Open Boat Winter Cruise - NZ Style (pics)

[Meerkat]

Dave P, Navigator and Paul G, Pathfinder, at it again!
http://home.xtra.co.nz/hosts/david77/1000.jpg

Many more at: http://openboat.co.nz/whitford2.html

[Wild Wassa]

"up early enough and the rewards are obvious ..." Like having no wind to mess up your hair? Obviously these the chaps like sailing in drifters.

"... decent sou'wester in Whitford Creek" (?) ... maybe the wind is above the water. We had a day like that 2 weeks ago. Still and glassy water with good wind that couldn't be seen, that blew us to wind that we could see.

Warren.

[ 06-25-2005, 04:38 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Paul G]

Aint it stunning!

On the day we left it was pouring with rain every 20 minutes, a good 15-25 knot bitter SWesterly, and the sun only came out in patches to encourage us on, great!

The beauty of this route is that its along a weather shore for the prevailing wind exactly 13 NM from town so if you get around the point into the head of Tamaki strait its sheltered, and of course when youre up before dawn its idyllic. Never mind the sleeping in wet weather gear under a tarp hoping the rain will stop (which it did) It is fantastic to get away from the rat race even for a few short hours.

[nz_sailor]

Wild Wassa? If your to short sighted to enjoy the early morning calm you must be about as shallow as the water your used to sailing on...

Dave Perillo

http://www.openboat.co.nz

[ 07-05-2005, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: nz_sailor ]

[Meerkat]

OK! Aussies on one island, Kiwis on t'other. tongue.gif :D

[Paul G]

I love drifting,

But most of the time we take whatever the gulf dishes out. Im not the all weather/any destination guy----thats Dave! I am sure Canberra is the same (what IS the name of that pond out there)

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by nz_sailor:
"Wild Wassa? If your to short sighted to enjoy the early morning calm you must be about as shallow as the water your used to sailing in.

Dave Perillo."

Get real.

I appreciate it all Sport, I'm sick of having to wait until about 4.00 pm until the wind gets right up, to mess up my hair.

I spend most times on the water just sailing in drifters ... until 4pm. Go and reef a sail.

Warren.

[ 07-01-2005, 06:15 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by Paul G:
"what IS the name of that pond out there"?

Paul G, the South Tasman?

In my neck of the woods they are all man made lakes apart from Lake Illawarra and Sydney Harbour. Illawarra is my favourite and it is very shallow.

Lakes, Burrunjuck, Eucumbene, Googong, Ginninderra (home water), Tuggeranong and lake 'Barely Sailable' also known as Lake Burley Griffin are in the city or close to Canberra. Jervis Bay is in the ACT as well. I haven't been sailing on Jervis Bay yet.

Warren.

[ 07-01-2005, 04:16 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

Look you 2 - aside from the Sea of Tasmania, or whatever it is you call that bit of water between you, you're both dinghy sailing fiends and have a lot more in common than not. How about a wee bit less testosterone? ;)

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by Meerkat:
"Look you 2 - aside from the Sea of Tasmania, or whatever it is you call that bit of water between you, you're both dinghy sailing fiends and have a lot more in common than not. How about a wee bit less testosterone?"

He is not my friend ... he is too fragile. I'm not into massaging a fragile person's ego.

Sea of Tasmania could this be Bass Strait? I don't think that the Tasmanians would necessarily claim the Southern Ocean as their's.

Warren.

[ 07-01-2005, 03:40 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

Don't be such an echidna! tongue.gif ;) smile.gif

I said FIENDS, not FRIENDS! :rolleyes:

Isn't the ocean between NZ and Oz known as the Tasman Sea or the Sea of Tasmania?

[Meerkat]

BTW Wassa, you wouldn't know me from Adam if you tripped over me either, but I'd like to think we're sort of friends - or at least friendly. smile.gif

[Wild Wassa]

I like you Meerkat, you have spirit and don't buckle and you aren't shy to say what you think. I like that in a person.

I doubt whether many would like me on this site ... but that's not a worry to me.

Warren.

[ 07-01-2005, 03:57 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[John B]

He's a regular firebrand fer sure, is that Meerkat.

That would be the Tasman sea between Au and NZ.

I've got this new google map toy thing going Wassa. tell me your lakes name again will you. I'm on a mission. I'm on a mission from.....

Belay that. I see a list arrrr.

