Saw a bloke absolutely fanging it at 7.30pm tonight about 2kms offshore at Chelsea. Watched him till he disappeared some where around Mordiallloc. It was super flat.

I think the wind went from SE to E while he was out and there may have been a struggle to get back to where he started.

Always been tempted but worried that may struggle getting back to where I started especially in an easterly!

Anyone ever get more than they bargained for in fully offshore conditions?

Not a problem on gear you can up haul, gets a bit dodgy on really small stuff. Bust something and you can be in the sh..t as well so make sure there is somebody around.

In '96 I broke my mast in a NE at Green Point about 2-3km out. Was the middle of winter and I was downwind of others who were also sailing. Tried to roll up the rig and paddle in, but was making no headway into the wind. The rig kept falling off and eventually I abandoned it and just tried to paddle the board. Drifted down the Bay getting colder and more panicked and thankfully a guy who was windsurfing off Sandringham breakwater saw me and towed me in. Haven't sailed in many offshore days since then.
I always regret not trying to turn the broken half of the mast upside down and jamming it back into the mast sleeve and trying to somehow sail back in.

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Windsurf0709 said..

In '96 I broke my mast in a NE at Green Point about 2-3km out. Was the middle of winter and I was downwind of others who were also sailing. Tried to roll up the rig and paddle in, but was making no headway into the wind. The rig kept falling off and eventually I abandoned it and just tried to paddle the board. Drifted down the Bay getting colder and more panicked and thankfully a guy who was windsurfing off Sandringham breakwater saw me and towed me in. Haven't sailed in many offshore days since then.
I always regret not trying to turn the broken half of the mast upside down and jamming it back into the mast sleeve and trying to somehow sail back in.

Sounds rough. Were you trying to paddle directly into the wind to get back to origin or going for the closest shore? I would imagine if you paddled x-off in a NW direction you should have made it it, be it a lot downwind from where you started.

Note to self - Always take phone with me in offshore winds.

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jermaldan said..
Note to self - Always take phone with me in offshore winds.

Note to everyone - never sail beyond your ability to swim back to shore....
ie: either distance or against the wind

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mathew said..

jermaldan said..
Note to self - Always take phone with me in offshore winds.

Note to everyone - never sail beyond your ability to swim back to shore....
ie: either distance or against the wind

Yeah, that's fair enough. Although doubt that many people could swim back from Fawkner Beacon if they busted a mast in the B2B.

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jermaldan said..

mathew said..

jermaldan said..
Note to self - Always take phone with me in offshore winds.

Note to everyone - never sail beyond your ability to swim back to shore....
ie: either distance or against the wind

Yeah, that's fair enough. Although doubt that many people could swim back from Fawkner Beacon if they busted a mast in the B2B.

Which is why we have safety and support craft and get everyone to sign on and off so we can search for people who don't return and why we only went half way out this year given our safety fleet was reduced down to one boat (which is too few to provide safety support the full distance to the beacon).

Sail in those conditions occasionally but always carry my Spot (personal tracking device), particularly if I am on my own or no mates out with me. One push of the button and rescue services can find you using gps. Hope to never use it.

Launched from the bronze horse at Parkdale, just beside new no boating zone. Bit more cross shore there. Love the Easterlies there, relatively flat and fun.

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nazsail said...
Launched from the bronze horse at Parkdale, just beside new no boating zone. Bit more cross shore there. Love the Easterlies there, relatively flat and fun.

Was it you at 730 passing Chelsea towards parkdale.

Na, I was home eating fish n chips by then

My thoughts. If you windsurf you should expect to drop your gear, have it in your mind that the day something breaks or goes wrong you drop your gear all of it and swim the board in and go to the shop and spend more money. keep nothing.
if you have this in your mind we will all be a little safer.

I don't want to bring you and your gear in from a breakage. drop it early and you will not be exhausted, if I do find you we will get to the beach together.

don't forget to tell your wife that one day you will need $2k.

in >30 years I have never dropped the gear. My brother dropped a rig half way to Faulkner I towed him in very hard.

have fun I love off shore winds. Often I do end up swimming 200m, don't swim for the beach you left from just swim to a beach then walk for the car.

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40knots said..

... you drop your gear all of it and swim the board in and go to the shop and spend more money. keep nothing.

hmm... not sure I'd want to drop my floatation device.

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mathew said..

40knots said..



... you drop your gear all of it and swim the board in and go to the shop and spend more money. keep nothing.

hmm... not sure I'd want to drop my floatation device.

Nope... lose it.... pants - lose them too.... leave nothing.... also dignity... also leave........