cotton tree

has anyone sailed cotton tree recently that can let me know how it's working currently.

Yeah it's been a while. 2-3 years for me. It looks pretty good in the satellite photos atm. Seems like a bay has formed with good sand build up for a se wind/swell. Might see if I can time incoming tides with some wind

I sail it every 20kn NE'er ... which is somewhat rare even during the NE seabreezes. It is a good jumping spot for your port-tack loops - sail out of the river in the flat water to gain some speed, then find a nice little ramp. The period is very short like a few seconds, so not worth it for wave-riding (though sometimes its a one hit wonder).

Also sailed in SE'er. Can be very gusty if it has too much Southerly in it - good riding, not so good jumping.

I got lightly zapped by lightening a few years ago when a bolt hit near the caravan park - it electrified the moist air and thus my van.... which I was touching at the time... it through me back about 6ft.

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John340 said..
Matt, Where do you launch from? Have you ever seen foilers (wind or wing) launch from there?

I launch from the car-park at Cotton Tree beach, I then sail upwind into the river mouth. Otherwise I walk through caravan park (carrying way to much gear... I now use a trolley) launching from inside the river.

The water depth is reasonably shallow through the river-mouth - it is waste deep in some places, or less at really low tide.... I have touched-ground with a 23cm wave fin a few times. There are a few kite-foilers whom launch from the front-beach. I dont recall seeing any dinging.

Most of the dinging is done at The Spit Mooloolaba in a Notherly (aka seabreeze or the odd winter winds), or at Golden Beach. The dinging at The Spit is very popular - maybe a dozen people or more. Northerly's usually bring in rolling swell of a nice 1m size, without much breaking wave, which is very popular for the ding-swell-riding.

Thx mathew.

bloody hell, glad you're not dead