[ 07-01-2005, 03:57 AM: Message edited by: John B ]

[Wild Wassa]

John B, Adaminaby also known as Eucumbene it's about 60k's south of Canberra.

There is also Lake George which is about 25k's to the North East of Canberra. This lake is only used as a sail boarding lake but it is a death trap. No one except the silly sail on it.

Many people have died on Lake George caught in old barbed wire and the crabs will eat you if the quick sand doesn't. That's if you go over. A lake to be avoided.

Warren.

[ 07-01-2005, 07:35 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[shamus]

Good book about the Tasman Sea- "Storm & Silence" by Joe Cannon.

[John B]

I was wondering about lake George.
This un looks pretty interesting.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid175/pb039cdbb2efa421669c1b6ba4430d22d/f377a759.jpg
I like this program.

[Wild Wassa]

Adaminaby known as Lake Eucumbene, not a bad lake JB and bigger than it looks the long reeches are about 30 k's. In the basin it's about 6k's across. There are many submerged trees to keep an eye out for. Certainly polaroid sailing. I've done a sail tour on that lake with the Sea Scouts and a sailing survival course in the middle of that lake.

The lake water is very clean with lots of snow melt. I've felt the wind off the snow on those mountains all day today.

Warren.

[ 07-01-2005, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Wild Wassa]

Paul G, This is probably the pond. Lake Barely Sailable. The pond has beaches and retaining walls ... mostly retaining walls. The pond is off limits to power boats and jet skis. Classic and historic boats, safety boats and the police are allowed to use power on the pond. Trailable boats can use electric motors. I think this pond has about a 100+ k's of forshore. This photo shows about half of the lake.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid175/p076364006d933573c09bf75ea34d1eae/f37561b9.jpg

Originally posted by nz_sailor:
"Wild Wassa? If your to short sighted to enjoy the early morning calm you must be about as shallow as the water your used to sailing in ... Dave Perillo."

Appreciating quiet early mornings aren't just in the realm of a pretentious deep water sailor ... nore are tranquil afternoons on our pond ... and people can drown in only an inch of water and if you go over in winter they say you have about 4 minutes.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid160/p2ef7763842cde7727a6b55ff91c705c3/f4e204b0.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid162/p8f4f76e4d405db2c74a6a7a1a166f3fb/f4b4cb4d.jpg

... and it can even look like this some days with a bit of fairy lighting.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid175/pba80c121a3e20324e3132baab7ae62d3/f375c470.jpg

Warren.

ps, ... but I must admit, I do prefer the wind to be between 16-20 kts or even better when racing in a performance dinghy. It soon sorts out the sailors and scatters the fleet.

[ 07-01-2005, 09:49 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[gert]

[ 07-01-2005, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: gert ]

[gert]

pathfinders are gorgeous

[shamus]

Nice photos on that website. Keep it up fellas.

[Wild Wassa]

John B, Lake Jindabyne, about 100k's south of the Territory. I haven't sailed on it. The Hobbies like this lake in summer. They get good wind coming up the valley. The images are from NASA's World Wind programme.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid175/pea358a0cedfdb7246cd9f937bc5288dd/f37561bb.jpg

... and Lake Burragorang. I don't care how shallow interesting lakes are and this lake is way down. North of Canberra and half way to the Big Smoke.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid175/p3dc5f4c224c71f56878ebeca47294566/f3748584.jpg

Warren

[ 07-02-2005, 04:06 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[John B]

cool Wassa. I'm goin in for a look....

[Hwyl]

Originally posted by Wild Wassa:

I doubt whether many would like me on this site ... That's where you are wrong.

[LLaver]

>>OK! Aussies on one island, Kiwis on t'other.

New Zealand has three main Islands! the North the South and the West! :)

[Wild Wassa]

Hwyl, my head is swelling Skipper.

LL, "... and the West!"

Montague Island 16k's off Bermagui? Interesting. If anyone is coming to Oz, one of the best views that you will see in Oz, is when you are having lunch in the beer garden of the Bermagui Hotel and looking towards Montague Island, trust me. The other two Islands can't be seen from the Hotel sadly, but I'm prepared to support an invasion.

... and welcome to the Forum Skipper. Sad about the State of Origin last night, next time.

State of Origin, for those who might wonder is our Civil War between the North and South and deadly serious.

Warren.

[ 07-07-2005, 01:12 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

Originally posted by LLaver:
>>OK! Aussies on one island, Kiwis on t'other.

