In February, the Best Sailing Is on the Beach

When the sustained winds top 30 mph on the beach in February, there's only one thing to do: go with it.

A small number of local residents are able to do just that courtesy of blokarts: small three-wheeled vehicles that sail on land.

Weekend conditions were ideal for blokarting — with west winds providing for easy reaches in either direction on Saturday.

Steve, Beth and Ethan Dyjak; Steve and Kathy Larabee; Jennifer, Charlie and Caroline Bowman and Audrey Baker rode the wind on the wide beach at low tide at 23rd Street.

For Bowman, the blokart was a 40th birthday gift several years back. Dyjak recently purchased his on eBay. The Larabees and Bill Stuempfig are among other local owners. New ones retail for about $2,600, Dyjak said.

He estimated they were going 25 to 30 mph on Saturday and said blokarters can use sails of different sizes depending on conditions.

Dyjak said anybody who understands the basic concepts of sailing — including tacking and jibing — can easily maneuver a blokart.

Check out some blokarts in action:

• Blokart at Wildwood Beach
• Blokarts in the Netherlands
• Blokart Championship 2011 in Nevada