RUC is showing some wind from the north tomorrow. Anyone going out for a sail? It looks like it would be a great day for a longboard.
Is Cannon "Green" yet?
Does Whitebear have swimmers itch? What is the best launch for N. I've never sailed there.
How are the weeds at Waconia?
Wed lightwind sail?
Moderator: MK
St. Mary's Beach on the St. Croix, 3 miles south of Hudson, is the spot to be for N wind, especially for kiting. I kited out of there last week, and could not believe how sweet it was. A huge sandy beach makes launching and rigging a snap. A N wind is dead on side shore. The only drawback is parking-- you have to walk about one block from a lot where parking is $5 if there is anyone around to collect. Nobody was there last week. I would rather pay $5 than fight traffic for Waconia. Plus, this place is better anyway. The best kept secret in town.
No swimmers itch at White Bear. I was swimming with my kid all afternoon and no funky itchy welts to speak of.
St. Mary's Beach is a very nice spot. Back in the late 80's it was one of the prime windsurf hangouts on a S wind day. It was even nicer then 'cause you could park right at the beach. I haven't tried the kiting thing yet in H20 but I've always thought of many spots along the St. Croix would be good if the wind is straight N or S. Maybe this year I'll give it a shot.
St. Mary's Beach is a very nice spot. Back in the late 80's it was one of the prime windsurf hangouts on a S wind day. It was even nicer then 'cause you could park right at the beach. I haven't tried the kiting thing yet in H20 but I've always thought of many spots along the St. Croix would be good if the wind is straight N or S. Maybe this year I'll give it a shot.
Weeds at Waconia
Eric,
The weeds at Waconia are doing fine. There wasn't much snow cover so there wasn't much winterkill. I heard they kept growing all winter -- right up through the ice!
I'll probably be there today -- maybe on the south side. Last Friday I rigged in the park next to the parking area. Then I walked my rig to the west side of the park and then across the highway. This put me in at the west side of the swimming beach. It's a bit of a walk but it's a nice launch -- no fencing and no rocks.
Wherever you go today, enjoy it. Warm water and a bit of wind. Splish-splash kurplunk...
Chris B.
BTW: I think Cannon isn't so good on a northerly because a couple years ago Sid and Dr Bill, our back-water friends from the south, drove up to Waconia for a forecasted northerly. I think it was the first time they ever saw a weed.
The weeds at Waconia are doing fine. There wasn't much snow cover so there wasn't much winterkill. I heard they kept growing all winter -- right up through the ice!
I'll probably be there today -- maybe on the south side. Last Friday I rigged in the park next to the parking area. Then I walked my rig to the west side of the park and then across the highway. This put me in at the west side of the swimming beach. It's a bit of a walk but it's a nice launch -- no fencing and no rocks.
Wherever you go today, enjoy it. Warm water and a bit of wind. Splish-splash kurplunk...
Chris B.
BTW: I think Cannon isn't so good on a northerly because a couple years ago Sid and Dr Bill, our back-water friends from the south, drove up to Waconia for a forecasted northerly. I think it was the first time they ever saw a weed.
-
Kevinousdigian
- Posts: 646
- Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2002 10:37 pm
I windsurfed St. Mary's twice last year. Even on so so NW 6.5 day the swell was taking shape. On a windy day it would be really nice. As long as it is not a weekend the river is pretty quite and a nice break from lake sailing. The parking thing is a bit of a pain because we are so spoiled with great launches at other lakes.
I sailed from a different place on a south wind day on a hot weekend - mistake. There are some HUGE boats down there that could care less about a peon windsurfer. Sometimes the ramps off their wake is unbelievable though. I wish there was a launch on the east side just south of the 94 bridge. That whole east side is just nice sandy beach without development.
KO
I sailed from a different place on a south wind day on a hot weekend - mistake. There are some HUGE boats down there that could care less about a peon windsurfer. Sometimes the ramps off their wake is unbelievable though. I wish there was a launch on the east side just south of the 94 bridge. That whole east side is just nice sandy beach without development.
KO
Kevin Ousdigian
Kevin,
As far as the East side of the St. Croix there are a couple of spots you could launch from. I've never tried it but you could probably put in at Troy Beach. It's just South of Hudson on County F. There is also the Troy boat launch a little further down the road but I have yet to check that out. If the wind is straight South or North there are also some good launches in North Hudson (Browns Beach and Fairy Landing).
As far as the East side of the St. Croix there are a couple of spots you could launch from. I've never tried it but you could probably put in at Troy Beach. It's just South of Hudson on County F. There is also the Troy boat launch a little further down the road but I have yet to check that out. If the wind is straight South or North there are also some good launches in North Hudson (Browns Beach and Fairy Landing).
-
TomFranchett
- Posts: 53
- Joined: Fri Nov 29, 2002 11:41 pm
St. Marys is a killer beach.I sailed there last year on a 85 degree Saturdayand it was N-NE blowing 6.5. BEWARE the large gun boats.They are fast and have lousy visibility and like most boaters underestimate the speed of windsurfers. I thought last year it was 2 bucks to park. Hope to see you there. Tom
Tom F Light and Waves
I had fun kiting at St. Mary's today, but the wind never stabilized all that well. Anyway, I thought I would pass on a lesson I learned there today.
