Was looking for low head today, but fingers crossed for a seabreeze @ Rosevears now around 4-5pm ...
It didn't happen Monday, but it did Tuesday.
I get a message at 5pm yesterday from Ben “It's on” … I head home with the family, unload the family, load the gear and head to Rosevears at light speed.
It's pumping, but also some nice rollers, making the ride look super bumpy out in the channel – Geoff already out there, ripping it up, looking flat over the other side.
Ben has nearly rigged up, so I get to it, using the borrowed 460 mast from Michael Scott (thanks Michael, but you're not getting it back). 
After watching Ben and Geoff in some challenging conditions close to the shore/channel area, I decided it's always rough in close and to keep eating that cement…off I went.
Great run across to the flat water, followed Geoff's lead, and turned (awesome Tack by myself I have to say) then back across, hammering nicely and boom – off went a shotgun which snapped my mast about a meter from the mast base…which I didn't realise until I tried to free the sail.
About 2 minutes of pondering and concluded a self-rescue was about the only thing to do. Pulling the snapped mast out of the sail ended up requiring all 3 of us to achieve, whilst holding onto all 3 of our rigs. Once on the board, I set off on my 400m paddle in decent waves, wind to my back.
I tried to swim in, against the current, with the waves and wind, exhausted resting every 5 minutes, continually losing ground… paddling sitting on the board, laying on the board, kneeling on the board, swimming freestyle behind the board using it as a kickboard… fail.
Geoff realised I was moving quickly, so he kindly dropped down my way for a chat. We discussed my progress or lack thereof, and I asked if he had a kayak paddle, these small lady hands and size 9's don't cut it. He said “better yet, I have a kayak in the van”.
I watched Ben and Geoff heading to shore (slowly). Then I followed the Red van of salvation track my progress far too swiftly up the river. Geoff scrambled over the reeds and paddled out to my rescue – on a wave ski!! Oh man, with these waves rolling in this should fun. I should never question the master, who made it look too easy. We managed to scrounge enough line for me to hold onto, and he whipped me into shore – my hero…
F U Rosevears, you mole – I will be back.
The mast snapping happened around 400m from the cars, I then drifted over 1000m (1km) in the channel in the outgoing tide up the river, with many attempts to paddle in - talk about sore today...
Johnny I could tell by the size of your post that this was going to end badly. Thats what mates are for. Dave and I are planning on getting there at some stage. At your favourite sailing spot
That's quite an adventure Johnny.."STOP BREAKING STUFF"....Oh and don't give up on Rosevears yet....it has it's moments...glad you got back safely mate
Hamish and I will have a bit of a chuckle over this Jonny after our little adventure at BOL ...........always fun to see your mates in trouble
Broken gear and swimming... Good to have company, but its a sh%t of a club to be in.
Good to hear all things ended safely albeit a bit grumpy!!
Glad to see all ended well, apart from the mast that is. If you are in a group and this kind of thing happens, is it possible to tow someone in with a sailboard?? Has anyone tried it?
Done it for a giggle at a learner day once... hard work. I have been told from a reliable source it is possible to tow someone on a board to shore... handy to know
Gear I have broken while sailing at Rosevears:
• Mast - snap! (where boom joined it)
• Boom - came out of joint at mast end
• Sail - every panel shattered simultaneously when it hit the water (too much time in the UV rays over many years, I think)
• Mast foot - mast base popped out and woudn't go back in
Actually, for the mast foot incident, one of the Rosevears regulars swam out and grabbed my rig, while I was paddling the board in. I usually sail about 500m further up-river than the rest of you guys, and while trying-and-failing to get the rig and the board to play nicely again, I had drifted down to where some of you blokes (I presume) were.
For the broken mast event, I was about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way across the river and could not extract it from the sail, so I had to swim and drag the entire thing fully rigged and dragging loosely through the water right across the estuary. Took forever and got me very exhausted. Similar distance with the broken boom event, but at least I was able to derig and pack it up properly for the long swim/paddle.
I still reckon Rosevears is the best place I have ever sailed. But I am rather biased.
Amazing spot there always seems to be a seabreeze we're not so lucky down south this time of year
