Hey Dave - I used to sail this run from Edge of the Bay/Coles Bay Holiday Villas into Coles Bay (about 1NM) in my teens. Every afternoon in summer is a NE seabreeze around 20knots. Some great memories pumping my bombora 282 without a care in the world, with my one and only fin, and the size of the sail didn't factor into my decision to sail or not - they were the days.
If you want a suggestion, drive along Dolphin sands and launch off the beach, you'll get a much better run into Coles Bay (more directly at the Hazards <- they are the mountains for those playing at home) and some real flat water. If you can angle toward the Island as much as possible as well. The winds are usually real consistent on a NE, as the land mass is really small, and the wind doesn't get much thermal disturbance.
It's roughly 16km/9NM from Swansea to Coles Bay, but if you drive up Dolphin sands you'll still get 5-6NM runs on flatter water. I'm not sure about a launching area, and dolphin sands can have a decent beach break. Can't wait to see your GPS tracks.
The flat water places like Stanley/Port Sorell are brilliant, don't get me wrong, but a place like Great Oyster bay on a NE is some of the best sailing I think you'll find...big call, but you'll agree with me tomorrow afternoon mate
I was always surprise about the real small number of windsurfers in Coles Bay - sure the afternoon NE seabreeze was offshore, but there are so many boats, rescuing was never an issue.
Wish I could come with you ...
AUS02
> 9 months ago, 16 Feb 2013
