My son is crewing for a friend who has recently purchased a nice cat. The journey is from Balina to Westernport. As they are heading down the east coast for the first time im going to shape their plans here for the perusal of those with experience of the east coast with the hope of seeking guidance incase a decision is in the making that may be unwise. They are moderately experienced so are going to choose their weather windows carefully ant this is where advise would help a good deal. They are giving themselvs three or four weeks for the journey. They are contemplating sailing their first leg from Balina to Coffs Harbour leaving Tuesday.
This is a pic of the yacht.
Thanks in advance.

Ballina to Coffs is near 100nm. Alternatively a nice day sail from Ballina to the Clarence, if you can cross the Ballina bar the Clarence will be easy, then only 60nm to Coffs another nice day sail. My preference after that is Camden haven, an extra 15nm than port Macquarie but worth it in my opinion. Some good seas at present so timing the tides need to be factored in. There's a lot of vessels heading south now so they will have company

100 miles is okay to do in a nice fast cat. I often leave at the very crack of dawn (around 4.30 -5) and can easily get over 100 miles done in a nice noreaster day. (I did Coffs to Port Stephens - 150 miles - from 5am to 8pm once - almost 10 knot average.)

Cats like the Schionning are great bar crossers if they keep speed up when surfing and have someone good and fast on the wheel. I usually have full sail up on bars when coming in, to help me stay in full control when coming off the back of a wave, and staying ahead of the next one. This is not what is recommended on heavier monos but this boat will be in full control up to 20 knots. You do NOT want to go slow and then only start surfing when you are at the lip of a big wave, safer to stay fast and in front of the crest. Boards all the way up if possible.

The coast is a nice trip on a fast cat. Bars are less of an issue and you can do over 100 miles easily in a strong noreaster. I DON"T recommend ever crossing a bar at night. Only come into Coffs and other harbours at night. Meteye and Windy are your friends. Watch them closely. A quick look has them having a slow and tricky night on Tuesday into Wednesday so no 100 miles in daylight - maybe a nice trip to Yamba and out again in the morning. Faffing around at night in light headwinds is not my idea of a great time.

cheers

Phil

Thanks for the reply's. They are now going to Yamba for the first leg of the journey. Just wondering Phil, why you would say " Only come into Coffs and other harbours at night."(3

Yeah, badly written. I meant, don't cross bars at night but it is okay, but not ideal to enter a harbour. I always prefer to leave a place I know in the dark, rather arrive anywhere in the dark

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Kankama said..
Yeah, badly written. I meant, don't cross bars at night but it is okay, but not ideal to enter a harbour. I always prefer to leave a place I know in the dark, rather arrive anywhere in the dark

Yes, with you on that.

What are the conditions like at the bar of the Macleary River at SW Rocks for a low tide slack water crossing this evening ?
Trial Bay looks a bit exposed for this evening as well.

Can be a wild ride at southwest rocks, Coffs would have been a better option with the forecast.
trial bay is open to the north and as is an excellent anchorage in a southerly. None of the places in reach are suitable, I'd suggest stay out and make for port Stephens, or just put up with a northerly in trail bay, if the swell hasn't generated much it might be ok. Crowdy head maybe but it's very tight. Small river bar crossing are avoided after dark at low tide even with local knowledge. Stay at sea is my advice

Thanks

They gave Trial Bay a go but are heading back out

Yep, that would be quite uncomfortable tonight at SWR, and their better off being in a decent port by mid morning with a small Southerly coming through before midday, Saturday through to Tuesday they'd want to be at a good anchorage.

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Guitz said..
They gave Trial Bay a go but are heading back out

Smart. Not a lot of open roadstead protection on the coast for a northerly but they'll make good time with this breeze and low swell. If they can manage the fatigue for the night they will make it into a nice southeasterly (not too bad to sail the east coast in) for the morning with more options for shelter if needed. They'll have a lot of options from Port Stephens southward with deep entry to Newcastle, Sydney harbour, Botany Bay and Port Hacking as easy over night stays. If they need a hand in Port Hacking let me know and I can help out organising a few things for them

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Guitz said..
What are the conditions like at the bar of the Macleary River at SW Rocks for a low tide slack water crossing this evening ?
Trial Bay looks a bit exposed for this evening as well.

You can check out the bar cams at nsw.gov.au search for Webcams.

Looking the day before or at the same tide will give an indication of the next day unless there's a storm brewing.

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BlueMoon said..
Yep, that would be quite uncomfortable tonight at SWR, and their better off being in a decent port by mid morning with a small Southerly coming through before midday, Saturday through to Tuesday they'd want to be at a good anchorage.

