Adelaide to Brisbane, November 2010 - Any Tips on this Trip Are Welcomed

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

Also, I am surprised that nobody (unless i missed it) has recommended Pittwater/hawksbury. Its an easy to get into harbour with plenty of marinas,clubs etc selling the usual stuff.

I briefly mentioned Broken Bay as an alternate port to Sydney that is very “scenic”. Nothing better than fish and chips at Patonga and a free shower under the falls at Refuge Bay?

(Kind of tossing up what to do next week and wondering if the NE is going to point me in that direction or whether the bit of a southerly Monday will send me to Broughton/Seals. Hard choices!)

[dennisail]

Steep Island. NW corner of TAS. This looks like a pretty exiting and possibly highly dangerous bay to visit.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Ste...33023&t=h&z=16

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Steep Island. NW corner of TAS. This looks like a pretty exiting and possibly highly dangerous bay to visit.

Thanks, have steel boat will sail!

A bit of a detour from your planned route, however a totally awesome looking place. It might just be a real pity the bay is facing west into a lot of the prevailing swell, which would definitely add to the danger? Looks also like the photos were taken on a serenely flat day for that part of the world?

You have to wonder whether the people in the photo thought it was a lot safer to anchor on the other side of the island and hike?

Bet there are a few crays and green lip abalone getting around them parts! Then maybe even a few wreaks dating back more than a few centuries?

[dennisail]

Its only 3 or 4 hours our of the way, but it looks pretty amazing. I think its a sea kayaking destination. Which could explain why its so flat as they wouldn't set out in rough conditions. Probably wont go though as the right conditions would be rare as you say.

[SurferShane]

I know we are getting off topic, however I agree about the amazing part. I have heard Stanley TAS is a beautiful place, but didn’t know about these islands. These discoveries are really keeping me amused while I sit here with the flu.

Google earth can help you find some amazing things. I found this island off New Ireland or Britain that is like a giant sized version of this one down Tasmania. There is surf about 50 kt mile away so it would be the perfect place to hide from weather. Something like a big version of “The Island” in the Leonardo Decaprio movie.

[banyandah]

Originally Posted by dennisail

Many thanks for the tips. I appreciate it. I will be flying off in a week!

What direction do the currents go through bass straight? What might I expect the prevailing winds to be like through November?

You may be underway already, we've been away bushwalking these last 10 days.
Bass Straits are always a danger, but with modern weather reporting simply wait until you get the weather pattern you want. The systems are moving fairly rapidly even in November, so you won't have to wait long. If you want calm, and motor through, when a big high passes directly overhead. The High over Tasmania will bring easterlies and settled weather. Fronts bring NW round to SW through west, and can be nasty even if going with the wind and Bass Straits is actually fairly shallow compared to the Tasman and Southern Ocean. Just remeber the ships, stay out of the designated lanes, find them on your chart. Other that, have your vessel nicely pack up, lee boards at the ready just in case, and then Enjoy.

We'll be back on board in 3 weeks, Adelaide.
Busy few weeks ahead getting our book out. Looks a lovely book now that we've got it in our hands.
Anyone wanting a good look at Australia by yacht, every little gunk hole, and plenty of history find the link on our blog or photos pages.
Cheers,

[Teeto]

Just get going quick before the South Easterlies set in for the Summer & make the first section a pain. Pick your weather windows & don't be in too much of a hurry. Good luck, we are going there at the same time from Adelaide, but our boat is already in Brisbane so we will drive up.

[Teeto]

Also another tip. Allan from VMR American River is the one to call as you leave Adelaide. He's available 24/7 and has all the radio gear to help you right around to the Victorian Coast. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

[dennisail]

Hey guys. I am sitting in my rental car on the long mooring warf at Eden next to Lime Light as there is no reception in the boat for some reason. Eden is about half way between Adelaide and Brisbane. We didn't stop at Tasmania due to breakages causing too many delays. We are in Eden from yesterday (Friday) until Tuesday waiting on engine mounts and prop shaft coupling. Which have all broken (amongst just about everything else) leaving us floating adrift in bass strait for 2 days with dwindling power. We made it here somehow. Anyhow I got to go. More details and pics later.

[Bricky]

Well done,
I think we passed you heading the other direction on Thursday I think it was, somewhere west of Gabo Island. We are in a Seawind 1000.
As I said we were a bit nervous crossing Bass Straight with about a weeks sailing experience under our belt, but so far so good. Curerently in Lakes Entrance waiting for the weather to improve which looks like it may be tomorrow.
We were lucky enough to meet a couple in Bermagui who are delivering a boat to Adelaide and were happy for us to tag along which makes us feel a lot safer. They have plenty of experience and it was comforting to see their light in the distance on our first night out. Great how the sailing comunity are eager to help each other.
Hopefully the rest of the voyage to SA will be as good.

Cheers
Daryl & Kerren

[trapper1]

Hi, nice to see you are underway,I hope to be doing the run from Gladstone to Adelaide just after Xmas,be interesting to see your progress.
Are there any other Yachts on the way down at the same time as me,be nice to get in touch, I drive a Roberts 34 Sloop.
regards Tom

[dennisail]

Part ONE.