New Zealand has three main Islands! the North the South and the West! :)You must be one of those transplanted Kiwis that Aussies like to take to Bondi Beach - someone has to feed the sharks... ;)

[LLaver]

>>You must be one of those transplanted Kiwis that Aussies like to take to Bondi Beach - someone has to feed the sharks...

Not likely :mad: ;) That would be my grandmother who the whole family likes to pick on cos her parents were Aussies who happened to be working in NZ when she was born. tongue.gif

My grandfather died on the beach at Bermagui while fishing, pretty good way to go really.

Lee

[Paul G]

Meerkat,

I put the Pathfinder buyer on hold while I continue my re conversion back to a yawl, got the wooden spars made, all they need is a bit of varnish and Wassa's pond.

His pond look s pretty good, Id like to have a sail on it.

P.

[John B]

John G just got back from a few days at Gt Barrier. friday through to tues. He hit 16.3 surfing !
New record for his old croucher( while he's owned it anyway).

[Meerkat]

What is a croucher?

Paul; Very interesting! Maybe JW got it right in the first place... ;)

What kind of rig are you putting on the main? Sprit or regular boom?

[Paul G]

No sprit.

The yawl has one major thing going for it, it looks great, plus it heaves to easily and its low aspect rig means less heeling when it blows.

[Paul G]

Scout plans are on their way as well :D

[john welsford]

Originally posted by Paul G:
Meerkat,

I put the Pathfinder buyer on hold while I continue my re conversion back to a yawl, got the wooden spars made, all they need is a bit of varnish and Wassa's pond.

His pond look s pretty good, Id like to have a sail on it.

P.

[john welsford]

I've been out on Lake Burley Griffin, and have to say that our English frends would be very pleased to have a lake like that to play on. Its not a bas place at all but in comparison to some of the other places that our Aussie neighbours have to play on it does suffer in comparison,I have also been cruising on Lake Eucumbene which is really great. I could have stayed there a month and not explored all the nooks and crannies!
Its a dam ( hydro and irrigation actually) big pond.

JohnW

Originally posted by john welsford:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Paul G:
Meerkat,

I put the Pathfinder buyer on hold while I continue my re conversion back to a yawl, got the wooden spars made, all they need is a bit of varnish and Wassa's pond.

His pond look s pretty good, Id like to have a sail on it.

P.</font>[/QUOTE]

[John B]

'old croucher'. Its probably a bit more personal as a term than I intended in this context. It just slipped out.
I bought my boat in 1983. John G bought the little Thelma ( now owned by the Pardeys)in about 85 or 86. We developed a friendship with a local boatbuilder , Eric Wing.( McMullen and Wing... Fritha etc) who used to razz us up by referring to our boats as "old crouchers". :D
We tend to use the term ourselves whenever we talk to each other.
John has Iorangi now . 50 ft 1901 logan.
She's an old croucher. ;) like Waione.

[ 07-07-2005, 05:39 PM: Message edited by: John B ]

[Meerkat]

Fine, fine, fine, but what IS a croucher? :D

[John B]

Well, In our context, I'd describe it as an old, low freeboard ,skinny NZ boat.

on a good day I might think looks like it is 'About to leap dramatically from a poised crouch to race off down the harbour at incredible speed with terrific style'.

on a bad day, 'wet old bastard.'

[Meerkat]

Paul; Are you going to have a marconi, gunter or gaff main?

[ 07-08-2005, 02:26 AM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Jase]

or also commonly referred to as a drain pipe, long, skinny and bloody wet.... :D wouldn't have it any other way smile.gif

[John B]

Paul hasn't tried out a dipping lug yet.I think.

16 Jase! sixteen. He had 15 out of it the day Northener surfed past him in that washed out classics regatta we did a couple of years ago.

[Chris Lasdauskas]

Originally posted by Wild Wassa:
Originally posted by Meerkat:
"Look you 2 - aside from the Sea of Tasmania, or whatever it is you call that bit of water between you, you're both dinghy sailing fiends and have a lot more in common than not. How about a wee bit less testosterone?"
...
Sea of Tasmania could this be Bass Strait? I don't think that the Tasmanians would necessarily claim the Southern Ocean as their's.

Warren.Yep. We do. All ours smile.gif All the way down past Macquarie Island (which is part of our southern most municipality) to Antartica - which is supplied from Hobart.