A Big Westerly Day

What a way to end a vacation in les Îles de la Madeleine....a classic big westerly! West winds, of the big kind, meant that we all converged on Dune de l'Hopital in Fatima (Cap aux Meules). It delivered, and then some.

Right from the get go everyone rigged small sails, ranging from 3.3 to 4.2. I, myself, rigged a 4.2 and attached it to my diminutive 77 litre board.

Most people arrived at the beach around 9 a.m. Typically there was about 8 or 10 people on the water at any given time, as the conditions dictated that periodic rests were a necessity (except for Julien, Luc et Alain who I believe to be bionic). In all there might have been about 16 of us who ventured out at Fatima. There was even two or three kiters (grrrr).

At 9 a.m.the ocean was manageable. By 1 p.m., when I left, the ocean swells had grown huge and some of the waves, though not terrifying, commanded a lot of respect. On the outside some of the swell approached mast high. On the inside there were some logo high sets (mental note: move logo down on my sail!).

The wind was gusty at times but stayed within the 40-50 kilometre per hour range all day. I struggled somewhat on account of my gimpish right arm (not to be confused with a bum shoulder, but related),  but all in all I was satisfied with my performance. As always, I can get out through it and then return to my starting point. Did I prosper? Not quite, but there is hope for me yet.

Here's a few more images to give you a sense of the setting....