Bit far away these phots, but had a great first day back on the small gear and it felt gooood!
yeah sorry about that Oceanblue...how big was that sail in those other photos? It looked massive. It is sweet to be on a 4.7.
Photos look good Tim, first time on 4.7 for the year? Your season is completely out of synch with the rest of Oz. Don't know how you do it. You'll be match fit by August. Us mainlanders will have to use the visualisation technique to stay in shape. Keep the photos coming.
Typical Canberra Autumn day. The wind maxxed at 12.30.. 4 knots gusting to 7.
well i tried to have a go on "smaller" gear.
Home at 3:00pm, white caps everywhere - seabreeze site for Hay point recorded a steady couple of hours of +20 knots with gusts up to 25kts.
I hit the water at 3:30pm with a 101l and 5.7.
- right on 3:30pm, the wind is now at 10-15kts. One run and I went back and got my 170l board and plod around sailing clew first and stuff.
Is that board a Fanatic Freewave? If it is, how do you like it for that type of sailing?
I must get over there someday, looks great!
ian, yep first time but probably should have been on a 4.7 quite a few times before this. Have been rigging with the 'go big' mantra for a while so it was kinda nice to feel just comfortable.
I feel for you in these canberra doldrums.
Tomorrow I'm taking an smh journalist out windsurfing. Of course he's never done it before and the forecast is for 20-30K SW!
easty, yeah Fanatic FW 77L. i really like it, it's fast, planes early, good to gybe and tack, controllable in the air. It is the board I've used most in the big winds so it feels like an old shoe.
It can handle really choppy conditions and never spins out or catches. i've used it from 20K up to 40K and have a great deal of faith in it.
hey lordhowe,
thanks for sending those pics... a few questions:
1) do you usually sail alone? or are there any other sailors on the island
2) how often do you guys get sailable wind over 20 knts between now and October?
3) can you sail any of the waves in the background? are there any proper wave spots on the island?
4) what do you do for a living? surely there can't be any tourists at this time of the year
Thanks in advance...
Stehsegler,
Most of the time I am on my own, there is one other capable sailor on the island who is just starting to get back into it. He has just bought a board from buy/sell. There is one guy who i have taught. He is just now in the straps and harness and loving it.
Between now and September we will get 20K and over probably on average 4-5 days a fortnight. The wind gets more consistent than that in July & August.
The waves in the background are on the reef and are cross/off in the easterlies which are more prevalent in the summer. As I am not a wave sailor it is hard to identify what is the sailable wave. There are a few other waves that might be sailable apparently according to people that know...
In the winter season the island quietens right down. I have a restaurant over here and we close that until September. The island is really good in the winter for windsurfing and we are trying to push it as a destination for mainland sailors in the doldrums.
Right now there are package deals to the island valid for travel anytime between now and mid september. With 5 nights accomm and airfare $600. Airfare is usually $650 alone. You should come over for the LHI Windsurfing fortnight. Or just come over and do some sailing and see for yourself.
Interview over!
Hi Tim. I guess at this point I need to start thinking about what size gear to bring to Lord Howe in August.
What sort of wind strength would you expect in August?
What sails have you been using around that time of year and what size board would you use?
The smallest sail I have is a 5.4m, but I weigh about 96kgs, so for me that needs something over 25knotts to get going.
Yeah, and is a rash vest and board shorts okay for that time of year? 
I think I might have to buy myself a helmet just to keep my ears warm!
I think I might have to buy myself a helmet just to keep my ears warm!
hey lordhowe,
thanks for all the info! hm... very tempted to head over there for a trip... a mate is trying to convince me to go...
Tim. You lucky bugga. Great place eh. Taught myself to sail on the lagoon back in the mid 80's. No one else around then either. Might have to make the effort and get over there for a big holiday one day.
Just got out my LHI map and I'd say, if Tim's 3rd photo was taken from the clubhouse, due south is bang on centre screen. The Windy Point anemometer is on the end of the runway which is at the water's edge just off screen to the left. Would that be right Tim?
Sounds like you got tied up with other things today, the wind looked good. I got the feeling last year that the Windy Point anemometer, from an on-the-water prespective, reads a little lower than the one at Sydney airport.
ian, south is more left corner of screen. that day was SSW. Honor was north of the clubhouse and i was fairly broad coming in from the reef, gybing north of the clubhouse in the boats.
Didn't make it out today as we make coffee at the local markets and then went out for Mothers Day lunch.
Tomorrow's looking good...
