Hi All, Being from South Aust I am in the dark a little as to what is best to wear on the water sailing Moreton Bay next week. Is the water temp still ok this time of year to get away with a short john or is a steamer a must?
A 3mm shorty is all I have... It's fine.. but then I'm a kiwi which helps.......?
Hey Darkhorse, I've got a mate moving to Wellington where it blows like stink all the time. He reckons they are using some sort of short sail config over there, being a kiwi I thought you may know something about it. I can't find anything on the net.
I Have Sailed Wellington a bit many years ago.. My Brother lived there for several years and at that stage his average sail size used was 3.5m!!! It is the only place I've ever been where I walked out from the shelter of a building without preparing for the wind and got blown off my Feet!!.
Smallest sail I used there was a 2.8m...
The forecasting for southerlies is very accurate also as they hit a weather station on the top of the south Island before hitting Wellington.
Bloody Cold there though.. Plimerton is a good wave spot if I remember right. The waves peak and don't break for a few hundred metres bfore finally breaking.
Haven't been there for 20 years tho so if they've developed a particular sail that works well in their conditions then there's a good reason for it.
One last comment.. When it Blows 30 knots (a lot of the time) it is more like 40knots here has the air is so dense with moisture compared to "dry" wind.
One of the few places I've sailed where I feared for my life after underestimating it!!
Wow, any speed spots? Sounds like a perfect place for a big speed. I know what you mean about the power of the wind, I flew out of there once and thought the plane was being buffered about so much they wouldn't be able to take off. The host said they took off once and a wind sheer hit the plane knocking it sideways. He said he was looking directly at the runway through his window, i.e. the plane was 90 degrees to the tarmack. Frightening stuff, am glad I wasn't on that flight. Does it ever get warm enough to warrant a trip over for a sailing holiday?
With Wellington when the southerlies are blowing it is cold compared to Qld.. I've done a funboard event in Evans Bay which is right by the Airport in January and ended up wearing a 5/3 Steamer - and helmet as I changed to a 4.4 with the bigest sail used by the big guys being around the 5.2 mark... and that's on Longboards. I got flipped over backwards when I let the nose of the board lift too much when beating... the wind got under it and over I went..
Would have to check with locals as to when it would be good to go.. I haven't been there since the 80's so I bet the sailing area's etc have changed..
Cheers
Dave
