Another Wet Weekend in Sydney

[khiemtran]

Ironically, early summer in Sydney often means rain. There's a trough over eastern NSW, and there have been isolated showers all weekend.

Here's what it looked like on my Saturday morning run. We helped out at a school fundraising BBQ for the rest of the morning, and luckily we didn't get rained on too much.



Then on Sunday, I took Liem out fishing. Again, the skies looked threatening, but luckily we didn't get wet.





It wasn't looking very good for sailing class though.



We started with a meteorology lesson, where we analyzed the charts and compared them with the bureau's prediction of ten-to-fifteen knots from the South-East.



Next, we learned how to "pump", which is a technique for making your own wind by rocking the boat and letting the sails in and out. It sort of feels a bit like rowing with your sails. First, the helm stands and puts their weight on the gunwale to heel the boat to leeward (away from the wind). Next they move back to let the boat right itself, pulling the boom in as they do so. This scoops up a bag of air and pushes it out the back of the sail. It takes a while to get the rhythm right, but it is possible to move the boat surprisingly quickly when you do it well. (Although it does take a lot out of you.)

Fortunately, as the rain passed, the promised ten knot winds appeared and it turned out to be a good day for a sail after all.

Comments

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

Wow-- I never heard of pumping! That is really cool, and interesting Thank you!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Our instructor told us he once pumped a dinghy for two nautical miles, but I was exhausted after a few minutes. I guess it does become a lot easier with practice though

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Likewise.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Our instructor actually managed to make it look gracefully, but I suspect it would still be faster to sit down and paddle.... Still, it's a handy skill to have.

[soon_lee]

I first saw it done watching the windsurfing Olympic races on TV. They had very light winds & had to resort to pumping. There would have been some exhausted competitors by the end. (Looked like hard work)

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

You have to work hard for that gold medal!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

What an amazing, amazing sky in the first three photos. All kinds of dramatic interaction between the clouds and the light.

(As for pumping, it sounds like very hard work.)

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, the first three photos all have a spectacular sunrise somewhere behind them, trying to get out. It really pays to get up early in the morning, even if there's rain around.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

I love the light in the first photo.

And pumping sounds tedious! :P

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

It's actually quite fun when you get the rhythm right, but it's certainly a workout. It took a while to work out to heel the boat just by moving your weight, rather than trying to push it down with your muscles, but the act of standing on the gunwale to make it tip takes a bit of a mental shift - it's almost the exact opposite of what you're normally trying to do.

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Glorious sky. I have seen that look in Florida sometimes. Usually right before it pours.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was very lucky I didn't get drenched on my morning run. I had a look at the sky this morning and decided to have a spin on the exercise bike instead. It was just as well - it started hammering down after an hour.