another abject lesson in not paying attention to the forecast and looking at the models instead.

call: NW 5-10

ngm said 8 knots in the afternoon, so I thought it'd be interesting to take jr. up and get him wet (although he never falls off the stinkin' Start unless I push him). Fall is almost here and he gets cold when it's 80 so his sailing days are growing short.

We go up to Sunrise and see a couple of new faces but no regulars.  (btw, the water is way down.  Sunrise is a great beach but ,man, is it a long walk to the water now) I think I see white caps driving in.  In fact, I almost hit a tree trying to look at the water.

Jr. has no interest in rigging.  He had a sleep over at our house the night before (7 kids) and about the only thing he can get his brain to concentrate on was banging sticks against trees.  So I rig his stuff and drag the Start the 1/4 mile to the water.  Thank heaven, his big sail is a 2.7.

I'm an optimist so I leave the center fin off, he immediately skids downwind.  Dad hikes back to the trailer, fetches the center fin and pushes Jr. back out.  Jr kind of has fun for awhile and comes back.

This time, I send Jr. out with kid sister.  Jr is now skipper of his own yacht which doesn't please him.  "I don't want to be captain, because if the board sinks, I have to go down with it."  Jr. has a good sense of humor; he takes sister out for quite a sail.  Really neat- she sits on the front and enjoys the ride.

Jr. returns and wants me to give him a ride.  Interpreted: he sits/lays on the front while I submarine the nose till the board goes about 3 feet under water and he gets washed off.  Rinse; repeat.  Fun when you are ten yrs old.

Jr. goes back out when the breeze freshens and peels off a few quasi-planing runs hooked in and back at the tail.  Very cool to see his sail raked back and him scooting along.  

Mom arrives and Jr and sis decide to go off with Mom in search of their best buddies who are due up at the lake anytime.  Dad notices freshening breeze and against good judgment rigs 9.0 and switches fin to 65 cm and removes center fin.

Holy Moley- Dad planes.  I don't think I saw a whitecap all afternoon and I must have peeled off 10-15 planing runs until the wind died around 5pm.  The wildest was a puff that didn't even show up on the water.  No dark ripples or nothin' but I was sheeted in and flying.  Very weird but I'm not complaining.

I know I've said it ad nauseum but this new stuff really wrecks your perception of planable conditions.  Also, the new generation of wide, soft-decked boards are extremely family friendly.  Anyone who is using the excuse "but I have kids" on why he/she doesn't windsurf much anymore, is missing (pardon the expression) the boat. These are a great way to get the kids on the water and even a greater way to get them windsurfing.

But I'd really feel much better if he'd fall in _once_  in a while.