Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by Peter » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:33:47


I am looking for a decent place to sail in the easterly that may hit us
on Saturday.  Massachusetts or Rhode Island would work for me.  I would
love to have an area that offers some safe sailing so my wife could go
out as well.  Any thoughts?

PEter

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by nikit » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 03:16:14

Pleasure Bay in Boston is as safe as you can get - it's an enclosed
body of water. The only problem with P-bay is that the Labor Day
weekend is the last weekend of the year when they consider it a public
beach for swimmers and don't allow WSers/kiters there until 6pm. This
won't be a problem, though, if it's going to be cloudy and possibly
raining, like it's supposed to be! Conditions will be flat and the wind
is going to be fairly consistent coming from the east. (P-bay is a
great place to sail in any conditions, with the possible exception of
pure West winds).

If you want to go to RI, Fogland is probably one of the more popular
and safest beaches out there. It's totally flat and fairly shallow in
low tides (waist/chest deep from 5ft to 300ft off the shore).

Quote:

> I am looking for a decent place to sail in the easterly that may hit us
> on Saturday.  Massachusetts or Rhode Island would work for me.  I would
> love to have an area that offers some safe sailing so my wife could go
> out as well.  Any thoughts?

> PEter


 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by dkri » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 03:35:08

Fogland is one of the greatest places in the world, except in an
Easterly.
The whole state of RI is challenging in an Easterly.  Ninigret Pond may
be good (others with more experience there could help - Ninigret is
shallow and flat so it is a very friendly site).   The other option in
RI is Third Beach in Middletown.  It can be quite good in an Easterly
as the curve of the beach means you launch sideshore but sail parallel
to and just upwind of the main part of the beach.

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by dkri » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 03:39:31

Sorry, I should have clarified that the reason Fogland is a no go in
Easterly is because it is on the east side of the Sakonnet, and the
breeze that touches down to the water after getting over the hills and
such is very gusty and inconsistent.  But again, a very non-expert
friendly place in North or South.
 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by Peter » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:07:32

It has been a long time since I have been there, but how about Common
Faunce (spelling???) Point?  I think we used to sail it when big
Northeasterlies came around.
 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by dkri » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:41:49

Common Fence Point - good spot in SW or NE.  Straight east is no good
there.  The launch is a bit rocky and has claimed several fins.   GREAT
ramps in a big sw on outgoing tide.
There's a beach down at the bottom of Roger Williams campus, northeast
of the Mount Hope Bridge, that can be good in NE.  If you breakdown,
you'll wind up on Prudence Island.
Quote:

> It has been a long time since I have been there, but how about Common
> Faunce (spelling???) Point?  I think we used to sail it when big
> Northeasterlies came around.

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by MA_Pet » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 05:17:56

Peter:

Hey, this is the Pete from North Grafton you met last week at Fogland.
(BTW, we got skunked for the rest of the day, unfortunately...)

I second the post above that says Third Beach is good on Easterlies.  I
think it is supposed to veer to SE later in the day, but that is still
okay.  There is a point that protects from the chop from the south, so
if the wife and kids will will likely feel comfortable and safe if they
stick close to shore.

I will probably see you there, I am currently lobbying the wife and
kids to join me for Saturday!

-Pete

Quote:

> I am looking for a decent place to sail in the easterly that may hit us
> on Saturday.  Massachusetts or Rhode Island would work for me.  I would
> love to have an area that offers some safe sailing so my wife could go
> out as well.  Any thoughts?

