Passage Planning

[Emmaward88]

I have just joined and was looking for any comments regarding weather in the Great Australian Bight.

My wife and I are heading off to do a circumnavigation of the Australian mainland.

We are departing from the Northern Territory heading west. We are picking up three extra and experienced crew in Fremantle.

We have researched and it seems the best time to cross the Bight maybe in late September or early October based on the BOM average wind speed and direction averages.

Does anyone have any input in this regard?

Also what spares should we carry.?

Our boat is a 43 ft Bermuda rigged sloop.

Thanks in advance👍

[Diamond Life]

You are correct with the timing, depending on the season your window will be a bit wider than indicated. You just want to beat the start of those easterly winds. The two options are leave from Albany and keep south if the easterlies have already started or head up to Esperance and wait for favourable conditions, bay hop to Middle Island and leave from there. If your doing a circumnavigation then I guess you would already have the normal list of spares.

[Emmaward88]

Thanks Diamond,

I have been reading about the high pressure systems that move from West to East and the cold fronts in between.

The suggestion if I read it correctly is to leave after a cold front has passed. Likely the next one will overtake you but at least you have done reasonable weather?

This may give about 4 to 5 days of a weather window.?

My apologies if I am asking too many questions.

[Diamond Life]

No, that is the way to do it. At that time of the year Esperance harbour is protected from the West to south so can restock, easy to island or bay hop and sit out any savage cold front coming through. The wind rotates from north around to west, once it goes into SW it is good to go. Looks like I will be heading that way as well..

[boatman61]

Did Perth to just S of Hobart a few years back, if memory serves I left Perth late September, hove to in the lee of Leeuwin then continued to Albany.. from there I sailed in reasonably favourable winds which went light so motored for a few hours before the wind picked up again,.
Ducked into Port Fairy for 3 days while a 50knot front passed then headed for Bass Strait.. got there as the wind died again so motored SE across a glassy sea and between the island and point before turning S down the Tassie coast.
A pleasent trip on a 30ft VDS Dogger.

[Emmaward88]

Thanks guys