Wednesday, I awoke to fog and a light breeze. The forecast called for the wind to pick up as day progressed topping out around 20 by sunset. About 8:30 I checked email and the radar. The email had a fellow sailor heading over to Messick point to get in his January Session stating "It just hit 16". The radar showed a fast moving squall line well out ahead of a cold front. I figured about the time I reached the launch so would the line. So I held back and waited. I was stewing because it seemed the forecasters had completely missed the timing of the weather again. Lately they have been off anywhere from 4 to 8 hours. Since the line was coming in quick I just new the missed again so I figured I'd just sail after the weather passed on the cooling westerlies. When the line hit the winds ramped up and the temperature dropped like a rock. After the line pushed through we had a steady rain, the wind dropped way back but oddly enough it continued to blow out of the S and SW. It took a little time but because of the flow the temps rebounded and the wind speed slowly came back up.
Between noon and 2:00 the wind was in the 13 to 15 mph range. I figured that would be about as strong as it would get since the rain had already pushed through. I threw my big board, my 7.8 and a 6 m sail and headed out to Messick expecting to get in a leisurely sail. When I got there the wind had picked up dramatically, my hand held anemometer showed 24 average with gusts in the 30s. I didn't make the drive for nothing and I wanted to get my January session. So I rigged the 6 and gave it a shot. It really wasn't fun, total survival mode. It reminded me of my Hanna session except the water and air were a lot warmer then and the sail was much smaller, plus I remember Hanna being fun. Needless to say the session was incredibly short lived as I have this thing about not wanting to get hurt or break my gear.
It looks like the farther South you went the windier and warmer it was. Several local sailors had a good day on Back bay and at the Va. beach oceanfront. Down on Hatteras Island it was nuking all day check out Andy and Bill's reports.
Photos are deceptive. It's really windy!
This Blackhawk kept performing this manuver over and over.
The first time I saw it I thought It was going to crash.
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