Hey Guys,
I am heading out to Lake Juliette. It is a little windy here in Perry. I don't really mind if it is not blowing hard, I just need to get on the water. Whoever can join me. I will be there at about 1:00. call me if anyone can join me.
See ya,
J.J.
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I wish I could join you, I need some h2o time too but gotta work.
If there is any hint of wind sun or mon I will be there.
alan
The wind was blowing good out rhere today, I had to deal w/ a few wind shifts, but no surprises there. Can anyone tell me how to deal w/ those because they sure do come quickly without warning. My sail usually falls back on me. is that the best time to do a 180?
Later,
J.J.
Honestly, there is no good way to deal with a wind shift. And generally the days that have shifting winds are not good days to sail. I know that you are just getting started, so any day you can get on the water with any kind of wind is a good thing . You will learn something, so sail whenever you can. But as you improve, you will want to pay more attention to the forecast. Watch out for days when the wind is forecasted for 10+. It is on those kind of days when the won't shift on you.
I remember sailing at Julliette for almost a year and never seeing another windsurfer out there (back in the early 90s). I thought I was the only one who did it in the area. I would just go, not paying any atttention to the forecasted wind. Then finally one day in October I went out there when the wind was blowing 25-30. Heck, there were 6 other windsurfers there. I was thinking -- "where did these guys come from???". So I guess the point is to make sure to get to the lake on windy days!
One more thing about Juliette -- any kind of winds with north are offshore (so avoid N and NE days, NW are OK), and West and Southwest are best.
JJ - Kudos for getting out as much as you can. A couple or more thoughts arise from your post. I had to work today & didn't even take time to check the forecast this morning ( rare thing ), but had the impression, that the wind today was E or SE. 11 Alive Weather tonight reported gusty winds (to 20mph) out of the East. If that was the case at Julliette, you set yourself a real challenge, as I'm thinking that would be pretty much dead offshore, a condition I never sail in & would not tend to recommend, but hey, maybe your conditions were different or I don't know the lay of Julliette as well as I thought. Anyway, you sailed, you had fun (I assume), you learned stuff (I'm sure), and you made it back, so - cool. On the matter of wind shifts, here's what I got: If you are sailing in offshore winds, or in the lee of islands or massive boats, you can expect holes and eddies, that is, voids and whirlpool-like disturbances in the wind. The wind will feel shifty in the extreme. If you are consistently falling in backwards, one of two things is probably happening: You are committing weight to the wind (congrats!) and you are encountering a hole or a header. A header is a forward wind shift, where if you are close reaching, the effect is the same as if you had rounded up, ie., gone bow to wind. Sailing in holey wind, you just have to be prepared to recover your own balance should your power suddenly disappear. In an acute header, ditto, as the effect in the sail power is the same. In a momentary header, you do this, then bear off. If the wind shift is of a more lasting nature, then that's a good time to tack or come about, since a header on port is a lift on starboard & vise-virsa. You go.
Good morning to all,
I was thinking yesterday, as I kept falling in backwards, that I was in the process of learning something. I was getting very frustrated and knew that I was probably doind something wrong, I just didn't know what. Now I know, I pickeed a bad wind day. The both of you are sooooo right on about me paying attention to the forecast. I think watching the forecast and realizing that there is more to sailing than just putting in the water, will eliminate a little frustration for me. I love the sport though, it is definitley worth all of the pooh pooh moments that I had yesterday. I printed off your replies, because I need to remember the wind directions that were suggested. Hopefully one day all of this will pay off and I might even be able to do a body drag!!!! Wouldn't that be something! Have an awsome weekend guys!
JJ did you get a season pass and sail from the Point (Pavillion) or from the dock, I have noticed sailing my boat from the dock or in any of the coves there the wind can swirl around 180 degrees and backwind you but once you hit the wind line it is should stay pretty steady.
