End of the Season.

[noelH]

Marina is in shut down mode. October 31st is usually the official end of season. Usually a few boats that need lift service after that date.  But that is tempting the wrath of winter up here. '91 Halloween snowstorm. Dumped ~3ft of snow at lake level. Up at the house closer to 5ft.

With another unseasonably warm Autumn. Tempted once again to push it to the end of October. Latest ever was the first week of November. But why tempt mother nature. Maybe I am getting wiser with age?  Not really. Just more cold intolerant. 40-mid 50F air temps while sailing feels cold in the Autumn.  Spring, those temps are "pleasant".

Got lucky this year. +60F, sunny, and dead calm dayto drop the mast, tow Vela home. Even power washing was pleasant vs. needing to wear rain gear and waterproof gloves.  Warm enough for an application of ReJex. No need to apply next Spring on a too cold April day.

Last windsurfing session was a week ago. Epic Lake Superior Day. Fully powered up to overpowered and not gusty. Just solid mid to upper 20kt range . Image attached. Good session to end the season. Nothing like feeling windchill on the face and fingers going numb slicing through the chop. Air was "warm" onshore, but a bit chilly once ~1/4 nm offshore due to the colder water.  Incentive not to miss a jibe. Spray was cold enough.

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[Spot]

Glad your WS season ended on a high note and chores were pleasant on Vela.

Last session on the 'big' boat was smiles and a gorgeous sunset chasing us back to the dock, even though rigging was slower than usual as it was also the first time out this year in that boat due to me working on other boats in another place.

My 'one more time' sail earlier this week in a small boat with a horribly executed (operator error) upwind launch, resulted in rudder damage (previous owner repair broke) and no joy in the water. I have a bespoke project this winter to make a new rudder blade or two..

[Frank B.]

Here, in the mid south, peak season has just arrived.  My boat floated at dock for the entire summer and early fall seeing only rare winds and plus 100 heat indexes.  Next week Tues. and Wed. show mid eighties for highs, high fifties for lows and winds from the SSE at 13 mph.  I'm planning to go for an overnighter, and since school is in, some hunting seasons are open, football season is in full swing, I could possibly have the entire lake too myself.  Hoping to talk my wife into the trip, it is her kinda weather. Blue flower cove here we come, although no blue flowers but possibly some early fall colors. Hopefully the loons have stopped for a rest on their migration, always a pretty song.

[Riley Smith]

Perfect weather in the 'Sip! I'm off somewhere today to trial run everything I've changed on the boat. So far, the  ramp in the OLD neighborhood where we got married seems to be the leading contender. Far away from the maddening crowd. I may even go get the rod at the beach house and fish some because it's October right. Everything is biting!

[Doug SC]

Low of 59F and high of 85F with a fairly steady 8 mph wind today. We managed 3 races. It was a beautiful bluebird day.

[noelH]

Extended Autumn?  Last thing to do to put Vela into hibernation is jacking up the trailer to get the weight off the wheels and check how smoothly they spin.  But... Since towing Vela home the weather has become unseasonably mild.  Last couple days our nighttime  lows have been warmer than the normal daytime highs. Unusual for this time of year S wind blowing in warm air. Couple upper 60F high days in a row v. our oscillating 20F changes in a day. Surface water temp at buoy 45006 (mid western L. Superior) is still holding at ~49F.  The churn from recent high winds dropped it from low 60sF basically over one day.  The relatively warm surface water and the abnormally warmer deeper water will once again reduce the chance of ice formation on L. Superior.

Went for an Autumn hike yesterday sweating while wearing shorts. Today, looked at a pile of firewood that needs cutting into stove lengths, then splitting, then stacking. Called it quits after a short splitting session.  Too warm. Plus the pile is already a logger cord big. Stacking, my least favorite part of "making wood". I look at the pile and .... Just doesn't feel like Autumn in the Northwoods.  At least the high winds have ripped off half the leaves from the now past peak Autumn colors. Forest floor looks like Autumn.

I will be more than surprised if we get a Halloween Blizzard.  '91 was a surprise.  Mega Lake Effect dump. ~3ft at Lake level. Add a couple feet at the elevated areas close to the Lake.