Learner driver

After an epic couple of days surf last week to fuel the fire it's back to millpondish flatness, at least for a day or so.  Why does the wind swing easterly just as the swell fizzles out?  Anyway, in a bid to get on the water I went outrigging last night. Calm conditions, seemed like an ideal night to start learning to steer. For anyone who saw us from up the cliff, no I hadn't spent the best part of the afternoon supping betty's finest tucked away in a dark corner of the Sloop, I was perfectly sober, it's just damn hard to control! The size of the thing means every steering stroke needs to be anticipating what the boat is going to do before it happens, you've got to keep things subtle. One slight over-correction has you zig zagging all over the place. Add three more people and holding a line on a wave into the mix and it's quite tough.  Fun though, and a great feeling when you pull on to a runner way out, up the rate as it peaks up into a wave then trim along whooping with three of your buddies. That's in 1-2ft, looking forward to getting out in some bigger stuff, but might just leave the steering to someone else for that.

2 comments: