Eastern Shore Ice Storm

Woke up to a one inch coating of ice on, well, on everything. Travel is extremely hazardous. So we went sledding!



Gotta get my van cleaned off. We have a good forecast for Saturday.

For those of you who aren't aware, freezing rain is a type of precipitation associated with a temperature inversion air mass in cold climates. It is described as precipitation that begins as snow at higher altitude, falling from a cloud towards earth, melts completely on its way down while passing through a layer of air above freezing temperature, and then encounters a layer below freezing at a lower level to become super cooled. This water will then freeze upon impact with any object it encounters, namely roads, cars, sidewalks, power lines, etc.


When the ice builds up, the weight on the power lines often causes them to come down, and neighborhoods frequently lose power. Good thing we heat our home with a wood stove huh. Our streets is pretty slick

Where is the rock salt?

On the positive side, it doesn't take much for the ice to begin to break up. The eastern side of the Chesapeake was already thawing this weekend. Here is Terrapin Park (photo taken this past Sunday morning), and despite the storm yesterday and today, my sense is that the ice will continue to thaw out there.

In fact, there is absolutely no ice on the western side. Here is Sandy Point.

Ice is breaking up in Kent Narrrows as well.



Niko Iampieri from an epic session we scored back in October



Ken Kellar from a fun Assateague session back in June






BTW, Have you seen Giampalo's latest video of wavesailing at Kanaha? It literally brings tears to my eyes.

Lewes, Deleware-The Main Beach

Today Janis and I drove down to check out Lewes. It's about 15 minutes south of our place in Milford, DE.

I launched on an outgoing tide, with the wind running against it. Made for lots of floaty port jumps!





Fully powered 5.8. Kudos to The Avon Sailhouse for repairing the sail for me, the victim of a bad forward loop attempt during an Assateague sesh back in August. It felt like new today! If anyone needs sail repair, Olaf does great work.



I'm telling you it was warm! about 45 degrees, and after over a week with temps in the 20s, today felt like spring! The water temp was about 35 degrees. If you can minimize your time actually in the water and sail smart, it really is a peice of cake to sail cold water. Especially with the sun beaming like it did for a majority of the day.





No ice at all on the Deleware Bay. Rehoboth Bay is another story. (this photo by Bob Rammsey)

Floaty board and a 5.8 was perfect kit today


I took Andy's advice and put vaselene on the only exposed skin, my face. Makes a world of difference. Thanks for the tip pal.


First run out. Haven't been on the water since Jan 3rd

Lots of bottled up energy.



The sand bar started to break a tiny wave, that was fun to play on
















It doesn't look like much I know, but this sand bar is so much fun to play on!








Again, I practiced sailing out of my gybes clew first. I think thats helpful in wavesailing.


Bad form I know but I actually pulled this off.

Tack







Gybing on the outside for another screaming reach back to the beach

Nice back side rides
















Cape May Ferry in backgorund


Wrap up to an awesome day of winter time sailing on the Delmarva.


I sailed from about 11am till about 1.30, or four sessions of approx 30 minutes each. Like I said, it was very warm, and the temps weren’t an issue. My conditioning however is another story. My forearms fatigued big time today. In fact, I’m pretty sore tonight, the price for not sailing in almost three weeks. Its all good, spring is just around the corner!

Hookipa, Maui

The amazing thing about Maui is that you find yourself rubbing elbows with the sports' elite. Most of the top pro's live and train here. You'll likely find yourself rigging next to Polakow in the parking lot, or bumping into Pritchard at Costco. And of course, you'll be sharing the water with them as well. These pics from 2/11/08

Keauli Seadi back loop, Pritchard had a front row seat. Think he has a big grin on his face?


Kevin Pritchard and Jason Polakow head out thru the channel

Polakow in front of Hookipa's infamous rock garden


A great sequence of Jason Polakow

Top turn

Bottom turn

Wave 360


I spent some time talking to Jason Polakow. He told me the waves where about 5 foot. I'm not one to argue with Mr. Polakow, but they look just a smidge bigger than 5 foot, no? Also, he kept breaking the top batten. Maybe they get tweaked when you do those wave 360s. He was doing those on almost every wave



Kevin Pritchard setting up to go down the line

Bottom turn

Top turn

Pritchard coming in

This shot taken from the beach right where you launch, gives a different perspective of Hookipa. Most of the shots here are normally taken from the bluff.

Keauli Seadi

Keauli wave 360





I love this shot because its not one you'l see in the magazines. Look closely, he is out of the straps




Jason Polakow


Another unique photo that shows Polakow depowering the sail to allow that wave to break way out in front. Good tactics


Make sure you know the rules for right of way


A few more random shots






No, I didn't sail with them, although both Kevin and Jason encouraged me to come out. Was just a little too big for me. So after watching for about an hour, we sailed Sprecks.

