Sailing east to west across southern Australia

[Sailingallday]

Good day folks

A few years ago I read an article about an Australian couple who had sailed east to west across the south coast of Australia. They would wait for a weather window, go east a few days and then hide out and wait for a few weeks for the next window.

My google foo must be bad because no matter how I search, I cannot find that article again. I think it was an online blog but it was very detailed on where they had stopped and been.

Does anyone know of the article or failing that, have other information sources for an east west crossing of the south coast of Australia?

Thanks

[JPA Cate]

Not sure, but I think I heard that Jack and Jude have a book out detailing that route.

March is the month for the voyage. Some nice stops along the way.

Ann

[Gpundy]

Originally Posted by Sailingallday

Good day folks



A few years ago I read an article about an Australian couple who had sailed east to west across the south coast of Australia. They would wait for a weather window, go east a few days and then hide out and wait for a few weeks for the next window.



My google foo must be bad because no matter how I search, I cannot find that article again. I think it was an online blog but it was very detailed on where they had stopped and been.



Does anyone know of the article or failing that, have other information sources for an east west crossing of the south coast of Australia?



Thanks

This a YouTube couple free range sailing that circum navigate Australia then sail from Hobart around the bottom to SA and then to WA. Worth a watch.

[fxykty]

We’re in the middle of that passage, currently at Portland VIC and within about 2 weeks will be in Ceduna waiting for a weather window to cross the bight.

Along the south coast from NSW border to SA it’s simply a case of sailing when it’s S or E or N and waiting while it’s W. Lots of cute small and medium towns along the way, especially western VIC and eastern SA.

Once you get to the edge of the bight you simply wait (I hope!) for a big high pressure system. That will have E winds along its top. I’m told if we wait too long (i.e. into April) the highs start moving north and the E winds are over the land, with calms or W along the coast. That wouldn’t be so good, but it is only 600nm to Esperance.

[Cruising Roo]

Hello fellow thalassophiles, my appreciation of the huge amount of awesome advice I have received from this site, I thought I will 'jump on' and update where I am in my boating adventures. My last post got very positive comments and advice so I am focused on the larger trailable boats as a "get my feet wet" venture. I am driving 10 hours one way to look at a Trophy 2359 boat with a Mercruiser 220hp I/O diesel with Bravo 3 leg. I am only just (I hope) are going to be able to tow it in that the boat is 3500kg and as standard, my Ranger GVM is 6000kg. I can upgrade this but I would rather avoid this as I have been told (by the installer business) that the Ranger will ride a bit like a truck when not towing. With my buggered lower back, I would prefer to avoid this if I can. At least I have that option. It needs to pass the survey I am getting but without detailing everything, the boat yard has a good reputation with integrity and the surveyor agreed. Yes the boat is not a live aboard but it is a start. For medical reasons, I need to sell my property (5 acres) and move to a suburban house and if all goes well, I will look for a live aboard. I keep tuning in to this site to see if there is anything I can offer other members but I have not found anything that my input would be useful as I am opposite to someone who says anything firstly, that I do not know 99%, and secondly, feel my input will be on benefit. I really appreciate ever so much the advice from this site. If I buy the boat and after using it for a while, I will put up some photos and provide a useful critic of the boat. “Cheers and Beers Big Ears” all. Darren

[Sailingallday]

Good day all

We have now completed sailing across “the bight” in a westerly direction and wanted to give some info for those who may come after us.

Firstly, this was our first and only time doing this crossing so what I have to say isn’t based on in depth knowledge, but instead a single experience.

I would strongly recommend anybody thinking of going west from Australia to consider this route instead of going over the top. For us, it was a benign crossing with lots of great stops along the way.

We left Adelaide and went across to Port Lincoln. Both of which are fantastic communities that get very little long term international cruiser visits. As such, the people were incredibly welcoming to us. Very friendly and good times.

From Port Lincoln, we worked our way up to Coffin Bay, Streaky Bay and then Ceduna. All of these spots would have worked fine for departure but we had crew coming in so Ceduna had the closest airport for pick up.

Timing was perfect as a sw blow was coming the day before the crew arrived which meant by the time they got there and settled in, winds would have shifted and we could go. That’s exactly what happened and late the following day we set out, bound for Esperance 600nm west.

The weather window showed us to have five days of good sailing before the next sw wind and me made it with lots of time to spare. Four days for the crossing with steady se and switching to e winds. A trip with a lot of dolphins jumping, steady tuna on the lines and the odd big shark to be seen.

