The worst happened and I got into trouble too Saturday afternoon at 3rd on
my first reach out ...


First I want to thank this person that helped me and stayed with me all
the time. I don't know who he is, but I owe him a lot, if not my life.

Friday I lent my spare boom to someone I did not know. I figured fate
would repay me one day and I would be lucky myself when I needed some
windsurfer's help. It happened the next day : 


Usually I stay close to shore as I don't like the idea of swimming for hours...

This time I was fully powered and my Tiga 254 is very fast in these
euphoric conditions, and I ended up jibing around the channel marker. The
problem is that the sail and I turned, but my board went straight, surfing
the rollers by itself. 


By the time I realized what had happened, it was far away and going fast
downwind ! I did not even consider swimming for it. Many people were
upwind, did not hear me or see me. My windsurfing buddy was nowhere to be
seen. 


I was right there, invisible, popping up in the flood, still holding my
boom. South bay here I am ! My first thought went to my strobe I left at
home...


I saw another windsurfer coming in my direction, and thought of digging
for my emergency whistle to attract him, but seing the board disappear
further behind the swell I  waved like frantic, shouting at him. Luckily
he noticed me and went down straight to intercept the board.


Then came the swimming toward him. The guy was drifting faster than me, I
thought of ditching my sail which I was dragging,  but nothing seemed
broken and I hoped to reattach the equipment together to go back. Swimming
100 yards with a life jacket and a sea anchor in rolling swell is harder
than it seems. Distances and elements are magnified when your head is a
few inches above the surface.


We spent a lot of time trying to reattach the mast base to the mast
extension. The North base refused to lock its pin in place. Each time it
would settle in, and a little pressure would make it go out again. I then
tried to use my emergency mast rail nut, tied to some string. I removed
the mast base and hold to it. Afterward I think that was the worst thing
to do : if you loose one dismounted piece you'll for sure have to paddle
back. Well, I never managed to slide this damned rail nut in place, even
though it is a piece of cake on shore (I tried again later !). By then we
had already drifted a lot toward the bridge. We gave another try to the
mast base and finally the pin locked itself in place. I sailed back
straight with my samaritan following me. I got to shore quite exhausted .


Some lessons :


- a windsurfing buddy is of no help in the short term if you don't stick
CLOSE to each other.

- I am sure glad I had my 4/3mm suit and a life jacket. If you don't have
to bother about staying alive, self rescue works. I see so many people in
shorties lately.

- my emergency gear (whistle, spare rail nut and strings) did not come in
handy, but it made me feel in control, like I had several alternatives. 

- it takes 30 minutes in a flood to be under the bridge...

- jibe close for your first run out !

- being able to windsurf 3 hours sessions several times a week does not
mean you're in shape for swimming in adverse conditions, far from that,
and the stress of the situation does not help either.

- if you lose your board, chances are minimal that you will catch up to
it. Especially with a life jacket on. If the sail is still attached to it,
it may be possible. Is there a usable way to attach a mast extension to a
board while sailing ? I heard there is ?


For years nothing ever happened to me while windsurfing (except meeting
with shark fins in Ireland), when I look back I have been quite crazy
sometimes. Now I equiped myself with some security gear and in the last
year, I nearly drown in Waddel and now this ! 


-Francois