This was my first run out at sprecks, about an hour after the above Hookipa pictures.

Amazing variety of conditons.

Maui Is Heaven on Earth

These shots from our trip in February 2008

Heaven let your light shine down

Janis on the bluff at Hookipa

Looking downwind toward Lanes.

Aloha Bead Company in Paia

Looking upwind towards Peahi




I have maybe 10-15 thousand photographs of this magical island. Literally, every single one of them take your breath away. Its impossible to take a bad photograph on Maui! And I'm not even talking about the windsurfing action shots!

Apparently this house is a landmark. I'd like to know who lives there? If anyone has an idea, please leave a comment


Camp One

Upcountry near Rice Park. That coastline you see is the south shore near Maalaea

2/13/08

An important promise was made this day

The Tedeschi Winery upcountry at Ulupalakua Ranch


Janis reading up on the history of this magical place

Ulupalakua Ranch House


Exploring rain forests

Twists and turns along the Hana Highway

Hana Highway, headed back toward Hookipa

Off road in search of Jaws

The town of Keanne





Passion fruit-

I beleive that is Three Bears waterfall


Maui is absolutely Heaven on Earth, and one day, Janis and I will call it our home.

Little Patuxent River Is Freezing Too

Here in Maryland, we had maybe 7 consecutive days where the temps didn't get about freezing.

For one or two of those days, temps stayed in the teens (Fahrenheit)



The net result being most of the inland water ways, and tributaries have frozen.



My daughter Kristin hamming it up!

We still find ways to have fun!

Chesapeake Bay is Frozen

There ice has locked in the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay.

The poll question to the right implies most of us are an extreme lot, willing to endure extreme conditions. But there isn't much we can do when the water frozen.

The ice extends out from the shore a couple hundred yards


This is Terrapin Park, a great spot on anything with west in it.





The mini-yachts are becoming locked in ice.


The Baltimore area Polar Bear Plunge also known as the "Plungapalooza" is next weekend. If its windy, it will also be a "jumpa-palooza"!

The shot above is of the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. I'd like to know why the ice only forms on the eastern side. At least we can still launch from Sandy Point if it blows from the north/northeast

Where is a marine biologist when you need one?

To be in Maui right now.

All Along The Watch Tower

Last night, temperatures in Maryland dropped into the single digits.


Ice is spreading on the eastern side (close to Terrapin Park) of the Chesapeake Bay. This picture was taken today 1/16/09.


Definately check out Andy's post for some wisdom on mitigating the pain of sailing in extreme conditions. Bottom line, you should really think twice about going out when its THIS cold.

So despite the possibility that I may be off the water for an extended period of several weeks because of the sub-freezing temps, I'm still smiling. Why? Well because I know that very soon, I'll once again be powered up with a small sail at Assateague, riding waves on the way in, and tossing huge aerials on the way out.

The minute I step onto that board, the pain of these mid-winter blues will just fade away. I'll be hooting and hollering, and grinning ear to ear. Or maybe it'll be that primo Hatteras forecast that forces me to cancel all prior commitments for a weekend trip! Yeah, windsurfing is definitely on the comeback trail here on the Delmarva!

These are Watch Towers at Fort Miles in Cape Henlopen, Delaware. They were used during World War Two to look out for German U-Boats.



Gun turrets


Here are a few pictures of Delaware Bay from February 2007

2007 was the last time we had a hard freeze, and my stretch of consecutive months on the water ended. Are those white caps out there....or ice bergs!?!

But for the freeze of Feb 2007, I would have close to 4 years of consecutive months sailing here on the east coast. As it stands now, I've sailed every month since Feb 07, so the streak is currently at 23 months.



Check out Makani's video of the Kona conditions that hit the north shore of Maui yesterday. Jason Polakow, Robby Swift, Kevin Pritchard, and Francisco Goya rip up the waves at Lanes. The conditions yesterday didn't reach the epic proportions of January 2007, but still it looked pretty big to me.

Giampalo also has a great video up that shows how difficult the conditions are, and the work it takes to get out. I particularly found interesting the segment of Francisco Goya on the rocks. His movements in that situation are so deliberate, with no panic.

A Rigging Lesson With David Ezzy

It was my 2nd trip to Maui back in the summer of 2006. I had brought my own gear, and as it turned out, I was getting blown away on my 4.5 that first day at Kanaha. It was gusting way up into the upper 30's, not really what I was used to back home on the Delmarva (at least not in summer months anyway). Well, in between sessions, I see a sailor on the beach helping someone adjust his sail. It was David Ezzy. I pointed him out to my wife and waited for the right moment to introduce myself. I was a little apprehensive approaching him, but a friend had met him the prior year and told me that he was very friendly and is usually willing to help other people fine tune their sails, especially, I suspect, if he designed them. "Hi David, my name is George, I've bought an entire quiver of your sails, and would you take a look at how mine is rigged? I’m struggling in these heavy winds."




