an infrequent repository of mostly new stuff
Surf video, with music soundtrack
When I arrived at Assateague, Tony had been surfing for four hours straight. Cold and tired, but happy. After he built his Melonseed, a sailboat, he built several beautiful wooden surfboards. In case you’ve forgotten, he still lives in Montana.
I know, right? Nearest big water is coming out of glaciers. Dude has a serious geography problem. And he makes maps for a living!
Beach Hut on Assateague
It’s a 6 hour drive from here to there, and it means running the gauntlet of Hampton Roads – through perpetual traffic congestion, rough roads, backups at bridges and tunnels. For a traffic wimp like me it’s harrowing at best, and at worst, when there’s an accident or just rush hour mayhem, it can add hours to the trip. Sometimes I leave in the middle of the night just so I can sneak through when everyone else is asleep.
Assateague Island, before Sandy
Wow, that was different.
Sunday through Wednesday were the best days of sailing I’ve ever had. Clear autumn sunshine, steady breezes, afternoons in the 80’s, good friends, etc..
But before I can get the photos up, an epic hurricane rolls in and buries everything under 4 feet of wind-driven storm surge, erasing it all.
Nice way to start the day, third great day of sailing.
Postcards from the road.
Steady wind. Sunny skies. Not a bad Monday.
Postcard from the road.
Wow. Needed this.
postcards from the road
Roadside Lotus Bloom
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge has been on my list of places to visit for a long time, even before the boats were started. Mike Wick tells me he’s very interested in a Back Bay trip, too. Maybe this Fall.
Wide and shallow behind Virginia’s southernmost barrier islands, it’s actually the northern end of the Carolina sounds of the Outer Banks, and a major stopover of the Atlantic Flyway. Every winter, hundreds of thousands of migrating shore birds, ducks, and geese move through here on their way south. I’ve always wanted to see that. Ideally, I would launch from the western shore, sail across exploring along the way, and camp on the barrier island to the east in False Cape State Park, where there are docks to tie up, and more cool places to explore.
A winter trip in a small open boat requires careful planning, though, so after leaving Steve Earley in Norfolk, I took the opportunity while in the area to make a scouting trip.