Melville Beach, WA, AU

Melville chop-a-thon. Good direction for long runs but the wind was not consistent enough today.   

AV 72.5, SV M4 7.8, Tribal MK2 37

6 categories

Point Grey, WA, AU

Suprise sail today. Rocked up to Bombas to be greeted by torential rain waricle floating in the glass off and Boz and Jim getting a drenching.Was tempted to drive straight off but thought i would give it half hour as all the wind indicators were reading 20 plus :/ Slight clearing in the distance and a gradual dark water line approaching and then it hit 20, rigged quick and suited then hit the water as it picked up to 30 :O fully powerd on the 6.3SCR,86 Sonic,25ws,,Stoked to share the wind with Boz,Jim and Oricle Waricle.

2 categories

Point Grey, WA, AU.  Forecast was 20knots and sun, dial was showing well above so headed down.  My nice new 5.7 sail I'd ordered 6months ago arrived just as I was leaving so chucked it in.  Arrived to solid rain and zero wind.   Dial still showing 23-26knots just 8 km away.   Antman reported it was howl'n and on his way with Boz.     Waricle had rigged the big gear.  Was weird the dial showing so high but totally still where we were so I rigged 6.3.   Waricle started rigging small.  Both of us had some senior moments and made a dogs breaksfast on rig up.  Waricle had an excuse..I didn't...the cleat on downhaul popped out into the long grass and took 20 minutes to find...shouldn't have worried as was still becalmed once rigged.  Rain was still dumping down.  After 1/2 hr went out to test the wind, yup, definitely nothing, like zero.   Boz arrived, then Antman and for the next hr we wondered how it was possible to be becalmed where we were....I was totally freezing after 1 1/2 hrs of cold rain and no movement.  

Waricle went out on his big gear and didn't move, wind was coming from west, then south east when the big wind was northerly just a few km out.    Finally around 1:15 we spied white caps, with the wind front moving slowly towards us but still glass where we were.  I went out to try and catch the flat as the wind hit, got going and went over the the Cay where I managed to knock my rear camera off again...took 15 minutes to untie the leash knots with cold fingers to stow the camera (turns out I should not have bothered as forgot to put SD card in anyway)

By this time wind was smok'n and was totally smashed on the 6.3 so went back and rigged the new 5.7 toy.  Went out on that but in the big chop wasn't feel'n in control on the FF18V4 so came in again to change to old faithful FF22. (thinking I shouldn't have canceled my 5.2 sail order as would have been much better today.)   Out again and was around 3 before finally started feeling in control, tried for Alphas for a while but was stuffing them up, the others all left the water but the water suddenly went much flatter so tried for an hr.   Lots and lots of weedburgs to dodge but as the day went on they were easier to spot with foam on top.  Usually can switch the DIY GPS mode whilst sailing but the combo of fast speeds, dodging weedburgs I failed to get them to switch so I tried to estimate time instead of stopping to fiddle to get real time hr updates..conditions kept improving, water flatter, wind steadier but Cinderalla time came and past.  Waricle and Boz were waiting for me to come in so pushed as long as I could.   Such a shame wind took so long to come in as would have been great distance/hr day.  (Thanks for waiting around for me guys)

iSonic97, KAR 6.3/5.7, FF18V4/FF22