Looks like westerlies though so reef down, stay in close and giddy up to Eden for me where I'd be waiting out a weather window to head around the corner.

They have given themselves 3 weeks to get to Westernport so no hurry. The have about 30 knots at the moment so have the headsail only and are going 10 knots. They are thinking of going in at Foster.

The northern side of Forster is tuncurry that is the anchorage if they go in there's some piles to tie up to or anchor on the sand bar before the bridge. It isn't like the ballina or Yamba it's tight by comparison, they will enjoy port stephens.

Foster is good but be sure they come in on the high end of tide. Tides are quite extreme at the moment and the run out there is strong.

They have anchored in Camden Haven.

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Guitz said..
They have anchored in Camden Haven.

Good one, would have been "sail by braille" this morning, quite foggy.
Port Stephans isn't the best in howling Westerlies, no perfect anchorages....even Fame Cove is open to the W.

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Guitz said..
They have anchored in Camden Haven.

If they need a hand with anything or a lift somewhere, let us know, theres a couple of us SB'ers in the Camden Haven.

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BlueMoon said..

Guitz said..
They have anchored in Camden Haven.

If they need a hand with anything or a lift somewhere, let us know, theres a couple of us SB'ers in the Camden Haven.

Thanks, I'll let them know.
Very much appreciating the online support for this journey.
I hope I'm not living too vicariously with this one but think its a good idea to give them support on their Journey. The responsibility for decision making always lies with the skipper.
Here's a pic my son sent me from early this morning, I presume on the approach to Camden Haven

The weak southerly didn't happen here on the mid north coast, yet anyway, they probably used this nice NW. The NW is getting a bit gusty here now and it's hot.
But lovely on the Camden Haven.


What's the update on how their going?
Cheers

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BlueMoon said..
[SNIP]
What's the update on how their going?
Cheers

Yeah I have been following along with interest too.

They had a rest day in Camden Haven and left sometime this afternoon. This leg is to Nelson Bay arriving in the morning I presume.
Before they left they moved closer to the mouth in the little spot inside the southern breakwall for a bit of a swim etc.
I grabbed a screenshot from the NSW Bar webcam there. ( Next they'll think I'm stalking them....)



On their trip down after their quick move on from Trial Bay there was the yacht Ruela 2 on a similar track not far behind them during the day. I noticed it had dropped the pick off the beach just north of the entrance to Camden Haven sometime before dawn on the 11th. I reckon that white yacht in the above pick might be Ruela 2. It's a solid looking motorsailer that looks like it means business!
I must say I was quite concerned from my vantage point looking on about their earlier plan to head to Split Rock after their stay at Yamba as conditions didn't look favourable from my looking at the computer etc and the distance meant arriving after dark if they didn't have a fast passage so before sunset I rang the local fishing charter operator to ask his opinion on conditions in the bay. Without hesitation he offered to drive and have a look at the entrance and at Trial Bay. 10 minutes later he rang back advising against a bar crossing and saying the bay would be ok in that it wasn't life threatening if they have good ground tackle but quite uncomfortable and advised them to pick up the police buoy if possible and if it didn't prove ok to head out again. I will have to find the name of the local bottle shop and post him a voucher. What a top bloke.
They have 3 crew for the watch rotation so it was ok fatigue wise. It was a great relief to know they would not come to grief entering the bay and looking on with Marine Traffic I could see thew where having difficulty anchoring and after trying two locations off they went going quite wide as it suited the comfort of the ride in a 30 wind and also gave them time to arrive at Camden Haven in daylight.
So all is going quite well with valuable experience being gained.

Correction, they are back in Camden Haven for the night.

Was probably this mob,

This is the one.
www.swrestuarycharters.com.au/

They are no their way to Nelson Bay

As mentioned getting into the Bay is not fun with the westerly on the nose, short sharp waves all the way in and 10 times worse on run out tide.
Ducking in on the southern side and getting into Shoal bay offers fair protection,

www.nsw.gov.au/topics/using-waterways/conditions-weather-and-tides/webcams/shoal-bay-port-stephens#toc-live-webcam

The cam doesnt show how rough it is bit the shaking camera gives it away.

PS do they plan to go outside of Broughton Island or inside?
Hugging the beach will be a better ride,

They might be better ducking into Esmerelda Bay Broughton instead of the Bay in this weather!!

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Lazzz said..
They might be better ducking into Esmerelda Bay Broughton instead of the Bay in this weather!!

Yes, was about to say that too, Esmeralda Cove is a real option in this wind