JohnHuth Posted October 9, 2005 Share Posted October 9, 2005 Yesterday was windy on Nantucket Sound - 30 knots sustained with gusts up to 40 out of the SSW. Since this is my "home turf", I like to try out things in progressively snottier conditions to build up my skills. I usually stay close to home and practice. What I found was interesting - the waves tend to shield the kayak from most of the wind. Only on the crests of the waves, did I notice some tremors when the wind was "trying to grab" the boat. Othewise, it was surprisingly calm and manageable. Rolls weren't much of a problem, although I have to confess to some nervousness in deliberately going over when facing a bunch of whitecaps marching toward me. The only really tricky bit was landing. At high tide, the spot outside my house is a bit steep, so the waves dump, but I managed to waltz in and then do a quick turn to the side and hop out. All-in-all, it was interesting. I wouldn't counsel a long trip in those conditions, but if I got caught by surprise, I'm glad I practiced. I couldn't help but think about Mark Stephen's post about the Muskeget Channel and was trying to imagine what the waves looked like on the ebb with that big SSW wind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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