Finally Wind ... Was it really that long ...?

Most of us windheads were long gone — other folk, 

however, just come to enjoy that moment of sublime 

dying sea breeze and fading light, tinged with a moody

 threat of unpredictable weather. This car was just the 

right color to make the whole thing even more harmonious.

Last person out of the lot – turn out the lights.

I guess when you haven't had a good windsurfing day in a while, there's a tendency to pig out on wind. And that's almost how I got to be the last windsurfer out of the lot.

Over indulgence in the fruits of 5.2-5.5 wind got me to the point of a dusk departure. But truth be told, I spent about as much time under-indulging — in other words wrestling with my gear. It happens. It could have been avoided, but I fell into the trap of trying to make too many changes at once.

TRYING LONGER LINES
I'd grown frustrated with the 18" harness lines I'd been running. I was not getting the low end/lighter wind power out of the sail that I could; not planing off as soon as I could. The short lines led to a low boom and choking off the sail's power. And with a little extra corpulence around the midsection, a high-on-the-waist harness position was no longer a happy way to "roll."

Just arrived or rigging down? And what's going through
Thandi's mind over there? It's good to arrive to solid wind and
a busy house full of windsurfers. 5.2 was most people's go-to.
Jill said rig big, and I'm glad I went with the 5.5.

So, for the first time in a very long time, I decided to install a set of adjustable harness lines in an effort to find a new longer length to accommodate a higher boom.

Guess I didn't notice the new lines were badly kinked—something inside the sheathing was twisted, and the loop was turned back on itself. This resulted in the lines being  tantalizingly out of reach of the harness hook.

I kept dropping into the water to adjust and straighten them, but nothing was working, and I was "kooking" out. The outbound tack was not as bad, but inbound, hooking in became near impossible.

Add to that, the West Marine PDF I was wearing to carry my GPS was also obstructing the hook in process. Tried switching to an old "reserve" boom, but the in haul was jammed, so back to square one.

Maddened by the waste of time, and blown out forearms from the wrestling with the failed hook-ins, I was about to call it a day when Zev persuaded me to take the lines off and re-install one of them that looked twisted inside. Ditching the obstructing PFD also helped enormously.

Wind in the trees: there will be sailing.

 Finally! sailing comfort I felt liberated from my shackles and free as the wind again - to stand up lean back and enjoy the glide.

 Each time I get to ride on the JP 109 FSW / Ezzy 5.5 Wave Panther II I love it all the more. The board is large but has enough rocker and pin in the tail to slip easily across the aggro Heckscher chop in more wind than I ever felt really comfortable riding such a floaty board.

GPS-PFD FOLLIES
So why the heck did I put on a PFD? I simply wanted to see if I could get some GPS tracks and I had no other place to carry my GPS but in the pocket of a PFD! The wrong sort of PFD, however, interferes with hooking in — too much foam near the hook. I don't wear one ofter for this reason -- I need to get some opinions on a more windsurf-friendly PFD for winter.

Ride on, Into the Heart of a Turner Sunset

All it takes, I guess, is for the sun to go down in the west. A camera or cell phone, a little sultry river Ganges-like stillness, and you could be transported wherever your imagination takes you.

Things have really stopped here for the day.

A lot of beauty, not far from a busy provincial county seat, and seemingly no one around to savor it.

And you can get here by bike — I'd recommend one that does well on a dirt trail as on a road; one of those in-between bikes. Maybe a crossover trail-road bike or a cyclocross bike or a well-shod, hardy-tyred tourer.

And if you're going to go late, well you're going to need some good lights, a bit of local knowledge and a map. Barreg Bicycles in Fishbourne (https://www.facebook.com/barregcycles) will help you out with just about all your needs in that regard.

It's not that the trail is excessively rough, but a little flint here and there can be harsh on sensitive tyres. I guess you could take the road route, but it's a bit on the dicey side here, and there's much more to like by bike path, farm trail and bridleway.

I did see a few cyclists turn around at key junctions, either unawares of the delights beyond the veil, or under-rubbered. You never want to be under rubbered when exploring the wild, or even just a bit wild.

Where? Bosham Hoe and Dell Quay in Sussex, but if you know of any places like these near you, accessible by bike, do share.

They call this — Chichester Harbor — an "area of outstanding natural beauty."

I'm not sure they are exaggerating, either.

There are a few eco rules. And some of the true coastal paths are off-limits to bikes, despite the irony of the bike in the poster below. But there are plenty of paths that are rideable.

Dell Quay Harbor Road, Path, and Trail Ride

One of the best rides in the Fishbourne-Chichester area will take you down Saltern's Way to Dell Quay and beyond.

Mostly through farms and fields, much of the ride is exposed to the full force of the sun, the sea breeze, or whatever other elements are in force.

The little trail of paradise shown here, is on of the rare tree-covered sections. It leads into or out of — depending on whether you are headed north or south — Dell Quay/Chichester Harbour.

Chichester Harbor comes into view at Dell Quay.

The harbor is popular among walkers and offers two paths into the nearby wooded copse — one for walkers, and this one for cyclists.    


Time was pretty tight during the trip, and so at about a 9 mph pace with plenty of stops for photos, this is one of those bike excursions you want to allow a few hours for.

I found the area beyond the Dell Quay (DQ) Canal's foot bridge newly posted with "No bicycles," signs which makes the continuation down to Itchenor a little more complicated. Since I did not know the way to reconnect with the trail beyond DQ, I just continued on local roads until it was time to turn around and head home.

The trail arcs back into full sun from
behind the welcome shade of a tall hedgerow.  

I must have been one of the early riders that day, as I met many more cyclists on my way back than I did on the way down. But don't get the wrong idea ... it's not exactly crowded. More a deliberate choice. You need to know the way a little, and on that respect Barreg Bikes in Fishbourne has maps and bikes for rent, and a special touch with bike repair tools. https://www.facebook.com/barregcycles

Aubergines or courgettes (squash) like between the plants,
in the distance workers pack produce direct to the box
 behind a boom truck 

The fields around Apuldram are abundant with courgettes, barley, wheat, corn, other crops I could not identify ... and views aplenty.

If you like cows, as I do, then there were cows ... right by the harbor.

Holsteins endevor to stay cool during one of
England's warmest days of the year

Or vistas across the fields taking in the distant landmark Chichester Cathedral spire — the only cathedral spire in the country visible from the ocean (or the sea as it is called by the locals). Or maybe some nearby TeePees.

TeePees in Sussex? I'm sorry I have no answer to that question (see photo below). All I can provide is photographic evidence.

In the center distance the Cathedral Spire. (Click on photo to embiggen).

Crops now grow where a WWII airfield once stood.

A horse, a pony and a donkey (behind the horse) enjoy an upscale
field to themselves, near Itchenor. 

And in good time the sun must set on Chichester Harbor.