On days like Saturday and Sunday where there is a touch of West in the wind I've usually headed up to the pittwater side of Palm beach. The sailing conditions however, looked quite fantastic in the North end of the harbour (basically up from middle harbour towards Manly Cove). I've occasionally seen people out on the water there, but was wondering where they park/rig/launch to get out? I had a quick look at Little Manly, but it seemed like in the SW breeze it might be a bit of a struggle to tack out amongst the moored yachts. Is it worth the effort to sail in that part of the harbour anyway?
Any advice in this regard would be appreciated and would save a few km's in the car every time the Westerly appears!
I looked at it on Sunday too. Thought about tacking out from oceanworld but no parking on a Sunday. We used to sail out of little manly 20 years ago, it was good fun once you were out. Your not supposed to cross the ferry path either which covers a fairly large area
Mev, I actually went out from Little Manly on Saturday - SSW, after Long Reef was 3m surf. It's a bit of a pain from there - a few tacks - but plenty of parking if the southerly is up. SW is good also with quite long runs. I've sailed in the harbour for years now & I only go out if it's strong & the surf is maxxed. The wind is best straight S as it funnels a bit & sometimes big swells roll into Reef Beach. You can also sail into a private beach on the eastern side to rest or adjust equipment. I've been out in massive swell (ferries cancelled) but it's still safe as it only breaks near Grotto when it's SE swell from about 3 m.
Easiest to launch from Manly Cove at the eastern end but parking is a problem although only weekends typically or when the skiffs are there. Grass rig area & shower. You can unload your gear in the driveway & then find a park. A bit easier to launch from oceanworld end but less parking.
Next S over 15 K have a go!
I sail that part of the harbour pretty regularly and tend to launch off the Fairlight Baths for both NE and Southerlies. Parking is normally OK when it's blowing and you get plenty of grassed rigging area. You need to work upwind a bit as the ideal run is generally between Reef Beach and Manly Pt (tomp's private beach area) as you get a nice funnelling effect and flat water close to the beaches on both ends for some aggressive gybing.
On a decent swell it's a bit nasty launching from the Fairlight Baths as there's plenty of rocks and a breaking wave (surfable at 3m+) and not a lot of space to get upwind. In these conditions I'll launch from down near the Oceanarium as there's good grass rigging, lots of sand on the beach and the swell never gets too threatening in there (park up near the Manly Pavilion restaurant entry). Can be a bit patchy until you're out past the netted swimming area and its almost pure upwind to get out so a bit of effort, but in a decent southerly you can get some great conditions.
I've been wondering about parking at the end of Beatty Street (Balgowlah Heights side) as I guess it should be free parking then walking the 200-300m to Reef Beach. In big southerlies, trying to get out on a wave board is a bit of a pain and all the dirt of the harbour gets washed to the aquarium!
Steve, I think I saw your gear on Fairlight beach (path) the other afternoon. I looked around for a bit as the rig was unattached so I guessed you were nearby? Do you walk you gear down as Fairlight Cres. is shocking for parking. Can you get out from Fairlight in one run in a NE. Do you then stay in the harbour on go a bit more downwind towards Middle Head?
Ben, I've never bothered walking from Beatty St. I enjoy tacking up from the wharf side, once you're out 200m the wind is fine. I now have a 91L JP so that is my flatwater board. I've sometimes had the waves semi-breaking into Reef beach but it needs to be SE/ESE swell & I wouldn't call it waveriding but still fun.
Hope some 20K NE this week although swell has dropped.
NE off Fairlight is super gusty heading out and back in! Steve was always a lot better at getting out as he had a 120ltr+ board.
You want to sail downwind towards Middle Head so you can sail right across to Quarantine as the wind funnels down and off Little Manly.
It's pretty good and would be excellent freestyle but it's not really strong enough. Great blasting though.
I'll be doing my usual trip across the bridge on Saturday then hopefully a reef break on Sunday!
Ben, I'm assuming you mean Wanda Sat? Looks like decent NE Thu, Fri, Sat with small swell. Dare I ask about Gerroa, wind is looking a bit NNE and E/NE swell, wind guaranteed though!!!
Thinking Wanda as waves will be bigger than Gerroa - or even just the airport for some freestyle!
Did Gerroa last weekend, have it next weekend and the weekend after, and then first weekend in March - I might give it a miss!
Thanks for all the replies. Very good info.
From what it seems, it's a matter of just making the decision to get in and have a go! I guess there'll always be parking challenges around that area, and always moored boats to navigate bewtween.
At least the windy days are somewhat less popular around the harbour for most folks!
Hi Mev,
Little Manly is a great spot and worth the slog once you're out past the moored yachts. It's one of the few places in the area where you can drive up to a lawn rigging area which is right next to a sandy beach without rocks everywhere. With a race board, formula board or big slalom board it is easy enough to get out; would probably give it a miss if your board is on the small side.
The bad news is that the Manly Council Libs are planning to sell this land off to private buyers even though it is zoned as Open Space and the masterplan since the '60s has been to make the whole of the Little Manly foreshore public.
Please see my post: www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/New-South-Wales/No-Privatisation-of-Little-Manly-Beach/
Reading this thread inspired me to give manly a go this afternoon, launched from little manly. Not the best windsurf ever, boats were a pain to get through and wind was a bit all over the place. Good to be 5 mins from home but otherwise the highlight was laughing at a family with a very expensive looking power boat trying to get it on to a trailer on the back of their Q7..... 'All the gear and absolutely no idea' meant 30 minutes of good value for everyone else!
What time were you out confused? I saw a blue sail up that way around 4:30. Was going to try and head upwind towards you, but it was pretty patchy and kept dropping out every time I made the effort. It was a bit all over the shop today, particularly for the southerly. I stuck around though and after 5 it filled in pretty well.
Most guys out seemed to be launching from Fairlight today. With the small swell it was probably less effort than getting through the boats at Little Manly? Although it wasn't that much fun with plenty of upwind grind through the lulls until getting out to the funnel zone around Reef Beach.
I recently launched from Reef Beach which I found is the nicest way of getting out on a Southerly.
Yes there is a 7 minutes walk to the beach, and a 20m swim with your gear to get out of the little bay, but then you are right in where the wind is strong (seems ot me that it accelerate in that part of the harbour).
Perfect spot to jump the ferry wake !
