carbon race boom and Unifiber Wolfgang Lessacher 42 cm weed fin (which was sanded and fitted to the board before we left). When I got there, it was a little bit light. I jumped on the water from about 13h45 to 14h45.Was West and NOT SW!!
Other than that it was amazing = means this board ain't bein' sold man !!
with this board need to keep weight at back when tacking
otherwise the nose goes into the water
which means stall or splash lol
Oh yeah, I almost forgot the "toilet issue". When I arrived, I had to crap, butt was not urgent ... yet. By the time I was rigged and changed, it was getting more urgent. So, I brought the board to the water and marched straight over to the toilets, which were LOCKED !! There was a SEPAQ dude backing up nearby and I hailed him. He told me no-one was here. Yes, we are many on the beach windsurfing and kiting (forgot to mention winging) AND that Marie had made arrangements for bathrooms before and after "camping season". The handicapped bathroom was open = phew. This was discussed with another SEPAQ employee who was chatting with a kiter, Marie and benwindy. One SEPAQ guy told us to all write to headquarters complaining and to ask for a rebate !! Wrote and stated that I shit in the woods and was afraid to wipe my ass with poison ivy lol 🔥
07September 2023 Thursday
30 degrees C !!
This is what I prepared in terms of predictions:
03SEPT2023 Labour Sunday
We went up north with Auntie Laura and I windsurfed a little with the MEQ 2 and the HSM SPF 8.5. Wind was light from the S/W and better from the West when we left around 14h00. It was NOT my kinda visit - although I did git ta spend some time with Niko's kids. They all freaked out when I dropped myself into the water backwards and cams straight out with my hair all back and the beard all looking respectable. Uncle Charlie said it was like one person went in and another came out ... lol This all fucked up my day and I napped from 16h30 to 19h30 :-( This is NOT counting as a session - maybe one outta three ...
02SEP2023 Labour Saturday
This is what I prepared in terms of wind predictions for this day :
So, I made arrangements with Helmut to leave around 10h00 before the campers...
He brought his Hawk 135, but left he SW Retro 8.5 cuz he hates it :-(
I hesitated between the Fanatic BEE 124 LTD and the Shark 145 HRS
Since Helmut was at a "disadvantage" with his Hawk, I brought the BEE ... and all the sail/fin combos that should work on the BEE LTD (8.5/47, 6.9/40 & 6.2/37). I also brought two weedfins --> the large Hydrotech G10 40 cm and the small Makani SurfRider 32 cm that Rejean or someone found and gave to me at OKA ...
This is what we experienced:
When I arrived at around 10h30, "my spot" was taken and I went about 5 car widths further down, where there was grass. By the time Helmut got there about 30 minutes later, those spaces and more were taken !! Yes, there were MANY people !!
24AUG2023 Thursday
Wife wanted to help the daughter up north and so I hung around until the wind picked up and I tried to windsurf from 13h00 until about 15h00. I had a lot of trouble rigging the HSM SpeedFreak 8.5 (dang - forgot to bring the monofilm repair tape) cuz the metal cap stays in the sail and I need to get the mast aligned in there. And to top it all off, once I was ready to go, I broke the tendon on the Chinook mast base.
I was VERY lucky in my "BAD LUCK" of breaking the tendon. It snapped when I was uphauling to go out ONTO the open water. No self-rescue was required ...
Luckily I had the Mistral base and extension in the basement - just a PITA/pain in the ass to change it all out ... Extension had to be at 17.5cm (hard to pull without the winch) and boom an extra 32.5 cm. Wind seemed to be SSE at about 15 to 30 kph and it was FUN FUN FUN. Wife's friend Lisa says I look like an egg spurt lol ... actually she "only" said that I am really good at it lol There is NO doubt that the weight training and exercise is helping !!
My poison ivy is at various stages on both my feet - all from OKA
------------------------o-------------------------
August 20th SUNNYday
Winds were supposed be light at first reckoning - like 20-30 kph SW and I was looking forward to finally getting the JP SLW92 out... However, both windalert (which is free this weekend) AND the marine weather announced STRONG wind warning with 15-25 knot SW winds = WooHoo. So ... I left the JP and the 10-oh at home and brought my usual Fanatic Shark 145 HRS with the GA GTX 8.5 and NS Duke 6.9...
Before I even got out of town I almost ran over an asshole bicyclist who doesn't know the rules of the road - including street lights %^&*
Traffic was NOT bad on the way there which surprised me, but the parking lot was quite FULL. By the time I left they were parking in the entrance to the parking lot !!
As wind was light I rigged the GA GTX 8.5 with the 490 MauiSails hardtop SDM mast on the Shark with the 40 cm Hydrotech G10 weed fin. From noon to 13h00 I wondered what I was doing here and there was even a moment when there was ONLY one kitefoiler and I on the water. From 12 to 13h00 the wind picked up and then it kicked. I flew SO FAST towards the boat lunch that it was absolutely amazing. Again, it feels like my exercises are definitely helping me hold onto the sail NO MATTER WHAT !!
I don't know what one calls temptation in terms of sin, but women should NOT be dressing like that at the beach. What happens if I get a woody like in high school ? Hafta walk around with the board in front of my crotch ? lol
I swear ... One lady was alone, removed her coverings on her scant bathing suit and then bent over with her ass to me. Politely I looked away. She checked to see if I was looking and then bent over again = WTF man. Then she goes in the water watching me. Once I left, she got out of the water. The way I look I do NOT anticipate any women wanting anything to do with me lol Here's a reminder of how I look :-)
Oh yeah - with so many people on the water ... It was treacherous close to shore ...
Met Bert on my way off the water. Says he sent me a message and would have brought me a boom !! and who was that windfoiler - kiter parked beside me said it was a woman - Marie?
--------------------o--------------------
18AUG2023 Another FryDay
Wind predictions were south winds until around noon and by one o' clock, wind was supposed to be "decent" as in 20-30kph and then increasing. Somehow, windalert was free today and wind looked decent and SW by noon !!
So, I left the house at around noon and only got stuck behind one trailer in the camper entrance at OKA Park. Just a two minute delay. When I got to the water there were white caps/moutons and the wind felt strong. Some kite buddies told me they just came in to downsize from 18m² to 12m² kites. Thus the NorthSails Duke 6.9 was paired with the Fanatic Shark 145 HRS.
