Blogs

The annual cruiser’s migration in the Eastern Caribbean goes as follows: in the winter sailboats move inside the hurricane belt and explore the Leeward and Windward islands in a very comfortable climate. November 1^st to May 31^st is the high season in Caribbean waters. In the summer months, most sailboat owners travel outside the hurricane belt, north towards the United States or south towards Grenada and Trinidad. Or, they leave their boat somewhere safe and fly home, escaping the sometimes intolerable heat and humidity. Some sailors head further west, not being bothered by the hurricane season, which officially runs from June 1^st to October 31^st. Another Caribbean trend, weather wise, is that the wind blows from the northeast during the winter season and from the southeast during the summer season. What this means is, that whenever you want to follow the island chain down to reach the safer islands south, you have to beat into the wind and … when it is time to sail northeast again, the wind happens to exactly come from that direction as well. Ironic?

 Irie on her way out of Simpson Bay Lagoon in St. Maarten                                            © Liesbet Collaert

For this reason -sailing dead into the wind is impossible- weather windows are very important when you plan a long sailing trip. Not only are you looking for northeast winds or “better” to head southeast, you also desire a velocity of 10-15 knots. This keeps the waves at a reasonable height and brings the apparent wind to 15-20 knots (since you are moving into it at about 5 knots), creating a nice speed and pleasant motion to get somewhere. Of course, these are ideal situations and they are rare. If one can get winds out of the east as late in the season as June, one should be lucky and happy regardless. Sailing very close to the wind still beats motoring directly into it and the waves…

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Travelling to far-flung corners of the world without adequate first-aid supplies is always inadvisable. However for a surfer, who will be spending a large amount of time in the water where some type of injury is almost inevitable, it is asking for trouble.

Getting together a comprehensive first-aid kit for surf travel will mean that once at your destination you don't have to try and source items that may be difficult to come by, if at all. Additionally, by being prepared you can prevent small problems turning into big ones.

CHELSEA WA

Off-the-shelf First-Aid Kits

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Despite the economic crisis the community of Vassiliki and the local Chamber of Commerce is determined to press ahead with their longer term plan to have the Vassiliki Watersports Festival eventually become a major feature on the International sailing circuit.

This year, because of financial difficulties, the Festival will be a little smaller than in previous years but will still be a fantastic event!

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Surf travel is very personal, the ideal meaning different things to each of us. For some it is wave time interspersed with partying while others seek escape and solitude or immersion into culturally diverse environments. Dream conditions may mean playful ankle nibblers on a huge Mal; others don't feel they are surfing unless they are charging down double overhead faces.

When picking a surf destination there's a bit more to it than ticking the obvious boxes for 'sun' or 'cheap'. If you really want to find your ideal then make sure that you have taken all of the following into account.

                                                                                                                                      WordCat57

Swell Consistency

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Because of its central location and huge array of services, St. Maarten/St. Martin is on many sailors’ list as a destination or stop-over. People leaving for Europe depart from this small but convenient island and for a big group it is also the first Caribbean port after a long Atlantic crossing. Cruisers going up and down the island chain are bound to stop in St. Maarten/St. Martin for a few days and most end up staying for weeks. Even though there are quite a few nice and pretty anchorages spread around the island, the western side is where you’ll find hundreds of sailboats every season.

 Many sailboats anchor in the lagoon, right at the border of St. Maarten and St. Martin   © Liesbet Collaert

Sailing catamarans and monohulls visiting St. Maarten/St. Martin congregate in Simpson Bay on the Dutch side, Marigot Bay on the French side and the protected area in between, called Simpson Bay Lagoon. To enter this big and relatively flat body of water, the captain has to bring his/her boat inside through the “Dutch bridge” (Simpson Bay Bridge, VHF #12) on the south side of the lagoon, or through the much narrower “French bridge” (Sandy Ground Bridge) and shallower channel on its north side. Entering the lagoon and anchoring inside on French property is free; to use the bridge and the anchorage on the Dutch side, there is a fee. When looking at the anchored sailboats in the lagoon, one can immediately draw the unmarked border between the two countries. Most cruisers want to use the free anchorage on the French side and pay the cheaper prices in stores on the Dutch side, so they anchor as close to the border as possible.

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There couldn’t be a better time to get away. With so many uncertainties in the world right now, perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves ‘what is this life all really about?’ A little too deep? Maybe…but really, for us surfers it’s times like these that can draw us to the chase of surf across the globe, searching for those peaceful, blissful moments when we are nothing but one with nature.

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South Africa is a place of sharp contrasts. Hope and despair; dirt poor living side-by-side with the stinking rich; crooked leaders bent on personal gain, while their nemeses fight selflessly for the freedom of the people; rolling green hills, dark towering mountains, raging rivers, crashing seas, whispering forests - If you want a quick visual, it's basically like The Lord Of The Rings, but without the hobbits, orcs, elves and wizards. Oh, and if you come here to surf, you WON'T be disappointed ...

SOUTH AFRICA IN A NUTSHELL

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Hello all!

