Capt.Mooron wrote:
No such thing as cheating when on a lee dock with the wind on your beam.....
kedge is the only way you'll get out with the sails up and no damage to the
vessel ahead on the dock. [Well okay.. on my boat anyway.]


In some spots, *any* boat.

One of the crucial skills a skipper must develop is a "no-go" alarm...
the ability to see what is a difficult but possible situation, and what
is impossible. Of course, the more knowledge & skill, the fewer things
are truly impossible.

I've always liked the challenge of sailing centerboarders off a lee
shore beach. Once we stopped for a picnic on a muddy shore & I lost a
shoe getting the boat off... I bet that shoe is still there, 3' under
the mud!




I'd like to try that. How does the kite compare? Is it faster for the same
(or less) sail area? That's what the kiteboarders claim.



The kite is awesome.... at times it will lift you clear out of the water.
Kind of a squirrelly ride.... but the adrenaline rush is worth it. The
wishbone sail is no slouch either but it's easier on your balance and
stability. It won't lift you clear of the water but the surfing rocks! Have
you done white water?? Wind Skiing?, Parasail?.....

Just plain vanilla wind surfing and white water canoing. You can get
airborn on an old wind surfer too, if you play your cards just right.
But you can't go soaring off into the sky.

DSK