When I started out, the wind felt very light and I chugged along. It did NOT take long for the wind to KICK and I was very happy that I have been doing upper body strengthening on the days when I am not windsurfing. What I discovered on this day was ... I also need to do upper thigh exercises (and get in those straps). On one run I had seaweed on my bootie (oh yeah - had on the farmer john portion of my wetsuit) and my foot kept sliding on the deck ^&*( Then I almost went for the front strap, but worried if foot would git in with all that weed lol.
As I was getting off around 15h00 (when BenWindy said good gusts were over as per predictions ...) there was a kite in the trees :-( Seemed like they got it out fairly safely after a gallant "fool" went in the trees to help !!
From the graph below one can see that perhaps one could have sailed past 18h00 !! Butt still with ups n downs in wind speeds.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wrote to Evan a while ago - our buddy with the StarBoard UltraSonic 147. Well, he wrote back - he is semi-retired and now spends all his time on his sailboat ✌
11Aug2023 FryDay
Left the lake up north to bring young Bee home and load up for OKA LaCrête. Brought the Shark 145 and GA GTX 8.5 + NS Duke 6.9. Ended up with the Duke and 40 cm freerace fin. Wind was WNW up and down with waves in sections. I enjoyed myself and sailed all the way over to Vaudreuil's wind shadow and back - until there was a lapse of wind. Looked like it picked up after. There were too MANY people and show-offs on the water. For one windsurfer I pretended I didn't know what I was doing and steered close enough to hit his sail. He did NOT come so close to me again :-) and later ... I fucking got poison ivy - cuz I was NOT at my usual spot = came too late :-(
09Aug2023
Not much happening yesterday ... Today winds were good and Victor saw me "makin waves" in the morning and so ... I gave him a lesson in the afternoon ... and he did quite well - was starting to move further back on the board and tacking or falling in to switch the sail to the other side = MEQ2 with the HSM Fire 6.3
07AUG2023
Have been windsurfing the last three(3) days with the MEQ II, HSM SPF/SpeedFreak 8.5. I put the CAP that my wife gave me on the top of the NP flextop mast (with NP CC mast bottom). The first day I had the sail on regular settings i.e. 20 cm downhaul on the mast and 210 cm on the boom. This left lotsa rope at the mastbase and too flat a sail ... I reduced the downhaul and the outhaul - will hafta check what it is .... left the mastbase at 9/14, just slightly behind mid-section. Used the 40 cm Select freeride fin and probably would have preferred the 48 cm ... Did NOT use the centreboard. Pretty much the same setting and ride as in this video ...
oka FRI June 10 2016 from joe windsurfer on Vimeo.
August
Had lotsa bad feelings and did not know how to back out :-(
July 30th
Sunday
OKA - Wind was supposed to start @ 11h00 and keep climbing until 14h00 and then be good. So, I got on the water before noon and had a gust and a mini-one to get back to the beach. As I was walking off the water cuz the wind sucked ... another wind system came in at 13h00. In the lull after that I sat on some rocks halfway down and tried to warm up - yes, I was cold !! I used the start of the next bump of wind to git back to shore - Carlos almost hit me training someone with a kite and there were SO many people on the beach that it was difficult to get out. Wind was looking better by 15h15 when I left. Best wind seems to have been 15h15 to 16h45 = 1.5 hours ... Probably best to wait at home until it picks up lol
I had fun experimenting with the BEE in those winds - I can uphaul it, but what I hate most is: climbing on the narrow board with only 124 liters. I tried beach starts as I had never done that with this board and again, I saw that it was not easy to determine the best foot placement - same issue I have with water starting in shallow water - often the board tilts towards me ...
I also learned how to evaluate if there really is enough wind to waterstart ... Did a buncha knee exercises and my left knee hurt afterwards - took some medicine after !!
Oh yeah ... I forgot to mention that Jason of VoilOka finally put wonna those catamarans in the water that were sitting on a trailer in front of my parking spot ... for weeks !! He says it takes a 25m² sail !!
July 28th
FryDay :-)
Forecast was IFFY and Helmut did NOT wanna meet @ OKA = NP. Headed out with the BEE, NP Duke 6.9 and HSM Fire 6.2. Left the house by ten and on the water by 11h00. Asked a fellow about his wingfoil and it was "DeanTheMachine" !! He stopped windsurfing for a while and returned to the water with a wingfoil - started with 135 liters ... As seen on the graph, winds were up n down and a bit light. I could have used my GA GTX 8.5, but wanted to practise with the smaller sail on the BEE for now ...Helmut went to WestIsland somewhere and gave the session a BIG FAT zero lol. I told him I was on the water from 11h00 until 14h00 when the wind dropped and am giving the session a 7.5/10, when it was probably closer to seven :-)
26JUL2023
Wednesday
Today winds were supposed ta be SW @ 20-30kph then 20-40kph and perhaps some BIGger action after 14h00. The same day my granddaughter is supposed to visit / be babysat.
So... at 11h30 I packed my stuff, but this time it was with the 2000 Fanatic BEE 124 LTD, which is obviously 124 litres, 63 cm wide, 284 cm long (~9.5') and only weighs about 17 pounds / 7.5 kilos !!! As the wind was supposed to pick up ... I paired the board with my 2008 NS Duke 6.9 and my Naish FreeRace 40cm fin ...
As I was getting comfortable, I hit a rock and mast hit the nose. No fin damage nor nose since I was NOT planing ... yet... When the wind picked up around 14h15, I was flying. I was surprised that I managed to save many situations without falling in AND at times I was really flying man!! At about 14h45 it became too much as I was getting tired and the wind was "solid". As I was heading home, it looked like the wind died around 16h00 and the graph confirms it !!
I was able to uphaul the sail quite easily. Front foot was just in front of the mast base. Water starts in shallower water went well too - jumped in harness FAST !! More practice required lol
24JUL2023
Munnday
Helmut offered to bring my MEQ II /Mistral Equipe up north to the lake and go SUPping. How can one say NON to that offer ?? Stopped at SUBway and got some sandwiches - Helmut chose a #14 Little Italy that looked AMAZING !! I bought lunch as Helmut was providing me with a service (that cost gas) ...
After the sandwiches and Helmut had a Leffe beer, we went to the family day camp at the other end of the lake and back .. about a 4 km ride.
We tried to put a mast base on the SUPs, but only Jenni's board accepts a windsurf mast base. Unfortunately I forgot the SDM mast extension at home ... Next time or even leave one there.
Jule/23/2023
SunDay
It was a beautiful sunny day and Louie up north stated that it was AMAZING to see the sun lol. Wind was from the West and even NW at times + more UP n down than OKA $%^&*
Since it has been a number of times I have been out at the lake and NOT counted it as a session, I do believe it is times to count it as +1 sessions in July 2023 !!
