Bonaire Windsurfing Weblog

I had fun sailing on my 5.7 for about 2 1/2 hours this morning.  I got out early, while Kathy was on her bike ride.  In the low wind I was working on my lee-side escape; for the Free Willy and 560 moves.

Today was the kid’s parade for Carnival.  The adult’s parade is next Sunday.  Kaya Grandi was packed with spectators.  The parade consisted of about 5 floats and each had EXTREMELY loud music playing.  The kids were cute and it was fun to experience the whole scene. 

I had fun on the 5.7, 70% planing, in the morning.  The afternoon was calm.  The forecast for the upcoming week is not good but last week was great! 

 Kathy went on her bike ride Thursday and took these photos.  This is the view looking north with the ocean to the left and the salt ponds on the right (which you can’t see here).

This is a picture of the slave huts at the south end of the island.  The slaves were used to work on the salt ponds. 

Thursday was a 5.5 day, down to 5.0.  It was a full on day.  I’m still killing myself trying the vulcan.  I discovered the custom board I bought is a piece of shit.  I bought a used Chilly.  Within an half hour my willy skipper percentage doubled. 

Friday morning was 6.5, not very good.  All afternoon I was on my 5.5.  I think with my new board there is some hope for the vulcan.  It was a great week!

Plenty of sunshine and wind today.  The wind blew for 7-8 hours.  It started dying in the late afternoon.  Gave the Flaka a try today.

Cesar playing around, he didn’t fall.

Cesar.

Audience watching the tricks.

Watching and wondering “How does he do that?”

Muscle man sailor on the beach.

It started out slow, 6.5 weather.  I was doing low wind skills.  Late afternoon the wind came up then backed off right before the squall hit.  Then it was full on.  I was overpowered 10-15 minutes.  It was big fun, especially when the squall hit.  I was trying to do shove-its, getting thrown over the handlebars big time.  Amado and Tonky gave me some pointers on the water today.  Amado was trying to show me how to do a boomerang.

Cesar, look for him in a future “Windsurfing” magazine.

 Monday was a 6.5 day.  I’ve been seeing some old friends, sailing.  Great day.

Jim sailing by the rainbow

Tonky performing

Tonky 1 second later

Saturday I spend the day recuperating from the  previous days.  It was windy but I needed the rest.  It was a 5.0 day.

Sunday I was on a 5.7 sail for about 2 1/2 hours and got blown off the water.

above – Shaka by Kiri

In the late afternoon I filmed Kiri, Antone and Hendrik in the waves at Lac Cai.  The wind was light but they were having fun doing back loops, forwards, shakas, shove-its, joolos and new moves that don’t even have names.  They were riding the waves doing vulcans and willy skippers.

The wind started  coming  back  Wednesday, was strong Thursday morning and really good Friday morning.  Tuesday I was on my 6.5 both morning and afternoon.  Wednesday I spent the morning in the Bonaire hospital with Kathy as she got her cast taken off.  In the afternoon I was on my 6.5.  Thursday morning I was on a 5.0 sail from 9 to 11:00.  I came in at 11:00 because I had taken a hit to my butt when I fell and landed hard on the sand but the wind was good until noon.  Thursday afternoon I was on my 6.5 for about an hour,  planing 80%.  The water in the bay is getting very low in the afternoons now. 

Howie and I were slogging to shore and watching Cesar put on a low wind show.

Cesar working on his low wind moves.

Friday was great.  I was on my 5.7 in the morning, 100 % planing.  I sailed about  3 hours.  I went back to bay in the afternoon but didn’t feel like rigging my 6.5 so I didn’t sail.

The wind is forecast to be great this weekend and next week!

The wind is starting to come back.  I was on the water on a 6.5 in the morning from about 9:30-11:30 and it got to be too much for the 6.5 the last hour so I finally came in.

After lunch Tonky and Kiri were on the water putting on an acrobatic show.  They were on their biggest sails, 5.6’s.  It is hard to get good photos with my basic camera – they are too fast.

This is Kiri on the fly.

It was up and mostly down in the afternoon, I only went out for about 1/2 hour late in the afternoon on a 5.7.  There were squalls coming through and doing funny things with the wind.  Maybe the wind will be better tomorrow.

It could be snowing and -5 degrees F!   Hee hee hee!

Saturday I went sailing for about 1 hour on a 6.5.  I had been watching people sailing and thought it was picking up but by the time I got on the water it was pretty weak. 

Sunday I woke to some wind and was excited that it would be a good day.  I was on the water around 9:00 but the wind just didn’t deliver.  I was on a 6.5 and planing about 40%.  I spend 3 hours on the water, though.  We’ve been getting a kick out of watching this young boy and his brother (from Hungary, with mom and dad) sailing everyday.  Here he’s practicing his sail handling on the beach.