Bonaire, Oahu

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Sid
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 4:59 pm
Location: Dennison

Bonaire, Oahu

Post by Sid »

Just got back from a weekend on Oahu after 10 days in Bonaire. I had been both places before and returned to Bonaire to do some mellow sailing on flat water as a break from my last winter trip to Arenal with Bill S. and nuclear winds. I sailed 8.5 days in Bonaire. The middle 4 days were 4.5 to 5.0, a couple of 5.5 to 6.0, a couple of 6.0-7.0. In all, great place to go with steady trade winds. It has gotten a lot more crowded since I was there in 1995 but if you sail in the deep part of the bay you are alone in small swell and the most beautifully colored water I have yet to see. The kiters have been moved to a beach a few miles away as the mix of beginner windsurfers and kiters in large numbers would be hard to untangle in the emergency ward.
Kailua Bay, Oahu - I have been there before wanting to put a checkmark next to the place where Robby grew up sailing but had no wind. Things here are different from Bonaire. We counted 42 kiters on the water at one time. The number of windsurfers were less than a quarter of that. I (windsurfing on a 5.5) launched into this crowd with a lot of trepidation.
It turns out the kiters were all really experienced and I never felt I had to avoid any, even when they got close they raised their kites or went downwind. They have posted rules that kiters must yield to everything on the water, beginners with instructors present only, etc. and it works in the hands of these guys (I think the kiters made the rules to make sure they don't get shooed away). On one occasion I saw a beginner being directed to a place far down the beach by another kiter. There hadn't been wind for some time so everyone turned out for the week-end.
This is a great place to sail. On one side of the bay, a starboard reach away there is largish swell and beyond that a mile or so an area called Castles which is said to be great wave sailing. On the port reach side it is shallower and flatter and full of beautiful turtles. If you ever saw the RIP video you would have seen this whole area. It is amazing jow uncrouded Kailua beaches are when on the other side Waikiki has no place to walk by 10 AM.
I am reading about the early season sailing but after 80+ degree water and so much TOW I am feeling whimpy about ice. I'll be back to reality sonn and see you guys on a windy shoreline.
Kevinousdigian
Posts: 646
Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 10:37 pm

Post by Kevinousdigian »

Sid:
Glad to hear your enjoying the warm waters! Not too much longer and we'll be enjoying warm southerlies in Cannon's sparkling waters - the next best thing to Bonaire wrt water beauty (j/k).

I want to be sure I understand you - are you talking about Oahu Hawaii? It's not like that is just a peddle jump plane ride from Bonaire. Your doing some serious sailing. When you say you sailed mini-swell in Bonaire is that like Mille Lacs on a 6.0 day? I thought Bonaire was mostly flat water for where they let you sail with rental stuff.
Where do you fly through to get to Bonaire (ie 2 or 3 legs)?

Kevin
Kevin Ousdigian
Sid
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Dec 05, 2002 4:59 pm
Location: Dennison

Post by Sid »

Oahu - came home from Bonaire for a day and a half and flew over for a meeting, sailed the week-end caught the red eye home Sun night.
Bonaire - swell like Mille Lacs 6.5. One goes out to the deeper part of the bay away from the crowds. The swell gets better near the opening to the ocean but you have to work your way upwind to get there.
I flew to NWA Juan Puerto Rico then a 2 hour turboprop job on American Eagle to Bonaire. NWA flies non-stop on week-ends or through Detroit weekdays.
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