I'm sorry. Maybe I am a wimp (or a wuss, or a girly-girl, or whatever euphemism that Bruce may come up with,) but I have no inclination to go out in cold water. I'm reading of those crazy Brits trying to learn how to sail a moth in frigid water and I just shake my head. Noel Coward wrote that "only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun," but if he saw the wanna-be mothies flailing about in 5C water, he'd pen a line about "only penguins and Englishmen..." More guts than brains, I'd say.
Here on the East Coast of the US, recreational dinghy sailing is a non-starter until March at the absolute earliest. There may be some college sailing teams knocking around in dry suits this time of year, but for some venues it's not even possible (see the above pic of sea ice in Long Island Sound.) I suppose that the folks in southern California are usually better off, but even there things can be crazy. They just had a huge storm come ashore, with torrential downpours and such.
So yeah, mothing on the mid-Atlantic coast is on hiatus. I'm stuck ashore and I bet that the collective wisdom of the Annapolis crowd is also causing that bunch to stay dry and warm. I hope I'll get my new foil and strut soon so I can fit it and at least dream about sailing. Until then, I'll listen to warmer tunes. Enjoy the Beach Boys.
California Girls, by Brian Wilson and Mike Love (1965)
Well east coast girls are hip
I really dig those styles they wear
And the southern girls with the way they talk
They knock me out when I'm down there
The mid-west farmers daughters really make you feel alright
And the northern girls with the way they kiss
They keep their boyfriends warm at night
I wish they all could be california
I wish they all could be california
I wish they all could be california girls
The west coast has the sunshine
And the girls all get so tanned
I dig a french bikini on hawaii island
Dolls by a palm tree in the sand
I been all around this great big world
And I seen all kinds of girls
Yeah, but I couldn't wait to get back in the states
Back to the cutest girls in the world
I wish they all could be california
I wish they all could be california
I wish they all could be california girls
I wish they all could be california
(girls, girls, girls yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be california
(girls, girls, girls yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be california
(girls, girls, girls yeah I dig the)
I wish they all could be california
(girls, girls, girls yeah I dig the)
6 comments:
Hi Joe, The great thing about the learning process is, because it is a new experience, we are far less choosy about the conditions. I know this will fade in years to come so I'm enjoying it while I can!
Also are you a long islander? I grew up in Huntington on long island many moons ago!
Phillippe:
No, I'm down in the Chesapeake. The Long Island reference is for where we had our last class event of the year - the High Performance Dinghy Open at the American YC in Rye, NY., over the Columbus Day weekend (mid-October.)
I suppose cold water give sailors a strong motivation not to capsize, and if it were possible to launch over a bulkhead into deep water I might consider it...but wading out 100 meters to gain chest deep water? No, thank-you!
Joe
Joe,
I'm with you on the cold water thing. Of course choice is easy when it's frozen solid. I grew up in Canada and I suppose that made me wise. You can't really blame the English, the choice is a bit more subbtle in their case -obviously too subtle for them.
But here I am being judgemental when I plan to hit 0 degree water this week to test some new widgets before a southern migration to more sensible training grounds. I will be launching off a floating dock - which makes me a wuss but a warm one at that.
Giovanni
I dont think the water is really that cold - anyway sailing is fun. I had a great days racing on Sunday...
Mike:
Good on ya, mate (or is that Aussie slang??). I'm just amazed that your body doesn't shut down. Yeah, I know, you're using a steamer (or dry suit, perhaps?) but there's still the finger tips, ears and nose, and the tips of yer toes...
Ahh, the wonders of youth. I'm 54 and have been taking coumadin (blood thinner) for 10 years and just can't handle the cold. Heck, I was on the verge of shivering at the Weymouth Worlds, even with the "super warm" skiff suit.
Might we see you at the Gorge?
Joe
It's only a 4/3 Surfing wetsuit so not that thick. Mothing keeps you pretty active anyway so its only the extremities that you have to worry about.
I think the line between winter and summer is a bit fuzzy over here. If it was really cold I wouldn't think twice but it doesn't get that cold, or hot...
Anyhow, I would love to say I can make the Gorge, but I've got a lot of big other stuff happening this year!
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