JohnHuth Posted October 9, 2005 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
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