---------- July 22nd ----------
Not sure the wife was too happy that I was heading out to OKA again :( So, I left early and was on the water by around 9h30. That's when I realized that the hook on my harness was GONE #$%^&*( Yes, I was out in waist deep water after beach starting and realizing the hook was GONE... Marched the board n sail into shore and retraced my steps when I brought the board and harness out = notta ... Asked JP and he has some waist / waste harnesses at home to give away... Asked some kiters, but they just have this weird release system. I asked VoilOka and the dude said (not Jason nor Manuel - they passed this morning picking up inflatable SUPs) that I would have to leave something and is it something like this you are looking for ?? Yes, how did that get there ?? Is it yours ?? YES and now I better leave you something lol :) When I showed JP and Force5, Richard said that I forgot the hook cuz I was stoned lol. Told him it's too early for a wake n bake roflmao. JP said the hook should NOT fall off cuz there is a screw to retain it. Well, I had a loose screw, but you all knew that already ha ha ha
Then I headed out with the Shark 145, the GA GTX 8.5 with 2 cambers and the 47 cm slalom fin. Did a long run or two, but found the gusts strong and getting stronger !! Typical OKA with stripes of HIGH wind, no wind and sometimes crazy waves from the BIG motor boats. Oh yeah, wind was from the West, butt felt like WNW !!
When I went to rig down, Bert's buddy Daniel and his wife were there with their Toyota RV. He actually rigged up a NS 7.5 with an AHD FreeDiamond 65/115 liter board from year 2000. He managed to get out, butt ripped his sail with the nose of his board when aligning his equipment. Found a dollar and considered myself lucky cuz I owed Georgie for yesterday's bet lol
When I went out with the NS Duke 6.9 on the Shark 145 with 40 cm freeride fin, I had serious issues coming back to shore - harness was pulling hard on my front hand. As I had aleady fallen in ... I did not attempt to adjust the lines "au large". Once I adjusted them forward and closer together, there was NO issue. I REALLY enjoyed being comfortable in those varying conditions !!! Just need more SW to practice stuff ...
Sylvain was checking his sail that was just repaired - he had an issue out on the water. It was just a line mix-up (no surprise with kites man). George arrived and I gave him my airtight key/phone holder. He wanted to pay and gave me his instead.
Once I had the car packed and txted the wife, the 2017 Toyota Prius C would NOT start. Message about pre-collision system malfunction - go see Toyota dealer. Okay, butt car did not start. Tried stuff and checked sensors = notta. Called the wife and she looked online and while we were discussing, I pressed the brake while starting and it started !!! Did NOT stop for gas - went straight home --> imagine towing the car WITH all my shit in it (and then having to get home myself).
------ July 21st FryDay ------
Today they were announcing S/SE winds ... even at OKA.
NOT much happening today and so ... I decided to see if these winds get to the main beach in OKA Parc. There WAS wind and it seemed to be more from the West !! So, I headed on over to La Crête ... When I got there, George was there, but he was unsure of the weather. After he showed me his kitefoil setup (BOSS 70 cm mast, fuselage ??, W633 and S433 if I remember correctly, we went and checked the water. A storm front passed on the right, which is to the north ...
George started getting setup and asked me if I saw straight on the other side. By now he was getting pissed off cuz I had convinced him to setup and he thought the storm was coming this way. Then I told him this front was going to pass by to the right also. Now he got really pissed and told me he would bet $100 that it was gonna pass in 5 minutes. Told him I did not HAF one hundred dollars. Asked if we could do a gentleman's bet ? NON! One dollar !! And I laffed out loud. Five minutes later George was talkin with some kiters. I winked at a kiter and then told George he owed me a dollar cuz the front was not here yet lol
One kiter dude tried to go out with a 12 meter kite and another windsurfer with an 8.5. Christophe went out and came back ... told me he liked windfoiling, butt was too much in the water lol = sold it all !!
After the storm front, kiter tried again and gave up. Other dude, who lives in Oka, went out with 13 meter kite and foil --> seemed to be returning to shore when I left around 14h00...
The storm front came in with a 30mph gust and went, leaving NO wind.
------ July 17 Monday ------
As I checked the week for wind, I suddenly realized there was wind TODAY !! Everyone kept telling me the wind was going to be "UP n down". JF was going out with his AHD FF 160 and an 8.5 sail (with a weed fin). He wants to give me his waist harness !! Why are people so nice to me ?!? Benwindy had his Fanatic Ray145 and Ezzy Lion 7.5 and was starting later = waitin for the wind.
I went out at around ten with the Fanatic Shark 145 and Gaastra GTX 8.5 (with a weed fin as suggested by JF). By noon I was WAY OVER. The gust pulled me into the water while I was IN the harness !! I should have known cuz Sylvain went out with a 10 meter kite !!
Went back out with the NorthSails Duke 6.9 with a freeride 40 cm fin - weeds were only on the North side of the bay ... There still were BIG gusts and water starts in shallow water were water starts and had to get into the harness within ten seconds ...
Saw Benwindy practically racing a kiter and Ben won = love it man !!
As I went back to get my board I met Obelix from QuebecWind :-)
Dude arriving when I left rigged a brand new DuoTone 6.6 to go on his BIG 118 liter board lol. Thought is was a very "interesting session" !!
------ July 15 Saturday ------
It was the day before Auntie Laura's 80th birthday party where 25 people were to go up north for coffee and cake and to wish her well.. Lost Uncle Gilles about two years ago.
Once my bit was done, I tried to windsurf, but this session cannot count either - in and out a coupla times, butt not excited lol ... South winds under 20kph
------ July 12th Wednesday ------
Went up north cuz the wife feels obligated to help with chalet prep - for the out-laws of the out-laws :-( I did NOT even wanna go and was pissed when the wife said everyone was working hard - I went windsurfing, emptied and cleaned the boats, loaded the car at LaMaison and unloaded at the White House = NO thanks required #$%&^*( Wind was WNW and light. I probably would NOT have gone if we were not there ...
