Gold coast to Hervey bay

[yenhg]

Hi all,
looking for some advice for our first trip from the GC to Hervey Bay around end Sept. We are on a Bavaria 36 yacht drawing 1.95 mtrs. Looking at the charts it looks like there are plenty of anchorage options once inside the Wide Bay bar. We are planning on a staying a week in the area from Wide Bay thru to Hervey Bay. Will stop up and down at both Scarborough or Morten Island (Tangalooma) and Mooloolaba also about a week of sailing. I understand that crossing the bar is to be done on a rising tide, like most bars, and that the tidal flow changes direction around South White Cliffs. 2 to 3 knots of tide is what I am reading, any comments?
Any thoughts on anchorages, things to do or not to do will be greatly appreciated. We are pretty self sufficient though for this length of trip would need water and a replenishment of supplies. Hervey Bay or River heads on the Susan River look like options.
Looking forward to thoughts and ideas.
Howard and Debbie.

[Wotname]

It has been a very long time since i have crossed the Wide Bay bar so hopefully others will provide far more up to date info.

FWIW, I used to cross on a rising neap tide ideally about 8am to 10 am and certainly not in the later afternoon - sun in the eyes etc and not is strong SE winds.

There used to be a tolerable anchorage behind Double Island point if needed while waiting for a suitable time to cross the bar. While safe, it can be rolly!

This is well worth reading and highlights the need for up to date information.
https://noticestomariners.com/2018/1...-wide-bay-bar/

[RaymondR]

Coastguard Tin Can Bay can give you up to date info on the bar crossing.

There is fuel and groceries at Tin Can Bay although it is a 2-3 k walk to the IGA if you go ashore at Snapper Creek. However, if you work the tides you can go further down into the inlet and anchor at high tide then dingy ashore near the public library and it is about a two block walk to the IGA. The public library is at about 25 54.815 S 153 0.467 E.

The marina at Urangan is a long way from the shopping centres but you can anchor off in the bay at about 25 16.517 S 152 51.250 E and go ashore and it's a few blocks walk to Woolworths.

You can also anchor in the mouth of the Susan River and go ashore at the boat ramp, there's a floating jetty there now you can leave your dingy moored at, and walk up to the IGA at River Heads. It's about a 1.5 k walk. The IGA there is only small but they have a good range of the necessities.

If you don't mind motoring up a river, Maryborough is about 23 nm up the Mary River, has a nice little marina, or you can anchor in the river, and has a large Woolworths within a few blocks of the marina. It's a fairly nice run up the river but you need to work about half a tide to go over the Horseshoe Bank down near the mouth. The marina holds a barby every Thursday night, has B&B rooms for rent and Maryborough is the most convenient place to travel from to Brisbane or other points S by rail on the tilt train.

[clownfishsydney]

As mentioned you will need to contact Coast Guard Tin Can Bay for co-ordinates to cross Wide Bay bar. They will only SMS them to you, not give over the radio in case you make a mistake writing them down. The channel is moving all the time and the co-ordinates change regularly. You need very flat seas and as close to high tide on an incoming tide as possible as there is not a lot of depth in the channel. Same applies to going back out.

Garrys Anchorage is great, well worth a few days. The tide changes just to the north of this, between here and South White Cliffs at a spot called The Shallows. You need to pass over this spot right at high tide as it is very, very shallow and there are big tides. Also, you want to have the tidal flow with you as you approach this spot and then as you head away as the current is indeed 2 to 3 knots or more.

There is a nice anchorage at South White Cliffs and also Kingfisher Resort is a nice place to anchor. More nice spots are off the southern side of Inskip Point near Wide Bay bar and up a couple of the creeks, but sometimes lots of mozzies.

See my web site for more information: http://www.michaelmcfadyenscuba.info...hp?page_id=908

Hope this helps.

[ozsailer]

Gday Howard and Debbie,
As stated Tin Can Bay Coast Guard can be contacted via phone and they will give you co-ordinates to cross the Wide Bar Safely. Best to cross the bar on the rising tide and during morning to mid afternoon. Crossing the bar late afternoon can be undertaken but not recomended if possible dependant on angle of setting sun. A lot of cruisers anchor behind Double Island Point on the seaward side of the Wide Bay Bar to cross the next morning if tides are right.
Inside the bar you must time you travel to pass over Sheridans Flats as you will require the the last two hours of the high tide to navigate that area. You should not have an issue. Inside the bar you can anchor at the southern end of Fraser Island at Coololoi Creek or off Pelican Point on the southern side of the bar entrance inside the bar. Garys anchorage is a couple of nautical miles further up and is very protected and well marked.
Plenty of anchorages along the way. There are three marina complexs inside the sea wall at Urangan. All are very good. The Great Sandy Straights Marina (if you stay there) has a lend car so accessing provisions is not an issue. Bus's frequent the area. There are shipwrights, a chandlery and marine electronics business's nearby along with an excelent fuel wharf.
An excellent publication for the area is a book called Beacon to Beacon. Hope this is of some assistance. Ah nearly forgot. WATCH out for the current that runs through the marinas. It has caught more than one unwary mariner causing them to crash into the other berthed vessels.

