OBX 2009! My annual pilgrimage to the Outer Banks
Liz Patton, windsurfing (and surfing) wahine
April 18, 2009
My 3rd annual pilgrimage brought the typical Outer Banks weather -- sometimes windy and unpredictable, sometimes not windy, but at least sunny and kind of warm - sometimes! My chaperones and guardians, Doug and Nancy Sheeley, packed prudently and towed our priceless cargo of gear, wetsuits and personal items in the trailer behind the trusty minivan. Despite the long drive, we were excited to see the warmer southern waters and plenty of friends and family who were distributed among the neighboring waterfront houses rented on Island Creek in Avon, NC. The triple decker houses built on stilts offered plenty of bedrooms, bathrooms, storage room and a peaceful waterfront view from the decks and hot tub.
Conveniently stored on the ground level, our gear was readily rigged and accessible from the locked and sheltered shed under the house. The weekend began on Saturday with plenty of wind and the guys were out shredding in the 50 degree waters and 30mph+ winds. I struggled through the week working out the rusty kinks and even rustier skills after the long New England winter. One day varied so much in wind speed and direction that I had started the day on Doug’s 3.7 sail, moved to my 6.3, and back down to my 4.7. Thankfully my two sails were readily rigged in the shed and the arduous process of de-rigging and re-rigging was minimized!
But then came Wednesday. It promised to be a warmer, if moderately windy day. After realizing that conditions were as steady as they were going to be, I jumped into my very flexible Hyperflex 4/3 wetsuit, I rigged my bright orange 6.3 Worldsail and my beautiful blue Starboard Carve and headed out into the waist deep waters. I plunked back and forth chasing gusts and lulls and patiently observed the wind begin to fill in and become steady. So I got up on a plane and enjoyed the nearly effortless ride away from the shore. Various markers indicated my distance beyond the inside comfort zone. The first marker a few hundred yards from shore is the wooden stand that supports the iwindsurf wind meter. Beyond that, several small buoys marked fish or crab traps beneath the surface. The wind remained steady and I remained up on a plane. So I just kept going. And going. And going. Feeling that my prowess on the water this week was less than stellar, I wanted something remarkable to bring back from my windsurfing vacation. So I sat back to enjoy the ride and kept on going!
My hair blew behind me in the warmer breeze and the small, rolling waves passed beneath me. The sun sparkled on the water and made me laugh out loud in delight and sheer joy. Ahead of me, another wooden stand slowly became larger as I approached. Knowing that I was far from shore and close to The Reef just beyond the stand, I worked out a Plan B in my head. The Reef was a sandbar that the guys often referred to in their tales of past windy days. When the conditions are particularly gnarly, and the wind is a strong southerly direction, the reef is within reach and offers fun waves to jump. During one of these gnarly, windy days, from the deck of the house The Reef is barely visible on the horizon as a white, fuzzy border (foam from crashing waves) between the water and the sky. Beyond the reef, the shelf drops off into much deeper waters.
But it wasn't gnarly. The wind was full and steady - "for now," I said to myself. And in the back of my head, I knew that I was pretty far from my departure point, should a walk of shame become imminent due to a potential breakdown. So, hmmm, oh yeah, Plan B. It seemed pretty simple and obvious to me that a walk straight down wind would bring me to the strip of land that was a bend in the Outer Banks island and much closer than the 4 mile walk back to the house on Island Creek Road. I would merely flag down a car passing by and ask them to call Ocean Air, the local windsurfing shop on the main drag. The store was conveniently located across the street from our house. Nancy’s nephew and windsurfer extraordinaire, Mike Burns, was well known at Ocean Air. They would know how to get hold of Mike or someone at the house so they could come get me, seeing as how I did not have anyone’s cell phone numbers memorized!
The wooden stand and its lone waterfowl occupant marked the reef and the end of my planing ride. The bird warily eyed my approach but remained unperturbed up on his perch. I smiled with satisfaction as I watched the teeny, tame waves curl over the sandbar. I did it! I sailed out to The Reef. Alone. Hmm, better turn around now and head back. The winds were very shifty and fickle this week. There’s no telling when it might change enough for me to be stranded.
I know! know! Its not smart to sail alone, but the odds were with me. The sun was high. The wind was right. My wetsuit was cozy warm. And there was always Plan B, just in case. As I tacked and turned back from whence I came, I noticed the teeny, tiny houses on the far shore and smiled. This was way farther than any ride I ever took from Chair 9 at West Dennis Beach down to the Lighthouse Inn! And farther than any ride out past the rock island there where the water gets deep blue deep! I am happy to report that my ride back from The Reef was free of mishaps and offered plenty of bragging rights! Yeehaw!!!!