Speaking to a few sailors on Rye front beach. They where saying good to sail on a northerly but forgot to ask about sand bars as I run a 45 - 50cm fin. Can anyone advise what the water depth is like??

Sailed there a few times last season. I was running a smaller fin (42cm) and was hitting the bars. Once your out 100m or so your right to put the foot down though as it gets deeper. Higher tide it's a little better.

Depends on the tide, Shouldnt have too many problems on a high tide,
Low tide can be very shallow and really need to know where the banks are,
Some maybe less the 20cm underwater,

I have sailed a fair bit at Rye and always found true northerlies a bit tricky because of the sand banks. I prefer either NE or NW at Rye. True northerly at Rye is dead onshore, combined with the sand banks makes it an obstacle course to get out. I always end up walking out a bit first, and also watching the tack the guys already on the water are sailing.

High tide can be ok but low tide can reveal ankle depth banks. I used to have a 40cm fin and always had problems at low tide. Sometimes you can get shallow banks right out to the 5knot markers (white poles)

Next decent northerly (Sunday?) I was maybe going to try to Safety Beach, Dromana. Bit deeper water and slight cross-onshore. Plan may be foiled due to a family lunch

Don't let the water depth stop you though, there is a Bay full of deep water out the back, and its a top spot.

Yesterday was a great day at Rye with over 20 guys out.

In the morning the tide was high and there was a bit of small chop about, but the sand banks didn't come into play at all...

The wind died for about 45min but was back by 1pm.

The tide was low at this time and I found that if you get deep enough past the first lot of sand banks you get some really flat sections, with waves further out if you want. You do need to navigate around some banks but if you have a fin <30cm it's quite manageable.

I maybe biased but in winter Rye is a great spot in the bay to sail in any Northerly direction.

Old Salty, closer in to shore at low tide with a ~50cm fin could be interesting :)

Rick

Yep great day at Rye.

Turned up early in the dark, and was rigging as the sun was rising. Had a good morning sesh and finished up mid to late morning powered on a 4.7m.

Got back to Melbs in time for family lunch obligation...GO EASTLINK!!

Yep
I got down there at lunch time when the wind was blowing 10 kts. Rig the 8.5 but by the time I got out the wind was increasing so I was overpowered. Struggled with the sand bars also. Hit all three from the launch area. Came in and rigged the 5.5 on my 144 ltr and waded out past the bars and got 1 good run down towards Blairgowrie. Wind was starting to get to squally conditions on the return and was wiped out a couple of times. Measured wind at 25 kts. Everyone else out on small boards and 4.2 mtr sails. Packed up and watched them have fun. Damn. Got to get smaller gear missing out on too much fun. No good freezing your butt off watching others have all the fun

We stuck it out at Williamstown. Wind dropped off to nothing and didnt really pick up all afternoon. A few gusts up to about 14 or 15 knots at max.

OB64,

Where do you sail Willy in a northerly? I saw your photo but couldn't work it out. Is that on The Strand?

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Rox said...

OB64,

Where do you sail Willy in a northerly? I saw your photo but couldn't work it out. Is that on The Strand?

Yeah we were parked on the strand and sailed up and down the inside of the rock wall. No chop at all and just a few rocks in close. Even had dolphins in with us at one stage.
Thats the first time I have been there. Its Reds old stomping ground.

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Rox said...

Next decent northerly (Sunday?) I was maybe going to try to Safety Beach, Dromana. Bit deeper water and slight cross-onshore. Plan may be foiled due to a family lunch

Don't let the water depth stop you though, there is a Bay full of deep water out the back, and its a top spot.

I'm wondering what Mt Martha is like on a true Northerly....seems to be more suited to work well on a Northerly? Are there still the sand bars to contend with?

Speaking of dolphins, I was lucky enough to spend 5 mins with them swimming around me, breaching and so on - could have patted them they were so close - this was about 1pm.

Even had a race with two of them, with them breaching in front of the board, before they decided that eating fish was more fun.

Pretty sure that from Dromana onwards (north) there are no sand bars until about Frankston...please correct me if I am wrong.

The sand bar affected area is Capel Sound, and runs from Camerons Bight in Blairgowrie to somewhere in Rosebud, probably to a point where the South Channel starts heading north. That whole end of the Bay is quite shallow, I have jumped off a boat and walked in the area between South Channel Island and Mud Island. Have also seen large waves breaking in this area, much the same as in Westernport between Flinders and Phillip Island. Its pretty clear on Google Earth.

Have not sailed at Mt Martha. But looking to give it a go in anything from N thru SW. I have sailed at Mornington (Mills Beach) in a NW, a bit to onshore but pretty good anyway. No sand bars.

Mount Martha is a great spot on a true sw if it goes a bit s you will need to get out a bit for consistant wind. As far as north and north west, havn't sailed their on that direction. most of the locals use the car park north of the estuary their is a toilet block and a tap at the rigging area so u can wash your gear if u are that way inclined. I like Bonbeach for nw and Green Point for winter northerlies. Just remember sometimes the northerlies don't get past Frankston

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OceanBlue64 said...

Yeah we were parked on the strand and sailed up and down the inside of the rock wall. No chop at all and just a few rocks in close. Even had dolphins in with us at one stage.
Thats the first time I have been there. Its Reds old stomping ground.

What's it like there OB64? Parking ,rigging, etc.

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ejmack said...



What's it like there OB64? Parking ,rigging, etc.

There is a parking bay there with plenty of room. Marcus had a trailer and just came in on an angle with no problems.
Rigging is on grass. The only downside is having to clamber over a few rocks to get into the water.

Cheers! Looks pretty good. So, once in the water there's not too much of an issue with submerged rocks etc? And deep enough for a standard type fin? Thanks for the pics!

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ejmack said...

Cheers! Looks pretty good. So, once in the water there's not too much of an issue with submerged rocks etc? And deep enough for a standard type fin? Thanks for the pics!

On the rigging side of the channel its a little shallow but in the middle and over the other side its about 1.6 - 2m deep. Gets shallow enough though that you can walk your gear back if the wind drops.
Most of the rocks are in on the edges but you can see them in the image with the gps tracks on it. Just make sure you don't sail too close the the edge on the rigging side and you will be fine. Wear boots though as you never know what's in the water lol.

Re: willy speed spot.

Needs a mid to high tide generally; you can check the tide out at the rycv tide guage on the bay winds page or look at the tidal predictions for williamstown on the BOM web page.

When its lighter I sail there on a 150 GO with a 56cm straight fin - if you sail where OB64's tracks are you should be ok.

A bonus is when the newport power station is firing you can get some warmish water at the end of the breakwall.

It really needs to be N to NE, any W and it is pretty broad - maybe good for the speedies though. Red would be the man to ask...The old sinking moored boats at the end of the breakwater are a good indicator...

Definetly wear booties out there, melbournes stormwater is flushing out nearby!

Another place to launch for floatier boards is just south of parsons marina/ the anchorage restaurant on the boat ramp. Sail behind the marina towards the channel, tack and reach up to the spot.

The port of melbourne is currently going full on dredging the river upstream of the west gate - there is some pretty brown water + 150 years of industrial waste spewing out at the moment, probably better to go to corio bay or green pt until it settles down...

Thanks for the info guys!