Article on sailing in upstate NY
Bill O'Such
several requests for it, so I thought that I'd repost it.
Where to sail near the Rochester Area
Rochester, NY, has more than Kodak, Xerox, Bausch and Lomb,
Genesee Beer, and 87 inches of snow each winter. It's blessed
with a variety of windsurfing locations-some only a 15 minute
drive from the city. No wonder everyone watches the wind so
closely outside their windows ! Plenty of locations are within 50
minutes.
As in most areas in the northeast, the best winds in the spring
and fall are driven by frontal systems and typically are 15 to 30
knots. The summer winds are light, usually under 15 knots though
on a hot day in June, Lake Ontario can kick up a 10 to 15 knot
thermal. Windsurfers pick among the top three Rochester locations
and the Finger Lakes based on the wind direction.
Immediate Rochester vicinity
On weekdays and southwest winds (and 60% of our winds are from
the southwest) many sailors heads to Long Pond. About 20 minutes
northwest from the city, here you can enjoy fast flatwater
sailing. A quarter mile wide and a mile long, Long Pond is
perfectly oriented to get the full brunt of the southwest winds.
Launching is from the northeast end on Edgemere Drive. Be careful
not to takeover the resident's back yards ! Rigging is on grass,
a short walk across the road from the Pond.
For west winds, Webster Park is the prime choice. Located
northeast of the city outside the "Rochester Bay", Webster gets
the full force of wind and waves. Just follow 104 West and take
Holt Rd. North to the end. After about a 30 minute drive,
launching is only 50 feet from the parking lot on a pebble beach
in a public park. On a Lake the size of Ontario, a strong breeze
can create six to eight foot waves and rugged sailing. Serious
damage can occur if you are not careful of the pier to the east of
the launching area. If it's windy, make sure you're comfortable
with wavy conditions.
When northwest and north winds prevail, Durand Beach is the
favorite place to go. Just 15 minutes due north of the city, it's
a quick trip. Some people are even known to sail during lunch
hour! Parking is only 10 feet from a grass rigging area that's
only 70 feet from the two mile long sandy beach. Watch out for
swimmers. The waves are tamer than those at Webster until you get
about a half mile offshore.
Choices in special conditions
Other sailing locations are for very specialized winds.
Irondequoit Bay, just 10 minutes east of the city, is a good
place when the thermals blow off Lake Ontario especially in the
spring. The winds are funneled down through the Bay creating
good, steady breezes when there might not be wind elsewhere. In
west and northeast winds, Montana Beach located on west side of
the Irondequoit outlet is a good substitute for Durand Beach but
the walk to the beach is quite a distance. Mendon Ponds is a
good beginner location and warms up quickly in the spring. Weeds
build up quickly as the season progresses. The local shop is
Quantum Leap Windsurfing (716-388-0575).
The Finger Lakes
If you can travel 35 to 50 minutes, it's best to head to the
Finger Lakes for southeast and south winds. These half-dozen
long, narrow lakes are the glacier's contribution to windsurfing.
Canandaigua and Seneca Lakes are the most popular with weekend
sailors from our area.
Canandaigua Lake is the closest but the most crowded, only a 35
minute drive. Launching is from Kershaw Park on the north end of
the lake. During the summer, a parking fee is charged and you
must launch from the small boat area. In the off season, you may
launch from the swimmer's beach. Rigging is on a grassy area
which can get crowded in the summer. No beer is allowed, and PFD
use is strictly enforced. The shop on the lake, Canandaigua
Sailboarding (716-394-8150), has lessons and rentals. The first
100 yards of the lake is only three to four feet deep with a sandy
bottom, which is excellent for waterstarts and beginner sailing.
In southeast winds, the wind has a clear shot down the lake.
South and southwest winds are pretty good too When the wind goes
around to the west, it can get gusty because of the hills around
the lake.
In south and southeast winds, most people head to Seneca Lake, a
15 minute drive further east. Seneca is twice as wide as
Canandaigua and offers a much larger rigging and launching area in
the beautiful state park at the north end of the lake. Grass is
everywhere, launching is easy and the park is much more flexible.
Generally people head to the far east end of the park (follow the
park oad `til the end). When south winds blow, this is definitely
the place to go! Winds gain consistency as they travel the 20
mile length of the lake. Nice, rolling waves can build to three
to five feet. In southeast winds, most people launch from the
Chamber of Commerce building on the northwest point of the lake.
Other good wind directions include southwest, west and even
northwest, so when the winds shift, it's still good sailing. For
those who like to sail year round, Seneca Lake rarely freezes.