------ July 11th Tuesday ------
By noon the wind was supposed to go to 20kph SW and later in the day increase until the storm arrives. So ... I left the house around 11h00 and was on the water by noon with the Shark, 50 cm fin, mastbase @ 145cm and the GA Swift 10-oh sail. (Manuel of VoilOka is VERY impressed with that sail - how is it that he has been working with VoilOka and is NOT on their website as staff?) For over two(2) hours I schlogged back and forth and winds were more WSW than pure SW. Took a break and since there were now actually people on the water, I took a chance and went out again. I was not to meet PJ until 5 or 6 anyway. AND that ... was the BEST part of the session !! Got to plane a few times, butt even better than that, there were one foot "waves" and sometimes ... I had the wind AND the waves pushing me at the same time - it was SO COOL man !?! I was "windsurfing" and not "board-sailing"/PAV. Met the "wife" of Jason Meunier (owner of VoilOka) and Manuel informed me that she is now another ex-wife. The previous ex-wife used to "run" Parc Oka and helped VoilOka with their presence there. Now they are NOT allowed to rent out SUPs cuz the Parc does so also !!
-------- July 9th Sunday --------
Went out again = WooHoo. This was the wurst of the three, butt still lotsa fun. Have NO choice but to enjoy the light winds any way I can. Also, it's something to do when we are up north. I will NOT be doing cross-word puzzles or jigsaw puzzles $%^&*()_
------ July 8th Saturday ------
Today was much of the same as Thursday the 6th, except the wind was even a little lighter, butt didn't mind. Practiced the downwinders and gybes. Went downwind super fast precariously and then crashed full blast at the destination = FUN FUN FUN. Was out a coupla hours !!
------ July 6th Thursday -------
The wife wanted to go up north and they were announcing light winds - as in lighter than I really like. Brought my stuff anyway. The south wind was better than anticipated. It was a south wind which I guessed as 15-25kph. A couple of times it felt like it swung to SW. The weather network marked it as around 12kph, butt was more than that !! As usual I was on the trusty steed, BIC SL200, with the BIC "fish fin" which is 24cm deep and 30cm if you measure the angle. The sail as usual was the trusty GAastra Flow-3 seven m² sail on the NP constant curve/CC mast lol. It was so good that I wished I had brought my harness. Practiced going downwind and jibes. I stepped on the front foot strap and if I was sure of it fitting, I would have gone in !! That was a first on that board !!
------ June 28 Wednesday ------
Wind predictions were IFFY... most agreed that there would be 20 kph winds at noon and West, South-West or North-West. Since some of them predicted the wind to start at 10h00, I was there at 9h30. Told the kid from VoilOka, who remembered my name and I forgot his and he is not listed as VoilOka staff = WTF... that the wind was straight on-shore and about 20-25kph. Benwindy showed up and confirmed 9 knots SW. So, my selection of the GAastra Swift 10m² sail was correct!! I did NOT bring the BIG JP SLW92 because I like it less with the 8.5 sail. Practiced my water and beach starts in shallow water and planing as fast as I could. When everything was set just right, all aligned and I was flying, it was such an amazing feeling !! I sailed from 10h00 until noon and then the wind seemed to drop and people seemed to be getting OFF the water ... Looks like 14h00 and 16h00 had similiar "puffs".
------ June 15 Thursday ------
It was supposed to be WSW 20-40kph by noon. So, I showed up before that and practised my tacks and jibes on the Shark 145 with the NS Duke 6.9 sail and 40 cm fin. Wind was almost non-existent when I started and when it picked up a bit, I rushed and got the GA GTX 8.5 with the 47 Curtis slalom fin. By the time I got to the water, the wind was GONE !! Once there was a little wind (and I mean a little), I tried to sail and ended up way downwind when it really died. This was the calm before the storm and I put my stuff away as thunder roared all around me. Within five minutes from OKA Parc, it was a crazy downpour - Helmut says it was like a carwash - he was coming back from a bike ride at Hudson...
----------- June 4th Sunday -----------
Went up north and tried the wind - marked this as a session, as it has been about three times out without a count on the spreadsheet. Helmut was out at Vaudreuils with his Fanatic Gecko 156 and SailWorks Retro 7-oh. Says he planed and it was too much for that setup later in the afternoon ...
and unfortunately that board needs another "nose job" 😢
professionally this time !!
------------- June 3rd Saturday ------------
Wind predictions varied between 20-40kph, 30-50kph and 40-60kph. The ONLY thing they could all agree on was: NE direction. This means Vaudreuils or OKA La Grande Plage.
I knew I was in trouble when NO-ONE was at La Crête and there was a strong wind outside that arena. So, I went to La Grande Plage at the far end and that's where everyone was.
Sails were from 4.7 to 5.2 for the most part - max 5.8m²
Boards were 105 litres to about 115 litres
Sylvain left with an 8m² kite and when he waterstarted, he was foiling IMMEDIATELY; as in UP IN THE AIR & I have NEVER seen that before !?!?
He also left the water sooner than usual
So, as I knew this was gonna be too much for me ...
After chatting and taking some pics ...
I published my pictures on QuebecWind : https://quebecwind.qc.ca
I went back to La Crête and practiced my waterstarts and just trying to handle such a wind !! Some others were there doing the same thing !!
Lady was trying to go against the wind and waves with an inflatable SUP = WTF
This was NOT a great session for me, but I feel I did the right thing man !!
After I got off the water a "young fellow" (probably in his thirties lol) was putting together an RRD freeride 6.0 sail that "folds in half" ?!? https://rrd.com
We had trouble with the downhaul as the dude never rigged it before. He started with zero downhaul and the 370+60/430 mast. The whole mast extension would not go in and so he put 4 cm downhaul. Even that did NOT look like enough and so, he put 6 cm. His downhaul tool sucked, and the sail tension is TIGHT !! Like a Sail Works sail. Too bad it's Euro pin or he could have used my winch !! Lent him my handy downhaul tool :-)
In the end with six cm downhaul, the luff looked right based on the looseness indicators.
And guess what ? that's what the recommended downhaul is in the discussion 436cm luff !?!?! 370+60+6 = 436cm lol I also had to remind him to tighten his vent screw !!
I found these "seed pods" at OKA Parc and took them home to identify them. My son talks about some app that is good for scanning plants and identifying and states "muh bueno" which makes me wanna eat em !!
So, I do a search on the web for hollow green seed pod and this is what I find #$%^&*()
http://askanaturalist.com Fucking wasp eggs in a "gall" = WTF %^&*()
Benwindy was at Vaudreuils early as I knew he would. He started with a 4.7 and went down to a 4.2 !! "Too gusty to have any real fun"
-------------------- May 28th SUNday -----------------------
Called Helmut and he said he could be ready and at Oka Parc in an hour !! He beat me there and was leaving when I arrived. "Too man mosquitoes!!" He was wearing some kinda wrist band that is supposed ta help. NOT !!
