Another Sailing Day

The forecast for yesterday called for marginal kiting winds so I hooked the boat up. I started telling the kids that we were going sailing and they asked to SUP instead.

I told them that they were going to go sailing and that they would like it - but that I would also bring out their SUPs and they could have fun with them too.

We ended up going to Henderson Point (last spot of land before crossing the Bay of St Louis Bridge here in Southern Mississippi).

Getting the boat down to beach level from the road was not too bad (swung the ramps over) but the drop height looked to be challenging for the return trip.

We got the boat rigged and I took the kids out for a run - 10.7 mph under jib and main alone.

From there, I did another 3 runs shuttling friends back and forth. The wind backed down for the second run, but slowly picked up for the third and forth runs. I used the screacher on the last three runs and by the last run with La, we hit 13.7 mph - there were barely whitecaps on the water.

Meanwhile, the kids on the beach were all over the place on their SUPs. Put them in wetsuits and their fear goes away - they were way offshore at times just buzzing around.

Fun Saturday!!!

Dude Buzzing

Marlon asked me to bring his board out today.

He was flying around on the thing like it was a magic carpet

:)

Marlon's Awesome Board

At the beach again -

This is a close up of Marlon's SUP board (and as he outgrows it, his surfboard).

He came up with the sea creatures (and I painted them).

I finished this awhile back - but this is the first time we took a good closeup of him and the board together.

I'll be glassing my lightwind kiteboard soon. I'll try the external paint method this time. Not as much detail as what's on Marlon's board, just looking to expand the palette.

Getting the hang of it!

Marlon was on fire today!!!

He's standing up on his board and paddling around, even in choppy conditions. The wind picked up today so choppy conditions was what we had, but if it was too much to stand, he'd drop to his knees and kept on going!!!

Big M is awesome!!!

He would paddle out straight up wind and then turn the board around, wait for some swell to peak and then he was catching legitimate swell and running DDW! His DNA is finally showing!

Oh - and I got to windsurf too - at the midpoint of the session, I'd have been in the footstraps (if I had them).

La did make a declaration that the stretch of beach we have been going to (across from a pink house in Long Beach along Hwy 90) is now "Our Beach". The last time we made that declaration was in the Outer Banks (mile marker 11 had a nice cutout before Hurricane Isabel rearranged the dunes).

Nice day!

First Outing!

The boards came out great!!!

The volume balance was perfect in all three!

I predict La's "In the Van" SUP will get a ton of use - nice glide and tremendous stability. When we get to our next duty station, I'll make one of these for myself (a little thinner for better response). From every SUP board I've touched, seen, read about, I think template is the optimum one!

Marlon used his kneeling, sitting, prone and was standing towards the end! No better endorsement than that!!!

Noe was able mimic her big brother in all except the standing part (she didn't want to).

I will make some small tweaks on the kids' boards and then we'll be a paddling family (who paddles their own boards)!!!

In this regard, it is ironic that the place that we as a family have been to and live that had the least amount of waves, ends up being the place that inspires the kids to have the confidence to be water people. For that, I am truly grateful!

Another year of this and we're good and will need to move some place with waves!!!

Bottom laminate done for Big M's board

I should have done this while La and the kids were in Houston last week... too much sailing.

Anyways - I'm getting back on track. Tonight will be lap cleaning and top laminate.

I'll do Noe's bottom laminate later today also.

These boards should be ready to go by next weekend!