Kus makes a very valid point; sometimes the most frightening part of the day is staring the bomber burrito square in the tortilla and wondering how you are possibly going to fit it all inside you.

KC7777 wrote:Hey Markus,

Your "checklist" makes me feel much better....as I note that expert gybing ability is not on it:

Fast waterstart wired -check
Can sail fast - check
Affinity for beer - check, check
Lying about my abilities - check

Keith

C'mon Keith! STEPH, who can't jibe yet (though is very close), never gets air (unless being catapulted), and has a phobia of sharks even greater than my own sailed Pistol on a head high day. Twice. Did she get worked? Hell yes! Did she enjoy it? Hell no! But she went for it. And the confidence in her own skills, whether she'll admit or not, has sky rocketed. You have skills waaaay above the minimum necessary to have a stupidly good time on the coast. No fear necessary, only respect. Grip it and rip it, my man!

winddoctor wrote: C'mon Keith! STEPH, who can't jibe yet (though is very close), never gets air (unless being catapulted), and has a phobia of sharks even greater than my own sailed Pistol on a head high day. Twice. Did she get worked? Hell yes! Did she enjoy it? Hell no! But she went for it. And the confidence in her own skills, whether she'll admit or not, has sky rocketed. You have skills waaaay above the minimum necessary to have a stupidly good time on the coast. No fear necessary, only respect. Grip it and rip it, my man!

As a witness to these events, it was pretty wicked to watch, especially on attempt two when she made it to the outside in fairly holey/gusty conditions only to get multiple foam ball rides back to the beach. If I recall though she was all stokes and smiles recounting the experience over a bomber that night. Then again, some people like to hang out in the river mouth, snap masts and put holes through their sails.

....gee....I feel so manly on this thread.

Keith, as the world's biggest worrier about not being able to handle conditions, I finally went for it and found it wasn't nearly as technically difficult to get out and back or so manglingly washingmachine nasty when I did fall in the impact zone. as my brain had told me to expect. At least it isn't that hard to go out, turn around (slow to drop in then waterstart in the other direction is all that is necessary), then come back in again. On the ride in you'll wonder where the waves have gone. At least its really quite easy when its under head high. Even doing that a few times will totally change your confidence level and your Nitinat/Gorge sailing will suddenly improve too.

firstonlastoff wrote:C36, we haven't met yet, but there are 3 of us (KC7777, mortontoemike, and myself; Keith, Mike, and George) from the lower mainland that are going to try to get down to Florence for some intro sessions in the waves, and beyond that, we'll see how hard the beverage fund is being hit, and with regards to my friends, and vitamen I bottle...

FOLO (George): Thanks introducing yourself. Please do post when you are thinking of going.

If I go down to the Oregon Coast this year it will likely be late June or early July, limited to seven to 10 days, and I would have a loose plan to connect the dots (with all of the usual qualifications - weather permitting, etc.) - Gorge, Florence, Pistol River, with a likely emphasis on Pistol River/Cape Sebastian.

There are others on the Lower Mainland who have gone down in the past and/or are interested in going down this year as well. I will let them respond directly as your and their plans start to gel.

If I can offer one piece of advice, you will likely learn more from the BWD crew than you will from me and if you have the chance to sail with them, you should jump at it. There is something reassuring about sailing at a place with trustworthy people who have sailed there before (I have had this opportunity in Îles de la Madeleine, the outer banks of North Carolina, Key West, Texas, the Gorge, Maui and last year on the Oregon Coast with the BWD crew). With just a quick conversation with someone with a little, or some cases a lot, of local knowledge can push you a long way up the learning curve at that particular spot and help to avoid some hard knocks (quiet literally). It is also nice to know that there are experienced watermen/waterwomen out there that are aware of what is happening around them with their peripheral vision - generally keeping an eye open (even if not directly on you) and have the ability to do something, if the need arises.

I have played the part of host/guide/coast guard in the Gorge, but I would not feel comfortable taking this role on the Oregon Coast - I still have WAY too much to learn about real coastal sailing (beyond the kids pool of Acadia, Centennial and White Rock Beach).

For your considertation (with respect).

