2015 01 13 - Hard slog - Altona to Werribee
Having arrived in Altona exhilirated and not feeling particularly tired, I thought it would be a great idea to go upwind back to Werribee. I figured there was enough wind, it would swing more easterly making it even easier and that everything was tip top for a return trip. Turned out I was wrong.
Just getting to Point cook was a real slog. I took Eric's twin tip first for a spin, and couldn't get upwind at all. Back on the surfboard, I realised it was really cutting in to both my feet. It was taking heaps of tacks to make any ground at all. After about 45 mins, Pete and I had decided to throw it in. But Eric with his smaller kite was so much further upwind, we had to tell him so we had to perservere. The wind picked up a couple of knots, we started to make headwind, then gold ! Dolphins.
A pod of about 3 dolphins were swimming through the water - scaring the shit out of me at first when I saw all three of them surface. They were swimming and jumping out of the water, really big dolphins - it was amazing. I crossed their path 3 times as I tacked out to the point.
By the time we reached the point we were a little tired, so Pete and I went in to shore and walked across the apex, Eric had already crossed. Relieved that we'd achieved the point, it looked like downwind all the way home. We were charging along when all of a sudden, the wind dropped to 10 knots. We were right at the military base, so we had to head in to shore. Unfortunately, we had a massive military pier covered in barbed wire between us and our onward journey. Surrounded by a rubbish beach, intermittent rocks and a barbed wire pier is not a good place to be in 12 knots. After a few failed launches, I finally managed to grab a gust and get past the pier. As I headed downwind I noticed Eric in at shore so I went in to join him, figuring we could hitch back to the car and grab our stuff. Eric felt that the wind would come back, so wasn't keen to give up yet. Luckily enough it rolled in, enabling Pete to escape the military, and us all to tack upwind past the next rockwall at Wyndham harbour and back to base. Damned relieved, sunburnt, exhausted and my feet cut to hell but happy as larry for the amazing adventure.
I packed up, went back to rescue Pete who didn't quite get past the Marina and headed home after an epic adventure. I was sore everywhere, but envigorated that I'd really seen a big stretch of coastline, and hungry for sugar and more kiting adventure.
Just getting to Point cook was a real slog. I took Eric's twin tip first for a spin, and couldn't get upwind at all. Back on the surfboard, I realised it was really cutting in to both my feet. It was taking heaps of tacks to make any ground at all. After about 45 mins, Pete and I had decided to throw it in. But Eric with his smaller kite was so much further upwind, we had to tell him so we had to perservere. The wind picked up a couple of knots, we started to make headwind, then gold ! Dolphins.
A pod of about 3 dolphins were swimming through the water - scaring the shit out of me at first when I saw all three of them surface. They were swimming and jumping out of the water, really big dolphins - it was amazing. I crossed their path 3 times as I tacked out to the point.
By the time we reached the point we were a little tired, so Pete and I went in to shore and walked across the apex, Eric had already crossed. Relieved that we'd achieved the point, it looked like downwind all the way home. We were charging along when all of a sudden, the wind dropped to 10 knots. We were right at the military base, so we had to head in to shore. Unfortunately, we had a massive military pier covered in barbed wire between us and our onward journey. Surrounded by a rubbish beach, intermittent rocks and a barbed wire pier is not a good place to be in 12 knots. After a few failed launches, I finally managed to grab a gust and get past the pier. As I headed downwind I noticed Eric in at shore so I went in to join him, figuring we could hitch back to the car and grab our stuff. Eric felt that the wind would come back, so wasn't keen to give up yet. Luckily enough it rolled in, enabling Pete to escape the military, and us all to tack upwind past the next rockwall at Wyndham harbour and back to base. Damned relieved, sunburnt, exhausted and my feet cut to hell but happy as larry for the amazing adventure.
I packed up, went back to rescue Pete who didn't quite get past the Marina and headed home after an epic adventure. I was sore everywhere, but envigorated that I'd really seen a big stretch of coastline, and hungry for sugar and more kiting adventure.
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