View northwest from Cape Leeuwin lighthouse…don’t think you can simply give it a wide berth…
mon mrng sw 30 to 40 knts noon sw 30 to 40 knts gusts 50 knts aft sw 25 to 30 knts seas 4 to 6 mtr frm sw
Thanks, Karel, for your daily forecast via sat-phone! But this one is really nothing you want to be on the water, not to talk going around one of the most treacherous Capes in the world!
Though being quite sheltered at the Hamelin Bay campsite, it was a nice surprise that Lorna, a local adventurous lady, was knocking at my tent door and offering me a stay at her house! I didn’t have any cell phone reception at the camp site, and this is vital for my preparations and updates on time off. So I happily accepted her offer, thanks, Lorna! We drove to her lovely house, 10min into the forest! Yes, forest…no dunes, sand or scrub only…beautiful, actually! But no deers or such, just kangaroos…
Lorna, facing a 40 kn gale force wind…we had trouble standing upright.
After getting the weather in and some phonecalls to experienced “Cape Leeuwin” paddlers like Terry Bolland and Les Allan, it was the only way to drive out to Cape Leeuwin today, and to have a look by myself…for sure today is horrible.
The forecast for tomorrow is 15-20kn nw, with around 5m swell, maybe still a bit too much for the Cape…Wednesday is definitively easier with around 3m swell and still westerly winds (which I’d love to use for the long 95 km leg from Augusta to Windy harbour…). I’ll actually drive out tomorrow morning again and have another look. Today it was quite sobering at Cape Leeuwin…
10 comments on “Day 247, Monday, 21.09.2009”
Berlin is watching you, too. Great Job you make, Freya.
In few weeks I am going build my first SOF East Greenland Kayak with Rudi Cooijmans, the german legend in historical kayakbuilding. Maybe I catch you up before you reach Queenscliff 😉
Drücke Dir die Daumen….
LG Michael
Have to agree with Sandy here, the Southern Ocean is a bitter, mean old bugger. And the Great Australian Bite has a lot of cliffs and will be difficult for landings. This will likely be the toughest part of the trip, and we’ll all be thinking of you out there Freya.
There’s a break today in the weather and swell Just a mere 3m and 16km/h Westerly. All the best ! There is another 8m swell coming in behind that so you would not want to be in the water for that one !
Congratulations!
Enjoy one of the famous capes!
Greetings from Germany
Christoph
This is just the start of what the Southern ocean will be like at this time of year. There will be a lot of stopping and waiting for the right weather and swell conditions, or paddling in silly conditions that you really shouldnt be out in.
Freya:
You are an insparation to all paddlers, and I feel your power everytime I go out on the water.
Take care
Jim
Freya, really enjoy reading about your journey, weather not much better up here on the North East coast of Yorkshire at the moment, probably warmer down there. Your in our thoughts and hearts. . . .
Those conditions do look daunting Freya! I hope the weather breaks for you on Wednesday, you’re so close to the ‘home stretch’ now. Going by your photos, the sea around there is not for the faint hearted, especially right now! I’ve yet to visit that area, so have not seen it for myself…I would certainly wait for summer before venturing into that water in a kayak though!
We’ll see you soon in South Australia, undaunted one!
Freya ,
All you have to do is, tie a handkerchief to your paddle, hold it in the air and you will get blown to South Australia.
Looks like a typical British Summers Day to me!
Comments are closed