Carl Macdonald (18593km):
4642 days ago 2 categories   The most eventful and action packed day trip to Lake George with Sam. Up just before 4 and landed at Sam's place at 5. Arrived at beachport just before 9. After a romantic walk along the jetty with Sam we decided to make the way out to the spit . Sam decided to take a detour and go up one of the 4WD tracks and take a look at the beach. Fun in a 2WD Commodore but there was no turning back as the track is only wide enough for one car. We eventually got back on track to the spit.
We arrived to see a very shallow lake and 15 - 20 knots. Sam had only brought his speed board so in a for a long wait. After a port Danny turned up and said "no one has ridden the lake for a couple of weeks - looks very shallow - maybe head around the other side of the spit and drive right up to the top corner of big lake". We decided to waste some time so headed to have a look. Meanwhile daredevil Sam was passing motorbikes and quadbikes on the dirt track . We did make it and Sam decided to go up a steep sand hill to give us a better look at the lake. Again we made it and rolled backwards safely down the hill. I suggested we should have taken a photo so up the hill again. This time further and almost bogged. Surprisingly we just got back down the hill.
We decided it looked choppier than middle lake and we didn't know what to look out for. Back around to the spit and by this time the wind had cranked above 30 knots. Decided on 5.1 and Sam 6m Hot Sail.
The walk was 500m to the water weed edge and seemed better than the walk at Cocky's point. We made our way through 20cm water with knee deep mud. I would say wallowed like ducks. We made it past what looked like deeper water but found it only 30cm with weed to the top. It took about an hour after Sam had to trudge back to get his harness after he left it behind while i waited with our gear. The wind was Nw at the start and was very broad to try and get out the buoy. It took at least 5 attempts to get out into clearer water. Eventually we got going and i met up with Sam at the buoy. He said he was way overpowered but was happy to see a 43.5 knot screen.
The wind was 30 - 35 knots and had some fronts come through in the 40's but seemed to be heading across the wind or heading up to the speed run at this time. The water was definately not flat compared to the s /se of cocky's point. After we made over 5 runs Sam managed a pb 44.85  on the screen and i had a 44.1. Our goal was 45 knots so we decided to have a couple more attempts. Heading out towards the buoy a 40 knot front hit me hard and ripped the sail out my hands and the board and sail cartwheeled 3 times downwind and the board separated from the rig. Meanwhile Sam was stuck in the mud and weed and couldn't get going. By the time he reached me my board was over 500m downwind and i couldn't do nothing but attempt to somehow force my rig across to Cocky's point it ended up a 1.2 km dredge and took over 1.5 hours. Sam decided he would head back to the spit de-rig and drive to Cocky's point. Sam got part of the way to Cocky's point and found the now SW wind direction had blown all the water across the sand road. He had to run approx 5 km's after hard sailing and meanwhile i found my board luckily in tact with the uni all okay (lucky the wind swung Sw otherwise my board would somewhere in the middle of the lake).
Sam had now reached near where i was and was shouting to me to come in. I didn't hear or see him so i decided my only option now getting near dark was to sail downwind back the spit approx 30 min drive. I managed to get back to the spit and and was knackered by this stage and was wondering if Sam had seen me sail back. Meanwhile he was running the 5km trek back to his car. I made my way to find Danny and used his phone to call Sam. I was that dazed and confused at this stage i couldn't remember his number. I called Jimbob and he said he was at the van but had some beers so couldn't drive. I was just hoping Sam had seen me head back. We loaded Danny's car and he was going to take me out to Cocky's to find Sam but meanwhile Jimbob called and said Sam called him on my phone and stay at the spit and he will pick me up. Thanks Danny for the help and his son for making me a coffee .
Loaded the car to head home and Danny suggested head up the dirt track 100m and you can cut across to the track. Meanwhile we got bogged and i had to push Sam out. The water is more toxic - red in colour and stinkier than ever before - Sam mainly found this out when on the way home he spray painted out his backside some bushes on the side of the road and also a servo toilet (good luck with cleaning that toilet) and also felt like throwing up the whole way home. I got home at 1230 ish and felt sick and couldn't sleep for a few hours so i gather the water is pretty bad.
Sam and me have decided it is the best place to sail when on the water but the worst place with all other problems. We can laugh about it now but at the time it was F$%%^$ . Sam great to have another interesting road trip, thanks for me taking me and helping me out with everything. Well done on some great pb's. We will definately be back at some stage....
Lake George - NW - SW - 25 - 40.
Isonic 50, 5.1 Maui tr-4 and 24cm choco weedy.
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. A WA kite surfer stopped and chatted for a while pondering whether to go out or not and i packed up leaving in a dust storm. Checked BOM website and saw 44knots on the page at Edithburgh, thats hooting! Also the replacement boom ( hawaiian pro line) stood up well.