My plans are staring to gel around June 15 to June 24 (including travel dates - so that might put me down there June 17 to June 23 with one day of overlap with the AWT-PR event).

But it looks like the BWD tour will be larger the following week. Unfortunately I am not sure I can move my dates to June 22-July 1

One side of me thinks it would be a good learning experience to watch the tail-end of the event, but I still want to be able to sail. For those down there last year during the AWT-PR event, I have a couple of questions for you.

bwd wrote:...June 20-July 2 (to avoid the wave bash this year )...

Was it possible to sail at PR (above or below the designated competition area even when heats were going on) or did you have to sail at Cape Sebastian or the jetty?

How quickly following the event did the tour(ists) clear out? I am assuming they left pretty quickly, as the only signs of the event were the BWD crew, Nathan Mershon and the porta-potties when I got there the following week.

Are there any others from the BWD crew last year (who have not already posted above) that are considering going down for June 15-June 23?

Many thanks in advance.

C36 wrote: Was it possible to sail at PR (above or below the designated competition area even when heats were going on) or did you have to sail at Cape Sebastian or the jetty?
How quickly following the event did the tour(ists) clear out? I am assuming they left pretty quickly, as the only signs of the event were the BWD crew, Nathan Mershon and the porta-potties when I got there the following week.
Are there any others from the BWD crew last year (who have not already posted above) that are considering going down for June 15-June 23?
Many thanks in advance.

-yes, below but the river delta has changed now, who knows? U'll always be able to launch and sail, just might not get the wave break area at all or Bossland only
-there were no tourists really, couple of photogs, most competing sailors left same or next day, nice and relatively quiet on the water w/ just the usual suspects
-Yes I hope to

Same input as Kus... claustrophobic types like Big Snake Dave probably didn't apprieciate the crowds, but for those of us who have no idea about right of way rules anyways, it was not bad at all (might have been worse for those who I was cutting off). Very little traffic in the morning and evening and tons of room upwind and down into bossland, just don't get stuck pole vaulting in the river-mouth like Morewind. But like Kus says, the river mouth is different every year.

I'll be there in the contest - 85% sure.

that photo is like elementary just let out how old am I anyway the really sad part is those little kids sail rings around most of us

Kus/Nanmoo: Thanks for the info (helpful as always).

I sailed the "safety zone" and "the rock". But I only flirted with the upper edge of "boss land" last year. I didn't know "boss land" by name and had no intention of going deep into that section on the bigger days (where the more skilled sailors were scoring real DTL sections and aerial off the lips) to avoid "getting in the way" of others and in an effort to avoid further/longer washings.

I came across this 2010 Windsport artilce that helps put names to places and have posted it for the benefit of others who are considering their first trip down (note that what is shown below as "north rocks" I have also heard called "guardian rocks" and these make a HUGE difference in reducing the longshore or lathorial current to the point that isn't really even noticable above "the rock" IMHO).



Thanks again - I'll be planning to be there June 17 to 23 (inclusive), with a little luck.

That's funny they note Boss-land, I heard from the locals it was called as such because of a local sailor, Bossman, who like Adrian (Udderreef) sailing in Udderland at CB, appreciates a long walks on the beach back upwind.

Thanks for posting that Dave. They missed one spot: pogo point, it's in the rivermouth - a spot with a notable appetite for ezzy carbon tops.

I'm still on plan for June 25 and onwards. Min 2 weeks.

morewind wrote:Min 2 weeks.

Better start training now!

nanmoo wrote:That's funny they note Boss-land, I heard from the locals it was called as such because of a local sailor, Bossman, who like Adrian (Udderreef) sailing in Udderland at CB, appreciates a long walks on the beach back upwind.

I have NEVER seen the Boss (Gerry) walk back he has incredible wave climbing & riding skills. That Boss area gets scary unforgivable where most guys won't bother playing cuz of a good chance of donating their rig to the current....I have not heard of anyone using the "Safety" area as that nor have I noticed a difference is rinsing potential or size of waves and there is in fact a sandbar you will run into and have a nasty surprise at low tide if you're not aware of it the big rock is good for really swirling sand into every orifice while you THINK it is a great sand block. They did get the current edge right