Hey Bricky! Small world mate. That was us. I saw you wave. If Bass Strait starts at Eden, you were the first boat we saw over the whole strait. We did not see another yacht from Kangaroo Island until you and your companion until Eden. We had mixed and variable winds. Often right on the nose. Lucky Lime Light (Duncanson 35) sails to windward well. We called for you and your mate on all channels but got no reply. But then again our new car stereo died from being swamped with sea water which was installed right next to the VHF, and we didn't get too much response all over VIC.

Its not the way I would have liked it to go. But Lime Light was purchased at Port Adelaide by Wes (one of my best mates) 3 months ago with a blown 25hp Seapanther engine. He fitted a 40hp 3cyl Volvo from a Jeaneau DIY. Anyway the boat was sold as apparently seaworthy condition with no leaks and other probs other than the engine. This is sounding like a "sailors confessions" thread. But I had booked 1 monthleave leave 2 months in advance and the boat supposed to be all good to go when I got there. I am ready to be grilled by everyone but NOTHING on the boat was tested. I had a month leaved booked (still 2 weeks to go from now). What better way to test it by sailing it to Kangaroo Island! I am up for anything. So lets go. If anything is real bad we will know before bass strait right? The motor only started by bleeding the fuel lines each time and aerostart. But thats ok we have 2 cans!

So off we go after a quick haul and clean. We made it to Wirrina straight out of Port Adeilaide at the back of a cold front which brought strong winds and the gulf was full of nasty chop and 25K winds when we left. The marina and people at Port Adelaide were some of the best people we have met. We punched through OK and powered to wirrina to get there in the middle of the night. The boat sailed well and we were impressied by its dynamics throuhg the water (last boat was a Roberts Spray lol). But water pissed in through all the windows and vents and soaked all our gear and beds. So we duct taped them up.

[dennisail]

Part TWO.

So we headed off to American River on Kangaroo Island. Carol from the privately operated marine rescue was very helpfull. We battled head wind there the whole time but got there. Our efforts with the auto pilot lasted about an hour until the belt broke. We conversed with Carol about the belt and she could not locate us one. However, a single hander in a 45ish boat was sailing next to us out of Wirrina and he heard our conversation regarding the belt down to the part number and chimed in to tell us he had a belt! SECOND CHANCE out of Victor Harbor thankyou! He handed us a belt out at sea. This was the last sailing boat we saw until Brickys Seawind! No cruisers on Bass Strait? Or were we just mad to go when we did? We had 3 or 4 days of winds with west in them apparently so we just went.

The duct tape stopped the water coming in the windows but water was comeing through the deck at every stauchion joint and finding its way everywhere but other than discomfort the boat smashed through headwinds for 2 days with no obvious probs and everything seemed OK. The motor ran well other than the starting probs which we were on top of. So off we went into the strait with no destination other than where ever we might get to according to the wind.

[dennisail]

Part THREE.

Every where you go the locals tell you that the waters around their area are some of the most dangerous in the world. Apparently the "back stairs passage" which leads out of Kangaroo Island along the SA coast is home to the "second most dangerous waters" in the world. When asked what was the most dangerous the reply was of course "Bass Strait". Conditions where supposed to be pretty average with 3m swell with 2m swell at right angles to it. But it seemed to be pretty nice out there to us, and or first trip out was probably some of the best sailing we done so far. We headed strait to Robe all close hauled but to need to tack. Nothing major to report other than we needed some latches to hold all our cabinets closed to prevent food and gear flying around the boat.

[dennisail]

Part FOUR.

So off we head again. Anywhere closer to home being our destination. Port Fairy sounded like a nice 24 hour run again, but we encountered strong headwinds and breakages. It took 2 and a half days to get to Portland. By this time we were hand steering again as the autopilot died again. We wanted to get to King Island on the way to Tasmanina. We were beating to windward again as usual. The boat was not overpowered, the wind was strongish, but the sail was old and probably not meant to be cranked on so hard. It had plenty of repairs by this time already. It was a bit rough and none of us were ready for how cold it is down here. But I was feeling happy and content to go all night when I rigged up my own self steering with a elastic strap which works better than any electrical auto pilot when going to windward. It sails higher in the gusts and bears away in the lulls for optimim speed. Too bad its only good for up wind. It was about then when the Genoa shredded itself on my shift in the middle of the night somewhere off Port Macdonnell. The main we had was so stretched it would not go to windward at all so we motor sailed all the way to Portland. The engine was about to rattle a hole through the hull and it kept cutting out unless someone pumped the fuel pump by hand. We somehow made it there. When we got there we changed both sails for a smaller working jib and and older main with less roach which was actually much less streched than the one that was on there. These sails are still on the boat now and go to windard much better at the expense of downwind speed. Not that we get the wind with us much haha. Im starting to get low on pics by this stage as spirits are low and mutinty is setting in on the boat. Apparently the motor prob was fixed and the sail was good to go. We got out of the harbor when we realised the new headsail would not furl back up right after we tried to furl it in when the engine died again. It worked OK when we tested it before. I fixed it by raising the whole sail up higher to the same hight as the old genoa so the cable at the top stopped wrapping itself around the forestay when furling. The engine was also "fixed" again so we headed off. Obviously it died again so we sailed into Warranbool with no engine to fix it yet again. This time with all new filters (plus spares finally) it ran again. Thanks to Hamish who was just a bloke nice enough to pick us up when looking for a lift, he drove us around until we got all the parts we needed. So many people have helped us. Just when I thought humanity was dead I have been shown otherwise.