Looking forward to some real weather. The sort of weather that makes you feel alive.
I am so grumpy we have big boat sailing on Sat and bloody dinghy sailing on Sunday! I am thinking the dinghy race may just get the big heave ho!
.... then water temp ....then
.... then water temp ....then
guys, whenever you all plan a sail because of a good forecast the wind never arrives! So be quiet! [}:)]
good call.
Might be an idea to dose yourself up on antibiotics or wear a hazmat suit.
After all that rain it will be like sailing in an open sewer...
I'm thinking about going down to St George's basin or someplace like that. The water should be reasonably clean. Anywhere down the coast good in a westerly wind and has a caravan park close by for camping?
Edit:
Just looking at Google Earth. A possible speed strip in a westerly could be in the entrance to Brisbane Waters. Pretty Beach co-ordinates 33 degrees, 31 minutes and 17.76 south by 151 degrees, 20 minutes, 57.73 seconds east. It looks like there are many sandbars there and I think there is a fair amount of flat ground going across Ettalong and Umina before hitting the water.
I haven't sailed or even been there so I can't say how good it is but if its windy I might head up there and check it out. Can anyone comment upon it?
St Georges Basin is really weedy at the moment. DavMen's right. Anyone got a cheap weed fin they want to sell? (Tuttle box for those who are serious)
I'm back down there for a week in August - hopefully to catch some 30knot westerlies in 40cm of water. (Oops, that's right - don't talk about it!)
Hopefully friday will blow out all the weed from Kurnell to Kyeemagh, and Sat - Sun will have clear water.
I hate sailing in weed and refuse to buy a weed fin.
The only good thing about weed is when it gets really windy the weed stops chop.
I'm going to check out that Pretty Beach place. Hopefully its not silted up with sand like all the other river entrances are nowdays.
On Google Earth it looks promising.
Pretty Beach:
www.google.com.au:443/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&t=h&ll=-33.522292,151.348944&spn=0.02415,0.04961&z=15
Looks like it could get gusty in westerly, but still an interesting place.
Here's where I sail sometimes. Unbelievably good in a westerly. 800m run and 40cm deep:
www.google.com.au:443/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&t=h&ll=-33.522292,151.348944&spn=0.02415,0.04961&z=15
I agree with Davmen. #1 rule is not to talk about forecasted wind.
I was at Sandringham early Sat morning as well. Water is fine. Im not growing a second head yet?
Ive noticed a bit of weed down at sandringham lately. Need to chop hop to get rid of it...
David
Sorry, just installed The Internet this morning. Still learning.
Sanctuary Point:
www.google.com.au:443/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&t=h&ll=-35.108903,150.618181&spn=0.011849,0.024805&z=16
Cross section:
WESTERLY WIND ==>
5km of open water
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^|||||--------------------------------/
............................................|||||___________________________/
............................................||||/
___________________________|||/
DEEP WATER..........................WEED.................40cm DEEP....................
The wind has about 5 kms of open water and it gets pretty choppy. It then hits a bank of weeds where the water gets quite shallow. This weed bank reaches the surface and acts as a chop buster. The only problem is that recently, the shallow water has started to get a bit weedy too. It wasn't always like that, as you can see on google maps. It's not a stringy weed like the weed bank, but a bit more spongy.
I have some photos of the area somewhere. I'll see if I can find them later
Here's the view looking straight out into a 25kt westerly. There's about three inch chop out to the weedline which you can just make out running from point to point.
You have to walk straight out about 100m before you hop on, depending on your fin depth. The tide makes very little difference here for some reason. I think Sussex Inlet is so narrow, and the basin is so big.
Are there any caravan parks or places like that around there or any other places you can recommend for a couple of night stay? I've got a van but I'd probably sleep in my tent. Do you need a wind fin?
Looking at the map, do you get access via Paradise Beach Road?
I really hate weed but I'll put up with it for a good sail. I used to sail in Lake Illawarra off Primbee in westerlies. That was a weedy place but the weed kept the chop down. Some of the westerlies were mental, you could see dust blowing over the escarpment to the west.
Its true forecast winds always seem to die. What is interesting is the error is rarely the other way where gales occur when doledrums are forecast.
For this weekend the wind is forecast to be more southerly. There are plenty of places around Sydney which are good in a southerly so travelling won't be necessary.
4 metre swell and 25 knots.. what more can be said..
oh... the where .. well there are only a few spots that can hold it..
Wish I could fly to Flat Top Woolgoolga.. but Sydney shouldn't be to bad..
Bring it on Huey..!
