Remembering Hurricane Bill

Three years ago, I was on an internship at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I worked with Kenneth Brink on topographic rectification and spent nights and weekends exploring Cape Cod. It was an incredible summer, and came to a head the weekend that Hurricane Bill struck.

Bill PERFECTLY lined up to send waves towards the Cape.
Source: Weather Underground

Three years ago TODAY, I was alone in the barn, actually seeing off the final few inhabitants the morning before Bill was forecasted to impact the Cape. Instead of rushing to the office to backup my files (as instructed), I took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard in search of some Surf, both on couches and boards.

Here is the "Facebook Note" I wrote following that weekend.

Hurricane Bill Taught Me...

by Sam Wilson on Tuesday, 25 August 2009 at 20:52 

1. They don't let surfboards on MVT (Martha's Vineyard Transit)
2. Hitchhiking is easy on the Vineyard. Go a little outside of town, find a turnout, and stick up your thumb. Look for pickup trucks if you have a board.
3. Cody the Anglo-Australian, while not a surfer himself, can take you to the best spots.
4. They close beaches prematurely in Mass, on the order of the governor no less.
5. Mason has a great couchsurf couch. A shack on a pond, with its own dock, right across from the Obamas (they were arriving the next day).
6. Skurfing is surfing while being pulled by a skiff.
7. No governor can close a private beach, with access only by skiff.
8. How to drive a skiff back to the dock.
9. Full service gas stations still exist on the vineyard.
10. A new card trick.
11. Sleeping during a hurricane is pleasant.
12. Sneak around the cops and tuna on the beach is the real breakfast of champions
13. Waves at Squibby curl for miles. 13b. I'm out of paddling shape.
14. Sunscreen doesn't last 6hrs.
15. Golden ticket for hitchhiking is a pickup truck with people already in the back.
16. Vineyard Haven is a dry town. This makes waiting for the ferry take much longer.
17. Sleep on the ferry home.

%%

As a surfer, I'm constantly worried that I may not be choosing the correct surf spot for a specific swell; I've actually lost sleep over it, especially following a long dry spell (e.g. the ENTIRE summer leading to that weekend). Martha's Vineyard was the place to be for surfing Hurricane Bill.

The following week, I finished my project with Ken, had some creepy nights in the Barn alone (Circa 1890), and returned home. 

Making landfall in Nova Scotia
Cape Cod would be in the middle left side of the image
Source: Wikipedia Image Commons

Somethings Interesting:

--If I were to add anything to this list, it is that this was my favorite weekend that summer. WHOI is a good research facility in a beautiful location, but I belong at Scripps, where surfing is readily available and the research is great.

--Squibby was an isolated point break, and as such had a moderate crowd. The level of surfing, though, was nonthreatening to say the least; San Diego has meaner lineups with thicker vibes. 

--I have a fridge magnet in the shape of a small blue fish from that weekend.