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Crash and Bleeding

Bandaged arm

Where is the safest place to windsurf on Eastern Long
Island?  Friendliest water? Least
chance of mishap?  You may want to
say Napeague but it’s got to be Mecox.

Yeah well…

Windsurfing at the Yacht Club Saturday with
Christian…mellow sesh on a 7.5/109, sharing the water with a pair of
kiteboarders.  The bay was extra
shallow, as the Cut had apparently been opened recently.  In the SW wind I was on port tack
heading towards the northern limit of the bay (lots of sea shells and live
mollusks) on a full plane, with a kiter 
straight downwind of me.  
It was starting to get tight…the bay gets quite shallow at that end
(where the wind also picks up a knot to give you extra zip in your jibe) but
the guy would just not stop or turn or do anything*, and like the fool I am I
kept waiting.  Started my jibe way
too late. 

The fin hit hard.

I knew enough about that part of the bay to raise my arms in
front of my face.  If you’re going
to get cut to ribbons, better limbs than nose lips eyes.

Christian sailed up shortly thereafter, pronounced me “considerate”
the kiter not so, and noted the condition of my right arm and leg. 

“That ends this sesh,” I proclaimed, and sailed back to the
launch, to grab the first aid kit I’ve assembled and rarely used.   A quart of rinse water, half a
tube of Neosporin, and ten bandages later I was good to go home.

Still managed to windsurf Sunday for awhile, until my left hand
started bleeding from one of the cuts.

*I did not have right of way, but there is some basic level of consideration called for on the water.  You don't hold your course to make someone else stop completely or run aground when you have a dozen other options.  IMHO.

Also note:  I was thinking about titling the post "Unhappy and Bleeding"…a play on Happy and Bleeding, which was the name of Christian's last movie until he changed it to Love Sick Love.  The old title was better for the Peconic Puffin.  Where are his priorities?

(Photo:  Right elbow area, after some nice neat rebandaging at home.  Not shown:  Right knee, right hand, left hand.)

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14 responses to “Crash and Bleeding”

  1. Tillerman Avatar
    Tillerman

    I must admit I find it hard to predict what kiteboarders will do. I don’t know enough about their sport to understand what the constraints on them are, what course they are trying to sail, when they will turn and what direction they will be going after they turn. Basically I just try and stay as far away from them as I can!
    Sorry to hear about your injuries. Hope you are better soon.

    Reply
  2. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Tillerman, the first thing necessary with kiteboarders is to determine whether or not they are any good. Newbie kiters (the ones who always seem to be going downwind) are musts to keep distance from. Forget any rules…they’re not in much control and things can go bad fast. The kite lines are particularly dangerous. In my case the kiter was competent in terms of control skills, but clueless when it came to sharing the water. I would guess that he had not been a sailor or windsurfer before he took up kiting.

    Reply
  3. Tillerman Avatar
    Tillerman

    Well, that’s the other thing. I never know if a kiteboarder knows anything about what a Laser can do and what course I can sail and why my constraints are.

    Reply
  4. F Messina Avatar
    F Messina

    Yikes

    Reply
  5. jake Avatar
    jake

    Kiters…can’t live with them, can’t send sharks with lasers attached to their heads after them.
    Get well soon!

    Reply
  6. Stev Avatar
    Stev

    Sweet. No pre-bandaging gory shots? Well, now you can sit with Richard Dreyfus (Mr. Hooper!) and Robert Shaw (?Quint)in their show & tell war wound sesh in Jaws. (I would have to whine about blisters and psychic humiliation. Wimpy)

    Reply
  7. christian Avatar
    christian

    Boy Oh Boy, this is a very tricky topic.
    As I watched it unfold it was very clear that the kiter was oblivious, even aften Michael crashed hard and fast.
    I have to say though that one of my favorite sailing partners is a kiter. We sail in close quarters and I’ve never once felt at risk, but the kiter in question has many years of water experience and is well educated in the rules of safety and right of way.
    The age old discussion of the need for licensing/testing of water vessels comes to mind. But it’s impossible to uphold and water sports manufacturers would be in uproar, for good reason.
    That said, there isn’t a racing dinghy or yacht that approaches a start line that isn’t fully versed in all the sailing rules and familiar with the behavior of other vessels.
    Like I said, tricky topic.
    At the least, if we’re going to get on any craft that goes 30 knots, we should know how to behave around others, motor boaters included, but that’s another giant can of worms…
    Christian.

    Reply
  8. Joe Avatar
    Joe

    Blood and water, not a good combination. Oh Mr. Big Teeth!

    Reply
  9. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Horse Joe, one of the many reasons Mecox is such a safe place to windsurf IMHO is it’s an enclosed bay. What does that mean? It’s a salt water bay sealed off from the ocean by a sand spit. The spit is cut open (hence the surf area on the ocean side is called The Cut) by the local authorities when the bay level gets too high (due to rain). It’s also cut open by the ocean when mondo surf comes through. So the landlord isn’t found at Mecox (barring some extremely bad luck during a storm.)

    Reply
  10. Dr Pain Avatar
    Dr Pain

    When I hear Mecox I remember a shell filleting the bottom of my foot wide open. Don’t want to imagine hitting those things at speed.

    Reply
  11. bill barber Avatar
    bill barber

    sorry to hear about your mishap an inconsiderate kook by any other name is an inconsiderate kook; be them kiter,windsurfer,sailor,surfer,or sup’er-clueless is clueless and unfortunately their numbers are on the rise-so sail safe and keep ur eyes open and don’t assume that anyone knows what they are doing! peace=BB

    Reply
  12. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Dr. Pain! I could have used your help (not so much with the pain but with the bandaging.) Always wear booties at Mecox (and in all Long Island bays.)
    Bill…no disparagement of kiters is implied above. Disparagement of oblivious morons with big toys…yes! Ask Jeff about when I SUPped right into him.
    Blame Laird.

    Reply
  13. Clyde Avatar
    Clyde

    Keep a very careful eye on your cuts … that bay is loaded with microbes and bad bugs!

    Reply
  14. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Thank for the thought, Clyde. My cuts are fine (thank you neosporin) I have been sailing at Mecox for 20 years (and getting banged up there on occasion). Have never had a problem nor heard of one.

    Reply

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