Adventures in Sailing-October RipSlog. That is the best way to describe the
day. Ripslog. Michele Walters used that word to describe a truly freaky day at Hamburg
beach. Late October, 65 degree air temp, 55 degree water temp. I arrived around noon. The
winds at home were 25 -30 mph. There were 5 sailors sitting on the bluff at Hamburg,
looking at the water. There wasn't a whitecap in site. I foolishly rigged a 7.5 and headed
out on a Zantos 325. 200 yards off shore, I was flattend by a gust. Hey, there's lots of
wind out here!!. I sail in, crank (I mean CRANK) the downhaul till the leach flops all the
way to the boom and head out. I'm ripping. Wait, where is the wind, I'm slogging. Hey,
there's the wind, I'm ripping. More and more sailors head out. The wind builds and builds.
I rerig to a 5.7 and an Axis 272. I'm still ripping. And slogging. And ripping. The wind
is still building. Everyone is on 4.0 and 4.5's. The father out you sail, the stronger the
wind. I crank the 5.7 downhaul. I stay closer and closer to shore. The wind shuts off. We
slog in. The wind builds, we rip. It dies, we slog. I finally decide to pack it up.
Ripslog. Lee |