Due to the nice weather the beach was pretty crowded. People were spread out everywhere. It was challenging to rig and launch in these conditions. It is tough to stay out of the designated swimming area because it is so large-- 90% of the beach. Also, there were quite a few boats on the water, many of which did not seem to understand that I had the right of way.
Last week it was drizzle and overcast, so I had the whole place to myself.
I think I will only go to St. Mary's on crummier days with a N wind when fewer people are around. Windsurfers are less affected by the limitations I mention.
How are the weeds at Waconia? Jet stream has shifted. Wind on the way. Life is good.
Due to the nice weather the beach was pretty crowded. People were spread out everywhere. It was challenging to rig and launch in these conditions. It is tough to stay out of the designated swimming area because it is so large-- 90% of the beach. Also, there were quite a few boats on the water, many of which did not seem to understand that I had the right of way.
Last week it was drizzle and overcast, so I had the whole place to myself.
I think I will only go to St. Mary's on crummier days with a N wind when fewer people are around. Windsurfers are less affected by the limitations I mention.
How are the weeds at Waconia? Jet stream has shifted. Wind on the way. Life is good.
Waconia report:
I showed up at noon at the DNR launch. The wind was very North so the wind line was way out there. I decided to try the swimming beach. The road between the DNR lanuch and the swimming beach is CLOSED. This made it tough for any kiters that did a downwinder from DNR. You have to go all the way around the lake or go to Victoria and take 7 to get back.
I rigged my biggest sail, 6.2M and GO 150 at the beach with a weedfin. Larry and Matt K drove back to the DNR to try to launch there. I shlogged for an hour upwind to the DNR launch. Later I saw Dennis, Vojta and Matt B at the DNR. Matt B dragged out with his Takoon and soon was powered. I noticed that Matt K and Larry went back to the road by the swimming beach to launch.
I went back downwind hand hooked up with Chris B and Jeff G for some back and forth action. I was having so much fun I didn't come back in the entire day. When I was tired I just napped on the GO. I'll need to mount a cooler on that thing and I'll be all set.
Recomendations: Weed fin. Chris B was doing fine on his skate with freestyle fin but then he's got the talent to sail it backwards with the fin out of the water to clear. Jeff was using a weedfin. Once you get a few hundered yards from shore there were no weeds I saw under the surface. The many "floater" weeds I saw this spring are gone. The water temp is awesome. Jeff was just in boardshorts. I didn't recongnize him for lack of black rubber coating.
Sunscreen. I used one application of Coppertone Sport somthing SPF 30. I was on the water for 4 hrs straight. I was in the water alot too. Only places where I didn't rub it on (above the elbow; my rash gaurd rode up on my bicep) got fried. High recomendation. It comes in a blue bottle. I think they make a higher SPF that would be hydrogenbombproof.
I showed up at noon at the DNR launch. The wind was very North so the wind line was way out there. I decided to try the swimming beach. The road between the DNR lanuch and the swimming beach is CLOSED. This made it tough for any kiters that did a downwinder from DNR. You have to go all the way around the lake or go to Victoria and take 7 to get back.
I rigged my biggest sail, 6.2M and GO 150 at the beach with a weedfin. Larry and Matt K drove back to the DNR to try to launch there. I shlogged for an hour upwind to the DNR launch. Later I saw Dennis, Vojta and Matt B at the DNR. Matt B dragged out with his Takoon and soon was powered. I noticed that Matt K and Larry went back to the road by the swimming beach to launch.
I went back downwind hand hooked up with Chris B and Jeff G for some back and forth action. I was having so much fun I didn't come back in the entire day. When I was tired I just napped on the GO. I'll need to mount a cooler on that thing and I'll be all set.
Recomendations: Weed fin. Chris B was doing fine on his skate with freestyle fin but then he's got the talent to sail it backwards with the fin out of the water to clear. Jeff was using a weedfin. Once you get a few hundered yards from shore there were no weeds I saw under the surface. The many "floater" weeds I saw this spring are gone. The water temp is awesome. Jeff was just in boardshorts. I didn't recongnize him for lack of black rubber coating.
Sunscreen. I used one application of Coppertone Sport somthing SPF 30. I was on the water for 4 hrs straight. I was in the water alot too. Only places where I didn't rub it on (above the elbow; my rash gaurd rode up on my bicep) got fried. High recomendation. It comes in a blue bottle. I think they make a higher SPF that would be hydrogenbombproof.
Yesterday Kevin O & I sailed at Turtle Lake. It was fun to try out a new lake... and it's only 5 minutes from where I'm working .
We had fun BAFing around. The winds were about as good as other places, from what I read.
It's a nice sandy bottomed lake, and pretty weed free. I had a 54cm pointer on and only snagged once in 2 hours of sailing. A good choice for close-to-the-cities sailing on a NNW-N-NNE.
. We had fun BAFing around. The winds were about as good as other places, from what I read.
It's a nice sandy bottomed lake, and pretty weed free. I had a 54cm pointer on and only snagged once in 2 hours of sailing. A good choice for close-to-the-cities sailing on a NNW-N-NNE.