I asked him what he had for breakfast cuz he was covered in bugs and I had one ... So ... he left and I continued after he told me there was NO WIND and no-one on the water = merde.
Met Benwindy at the beach and we chatted - he was covered from head to toe and it seemed NO bugs were bugging him (pun intended).
Wind is supposed to pick up in the p.m. and slated more for my 10-oh in the morning ... As Ben kept talking about rigging his 7-oh and this was my first outing on the water here this season, I opted for the GAastra GTX 8.2 + Shark 145 using a 47cm slalom fin.
I got out at about eleven and the wind actually felt like it kept going down and I got off the water around 13h00. Seems wind picked up around 14h00 again. Sylvain musta bin happy!
-------------------May 27th Saturday ----------------
-----------------------------May 25th Thursday --------------------------
Obviously up north with the BIC SL200 and GA Flow-3 seven-oh on a beautiful sunny May day. Wind was light from the north and really gusty - with wind shifts. Fell on the sail once or twice, butt never in the water LoL. In terms of windsurfing, it was NOT a great session. AND there were lotsa black flies when I got off. Water was not cold in the shallows - even with the cold nights they have been having. This was NOT good enough to count as a session and Saturday may be the next retry lol
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May 20th Saturday
Went to OKA and renewed my passes - $57+$53.76= $110.76
At the entrance the lady had issues with the card reader and I was there for a while lol. When I arrived at the main beach, I laughed cuz this is what I saw 😀
There were lifeguards setting up and also people in dry suits installing the demarcation. There was NO reason for La Crête to not be accessible !! Wrote about it on the WindsurfQuebec forum:
QuebecWindForum --> with more pics 😀
Went to TheGreenRoom and LeS'Pot after, butt didn't get anything lol
Bouncer at The Green Room did not seem happy with us, butt in the end lol
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May 19th FryDay Went up north and played with the Mistral SLE 303
-----------------> QuebecWindReport <-----------
this session counts as an outing !! and I have this in a google doc
When I started with the Mistral 42 cm fin on the SLE, I had issues getting long enough screws. The first session was comfortable and the 2nd was a blast. I planed in the harness, but the wind was very abrupt. I fell on the sail as I could not get out of the harness when the wind stopped !! They truly were fun sessions !!
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May 14th Mother's Day We were up north with soma da fam damily and so, I went on the water after lunch. Wind was from the NNW and was VERY finicky. Shifted direction and speed constantly which obviously meant I fell in once and dropped the sail MANY times. It was NOT very enjoyable and on top o' all that, it took me three tries to mount the sail. As such, this will NOT be counted as a session ...
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May 10th Wednesday I was repeating the same scenario as on Monday and Sunday. Work on roof and windsurf whenever I can. Pretty much about an hour a day. Now normally i would NOT call these sessions, but that's three hours in the last 3 days ... As such, I will count that as a session :-) Was out yesterday too ...
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May 8th Monday Up north playin on a chalet roof and did a quick session at lunch. As it was less than 1/2 an hour and wife would not let me go later ... This will NOT count as a session. I used the NP/NielPryde CC/ConstantCurve 490 mast and old boom. I actually think this mast goes better with this sail !! The look and cambers flip is sooo much better. Wind was North and NW (my least favourite directions on the lake) and 20-40 kph :-)
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May 7th Sunday What was all that StarWars crap this year with "May the fourth be with you" on the 4th of May $%^&*(
Wind was West and NW at 20-45kph and VERY gusty. I was on the BIC SL200 with the GA Flow-3 (MS 490 mast and the Chinook boom, which I brought). Bro-in-law suggested wetsuit and glad he did cuz I went in !! NOT a great session and a decent workout, but a session none the less ...
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April 30th Sunday They were announcing heavy rains and cold temps all weekend. My eldest son went up north yesterday and so, I asked him about the state of the ice ...
"Not frozen any more, mostly water."
After I had packed my car with the Shark 145 and GA GTX 8.5 ...
"If you're serious, idk, it might be too much ice / resistance" $%^&*()
FUCK IT --> I went anyway and this is what I saw:
There were "ice patches" only in the Italian bay where the wind had blown them
The wind was not bad, but < 35 kph --> SHARK + GTX 8.5 with the 50cm fin
In the afternoon the wind shifted and got lighter as in < 30 kph NE now
So, I went out with the BIC SL200 + GA Flow 7-oh
With that direction of wind.. the ice went in the "French bay" lol
It was 8 degrees C (<50F) and in the p.m. I wore NO gloves
and yes, I fell in once in the morning !! Lotsa people freaked
but QuebecWind folks loved it :-) QuebecWind Entry
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April 28th Fryday Was watching the wind forecasts this week and hoping to go out today as the rest of the weekend is rain with potential of stronger winds ... Wind was shown as 12-23kph SE for most of the afternoon and the hi-way turned red with traffic. Took a nap instead !!
Some people are lucky and are in Hatteras !!
By 16h00 it was 18 degrees C with 11-17kph SE winds = SAD
Sounds like the "dome effect" to me ...
April 22nd (Saturday) I have been SO busy that I did NOT even consider the possibility of windsurfing today. Picked up Propolis at Intermiel, stopped in at the Kanesatake Green Room and stopped by @ OKA Parc...
The regular entrance to the camping and LaCrête was blocked due to water inundation ... So, I drove to the far end of "The Beach" and took a look around... Water was HIGH and NOT from the Green Room lol
There was no-one on the water nor along the shoreline.
Wait a second .. I see something through the trees = 2 WindWingers, but they did NOT stay on the water long !! Wind measured at 8 to 9 knots ,,,
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| Clique the pic to see the Wingers |
when I got to the beach ...
At this time of year the water is cold and the air can get hot. This pushes the wind up (or keeps it there - depending on your perspective). This has no effect on the kiters. People lower to the water with their sail devices - like windsurfers and wingers - lose out...
Sylvain was there, butt had not gone on the water yet ... and was heading out with a 12 meter also (would have gone with a 15 if he had brought it).
Based on forecast ... I wonder what I would have brought and what rigged ??
As I saw the lack of wind in the morning and a Winger told me,"Ya gotta have patience.", I guess I would have started with my 8.5 sail and the FanaticShark 145. As it started to "pick up", I woulda hadto switch down to the NS Duke 6.9. With a sideshore up n down SE wind and the possibility of 40-60 kph winds... at some point I would have had to get off !!
NOT so sure this woulda bin a good windsurf day for me !!
