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Monday, November 7, 2016

Wind Surfers

Wind Surfing just north of the Tappan Zee Bridge Construction on a blustery day

Yesterday, while going out for a "sail" in my land yacht,  we stopped by the river side to look at the water, which was full of white caps with a strong north wind.  Out on the water I could see these small sails, one white, one yellow, one bright red, all vibrant in the bright but low angle autumn light.  They were zipping around like fireflies.
It was a fun sight and we sat in the van with the big door open drinking our coffee and eating our pastries, and looking thru the binoculars at the surfers.
I wonder if I am too old and to weak to be able to do such a thing anymore.  I wonder if I would enjoy it.  A board and sail rig is just about the right size for something to carry atop my under powered little vanagon.  I have been struggling for coming up with some kind of craft that sails, to carry on the van, but weight is indeed a real issue.
Maybe a wind surfer.  I'd need the wet suit to go with it........This doesn't sound inexpensive.  The truth is I prefer to be in a boat than in the water and I don't think that wind surfing is the best way to achieve this.  But it does look really, really fun.
I am really getting enthused about the sharpie hull design.  I really love the videos on YouTube from this one sailor in particular. I usually tire of these kind of videos, locked off camera, boat sailing......ya, ya ya.  It's usually boring, but these videos impress me with the ability of the boat, and it's simplicity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0xA3V2fcG8

Some of the things about the sharpies that make them work, are also the things that I find challenging.  They are a bit skinny of beam, which makes for a real feeling of being cramped.  Along with this the topsides are usually not very high so any kind of cabin would seem like a coffin inside.  I am hoping to achieve a compromise of something that is just enough to make me feel good about being in a little cabin, or at least under a little cuddy.  As is often the case with compromise, it leads to a boat that does nothing well.  This, I hope to avoid.

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