Slowboat (53798km):
5 hours ago Coodanup
I thought there was a chance the wind would kick WSW later in the arvo with a few forecasts lining up... so pulled the trigger and turned up bit b4 3pm... Was windy enough but WNW when I got there so figured I'd just go out the front and maybe try to catch a squall or two outside the pond until it swung WSW (hopefully).
6.2m 111 Rapid, 26 weedmax.
Chose that for the wind I saw when I got there. Some gusts over 20 so figured some squalls would come through. Heading up to the east side of the pond barely going, just cruising in the gusts and just planing in the lulls. I could see a rain squall coming so I tacked up to the beach outside the pond and floated south waiting for it to hit. Was great! Full power heading to the beach for a slingshot. Great gust lined up- all systems go for a 40... then the gust vanished and I hit the short section in a lull. Pulled up to the beach and it filled in just behind me... doh! 37 max on the setup. The wind had swung to be perfect for a broad pond bank run so figured the change had come through, so trudged into the pond. Sailing upwind (still plenty of West) still plenty of power so yeehar here we go. Turned around to hit run #1 and the wind died.
Waited... it came back 12-18kts WNW again... so tacked up to the island and waited there for a bit. Nothing. Then some small WNW gusts drifted through so I figured that was what we were going to get so just went sailing. Not many bearaways- zero runs on the bank because it was straight downwind and no pressure there. Fastest runs heading from the island to the bank, and on port tack to the platform. Nothing flash- not enough wind (easily could have been on 8.7m) but great fun milking the lulls on 6.2m
Had a ball actually. This is my new favourite cr@p wind pond setup. 6.2m I can hold on in squalls, and the board is big enough to float me easily. The 26 weedmax has tons of grip in the lulls and is a perfect match for that board- especially if theres a risk of hitting the samphire.
Saw heaps of rain squalls go past but miss the pond by hundreds of metres... and no wind leaking out. The last one I waited for looked perfectly lined up. 5pm. But it was two squalls side by side, with a gap that slid over the pond... and took ALL the wind. It glassed off. I waited another 20 minutes as the sun went down and the moon came up. Another shower coming... this time it was going to hit. It slowed down... took ages... and it was rain. No wind. I could hear it coming from 500m away... just rain. I waited another 10 minutes... getting dark now... needed to meet family at cinema at 6:40 and the clock was ticking. I was going to miss the movie, or get lucky. I saw a small puff. So waited. Then a few more, and then 15-18kts... so sailed back to the car. Record derig time and made it with one ad to spare :)
If the traffic wasn't so cr@p on the way down I would have caught the last good gust of the day. Missed by about 10 minutes.
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