Many years ago (when I was young and handsome) I use to sail my Tiga Swift down at Merricks North. Long walk from the carpark with heavy gear but beach was good and water was flatish. Has anyone else got any spots they sail in Westernport?

I have sailed a few times on a SE at Cleeland Bight, which is at Phillip Island opposite San Remo. There is a carpark at the south end of the Cottosloe Ave. The SE comes straight through the entrance of Western Port and hits the beach cross-onshore. Nice spot.

The local sailors there also suggested the following:

S-W Coronet Bay
S San Remo back beach (near the caraven park directly opposite Cleeland Bight). Flat inside with a wave out the back.
W Cat Bay

I haven't sailed Cowes or Rhyll, but have seen stinkin northerlys blow there summer and winter.

Of course you are also near Inverloch and half way to Sandy Point.

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Old Salty said...

Many years ago (when I was young and handsome) I use to sail my Tiga Swift down at Merricks North. Long walk from the carpark with heavy gear but beach was good and water was flatish. Has anyone else got any spots they sail in Westernport?

Ahh the Tiga Swift I had one of those, almost last of what they used to call funboards, you could sail them upwind without planing or put the dagger board up and go for a blast off the wind.

There was a surfer learning to sail on one at Rye on Sunday - brought back memories. had an old triangular sail on it also. I used to use a Gaastra Superfoil 7.5mtr and it would go like the clappers but had sore arms from being pulled over by the wind all the time. The joys of the new technology sails.

I sailed at balnarring beach on afternoon easterly winds last
summer and hope to do the same this summer.

Rox,
I sail regularly off San Remo at Phillip Is with a few mates. It's a beautiful spot. When there's a big swell about, you get nice lines breaking through the middle. Need the tide to be 3/4 in, then sail through high tide until at 3/4 tide again for the best time.
Works on SE, S,SW, W,NW,N.
Might see you there sometime!

The Tiga Swift. I had one of those too. When I ended up putting gaffer tape over the centreboard slot to stop water spurting up, I knew I was ready for a slalom board!

I've wavesailed both at Point Leo once years ago (that was pretty good (Sth West I think)) and at the backbeach at Flinders (Sth Easterly?). Flinders was scarey- rocks, reefs, and dark water- plus the story about the Great Whites that live near Seal Rocks. But a wicked sail.

There is heaps of places to sail philip island side of western port. i live in coronet bay you can sail that on sw nw w n and reef island which is just around the corner which is pretty flat on sw also san remo s sw cleeland bight on s se northlies pretty crap in between san remo and woolamia. woolamia front beach se, surf beach se sw, cat bay and flynes reef can be realy good for waves sw w nw. inverloch front beach for waves ne se sw.

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Jman said...

Old Salty said...

Many years ago (when I was young and handsome) I use to sail my Tiga Swift down at Merricks North. Long walk from the carpark with heavy gear but beach was good and water was flatish. Has anyone else got any spots they sail in Westernport?

Ahh the Tiga Swift I had one of those, almost last of what they used to call funboards, you could sail them upwind without planing or put the dagger board up and go for a blast off the wind.

Wont be as good as my caveman!

Sailed off Somers last Saturday on a SW. Occasional stronger southerly gusts came through and made for some fun bump and jump (until my boom disintegrated).

I couldn't help noticing a spot about 5km to the SW where the rollers coming in from Bass Straight get snagged on what must be a sandy spit between Somers and Phillip Island. With a boat and without second glances at sharky shadows, this looks to be a spot with some down-the-line potential. I guess the current could be an issue? Has anyone tried sailing this break?

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lynchos said...

Sailed off Somers last Saturday on a SW. Occasional stronger southerly gusts came through and made for some fun bump and jump (until my boom disintegrated).

I couldn't help noticing a spot about 5km to the SW where the rollers coming in from Bass Straight get snagged on what must be a sandy spit between Somers and Phillip Island. With a boat and without second glances at sharky shadows, this looks to be a spot with some down-the-line potential. I guess the current could be an issue? Has anyone tried sailing this break?

I know the one you mean. I've spotted it before and thought that it looks interesting. I'll have a look tonight on a chart of Westernport to suss out depths- I think I've looked at the chart before and I think it was pretty (dangerously) shallow reef. I would love to get to spots like this and could in my boat, but I ain't going to risk the boat for a sail. This sounds like a plan in the making!

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MikeyS said...
[I know the one you mean. I've spotted it before and thought that it looks interesting. I'll have a look tonight on a chart of Westernport to suss out depths- I think I've looked at the chart before and I think it was pretty (dangerously) shallow reef. I would love to get to spots like this and could in my boat, but I ain't going to risk the boat for a sail. This sounds like a plan in the making!

Are you saying that you wont risk the boat, or will risk the boat if its is safe?

There is some serious speed-sailing to be done, just off the LHS of French Island - the catch is that it needs a boat to get there and back.

If it's safe to get a boat close enough to launch from, that'd be cool. My main concern would be that it's safe to get the boat out there, anchored and then back in the sorts of conditions that would be good for a sail. 25kts of wind on a board is fun- 25kts of wind on a boat is not. I've sailed in conditions that are a dream for a board, but would be a nightmare for a boat.

I just found this on a kayak fishing forum:
"The Middle Spit is a vast sandy bar in the middle of the western channel and I have stood on the hockey field at Somers and seen swells rolling over it that would put Pipeline in Hawaii to shame. Unforgiving. Don't go there."

They mean don't go there in a sea kayak, though. Other post talk about the seroius currents in WPB and dodgy conditions when the wind is blowing against a falling tide. All things to think about.

Flat water shouldn't be a problem though. The main things issues there are water depth and current. Is the potential speed sailing spot near Tankerton Jetty? I've been across there before in a tinny. That'd be pretty easy and safe to get to. Just have to avoid the reef.

The location is closer to the Fairhaven end, inside the sandbar, which I assume appears at low-tide -> but could be anywhere along the sandbar, possibly down to Tankerton.

Last I looked, launching the boat should be possible at Somers or Crib Point. While anchoring the boat on/near the sandbar should be relatively easy. We would then just rig up on the sandbar. I'm not sure about current, as that isn't really an issue for sailing or power-boating.

The biggest concern is like you said, at +25kn, the sea-state is dangerous -> which is why the need for a boat to get there. You wouldn't want to sail across in +35kn wind.

Well I checked out the chart last night. Middle Bank (off Somers) looks OK- sand not reef. Plenty of deepish water around it.

As for the speed run, that channel runs almost bang-on NS so I guess you'd be wanting maybe a WSW or a WNW for it to work. Or an easterly but that would probably be rare.

The tidal current does bolt down the channel there- can easily be up to 5kts. Might end up with some big speeds going one way, or some really slow ones going the other.