Greg H
Lagoon 440
Lake Macquarie

[44'cruisingcat]

It's not well known, but there's a tap at both ends of the jetty at Kingfisher bay. You'd have to jerry can it, but it's a source for water.

[Draughty]

Hi,
As others have mentioned don't even think about crossing Wide Bay Bar without contacting Tin Can Bay Coastguard for current way-points.
For the last year or more the track into Hook Point has been from SE to NW, rather than E to W as previously. I've done it three times and not seen less than about 6 metres (approaching HW).
Double Island Pt is still there! and quite OK unless really built SE winds in which case you may be wise to rethink crossing WBB anyway.

Once inside do everything possible with the tide.
I draw 2.4 m and have never touched at Sheridan Flats but have done adjacent Stewart Island where there is a very shallow spot.
There is a disconcerting spot through Sheridan Flats where you go through the dark green intertidal zone when following the nav aids (on my C-map chart anyway). Remember that buoys do get moved.

I believe TCB marina has a courtesy vehicle now so you can get to Woolworths at Cooloola Cove.

Enjoy the trip.

[Jono as 2234]

Be careful anchoring behind Double Island Point. I did so one year waiting for the Wide Bay bar high tide, in a relatively strong South Easter. The wind developed to 30 odd knots and whilst the Anchorage was, ok it was very rolly. The wind then swung into the east and I was anchored in breaking water. I gave up the attempts to cross the bar after two days and headed up around the outside of Great Sandy. This was before reliable GPS, when we relied on the leads. High tide was in the afternoon, when the leads were invisible due to the strong sun. I have crossed the bar a few times since, and with the Coaties info is no longer an issue

[JPA Cate]

@yenhg,

Sorry, don't know the draft of your vessel. We draw 2.2 m., and for us, we have to really time our entrance to Sheridan Flats, at very close to the top of the rising tide. Otherwise, there are no great depth challenges, though we are too deep now, to get up to Maryborough any more, or rather, the river has shoaled.

It is generally more pleasant to travel with the tide than against it. Enjoy! Judging from the numbers of whales we've seen on our way north, there should be plenty in Hervey Bay.

Ann

[Wotname]

^^ @ Ann, the OP draws 1.95 m so your advice to them will close to the mark - no pun intended

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

It's not well known, but there's a tap at both ends of the jetty at Kingfisher bay. You'd have to jerry can it, but it's a source for water.

Thanks for that one

[mawtty]

In Moreton Bay going north from Southport take a flood tide which will flow with you till the mouth of the logan River and if you reach there at high tide it will ebb with you all the way to Tangalooma.
If you decide to go the eastern rout past Jumpinpin you will have some trouble passing Slipping Sands, unless the tide is over about 2.3 meters. And again the shallow area just south of Canaipa. The Navionics charts are best used in these areas.

[Nikki S]

I didn’t read through all the comments so they probably covered everything but your Alan Lucas and Beacon to Beacon are handy as. Double island point can be good shelter /waiting for the right tide, But don’t rely on it ... of course everyone said call tin can bay coast guard for WBB way points and Mooloolaba coast guard for their latest survey for entry to river- or better still get your notice to mariners for Mooloolaba from https://publications.qld.gov.au/data.../2019-339t.pdf. And any for Morton Bay
If you anchor or stay at the wharf marina in Maloolaba, coles is a few blocks walk - 800m, or you can get the bus from right by wharf marina to Kawana shopping centre (or Uber for about the same price is more than 1 of you), or the butchers, green grocers, etc on Nicklin way.
Have a lovely time

[JPA Cate]

I must say, I agree with Wotname: going in around WWB is best done with the sun in back of you, rather than in your eyes. We have left from the open roadsted anchorage off Noosa for a morning approach to the bar, and also at Double Island Point. The latter tends to be rolly, unless there's a SE blowing, and that wind will hold you stern to the waves coming in around the point, which is better than rolly. Catamarans, however, peacefully bob up and down whilst we rolled.

Thanks for the fill on the draft, Wottie, I missed it. At 1.95, they may find Gary's a little limiting to be in, as I'm not sure they would be able to leave at will. Some folks don't mind that, but over the years, I've come to view it as being trapped, rather than an adventure.

Ann

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Thanks for the fill on the draft, Wottie, I missed it. At 1.95, they may find Gary's a little limiting to be in, as I'm not sure they would be able to leave at will. Some folks don't mind that, but over the years, I've come to view it as being trapped, rather than an adventure.

Ann

Especially if the mossies and sandflies decide to feast.
We anchored outside GA up near the northern channel waiting for the right tide to continue north and no bugs.