Just a quick post to get everyone up to speed on whats happening to the bottom of the Murray! We sailed at Goolaw yesterday, good solid SW winds, best conditions for Goolwa. But there was one thing missing! WATER! The lake is such a poor condition now that you can only sail in the channels, click on Google earth and have a look if you get time!

Yesterday we had to sail from Hindmarsh Island, Rankines Landing, hop out into the channel and down to the barrages. Now this was OK as the wind direction made it perfect, but the channel is only 60 metres wide, so a slight shift east of west in the wind would spell and end to sailing for the day.

I was devestated that the place I learned to sail, over the last 12 years or so had now become a sand bank, people were even riding motorbikes down at the barrages, I even saw a couple walking slap bang in the middle of the lake.

I really dont know what the solution is, or wether this is the end for this place, but it is such a shame.

Looks like some sailing in the ocean is the only option.

PS: with the sailing in the channel yesterday, I felt like Finnian Maynard! Kym was Karin Jaggi......

That just awful - all I can see is sand from the footage with a channel - it's normally a huge sailable lake with a great waist deep area to learn - in fact where most of us took our first tentative arm breaking back stretching attempts to sail
Certainly looked like you had some blasting fun on that angle though - I just don't now where to take the kids to try out - might be Seacliff at low tide.

Looked prity bad Dave. If you bothered going to goolwa you should have gone to the murray mouth at sugars beach, hindmarsh island. We're heading down this saturday for two weeks which will be sick so if you heading down there at some stage let us know (send email or something). I sailed at the mouth a few weeks back and it was awsome. I reckon it's better than boggy lake and goolwa at their best. Only disadvantage is you cant stand up everywhere but if you get into trouble you just drift into the beach hundred meters down. Going to have to learn my deep water starts prity quickly i reckon.

Bubs

divaldo said...

I really dont know what the solution is,

Very short fins ...duhh

Wet Willy said...

divaldo said...

I really dont know what the solution is,

Very short fins ...duhh

I would buy 2-3 inch fins if they were on the market and worked. You need at least that to get through the middle. Otherwise its about a 30-40m run at most!!!

Bubs

P.S: 500 posts!!!!! awsome!!!

Think I saw you guys out there (from the comfort of the balcony) one day. Was that Kim with a pryde and a red harness ? Assume you launched from the island. I only had an old waveboard and a 5.0 down there just in case, but it was a bit light on.

Really sad seeing that low water. Been going to Goolwa since 1978. First windsurf lesson there, teak booms and all, in 1980. Learnt there in 1981. Spent 90% of my uni holidays hanging out at the lake. Dog's ashes scattered on the water there.
Time for some government action and less talk

Hey guys - not sure how true - a fellow was sailing at goolwa on saturday when we we teaching our kids - he said some guy tried to charge him $15 to sail from near the Hindmarsh Island boat club?

The girls (11&12) had a learner session on a Tyronsea 330 - slippriest wobbliest thing ever - no where near as steady as my Skate 112 - and both got going after half a dozen uphauls - they panicked as they disappeared into the channel and jumped off - they were very stoked look out for the 12 yo girls with attitude and not a lot of fear they'll be blasting at a lake near you soon!

we even had a couple of runs across to H/I 6.4 Severne and the skate - I am sure I scraped a fin in the middle of the lake as I gybed!

divaldo said...

even though Goolwa has been average, I have sailed it all week......got some nice runs, pulled my first real gybe!

Bubs, where were you? (post whore)

Dave mate i been in Goolwa for two weeks and sailed at the murray mouth virtually every day. Had couple good sails with you aswell.

We came home a day early aswell because i was heading on a massive down wind run in dead flat water going as quick as i ever had then WACK!!! hit the sand bar out in front of the car park. Got flipped over and cut myself up a lot but managed to sail back. When my dad stripped my wetty down i had a massive graze down my back and one slice, about 5cm long but split about 5mm wide. Went to the Victer hospital more as precaution because it could have easily been infected and i went into some wierd delayed shock there. In a great deal of pain now with grazes and slices all over the feet, hands, and back but all ok i suppose. Days of recovery from the weeks are coming. Pitty though because i missed a good day sailing today, windy when we left.

Also managed to ding the nose of my brothers board . He wasnt happy at all. But we did fix the big sail in the end which was good. Started gybing aswell and was so close to pulling off a few of them. Waterstarting consistently now aswell.

After all that though had a great couple weeks bodyboarding, windsurfing, seeing mates and gocarting lol and cant wait till next year when we do it again. When you get to sail days in a row like that you improve heaps quickly.

Cheers
Bubs

P.S: Hopefully getting a GPS for my birthday or a bit later in the year. Cant wait to see actually how fast im going. will be interesting

Far out bubs, sounds like you met some crabs close up with the grazes you described! I take it you wont be sailing tomorrow? Rest up mate, I reckon its going to be a good windy summer.....drop in some time

btw
Is it true they're gonna open the barrage????

anyone sailing tomorrow? if so, where?

hey susie.

looking at the weather graph for SA, i'm guessing you might be working tomorrow...

if you weren't there'd be no wind!

same

Lets hope that when they open the barrage they dont decide to extend the coorong. Is there an 8knot speed limit in the channel at goolwa?

Ha Ha. I looked at the graph and told my boss I wanted the day off!!!!
He knows. It was fun, 4 hours I think. I'm still trying to figure out if I have whiplash from my nose plant at full speed though.
gf Every time I look at your avatar I think "big cheese" I can't believe its a Kangaroo.

he he. i know. they look like hairy figs dont they!

that was rubbish about your board.

i had a great day yesterday. woke up this am stiff as a board, but grinning and itching to go sailing again. sodding work allways cocks that up for me though.