Now at 15h30 I am hearing BIG gusts out there and this is what windalert is showing for OKA:
We are takin bout 15 to 30 mph winds (rounded up)
Fuck man, I hope no-one gets hurt - wind dropped and then gusted like shit man !!
The next day I sanded seven of my 13 fins to be ready for the water ... Did not see the need to apply epoxy MarineTEX as it would only require a fine layer = not coarse ...
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April 13th (Thursday) NO MORE dancin' on the ice !!
Eight inches of water on the solid ice ...
April 7th (Good FryDay) There really was NO need ta wax those skis yesterday cuz it got cold in the morning (below freezing) and a solid crust developed on the snow... It was like "pure ice" and wind was howling in the chimneys (30-40kph WNW). However, as you may know, on a lake and this lake in particular, there are "wind shadows" and the wind may even drop to zero.
In the morning I decided it was too dangerous without my safety equipment that was back home !! We went back and got it and were back by 13h30. I jumped on the ice model with the MS GLobal 5.0 m² sail - still strong winds, butt crusty now rather than solid ice.
The sled stayed on top, butt sank if I stood on it.
It was "fucking incredible" !! I even rode sitting on my harness and even tried it with a crazy carpet, butt did not work 😂
Somehow I managed to NOT fall and it was quite the "wilde ride".
Instead of fixing the blue in the pic from yesterday, took one with my DSLR Nikon D200 using the zoom:
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TurdsDay April 6th: Yesterday we had a freezing rain storm and lost power at about 16h30. As the power was NOT back the next morning, all schools were closed AND there was power up north at the chalet(s), that's where we headed... Most of my stuff was now back home (like the PX 460 RDM mast, the Chinook boom and my harness) and thus, only the MauiSails Global 5-oh was available.
The snow was "wet" and winds were less than 30 kph. It was fun, but also HARD WORK. Tomorrow morning it is supposed to be -3º C with winds from the West 30-40 kph = WooHoo.
Again the ice sled "worked" better than the snow model !! I was upset that I could not find my ski wax - to at least try that option. On the other hand ... I was glad that the wax was not found until later in my "tool bag" becuz I was considering putting on the sticky wax (for warm temps) !! In the evening I waxed the ice sled and the snowboard model that I forgot to test yesterday !!
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April 2nd a Sunny Sunday: It was a cold night up north and even colder in the morning = -13 degrees Celsius. Winds were predicted to be from the NW 20-40kph. By the time I got there it was more like -5 degrees and winds NNW 30+ kph. At first I was planning to use the Global 5-oh in the "ice sled" but wind predictions were slumping. I tried and tried to rig that SW Hucker 6.6 without swearing. Everything was telling me to either NOT rig this sail inside or rig it outside on the ice. First started with wrong mast - I had left the 400 Chinook mast for the Global... Then I just could not get the downhaul on. First I had put it too high and then the string just felt too short. Even as I was taking the sail outside I kept saying to myself," It's gonna rip = watch out." Well, when I was out on the ice I saw that the sail was torn in the main panel. I kept sailing as it did not seem to hinder performance nor want to tear more ... Once I was back, I decided no more videoing and switched to the HotSailsMaui Fire 6.3 m² sail. That used to be my fave winter sail - especially on ice.
I had a riot !! The faster I went, the faster I wanted to go ... Oh yeah, I did not leave the harbour until I had my helmet and harness on at the very least ...
I repaired the torn SW Hucker 6.6 and brought some stuff back home. I was surprised the GA Flow-3 and the SW Retro 8-oh were still at home - those are also my larger winter sails !! AND I forgot to bring even smaller sails for windski $%^&*()
This video shows that the boom PointOfView is NOT the best with an all white background: https://youtu.be/qOSW_rTVNao Next year I will try the video cam on a tripod as I sail bye ...
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March 30th Encore le WindSki ? OUI !!
Dans le nord, il fait encore froid. C’est -6 Celsius ce matin avec des vents de 0 à 40 km/h d' Ouest / Nord-Ouest. Il y avait environ un cm de neige croûte sur la neige dure. J’ai utilisé ma luge de glace avec ma voile MauiSails Global 5.0 m². Je suis tombé fort une fois mais j’ai été chanceux et mis plus de stock pour la protection ensuite !!
Cookie showed me the “squirrel hang” on the boom for getting in the foot straps and it helps in strong winds too lol.
la video est juste pour montré un peu la place ...
March 25th Last Sunday I thought "that was it" as in NO MORE sailing
on the ice n snow ... Well, guess again brothers n sisters !!
Me bro-in-law was enjoying my Nikon D200 with the 70-210mm zoom ... and he caught these amazing pics - love them for the contrast !!
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| Clique the pic |
The winds were from the ENE, becoming Easterly and finally SE --> from very light to about 40kph were predicted and felt like less than 40. The setup was the same as last Sunday i.e. my ice sled with the SailWorkers Hucker 6.6 sail. Think I love that sail, you can pump it pretty easily - gives instant power !! It was about -4 Celsius and I was sweating !! Wore safety gear, but omitted the knee and elbow pads - did not feel that dangerous ...
Because the snow gave such a nice wash-out in the pictures, it also means that videos will look like one is just floating over some clouds.
Here is one me bro-in-law took from his phone :-) slammed against the window so that it would not shake = genius !!
BGood on the QuebecWind forum saw my post and videos and gave me some great SW Hucker advice: MORE downhaul and much less outhaul !! Check his pic !!
March 22nd I have officially declared my winter sailing over, butt can always
dream. lol. Now I keep looking at Levitator 160s with Slingshot I84 foils, but even on sale they are still about $2100 + taxes. The wife just got some estimates on hearing aids and now no-one will hear any more about that foil setup = sad pun indeed ...😢
Now I need to determine what my summer kit will be at the out-law's chalet!! As the MEQ II was NOT utilized at all last year, I was contemplating somehow getting it there as well. Obviously it will NOT fit into my Toyota Prius C without a major portion sticking out $%^&*(
AND then there is the issue of the sail(s) up north ... The HotSailsMaui SpeedFreak has seen better days and now the mast pops out the top of the sleeve (need a coffee thermos cap to block?). The Gaastra Flow-3 7-oh was the last sail used there with the BIC SL200. It was okay with the NP 490 ConstantCurve mast. For the MEQ II the SW Retro 8.0 would also work, but if it dies, there will be NO more BIG winter sail ... Does the boom I purchased in September 2017 function with the SW Retro ?? It should be okay cuz that's the one I used with the SPF ... SPF outhaul is 230 cm and the Retro is 225.