Much to my delight, he spent over 20 minutes completely re-rigging my sail and educating me on the some of the more technical aspects of sail design and rigging. I was humbled to learn that after 18 years of sailing, I was no where even close to having it rigged as the designer had intended.



I had room to shorten the luff and reduce the amount of extension. He told me that the top of the sail and the leach are the most important real estate on the sail, and ideally there should be as little excess mast sticking out the top. I suspect this has something to do with the ideal curve of the sail shape as it relates to the bend characteristics of your specific mast, and where along the mast those critical sections of the sail lies.

I had tightened the tack strap over the top the base pad. He stressed that it was important to cinch it up under the pad, even over tighten it to the point that the tensions pulls on the foot of the sail, forming a sort of a pocket down there near the board.

I had also over down-hauled the sail, which meant the outhaul was also off.



My boom was too low. Raising the boom would improve control in the heavy winds.




After all of that, he wanted to watch me sail. No pressure, only the man who designed my sails wants to watch how my re-rigged sail handled.


I blasted out, hit a couple of really nice jumps, and was completely stoked at how incredible that kit felt.







Much respect is given to David Ezzy for the kindness he extended to me in taking time out to give me a tuning lesson.



ps-weekend looks cold.....and windy. Saddle up!

Great Moments From 2008

Some shots from the great action of 2008. As with all shots on this blog, you can click on each picture to get the full screen view. Enjoy!

George Markopoulos, Sprecks, Maui 2008

Bill Bell Charging Tropical Storm Hana, Lifeguard Beach Sept 08


Niko Iampieri on a meaty Assateague wave, Oct 2008

George Markopoulos, Big Assateague Jump, Oct 2008

Andy McKinney, Ego Beach June 2008

George Markopoulos-Sprecks 2008


George Markopoulos in a tight spot! Sprecks, Maui Feb 2008

Donald Obst, Ego Beach June 2008

Keith McCulloch needs air traffic control! Ego Beach June 2008

George Markopoulos, Sandy Point, Md. July 2008

Andy McKinney, The Canadian Hole, June 2008

Niko Iampieri, Broadkill Beach Oct 2008

Keith McCulloch lit on a 3.5 - Tropical Storm Hana, The Canadian Hole


George Markopoulos, Kanaha, Maui Feb 2008

Tropical Storm Hana, Donny Bowers at The Canadian Hole


George Markopoulos, Aggressive at Assateague May 2008

George Markopoulos, Assateague, May 2008
This photograph became my first cover shot for the July '08 issue of the New England Windsurfing Journal

George Markopoulos, Sprecks, Maui Feb 2008


George Markopoulos, Tower Road, New Years Eve 2008


George Markopoulos, Birthday Sesh, Assateague Oct 2008


George Markopoulos, Forward Loop, Lifeguard Beach June 2008

Ken Kellar, Big surf at Assateague, March 2008


George Markopoulos, Mid loop-the first time


Ken Kellar, Ocracoke, Sept 2008

George Markopoulos going backside, Assateague Oct 2008

Keith McCulloch, Ocracoke Sept 2008


George Markopoulos, Assateague, Soundside August 2008

Niko Iampieri, Assateague Aug 2008

George Markopoulos, The Canadian Hole, June 2008

Ken Kellar, The Canadian Hole, June 2008


George Markopoulos, The Canadian Hole, June 2008

Low Water Warning In Rehoboth Bay

The forecasted conditions didn’t materialize today. I was expecting NW 15-25 with higher gusts. What I ended up sailing in was about 12 knots, with gusts to about 12 knots. Still, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you should know my policy by now: Any day of sailing is a GREAT day of sailing!

When I woke up, temps were in the 20s, and the wind was blowing in the upper teens. Encouraged by the readings, Janis and I cruised on down to Tower but the wind had dropped by the time we got there. On top of that, the past week of strong wind had blown a lot of the water out of the bay.



All that being said, the water depth, light wind, and cold temps (40 degrees) didn’t keep me off the water today.

The conditions where perfect for out of the harness-callus-buildup practice and freestyle training.


So you had to walk your stuff out quite a ways.


I used my tiny freestyle fin

I worked on heli-tacks and..

Sailing fin first.

I found the weather down right balmy! Janis thought I was nuts.




In between sessions, it made sense to leave your kit out on the sandbar rather than carry it to the beach only to again schlep it on back out






I had a blast!


Time to pack it up-jack it up-bring it on home!


Any day of sailing…….