Where We Sailed Today

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

Well back at the SailSUPping in light wind. Launched at New Brighton and was thinking of going to check out Shark Park, but instead headed towards Capitola. Sailed past Capitola and could not find any waves. Surf was flat. Sailed through the anchorage. Only two boats. One, "Void Star" from Alameda and another, "Destiny" from San Francisco. Covid-19. The Capitola Boat & Bait only just opened. Usually many more boats on moorings this time of year. Sailed on up to Privates. Still no surf. Headed back. Wind was light and getting lighter. Fairly mundane day. Still good to be out.
Had seen the Stagnaro Whale Watching, Fishing, Shark Watching boat headed to Aptos earlier. Tried to see where it had gone. In near shore off of SeaCliff. Staying in one location. They might be watching something. Headed that way. It was downwind about three miles and the wind was dying. I could not use the harness.
As I neared the boat named "Velocity" I could see it leaning to one side as folk gathered on that rail to look at whatever they were looking at. One of the crew on board signaled to me that it was a shark. He held his hand flat, fingers closed, edgewise on his head. The international sign for shark, possibly started by divers. I yelled out asking, "How big?" I thought I saw four fingers go up. Wait. Does a finger mean a foot, yard, meter? What?They pulled out and headed back to Santa Cruz. I tried to get into where they were, but the wind had died and I was just drifting trying to keep my balance. Don't know it it was a touch of nerves or the long downwind balancing act out of the harness or what, but next thing I know, kersplash, I am in the water. I crawl back on the board like a seal climbing on to a piece of ice. Try to get up and kersplash, back in the drink. Wait a minute. I only saw one hand from the crew member. Had he held up his other hand as well with digits raised that I had missed? One more time of that kersplash and I seem to get my balance back and get the uphaul to pull my sail up. Still did not get to see the shark. Decide to head back as I need to tack upwind. Luckily some of the light breeze came back and I could move along adequately. Looked for sharks the whole way and even did a few runs in and out, but saw nary a one. Bad time of day too, as it was nearing 6-O-Clock and the sun's slant did not aide in looking deep into the water.
So mundane day was not so mundane after all.

Gwarn · Joined: 22 May 2013 Posts: 124 Location: SF

San Pablo Bay

Sunny and warm like Sherman Island.

Windy like Treasure Island.

Rolling swell like 3rd Ave.

Foilers Paradise...

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

Launched at New Brighton and windsurfed what I call The Playground off of Capitola. Swell was not that big, but the wind was in the mid to high teens so it was fun. Three fishing boats in the Capitola anchorage when I started. Thirteen when I left a couple of hours later. More were coming in. Windsurfed Bombora and The Playground and sailed through the anchorage. Most fishing boats from Monterey, I believe. One was from The Channel Islands. Four boats headed two and from Shark Park. One was the Velocity, one was the O'Neill new Catamaran and two other sailboats. The O'Neill Catamaran and one of the sailboats were motoring.
Pics attached of the GPS Track and the session. Busy GPS Track area is The Playground. Boat in the upper left of the session pic is the O'Neill boat. Boats on the upper right are fishing vessels coming in to the anchorage.
I stayed out of Shark Park except to launch and land. (I need a bigger board.)

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

On my previous post of 2020-06-28 I erroneously said that the Catamaran in the pic going to Shark Park was the new O'Neill Catamaran. I went to the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor and saw the real O'Neill Catamaran today. The one seen the 28th was just some other catamaran. I got used to seeing the old O'Neill Catamaran going to Shark Park last year and thought this must be their new boat. It was not.

Pic of the real O'Neill Catamaran attached below:

Also saw four sharks in the Shark Park yesterday. Not from my windsurfer, but from the New Brighton State Park campground cliffs with binoculars. It may have only been two or three sharks as I was looking at different places at different times and could have been the same shark a couple of times. There was a Shark Watching boat, named "Sanctuary", from Monterey, viewing sharks at the time. Pic included below:

I did not go out windsurfing as the wind was too light even for me. Plus, sharks make me nervous...

Goodwind · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 323 Location: On water

bert told me the other day that after 70 years of windsurfing and foiling, he is burned out. So, this year he's determined to be a wing-man. Caught him winging on an "early bird special" light wind session at the stick today.

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

Thanks Goodwind. Good to see Bert still out there and going for new things. He has not reported on much of late. I am glad you provided an update.

I got out today putting almost 15 more miles on one of my SailSUPs. Launched at New Brighton and sailed up about three miles of coastline. Caught waves at Privates, Pleasure Point and Sewers Peak. A pic of Sewers below:

bert · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 665

windward1 · Joined: 18 Jun 2000 Posts: 1400

15 Pounds?!!! Now there is some incentive to get a wing and foil board!

Bert, what make and model are you using?

bert · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 665

windward1,
The wing is a Naish 4.6 and the board is a 130L JP board that you can both windfoil and wingfoil with if you move the mast to the fore position on the track. It really helps to have more board volume during the learning stage. I'll be using a smaller Naish sup foil board in a week or so. My foil is the lighter Moses 1100 wing with a 82 cm mast..all carbon. The wing would be ideal for you in the locations where you sail..especially in ocean swells and waves.