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March 19th So... I did go to Vaudreuils after a colder night. The ice was
hard and the snow was crusty. However, as one can see in the photo from yesterday, it was rough and was NOT better further out !! from the previous traffic. Kept debating with myself whether to try it or not ... Since I was there, I set up my snow sled version with my MauiSails Global 5-oh. I tried to stay close to shore to keep in a wind shadow, but the wind changed to a NW and powder snow fell to the point that I could barely see the shore = NOT fun. So ... after a shower and warming up @ home, I headed north lol ...
Wind was from the West and NW from light wind to blowing wind (15-40kph?). I started with the snow sled, but the ice sled was MUCH better and I had a riot !! I was flying and pushing for MORE - with the SailWorks Hucker 6.6 m² sail. This may have been the first time I used this sail !! It needs some tape on the Hucker window !!! There is a decent dent.
oh yeah ... I was out on this day with NO safety equipment at all - NO helmet, NO knee or elbow pads and even my gloves were summer work gloves 😎 There was NO danger cuz if I fell, I would simply go through the snow lol ...
... and me bro-in-law Chas took some pics 😍
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March 18th Not even a week later and the river is finished ... 😢
The wind was decent and from the West about 20-40kph...
Am considering going to Vaudreuils to check it out there - even if offshore ... Would be going tomorrow - colder night and morning mean "better ice".
Went to Vaudreuils - water in my tracks, saw car drive in 6 to 8 inches of water. Which means it is safe, BUT ... Need the night ta bee cold !!
Let's see what happens !!!
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March 12th Went to the local river and there is about 1-2cm softer crunchy snow before you sink any more, which means "it is doable" !! There was "water under the bridge" and fairly fresh snowmobile tracks = okay to go ...
Just lacking wind taday.
As usual in the next few days there will be rain and snow ... Plus when the wind does show up on Tuesday with all that crap, wind is from the NE, which means I would need to go to the local park, which is not where I tested today, am less familiar with the ice conditions there and there is NO parking except for maybe one or two spots !!! shit .. shIT .. SHIT $%^&*() Don't know what happened Tuesday, but know I did NOT go 😢
March 11th Am up north and temps are under the freezing point. However, the snow has been keeping the top layer over the ice as water 😢
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Deep snow in California and drought in Europe ... me bro, who is also a Canadian Trumpster and Free Dumb fighter, feels there is NO global warming - calls it "just more government manipulation of the people" 😡 to get us to do what "they" want
March 8th When is the Ides of March anyway ?? Tonight we have a Waning
Gibbous - whatever the hell that means lol ...
I went down to the local river for a CSA/CurrentSituationAnalysis. There was one other car in the parking with someone in it when I arrived and when I left. Snow on the way out was fairly crusty and the ice under the bridge was SOLID.
Further out I could see tracks and what looked like ice at the bottom of them ... My foot went through the snow and the first layer under that was water - before the ice. My "snowsled" could probably "float" over this snow/water/ice, but for sure there would be times it might be "uncomfortable". 😡 Better HOLD OFF for now ...
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01MAR2023 Well, it feels like not much of a winter so far - not enough ice
and when it snowed, man, did it snow !! Have only been out five times and the average winter outage is nine.
Let's hope March and April make up for it..
I was looking over last year's summer journal... It looks like the Mistral EQ II was NOT used nor was the Fanatic Bee 124 LTD. The Equipe is gonna hafta git up north and the Bee is gonna hafta git on the water.
Started looking at getting in the footstrap videos again and I think I am gonna hafta perfect the hang down like a T-Rex squirrel technique !!
21FEB2023 It was a cold night and there were winds from the NE. Went down to the local river and it looked doable. It was a bit rough, was quite cold and the wind was fairly strong. I was actually shivering when I went in the car and I cancelled it. If I really wanted to go, Vaudreuils would be the call, but there were family obligations today :-( and wind dropped later too - not going with a BIG sail on that ice ...
20FEB2021 I cannot believe that I was considering goin on the local river today. Temps up north were six degrees C and it was raining. There was wind from the WSW under 20 kph. Thought it was going to go to thirty. Everywhere you went it was slushy with the high temperature. The ice is gonna be shit and the wind ain't great either. Fuck that man !! Took a nap at 15h00 instead - when making dinner at 17h00 it was 2 degrees and winds 10-15 SW. A little colder and it might have been do-able - what's in the forecast ?? Cold tonight with a NE tomorrow. Do I swallow my pride and go to Ste-Rose ?? Wednesday back to Westerlies with some snow. Thursday - blizzard :-(
18FEB2023 Yesterday we got another 10 cm of snow. With the wind yesterday and today I was hoping the river would NOT have that much snow. We had the sons drop bye with the two granddaughters and so, I did not get ta check it out until about 15h00. There was NO more water - just slush under the snow near shore. Further out there were ice patches and snow from 2 to about 6 cm. Wind was decent from the West - steady 15-25 kph. If I rode it as is; it would be with the snow sled and the SailWorks Retro 8-oh. Ideally I would like to have shovelled a runway of ice and done some speed runs with the ice sled. It is now 4 p.m. and by the time I get the car loaded, equipment rigged and on the snow, it will be 17h00 !! Winds are supposed to stay that way until late - do I venture out ?? Sunset is 17h30 = oh well. Don't feel like going in the "dark" - will be partly cloudy & yes, there is always the danger of snow mobiles in the evenings !! By 18h00 it was too dark to really see - I would have been windsurfing blindly and not too much fun taking things apart in the dark ..
16FEB2023 My knee was feeling better, but we had some rain, which could change conditions considerably. There was wind and so, I went down to the local river to see the conditions ...
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| clique the pics |
There was water under the bridge, but it WAS frozen just two days ago - this is a warning, but does not mean danger to me ... yet ...
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| clique the pics |
One can see that there are puddles of water on the ice - it did NOT all harden ... yet
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Here we can also see that there are snow patches on the ice. Under them it was like slush. Thus we had verying conditions with a potential of a bumpy ride in winds over 20 kph with gusts near thirty ...
As my right knee was not completely healed yet ... I put this one on PASS ... and decided to go check OKA Parc...
This is what I saw from the second floor ...
On this day I feel like I saw more cops between my house, the local river and Oka Parc than I have EVER seen !! There were at least six. The one that scared me was in Oka just after the school with the 50 kph zone --> I started accelerating when I saw the 80 kph sign while in the 50 zone, butt was well past school area with no-one there...
In Rosemere I chatted with some "InfoPolice" who asked me if the ice was safe. I asked if InfoPolice survey the river ... "No, we are here on coffee break" LoL
What do InfoPolice do anyway ??
