LAKAWA

As a windsurfer at Ramsey on Thursday, I found the crowd of kiters invigorating ... and crowded! I rested for a few minutes after one particularly adventurous run, and counted 7 kiters and 9 windsurfers. All of the wind sports folk were on the same back and forth tack, and the 7 kiters were taking u...

So: any advice on the best chance for dodging thunderstorms at WBL Ramsey this afternoon? I can get there any time after 2:30 or so. Where do people look to watch for storms coming over the horizon?

John

Anyone going to WBL early Wednesday, to miss the thunderstorms? Looks like Maht is the best bet -- though that new dock cost me an extra tack on Sunday. I'm thinking of trying to get out before noon for a session, but would rather sail with company than alone ...

John

Tighe:

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try to hit Bellaire around 4:00, and hope the wind really hangs on for a late afternoon session Saturday. My first of the year!

John

I vote for one. It might be nice to add a keyword in many of the posts to make it clear which you're talking about if your post is technical .. but the volume is low enough that I don't mind scanning headers and just reading the posts about pole-boarding.

John

That's easy to explain: the weeds on Tonka ate through the ice from the bottom. I'm expecting ice out by March 15 next year. Just don't let them get a grip on your board, or they'll start munching that, too.

John

John:

I probably can't make it tonight. A wetsuit is definitely necessary. I sailed on Sunday and was very comfortable in the air, but a tad chilly in the water in my drysuit (with no insulation, though).

John

I'm also thinking of going to Da Bear Wednesday. I'm thinking Bellaire, though Maht is always tempting on a NW. What are people expecting for wind? Last time forecasts were like this it went *off*, which was too much wind for me and my big boards. Do people think it will really be around 20, or is i...

I'll be heading to WBL, Ramsey, arriving 1:30 or so. Hope to see you!
John

Yeah, it was a great day. Good wind, good friends.

The power boaters were out in force. My favorite was the drunk guy on a boat with a megaphone. Must have felt that public drunkenness on a motor vehicle wasn't good enough if he couldn't make sure everyone knew!

John

I'm hoping for a WBL session tomorrow. Looks like a pretty nice S wind. Ramsey will probably be a little squirrely over the island, but still should offer some rides. Can those who read the winds predict whether it will be as windy as it was on the W wind last week? That was too much for me! My plac...

Jared: I've had great luck with both O2s and Retros. The Retros seem to me to have a little more low end 'grunt', to get you going in light air, but are a bit harder to handle when the wind picks up. I have a 9.5 and 10.5, and love them in light air, but in heavier air I haven't found the right tuni...

I'll be at White Bear today, with my son (a solid beginner) and a raw beginner friend of his. I'm thinking it's better to sail from Bellaire because of the long stretch of sand to take the walk of shame along. Maht seems like it would be brutal to learn at. Thoughts? Advice?

Thanks,
John

Yes, it was an awesome afternoon. I've never seen so many kiters in such a tight area. Fortunately, most of the kiters were very generous with the beginners, and everyone had a great time. I was teaching a couple of friends, and they really appreciated that most of the time if they just sailed strai...

Kevin: Thanks for the Maht encouragement. I've had good days there ... but I find the parking no fun in the summer. I guess it's probably getting better now that the air is a little cooler. Shell Lake sounds intriguing. What's it like as a lake? Any resorts? What are people's favorite lakes for, say...

So White Bear was pretty much a dud today, at least from Bellaire. I was on my 10.5 and got a few rides, but mostly was schlogging my way from gust to gust waiting for the wind to fill in. I sailed basically the whole west half of the lake, from the slot all the way through to the East coast opposit...

I have the Peter Hart three-in-one from The House. It's very good. (Hasn't taught me to jibe yet, though. )

John

Steve: It feels like kiters pose more of a risk to other water users than do most other sailcraft. Most of the kiters I've been around are sensitive to that increased risk, and I appreciate that sensitivity. I think if kiters were to enforce their full right-of-way they would accidentally force othe...

I'm not at all convinced by the theory that kiters should follow the usual right of way rules for sailboats. I think the kites take up so much room and are so dangerous to other traffic that it's perfectly appropriate for them to be more generous in yielding right of way than the rules require. Over...

I'm planning to be out at WBL tomorrow around 1:00 or 2:00 if the wind shows up. I'll be bringing a couple of learners, so we'll probably go to Bellaire rather than trying Maht. (I assume the docks still make Maht a tight fit, right?).

Hope to see you out there!
John