Hi, we're a small group of six who have built 5 landyachts over the last few months. We're looking to travel from Mannering Park NSW to the Maree camel races in June and then onto salt pans or clay pans for a bit of a sail. Some advice would be appreciated re getting onto areas such as Lake Hart or any known good sailing spots along the Oodnadatta Track or the Strzelecki Track. Would be great to meet up with others.
Picture below shows some of the stable.
we love these kinda posts
welcome to the fun.
I suspect you have become the official seabreeze trailblazers for this part of Australia.
a couple of suggestions, have a look on google earth of the route your going to be taking, ,pick out some target areas, as you are often driving past great spots wi that are just off the road.
when you get to marree, get the yachts out try sailing and ask the locals about where to go.
we often have people come up and say " have you tried sailing it at..........."
love the yachts by the way
Lake Hart should be easy enough to get on to, just north (2-3km) of the observation point the road drops down to a parking area, just have to drag the yachts over the rail line to get to the lake. Not that Iv'e been on the lake but driven past for the past 6 years on work trips.
Just a comment on the yachts... Try and get them sailing on perhaps an football oval etc and give them a good flogging to see what breaks. Its better to break the yacht close to home rather than KM from a welder / tools / spares.
Yep g'day. You will find plenty of sailable space where your going, mostly just at the roads edge....no problems.
Dont forget tomorrow evening Thursday 8pm ABC Catalyst, you will see a section of The WA Bro's doing their thing, which they do pretty darn well........
If that is a moth mast with the stays as low as they are, please do as Paul suggested and give the yachts a good thrashing before you head off on the road trip. I don't want to forecast doom :)
And leave yourself enough time to build a few LLMini's (if needed) if it all goes pear shape.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Land-Yacht-Sailing/Construction/Build-a-Landyacht-Lake-Lefroy-Mini-Yacht/
i stopped in at lake hart last week on my way back from kings canyon, at the lake for some time looking for a way across the train line,, according to the owner of the Pimba roadhouse (spuds) there is a track that you can use to get across the train line but i was damed if i could find it, and i was in my hi lux 4x4 pilot vehicle so was able to go just about anywhere, but most of the tracks i seen ended at the train line, and because the train line is up so high i wouldn't risk trying to cross is incase you got stuck,,, am heading back there again in a few weeks so will have another look on the way back home,,
Thanks guys for your responses. Beachball57 appreciate you doing a recce to get across the railway tracks. Kiwi307, the stays on the moth mast go 3/4 up the mast, small stays on mast post. Well it was productive.
We've had two productive test runs. The test area wasnt flat, paddock with short grass and a windshadow from trees along one side, clean wind from one side across a lake. We had two test days with wind gusting 15 to 20 knots. We could easily manage one wheel up in the gusts. Quick acceleration, dry mouth stuff.
I removed my windsurfer rig after breaking the mast, replaced with a stayed moth mast and sail. Much better control.
We found the front wheel bearing set up we had on two of the yachts was binding. We rebuilt that with access to a machinist mate.
Our lady pilot got herself out of control in a gust and collided cleanly between two fence posts, rear beam rebuild. much laughter.
The shipwrights wooden yacht with stayed moth mast and sail was the star performer in the conditions, quick acceleration, but lifts easy due to shorter back beam.
They need a bit more flogging!
There were four yachts and a mob of people. Getting ready for another test run as soon as the next southerly comes along. foto of one of the rebuilds.