> PEter

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by Ellen Falle » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:47:35

While Fogland is generally a great place to sail, in an easterly it is
not. The wind is substantially blocked by the land, and the area is
effectively in a wind shadow then.
   Ninigret Pond is a large salt water "pond" (sort of like a tiny
Pamlico Sound) and the best and longest fetch for the wind is an
easterly. As with Pamlico Sound, you can walk back from just about all
of it, and you won't have to worry about drifting out to sea. Almost no
boat traffic, no jet skis, and only a few kiters (0-5). Novices can sail
closer to the beach side and be reasonably powered, while the more
aggressive can head for the deeper side and more wind.
   The one drawback is that the parking lot is small, and they charge
something like $15 to get in on the weekend.
    Ellen
Quote:

> Pleasure Bay in Boston is as safe as you can get - it's an enclosed
> body of water. The only problem with P-bay is that the Labor Day
> weekend is the last weekend of the year when they consider it a public
> beach for swimmers and don't allow WSers/kiters there until 6pm. This
> won't be a problem, though, if it's going to be cloudy and possibly
> raining, like it's supposed to be! Conditions will be flat and the wind
> is going to be fairly consistent coming from the east. (P-bay is a
> great place to sail in any conditions, with the possible exception of
> pure West winds).

> If you want to go to RI, Fogland is probably one of the more popular
> and safest beaches out there. It's totally flat and fairly shallow in
> low tides (waist/chest deep from 5ft to 300ft off the shore).


>>I am looking for a decent place to sail in the easterly that may hit us
>>on Saturday.  Massachusetts or Rhode Island would work for me.  I would
>>love to have an area that offers some safe sailing so my wife could go
>>out as well.  Any thoughts?

>>PEter

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by Peter » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 06:20:23

Hi Pete,

I figured that with you serious ***ion to this sport that you would
be lurking on this site fairly regularly.

It may blow fairly strong on Saturday and I would love to get out.
Third Beach might be the ticket.  Do you think that they would let a
person in there with a small RV?

Peter

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by MA_Pet » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 10:05:24

Quote:

> Hi Pete,

> I figured that with you serious ***ion to this sport that you would
> be lurking on this site fairly regularly.

> It may blow fairly strong on Saturday and I would love to get out.
> Third Beach might be the ticket.  Do you think that they would let a
> person in there with a small RV?

> Peter

Ha!  You have me pegged.

I am not sure about the RV at the Third Beach Parking lot, I don't
recall seeing any there in the past (but of course I wasn't looking),
but there is an RV park right down the road, so you probably would be
okay etiher way.

It may end up being *too* windy for family windsurfing on Saturday, but
I wouldn't mind getting out on my 4.7.  The forecast will be more solid
by Thursday/Friday, let's see what develops.  I am even thinking about
playing hooky and going down there on Friday (in addition to Saturday).

 
 
 

Easterly in Mass or Rhode Island

Post by cosmicharli » Thu, 31 Aug 2006 19:00:06

How's the polution at Pleasure Bay in S. Boston these days?  In fact,
the best WSing beach in the metro area has always been Nahant in
easterlies.  You have to watch out for the rocks at the north end, but
in general it is good small wave sailing.  You can also go up to Plum
Island or Cape Ann, but there's a risk of friction with the life
guards.  I haven't been up there in a decade, so I really don't know
how things are.
Quote:

> Pleasure Bay in Boston is as safe as you can get - it's an enclosed
> body of water. The only problem with P-bay is that the Labor Day
> weekend is the last weekend of the year when they consider it a public
> beach for swimmers and don't allow WSers/kiters there until 6pm. This
> won't be a problem, though, if it's going to be cloudy and possibly
> raining, like it's supposed to be! Conditions will be flat and the wind
> is going to be fairly consistent coming from the east. (P-bay is a
> great place to sail in any conditions, with the possible exception of
> pure West winds).

> If you want to go to RI, Fogland is probably one of the more popular
> and safest beaches out there. It's totally flat and fairly shallow in
> low tides (waist/chest deep from 5ft to 300ft off the shore).


> > I am looking for a decent place to sail in the easterly that may hit us
> > on Saturday.  Massachusetts or Rhode Island would work for me.  I would
> > love to have an area that offers some safe sailing so my wife could go
> > out as well.  Any thoughts?

> > PEter