As far as wind shifts after awhile you will be able to read the water and anticipate a shift. Might be a good idea sometime to just sit on shore before you go out and just watch what the wind is doing on the water.
If you watch people that sail in this area you will notice that they are constantly scanning the water upwind looking for wind. I sometime get a cramp in my neck from looking upwind so much. After a while you will see the wind coming or you will see holes appear. If you watch close enough you can see the gusts travel across the water so you can read the direction of the gusts. It can be tiring but it is necessary. There will always be times when you hit a wall of wind or will hit a hole that you can't carry through. It is part of sailing here. Some say if you can sail here you can sail anywhere. This is by far the most difficult flatwater sailing I have been in.
Sailing in off shore winds causes turbulance and it also takes away the open water that is necessary for you to read the wind. I am not one of the better local sailors but I survive. The good guys make it look easy, I make it look survivable.
Sail by feel, let your eyes read the wind and water.
I was sailing from the boat dock, inside the cove. It makes sense that the wind is more unpredictable in those areas. I can't wait until I feel more comfortable w/my abilities. When I get to that point I will be willing to go out further w/o fear of not being able to return to my starting point. I think that my comfort zone will widen and stretch when I start sailing with others instead of by myself.
J.J.
JJ, Yikes! After reading this thread (and your profile) I can think of several really good reasons for you to not sail alone. Aside from the obvious sailing related 'what-ifs', keep in mind that this forum is pretty much wide open to anybody that wants to look at it. I've never been to Juliette but it sounds like it's isolated and not very crowded-- this could be good or bad. Sorry if I'm overstepping here... maybe just the dad coming out in me.
Chris Voith
Chris -- Of course any place is safer if you have a sailing buddy, but if you have to sail alone, I would say that Julliette is probably the safest place to sail of in any lake in Georgia -- very little boat traffic (but just enough that someone could help you out) and there is always someone manning the campground.
I will admit though that I would be hesitiant about having Elizabeth sail there alone, but that is equally true for Lanier or Clarks Hill.
I have been feeling very uneasy about going out alone, but I am such a spontaeous person when it comes to going out on my board. I really wish that I lived closer to everyone there, but I have to do a reality check, I don't. So I guess I will have to learn to be patiant and try to go out when I see that some folks from our group have posted on the who's going thread.
Thanks guys for being concerned, and no Chris you weren't over steppping, you just confirmed what my hubby and I have been discussing for a while. I am too dern independant for my own good! ROFLOL
Hey Chris,
I understand what you're talking about now, you meant that I need to be careful how much info I give out in my threads. For some reason I was thinking that the only ones that could read the forums were just members, but apparently that is not the case. Thanks for the heads up.
Very good Chris. My wife is very independant also and it is always a concern for me. She rides bikes (road and mountain), runs the trails and even fishes alone sometimes. Building a network of friends is critical for safety and being a little paranoid doesn't hurt either.
This forum really helps. The Galts sailors are a pretty tight group and it makes it nice to sail with people that know enough about you to know if you are in trouble.
Come on wind!
Good morning guys,
with all that has been said, and now that you know a little bit more about me, I hope that ya'll don't mind me wanting to hang with ya when you go sailing. I don't expect anyone to hold my hand through the learning process, but some advice and guidance would be greatly appreciated. I realize that learning to sail takes time, and that is o.k. I have come to the conclusion that it is not safe for me to be out there alone. The more I get on the water w/ experienced sailors, the faster my skills will improve. And hey, Birds of a feather flock together.
Have an awsome day!
I think it's hard to learn how to sail here. (As Webguy likes to say "Georgia is where the wind comes to die"). It's even harder to learn to sail well here and for example, get proficient on a shortboard. A few have because they saw early on what outrageous fun it was gonna be-- even if you had to dress for it through the windy months or travel to a warm & windy place. JJ, you seem like you 'get it'. My guess is you'll be a true Shreddin' Betty really soon. Now we just need a bit of wind...
cv