As edita_kay has mentioned in her earlier post, Greece is going through some changes in regulating kitesurfing beaches. Kiting zones are currently being created on the vast majority of beaches contained in our Beach Guide, and the full official list of accredited spots will become available shortly after June 30th.

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Over the last couple of weeks, there has been somewhat of a panic in the online kiting community about the alleged ban on kiting on Greek public beaches. Rash decisions have been made, such as canceling holidays, and many “expert opinions” about Greek politics, economy, and other unrelated issues seem to have overshadowed the key aspects of the new law: WHAT is being regulated, HOW, and WHY? As someone living on an island where windsurfing and kite surfing tourism is an important source of revenue, I believe it is unfair to be spreading a panic based on unfounded rumors. So, let’s clarify a couple of points.

The WHAT:

The regulation that has been passed is BY NO MEANS a ban on kiting, but an introduction of designated kiting zones. These, according to the new requirements, must comply with a set of safety regulations, and have a designated supervisor, who has to be insured and personally responsible for ensuring the safety of the kiters.

Among other things, the law requires that the kiting beach:

• Is of adequate size (600 meters minimum), with designated and marked launch corridors
• Is removed from densely populated areas, recreational facilities, roads, and airports
• Has rescue facilities, with an equipped rescue speedboat
• Has enough open space for kiters to keep a distance of at least 50 meters from each other

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Peter Stevens has been known for creating rain for farmers in Australia during the drought…but he would never admit to it, not wanting to be held responsible for other incidents that arise from tampering with the weather.

For some it might be hard to believe, but yet we are more than happy to believe and allow humans to create nuclear fuel, reactors and dangerous substances that have indeed caused trauma to the greater population of mankind.And what about the Americans playing with the weather…what, just because they are a big company means that what they’re doing is for real, but a smart man from Casino in NSW can’t make a few raindrops too?

Regardless of what you think, Peter has a few other inventions up his sleeve, involving natural water purification. His tests on active nuclear waste in Australia came back with radioactive readings of zero. Think what you like, but it’s either guys like him or trusting in TEPCO and the Japanese government…I know which way my vote is heading.

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When people learn that my husband and I live and travel on a sailing catamaran in the Caribbean, most of them seem envious. “I wish I could do that” is often a reaction. For many landlubbers who live in a developed country, leaving the hectic shore life behind and swapping the house for a comfortable sailboat to cruise, relax and see the world sounds like a dream. An existence on the water is affordable and the decision to leave civilization is a choice everybody could make. But, it takes a lot of personal willpower, adjustment, adaptation and flexibility to be able to maintain living aboard for an extensive period of time. The question is: Would you still wish to do it, once you realize what the cruising life entails?

                                                                                                                                    © Liesbet Collaert

Stability vs. Instability

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Wild camping, also known as freedom camping, is the practice of overnighting away from official camp sites. The Western Isles used to be wild camping heaven, with the Scots in general having a very different attitude to it than the rest of the UK, but things are slowly changing and as usual thanks to the actions of the thoughtless few. You can still wild camp in the Western Isles – it is permissible by law through the Scottish Access Code – but there are a few things you will need to be aware of. By observing a few rules you can ensure you are camping responsibly and also help ensure that wild camping remains an option for visitors, including us surfers.

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code

This law allows the public access rights in the countryside and includes the practice of wild camping. However, this doesn't mean you can just roll up and pitch your tent anywhere you like – there are some restrictions. As a general rule you must stay away from crops, private dwellings, farm animals and historic buildings and observe any advice concerning fragile ecosystems.

Be aware that the Access Code applies to tent campers on foot. You will be more restricted if you are in a camper van.

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This is an oft heard line when travelling around Europe or further afield with boards or kiting kit.  People tend to think that in the UK we just sit around drinking tea and doffing our bowler hats to one another. No, I’m happy to report that I live in the UK and I get in the water most days...

I’d like to say that this misguided perception of surfing in the UK means that we enjoy relatively quiet conditions in the water but – well – we don’t.  For a few reasons. Firstly, the last 30 years or so have seen an explosion in the popularity of surfing in the UK. Secondly, the UK is one of the most populous places on the planet. And finally, although we’ve got plenty of coastline, only a limited amount of it gets relatively consistent surf and has relatively warm water and air temperature. (Note the use of ‘relatively’ here.  There are plenty of little-surfed areas in Scotland where you can probably score world-class surf on your own, but the water temperature during the best season for surf falls to around six degrees...)

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Splash! First capsize this season with Kathleen!

Wouldn't it be good if we could just hitch our board under our arm, book the flight and head off into surf paradise for weeks of riding turquoise waters without a wetsuit? You may think that just you and your board are all you need for a perfect time on an upcoming surf trip but there may be a few other things which need a bit of attention.

PHOTO CREDIT - JUSTIN DE LA ORNELLAS

Booking flights

Getting on a plane with your surf board is no longer the cheap and easy option it once was. Some airlines are now refusing to take surf boards at all while others will let you travel with your surfboard but charge you heavily for it. My blog on airline travel with a surfboard lists the airlines to avoid and those which are surfer friendly.

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