Mid-Week Shenanigans

[markstephens]

Wednesday:

Adam Bolonsky, John Leonard and I paddled about ten miles in Boston Harbor. We put in at City Point around 11 and slogged out in a 10-15 knot wind and against a 1-2 knot current. Adam was shocked at how slow we were. (John and I were sandbagging him, but don't tell him.) We watched a squadron of four camaflouged military powerboats scream out of the harbor at high speed. Probably heading to P-Town for lunch or something. Took forever to get out to Nixes Mate, where there was some interesting stuff happening. Goodly swell from the northeast was piling up on the reef there, and wrapping around the little stone daymarker and smacking back into itself from 180 degrees the other way, creating a kind of zipper effect. The results were fairly spectacular as waves, and then eventually our boats, shot straight up into the air where these swells were meeting.

As we played there briefly, a Coast Guard chopper came out and circled us at low altitude, no doubt wondering who those damn fools were jerking around in the rough water. As John looked up at the chopper, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a 4-foot breaking wave bearing down on him, dead on. Slightly cold, that, when caught full in the face and chest.

We headed over to Gallops Island for lunch, noticing and briefly playing in a nice point break off its northwestern side where the swell was piling up into nice surfable waves. I would have played there for hours if the other guys were into it. Oh well.

After lunch we got to ride downwind and with the remnants of the flood tide back to City Point, a much quicker ride.

Thursday:

John and I took the short boats to Nantasket for some surfing. Short period and steep waves that were getting bigger as the tide

rose. Tough workout punching out thru to the green water, but some

nice, rippin' rides if you could get out there. John and I mostly

settled for short rides and LOTS of bongo surfing in-shore, as it was

just too hard to break thru after we were no longer fresh. Fun, easy-

to-catch waves for the Necky Rips. And that water just doesn't have the sting that it had a month ago either, not on a beautiful sunny day like today at least.

Oh, and I needed at least eight rolls for every one that John did. He endo-ed once, and that was his only capsize. I found many more creative ways to get flipped, face-planted, maytagged, etc. etc...