Lessons/learnings
1). From watching the weather, it appears that the trip can be done any time from Jan-March. Just wait on the eastern side of the bight for a sw blow to go through and then should have enough time after it to go across. Locals say that the crossing can be done into April but that the se winds become real light. For us, they were perfect in an early March crossing - 23knots was the highest for the crossing. An hour out of Esperance we got hit with some freak winds not in any forecast 35-40 for about an hour and then back to normal

2). SW swell is relentless. After a big blow from the sw it takes three days or so for the swell to settle and switch around and run with the se winds. And of course, the next sw blow is usually five days or so out. It means that you have nice winds for sailing west, but will be working into a pretty good swell. In hindsight, I would have waited a bit longer before departing to let the swell settle, knowing that we had a day of buffer.

3). Anchoring - ugh. Don’t make this an anchor thread. I have anchored a lot of spots around the world, but Ceduna and Esperance were struggles to get anchored. They have a ribbon weed here that the anchor fouls in real fast. There are small sand patches but in Ceduna it was sand over rock and wouldn’t stick and in Esperance it was a real small patch. Locals say to use a marsh or fishermans anchor for the weeds. Don’t know how well they would work in a real blow, but they should set quicker.

4). Charting - charting in Ceduna was bad. Real bad. Depths shown were nowhere near what we had in the sounder and often substantially less showing in local conditions. Stick to the channels. As one gets across the bight there are large sections of “unsurveyed” area showing on the navionics charts. Interestingly, while my phone navionics also showed unsurveyed areas, when zoomed in, it appeared to show chart details including contour lines. Figuring it was an error in the chartplotter data we sailed though one of thes uncharted areas, using the phone. Quite simply, the data on the phone was wrong and so far out of whack one was left to wonder if a kid drew lines somewhere. No harm, no foul from us but something to be aware of. The “unsurveyed” areas appear to be unsurveyed in all respects. Plan for daylight and a mark 1 eyeball. Or swing wide and avoid.

So, if you are going to New Zealand to spend months waiting out cyclone season to cross over the top of Aus, consider this route. It keeps you moving during cyclone season and has you way further west for the jump off into the Indian Ocean. When everyone else is leaving NZ, you will be on the west coast of Australia. With more favourable wind conditions and better swell angle than those who go over the top.

Along the way you will not have to worry about salt water crocs, (instead the concern is big sharks) or sweating in the tropical heat (instead it’s all about keeping warm in the south). Plus, you will get to check off sailing in the Southern Ocean and rounding one of the five great capes (Cape Leeuwin).

Any questions, feel free to send them over

[HankOnthewater]

Post #4 by fxykty is spot on.
Not many places to anchor between Ceduna and Esperance, and I must say, never been in Ceduna.
Most people sail directly from Eastern Victoria or Port Lincoln to Esperance or Albany.
I would say the weather windows are rarely large enough to have all easterlies. Unless you have a very fast boat when you can sail 10 knots plus on average, and even then, you need to be lucky.
So, count on some adverse weather.
And when you arrive in Albany, come over and say hello. I am home until end of May, then sailing northwards.

Edit Oh, I see the OP post of today, that he made the crossing, with no bad weather, good on him/her

[CatAdventure]

Check sailing Zatara, they done the crossing with 3 more boats. they waited a bit to sail from NSW to esperance as it was the middle of Covid and they couldn't get into Victoria.

[HankOnthewater]

My comment in post #7 in regards to size of weather windows...... has been disproven ... twice over the last week.
Two boats (both largish cats) came across in very favourable easterly winds, one from Pt Lincoln in 4 days !!
Distance is well over 900 NM.
I must say, this year the easterlies has been as strong as I ever seen it, and they have been nearly non stop since early November and right now... still blowing.

[Sailingallday]

Just want to say - we met with HankOnTheWater in Albany. Great guy, very friendly and super helpful. A great personal resource for cruiser in the area. The way it’s supposed to be - cruisers helping cruisers!

If you are passing through and he makes the offer to meet, take him up on it

[Gazzza]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Lots of cute small and medium towns along the way, especially western VIC and eastern SA.

What were some of the cute small towns? Draught needed?


Garry

[Sailingallday]

Originally Posted by Gazzza

What were some of the cute small towns? Draught needed?


Garry

All of them! Actually we really liked Wharanbool, Robe, Port Lincoln. Nearly any draft should be able to get into those. Another great spot is Coffin Bay but shallow draft only.

[HankOnthewater]

Another one entering Albany, not sure where this one came from, pic taken from my work location, as you can see, working hard.

[seattle_sailor]

The two families below sailed from East to West Australia across the Great Australian Bight. You might be able to gain some insight from their travels two years ago using the links below.


Zatara

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMkhx6-TfQ4

CruisingKiwis
https://www.youtube.com/@TheCruisingKiwis/videos




Good luck!