The other Finger Lakes near Rochester, such as Conesus , Keuka
and Honeoye, are smaller and don't attract as many windsurfers.
Cayuga Lake near Ithaca has a windsurfing shop on the southern
end and there are two good launching areas along the east shore:
Myer's point and Long Point Park.
Syracuse area
Oneida Lake
When east winds blow, lots of people from Rochester make the trek
to Oneida Lake. Just take the Thruway east to the exit for I
81, Follow 81 North to Exit 31, drive a little distance along the
South shore and you'll see the State Park. What's unusual about
Oneida is that when it's east at 10 knots everyone else, it's
blowing 20 there ! Watch the weather channel and check the
Syracuse airport reading, if it's east at anything above 10, think
about Oneida Lake. Usually east winds mean wet weather, so make
sure you're ready for sailing in the rain. Driving time is about
1 3/4 hours from Rochester and 15 minutes from Syracuse.
Lake Ontario
Though I haven't ventured out much to Lake O near Syracuse since
the lake is right near Rochester too, I've heard great things
about Mexico Bay which is slightly north and west of Syracuse
along with Oswego. Both are legended to have great waves in
northerly winds. Also, Fairhaven State Park, which is
halfway between Rochester and Syracuse also has a good launching
area.
Lake Erie (Buffalo) area
Lake Erie offers a wide variety of sailing all along both the
American and Canadian side. One popular spot is the "Dock at the
Bay". Take the Thruway to Exit 56, turn right after the toll onto
Rt. 179. Follow it to the end and at the Ford plant (at a
circle), take Rt 5 West, turn Right on Hoover Road and watch for
the restaurant. Driving time is about 2 hours. There are
numerous other sailing spots along the Lake including Evangola,
Hamburg, etc. For more information, call the WNYSA at 716-627-
2247. On the Canadian side, areas around Pt. Abino, Crystal
Beach and Shirkston Beach are very popular . All these
locations are ideal in southwest and west winds and have some of
the best waves in the area.
One unique spot, is the Niagara River. When the winds are west,
this spot seems to get some extra thermal kick. With the river
flowing west, you can broad reach all day and never be far from
where you launched.Check the Buffalo winds on the weather channel,
if they're good from the west at more than 15, try it out.
Directions are: Take 90 West to I-290 (to Niagara falls), I-290
to I-190 (to Niagara falls) and over the Grand Island Bridge.
Take the first exit over the Grand Island bridge to Beaver Island
Park. Follow the road towards Beaver Island Park but prior to
entering the park, following the road which parallels the Niagara
River to the west. After about 2 miles, there will be a scenic
overlook park on your left. Total drive time is about 1.5 hours.
Park, rig and enjoy!
Summary
Direction Location Comments
W Webster Waves, steady winds
Seneca Lake Good all around, little gusty
Canandaigua Popular spot for all levels of sailors,
chop, nearby shop
Niagara River Long drive, "mini gorge" conditions
Lake Erie Long drive, good wave conditions
Durand Not good, too protected, offshore
SW Long Pond Flat water, perfect direction, close,
pond like water
Seneca Lake Good all around especially if wind
direction is changing
Canandaigua Lake Not bad, can be gusty, lots of friends
Lake Erie Long drive, check the Wind Hot Line but
worth a road trip
S Seneca Lake Primo, THE place to go, great jibing
rolling waves
Canandaigua Lake Good too, busy in the summer, best for
all ability levels
SE Seneca Lake Excellent, launch at Chamber of Commerce
, rolling waves
Canandaigua Lake Good too, close, meet new friends
E Oneida Lake No place better in east winds !
Durand Beach Can be OK as long as there isn't a lot
of North in it, waves are big
NE ?? Stay home and work, it's usually ugly out
N Durand Beach Perfect place
Irondequoit Bay Good in spring thermals, tough
launching though
NW Durand Beach Can't beat it. If it starts going west
head to Webster
Beginners: Canandaigua Lake, Long Pond and Mendon Ponds
Miscellaneous
PFD regulations are strictly enforced on Canandaigua Lake, Durand
Beach and Long Pond.
Wind Hot Line Sites
Durand Beach (Lake Ontario in Rochester)
Canandaigua Lake
Seneca Lake
Cargill Beach (Lake Erie)
Crystal Beach (Lake Erie)
Cherry Beach (Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada)
Local shops
Canandaigua Sailboarding 716-394-8150
Quantum Leap Windsurfing 716-388-0565
Bill O'Such
Rochester Sailboard Club
716-383-2021
--
Bill O'Such
Eastman Kodak Company
DISCLAIMER:
Kodak provides me access to this Net, and are not responsible for
my postings.