Visit our Popular Forums

SurferShane · 13-06-2011, 12:16

It looks like the long week has become a marked event for bad weather. Back in the 1990’s I can remember some truly big swells, but on the coast the pleasant offshore winds and sunshine have been replaced with gale force easterlies and bucketing rain. Reminiscent of the 2007 this 2011 June long weekend has been marred by similar bad weather. Like our version of the Queensland cyclone this phenomena seems to be repeating like clockwork. While the winds and rain have not quite met the intensity of 2007 this year a similar weather pattern has formed twice over the last few weeks and it looks like it is going to reform again over the next few days

Even on Lake Macquarie the seas have been horrid. After a second pounding against a wharf on the western shores I again moved my boat to the protection of an eastern bay. After seeing the Water Police and MSB boats patrolling the anchorages on the usually pleasant lake, I am guessing the authorities were expecting a number of vessels to drag or break moorings.

Then just as I thought the weather might moderate I was awoken this morning by more squalls and howling winds. Looking at the weather map things might keep deteriorating as a mini “perfect storm” continues to develop off the coast. One thing for sure is that for cruising craft the open ocean is not a safe place to be for at least another week?

Sabbatical II · 13-06-2011, 12:39

The buyers of my Compass 29 who have no sailing experience were scheduled to take the boat home to Sydney from the lake this weekend. I've been hoping they didn't do it. Anyway I'm back to work this moring so the weather will probably clear up.

Greg

**Pete7** · 13-06-2011, 12:43

Shane, if it's any consolation we have also just had a weekend of gales and there is another low pressure about to arrive later this week

Wimbledon Tennis will be a washout at this rate.

Pete

**Jim Cate** · 13-06-2011, 13:34

Yikes!

And I chose the Lake as a safe place to leave Insatiable II...

Being separated from your boat/home is a trying business.

Cheers,

SurferShane · 13-06-2011, 16:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eleebana

The buyers of my Compass 29 who have no sailing experience were scheduled to take the boat home to Sydney from the lake this weekend. I've been hoping they didn't do it. Anyway I'm back to work this moring so the weather will probably clear up.

Greg

My guess would be that the onshore and seas at Swansea heads would be that intense that no one in their right mind would attempt to cross the bar? I barely got out a while ago with a black NE brewing and the Coast Guard were none too impressed. At least I was heading south with the wind and seas. No way would I even attempt the likes with the current weather forecast.

A good way to safely find out what can happen to those caught out in this sort of weather along the NSW Coast is to keep you eyes out at garage sales and second hand book stores for an old book called “Force Nine and Above”. It’s a good read.

SurferShane · 13-06-2011, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete7

Shane, if it's any consolation we have also just had a weekend of gales and there is another low pressure about to arrive later this week

Wimbledon Tennis will be a washout at this rate.

Pete

The world’s weather does seem to be getting more volatile? It would be interesting to see how the meteorologists explain what is happening.

It is definitely not a good weekend to have scheduled any form of sporting event over here. Regardless, the good thing about this year has been that there is only minor flooding and hopefully no serious damages or loss of life. After similar weather in 2007 blew the Pasha Bulker up onto the beach you would really hope no one would be seriously considering coastal cruising or even more thoughtless rock fishing?

If we thought we were in for some sort a reprieve here’s the Bureau of Meteorology forecast for tomorrow. I suppose by then a 25 knot onshore will seem pleasant?

Wednesday 15 June Winds Southeasterly 30 to 45 knots tending east to southeasterly 30 to 40 knots around midday then decreasing to 25 to 30 knots later in the evening.
Seas 3 metres increasing to 4 metres around dawn.
Swell Easterly 2 to 3 metres.
Weather Large swells breaking dangerously close inshore.

SurferShane · 13-06-2011, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Yikes!

And I chose the Lake as a safe place to leave Insatiable II...

Being separated from your boat/home is a trying business.

Cheers,

It was mainly Toronto that coped a battering due the long fetch in the ESE weather. The boats at the Royal Motor Yacht Club were bouncing around like rodeo bulls. A quick steam to the oppisite side and it is all but calm.

SurferShane · 13-06-2011, 23:57

With regret I have to amend the post. Tragically there was one reported death on the lake over the long weekend. Just as tragic the death occurred on the protected side of the lake adjacent where I have taken shelter with my own daughter on board. Without a TV I did not find out about this misfortune until today.

FRIENDS PAY TRIBUE TO MISSING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL
June 14, 2011
Friends of missing teenager Courtney Simon are planning on lighting candles around Lake Macquarie tonight, in an effort to guide the popular Toronto High student home.
The 14-year-old hasn’t been since the small boat she was in capsized in choppy conditions off Valentine on Saturday..,,,,

http://www.nbntv.com.au/index.php/2011/06/14/friends-pay-tribue-to-missing-14-year-old-girl/

SurferShane · 14-06-2011, 20:16

And the weathers persists,

Weather Situation

A complex low pressure system over the NSW north coast and northern Tasman Sea in conjunction with a strengthening high pressure ridge over the southern Tasman is producing strong to gale force southeasterly winds along the NSW northern and central coasts. The low pressure area is expected to move slowly to the south before moving away to the east/northeast later Thursday. Small scale low centres embedded in the complex are likely to move westward and affect the Hunter and Mid North Coast over the next 48 hours….,,,,

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/huntercoast.shtml,

Severe Weather Warning

for damaging winds, flash flooding, abnormally high tides and damaging surf
for people in the Hunter and Mid North Coast forecast districts….,,,,,

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/warnings/severe2.shtml

Johnathon123 · 14-06-2011, 20:21

I am sitting just south of taree. Can't hear myself over the rain on the tin roof.

Just under 200mm in 36 hours and still going.

Water tanks are full!

Wind was pretty bad overnight but has calmed down now, supposed to pick up again tomorrow.

SurferShane · 14-06-2011, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnathon123

I am sitting just south of taree. Can't hear myself over the rain on the tin roof.

Just under 200mm in 36 hours and still going.

Water tanks are full!

Wind was pretty bad overnight but has calmed down now, supposed to pick up again tomorrow.

It’s a similar story here at Valentine with the weather hitting in a series of squalls and the level of the lake noticeably high. Nothing else to do but sit back, relax and wait. Hearts are also going out to the family waiting to recover the young ladies body.

Johnathon123 · 14-06-2011, 23:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferShane

3]Hearts are also going out to the family waiting to recover the young ladies body. [/SIZE]
[/FONT]

as a parent I could think of nothing worse.

Nothing at all.

VirtualVagabond · 14-06-2011, 23:02

It's pretty bad here on the Central Coast too. Looking accross Tuggerah Lake to The Entrance it's about as churned up as I've ever seen it. Flood warnings for the lake and Wyong river too.
Usually I can see the end of the queue of bulk carriers waiting to get into Newcastle, 3 or 4 ships, but I can't see any. Not sure if it's the misty rain showers or if they've headed further off shore. They have a lot of windage when they're empty.

SurferShane · 14-06-2011, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnathon123

as a parent I could think of nothing worse.

Nothing at all.

It must be horrid; she looked like a well-liked teenager with her whole life in front of her. While there has been a lot of talk about what they were even doing on the lake, one of the responses has been they were just playful kids who did not understand the danger.

There is no doubt that someone will eventually make the discovery. I still feel a bit silly thinking the search boats on Sunday were just checking for damage to boats. The couple of boats I passed crossing the lake braving the weather at idling speed must have been volunteer searchers. It’s probably lucky I did not come across her myself as I have my young daughter aboard and it would have been immensely hard to both take and explain the situation.