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Blasting at Kraalbaai (windsurfing)

Ralph — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:24:45 +0000

This was a little less mellow than last time – the wind pomped. Middle-aged windsurfers go to Kraalbaai in the West Coast National Park for some mellow cruising while the family plays in the sheltered shallows. Personally, I feel that this place is one of the most beautiful in the Cape. It is also blessed with almost guaranteed fresh southerlies during summer. This HD video shows what it’s like to race across the lagoon’s warm and clear water from the point of view of the sailor. Some call it boring – but to me it epitomises freedom. I’m still experimenting with the GoPro, video formats and editing. I must say that the open web media standard, WebM, is way more efficient than wmv or mp4.

Watch for the wipeout at the end!

Yet another lousy day in Africa, I’m afraid…

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Windsurfing at Kraal Bay

Ralph — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:51:24 +0000

Kraal Bay is one of my favourite places on the planet. Since first windsurfing there in about 1984, I have been back time and again to enjoy its beauty, stay on the houseboat, kayak and windsurf.

Langebaan Lagoon is blessed with a micro-climate that virtually guarantees 15+ knot southerlies almost every day in summer. Even though the surrounding areas may be experiencing calm, the lagoon seems to have lungs that suck the air up its length. The water is shallow for miles and relatively warm compared to the frigid seas off the coast. And pristine.

This is not extreme windsurfing; the lagoon is a mellow place for older sailors, where the family can enjoy the sun in the windless coves north of the point.

Using my trusty old F2 Axxis and a 5 sq m sail in about 20-25 knots of breeze, I have managed to coaxe it up to 30+ knots, but can’t squeeze more speed out of it.

Back in 1984 we could be sure that there would only be two of us sailing there. Lately Kraal Bay has been “discovered” by the braai brigade and on most summer Sundays parking and a site on the beach are problems.

As for windsurfing in the surf, in the early days we used to frequent Big Bay at Blouberg, but these days I only sail at the Strand and only when the wind is blowing South. This direction is clean and side-onshore. Unfortunately, it’s usually a solo effort as I have run out of friends who still sail in the surf…

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Kayaking at Kraalbaai and Langebaan

Ralph — Thu, 08 Apr 2004 18:09:37 +0000

Well, it’s not quite hardcore kayaking. Sometime in 2002 I had tired of waiting for wind that sometimes never comes during twenty-nine or more years of windsurfing. Now there was an alternative.

Kraalbaai is also one of my favourite places. It is located in the West Coast National Park and is the site where 117 thousand-year-old human footprints were recently discovered. We have stayed on the Park’s houseboat many times before it was privatised. It’s a great base for kayak trips. The lagoon, a Ramsar wetland site, is a big expanse of water where one can paddle plenty of km’s.

The 3D map shows the track of a paddle further out in the bay:

If the track doesn’t appear in the window above or you don’t want to install the plugin in your browser, then download the Google Earth Langebaan file and view it in Google Earth (download Google Earth)

Calm days are unusual for the west coast in late spring and summer – usually the southerly kicks in at midday like clockwork, making Kraalbaai a favourite dragstrip for mellow, older windsurfers and their families. I can remember pioneering windsurfing here when I lived nearby during the early eighties. Then there would be two of us sailing in solitude…

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