The Laval Police website states that is a line used "to provide confidential (I assume anonymous too) information about an investigation or file (open case I presume)". Sounds almost like detectives in uniform 😈 I have NOTHING against the concept of Police, butt has encountered some BAD apples - sadly ...
Well, I am happy to say that I was able to handle my aches and pains in the last few days with legal/over the counter medicine. Ironically, a drug that was once only considered recreational by the youth in North America in the 60's and 70's, only NOW is being accepted internationally as medicine.
This applies to yours truly as well.
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14FEB2023 Happy Valentine's Day 💖
On the weakened I went up Norf wiff da famillee
As you can see, I tried to go out on the snow and ice.
There is a set of footprints going out and another pair coming in. At the end of that runway, I went down about two feet through snow, ice and water. As I was unsure of what was gonna happen next, I lay down and rolled onshore about six feet before even attempting to stand up!
Yesterday I went up there again and brought all my winter windsurf stuff back home. In my February 8th entry you can see that the local river was found to be solid !! with ice and snow patches. The ice was over 2 inches thick = good enuff fo me !!
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| my sleds |
Today I brought both my ice and snow sleds with the SW Retro 8-oh and SW Hucker 6.6 sails to the local river. Winds were from the West and under 20kph. Thus I rigged the 8-oh. When I was preparing myself to go with cleats, harness and helmet, there was NO helmet. Oh well, it is light winds. The ice sled seemed to have issues with the snow patches and so ... I tried my snow sled. This was much better ... and actually faster. Winds started picking up a bit and my right forearm was sore. It was warm and so, I took the gloves off first. When it was found the gloves were needed, I started working on getting the harness and lines set up.
Then I made a grave error --> I tried making adjustments while moving; like I do on the water = NOT recommended on ice !! I fell towards my right knee, which had no protection, but instead just folded the right leg completely and kinda bounced off the ice under the knee.
I was able to get up right away and bend the knee.
But for me, the session was over !!
The knee seemed to have a section underneath that was swelling and since there is ice and snow everywhere, I kept putting ice on it. Managed to put away my stuff with no issue. Am able to go up and down stairs no problem.
How many daze do I need ta wait b4 I can venture out again ?? L😄L
Ironically my left knee and neck hurt more than the right leg !!
In terms of weather,we are supposed to get even warmer temps than the +3 degrees C today with rain and snow in the forecast. Thursday and FryDay look like candidates for more experimentation - in terms of Westerlies !!
08FEB2023 Today I was in for another disappointment !!
When I went to the local river, there was only about 1.5 inches of crusty snow on pretty decent ice !! AND there was wind from the West $%^&*( Even wurst, temps are to go UP and we're ta git RAIN and SNOW #$%^&*() That sounds good, right ? Well, ALL my winter stock is now UP NORTH $%^&*()
04FEB2023 I was VERY disappointed after we had -40 degrees
where it can be Celsius or Fahrenheit.
At that temperature it does not matter which scale one is on !!
And this is what I saw !! :-( Two inches of WATER under the snow !!
22JAN2023 It is supposed to stay below zero up north with potential
10-20kph winds from the SW before noon.
Monsieur Desjardins as of the last notice had plowed "The Path" and even the East-West lane !! When I got there, I finished patching up my "new" 2013 MauiSails Global 5.0 m² wave sail from 2-rad with Chinook tape. Bruno had labelled it as in A+ condition and I give it no more than a B+ rating ... Rigged it up in the basement with the Chinook 400/40% cm RDM and the old boom I was using with the HSM SpeedFreak - that is dead now ... Luff is 416 and boom is 171 cm. This is what it all looked like:
And it looks like the sail could use about 5 cm less outhaul ...
All in all, I feel the sail does NOT look that bad with this setup
The wind NEVER made it to SW while I was there and the forecast flipped to all South. So, I went over to the East-West lane and did a couple of runs with my ice sled and the SW Retro 8-oh. It was okay in terms of angle to the wind and width of the track. All that was missing was the wind ... Was supposed to pick up around 13h00 and by 12h30 I had given up. Checking back later and the wind was SW and under 10kph $%^&*()
15JAN2023 Checked the local Milles Isles River - still has a waze ta go ...
Before it is ice-covered and is perhaps safe lol
13JAN2023 Fuck Me --Another dump of snow - about one foot
Was fish-tailing on the 15 south ramp to the 640 !!
and that was in my car - not windsurf sleds lol
09JAN2023 We are having a strange winter so far. No snow, then snowstorms followed by rain and then back to snow ... It was a Sunday with SW winds promised up to 30 kph. Like that was ever gonna happen !! I shovelled some snow on my "runway" and Monsieur Desjardins came out with his chainsaw to check the ice ... It was at least four inches then water, then ice, then water, then ... SAFE... He plowed a path around the entire lake and I took out my sleds and the GA Flow-3 seven-oh. I practised using the blue skateboard sled. At the end I discovered that I could perhaps go on top of the snow, but had NO wax. I did the last run with my ice sled and it actually seemed "better" on that ice than the skateboard sled !! Surprise, surprise.
Chas got some pics of that last run ... Chas?!? Ah, here it is ...
03JAN2023 Yvente was kind enuff to pass me an old BOOM for my
NorthSails Zeta 3.7 m² winter sail ... Picked it up from Laval ...
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02JAN2023 As noted at the start of this post ... The year had a very strange start. First we were inundated with two major snowstorms and then things just started to melt. In Toronto they hit 10 degrees C. We had a cold night on the first and I headed up north to check out the ice ... Me bro-in-law had sent me some pics on JAN one of the situation and I had high hopes ...
No, I was not high lol
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| Clique the pic |
The good news is the only water in that pic is at the bottom right and it was ice covered by the next day i.e. today. One can see the snow drifts where snow had been pushed about and the rest looked like it could ALL turn into ice !!
However, the ice varied in thickness from a mere inch to 2.5 inches to probably more than four. My runway and Monsieur Desjardin's path were both solid. I swept the runway hoping for those promised SW winds. The wind did swing from S to SW, butt never amounted to more than about 6 kph, which is imperceptible. By 16h00 I gave up and went back home :-(
Let's hope the next few days does NOT dump snow on the picture = more rain and freezing please ... oh yeah - and some Westerly winds :-) actually E or NE could work also !!
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Oui, c'est déjà 2023 !! Et ça a commencé mal pour mon sport de ice windsurfing
Bonne Année / Happy New Beer !! may the wind always be at your back !!
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