Hi everyone,

in October I am heading off for a round Australia trip and we will be visiting every state in Australia, plus the Northern Territory. One issue I was wondering about was the different rules in each state / territory. Safety equipment is one area that every state appears to have its own rules. However it appears there are other requirements that differ ie anchor lights, landing permits, etc. I'm based in WA so below are the WA rules, how do they differ in your state / territory? Any items I have missed?

Safety Equipment - yacht
Recreational Skippers Ticket
Bilge pump
fire extinguishers
anchor & line
life jackets
2xorange 2xred flares
2x parachute flares
EPIRB
Marine radio

Safety Equipment - tender (protected waters)
Recreational skippers ticket
bailer

Permits / Landing Fees
Required for Rottnest
Believe its required for some National Parks in the Kimberlys(?)

Other
Anchor light when "anchored"
Steaming lights - yacht - Side lights & stern lights or combined mast light. Understand you cannot display both
Steaming light - dinghy - white light visible all around
Black water - Sewage must not be discharged in designated areas or within 500 metres of land or 100 metres of a stationary vessel or person in the water.
Gray water - no requirements?
Maximum time allowed to anchor - no limits?

Ilenart

transportsafety.vic.gov.au/maritime-safety/recreational-vessel-operators/powerboat/victorian-recreational-boating-safety-handbook

This handbook is a summary of the legislation. Interstate licence holders can have 3 months sailing here before needing to convert a licence. (page 129). Safety equipment Emergency equipment depends on the size of the yacht above/less than 8m (page 38) are based on common sense; same goes for lights.
No permits required at all, as far as I have travelled. Fishing is not permitted in some areas, but is mostly permitted such as at Wilson's Promontory (most of it).
Grey water and sewage have no specific rules (as far as I can tell), and anyway a holding tank is a good idea. Plenty of pump out facilities in some areas, esp. in the Gippsland Lakes.

As far as Blackwater is concerned polregs is no discharge inside 3nm off shore, ld be fairly certain that all states would adopt that regulation plus there would be site specific restrictions, and I dare say you could put grey water in the same category. NSW pfd to be worn when solo in a dingy catches more than the occasional interstater out and some whoha about dingy being marked "tender to ....." if the outboard is greater than 5hp otherwise it needs to be registered. The powers that be here haven't as yet mandated hin number and builders plate for dingys yet

In qld, V sheet, waterproof torch, fire bucket ,
Parachute flares and charts are not required

Don't overthink this. Google is your friend.
I am resident in the NT where the requirements are really lax, including no marine radio or skippers ticket required.

After multiple circumnavigations of Australia over the past 30 years I have only been boarded once (WA north by fisheries with no interest in the boat only fishing related matters). Maritime have stopped by many times for a friendly chat. As long as one is polite and their boat appears loved an in good tidy condition you will have few problems.

Thanks for all the comments. Anyone from Tasmania as we are planning on going down the west coast, spending Xmas in Hobart then up the east coast.

Ilenart

For Tasmania you do require a few strange things, check out the gov web sites.
Don't forget there are various requirements for fishing licences in each state.
National parks are a problem for fishing especially in QLD so get the state marine park maps especially the Great Barrier Reef park [free] ones as fishing fines there are in the order of 1K for each event.
In NSW we still have crazy anchoring rules which limit you to 28 days in any "one" place in addition to 90 days anchoring max in any one year!

So basically you should check the marine boating, fishing and Marine park rules for each state.

Regarding NT, I saw somewhere that you can get a general permit to sail and land in Aboriginal Land areas, otherwise permits for each area you intend to visit will have to be obtained if required.

You are an optimist!

Wish you the best of luck!

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Ilenart said..
Thanks for all the comments. Anyone from Tasmania as we are planning on going down the west coast, spending Xmas in Hobart then up the east coast.

Ilenart

Don't go down the west coast in November/ December.
And remember every big SW starts as a NW.
Wait until late January at least when the highs start to establish themselves in the Bight.
Before Xmas there is nothing to block the fronts as they come across the Indian Ocean.

Absolute cracker cruising in Tas this week until tonight.
Big high parked right on top.
Fled today though in case the boarders closed again

And remember it's is Tasmania weather systems move west to east not south to north and move very quickly.

you have destinations not time tables.

As for Tasmania, the biggest one is must wear a PFD at all times in a boat under 6m even the tender to the beach

And radar reflector is mandatory

Also join Tas Maritime (a private radio group) which provides HF and VHF coverage and three skeds a day as well as the weather for Tasmania and Bass strait.

Hi Ilenart, you must be feeling excited about the upcoming trip, wow what a journey. I hope you'll document it as you go?

Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) website is a good starting point for Tasmanian info. This page outlines required safety equipment: mast.tas.gov.au/safe-boating/safety-equipment/.

Tas Maritime Radio is a good service. But I think they'll still talk to you even if you don't join up as a member. It's only $65 or if you want to help support them: tasmaritime.com.au/

Also if you're considering shortcutting from the east coast, towards Hobart, and making a transit through the Dunally Canal, Tas Maritime now have a real time web cam operating on The Narrows (East Coast bar entrance) tasmaritime.com.au/TMR/services/safety-camera

Ramona's advice is worth heeding, I haven't done the trip myself, but I know what the weather systems are doing at that time of year, and it's all moving quickly and strongly and not good for that coast. Personally, I'd even be cautious of January and prefer later than that.

Agree, just been charitable with late January, late February into early May is best.

Can I ask what type of boat, Tas always throws up interesting anchoring challenges

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lydia said..
Can I ask what type of boat, Tas always throws up interesting anchoring challenges

Hallberg Rassy 40. Need depth of 2m.

Thanks for your comments about the Tasmania west coast and one option is to go thru Bass Strait and down the east coast in Late November / December. However, quite frankly not sure whats the difference between Bass Strait or Tasmania West coast during late November / early December. Our plan is to wait at Port Fairy for the right weather, then head for King Island. Then again wait for the right weather and head to Macquarie Harbour, then Port Davey and Coalbins Bay, following the same pattern. Have plenty of time scheduled to wait for the right weather (or COVID-19 quaranteen!).

Personally the 4 day Great Australian Bight crossing concerns me more than the Tasmania west coast. Hence my heavy weather preparation has been pretty extensive.

Ilenart

In a word, the sea state
There is a lot more shelter coast hopping the Vic coast then the 24 hour trip across to Stanley and then along the north coast.
Also the dangerous wind is NW quadrant so you close the the windward shore unlike the West coast.
Also you will not be the first boat to leave King Island and your first stop is Coalbins. (Btw I live just up the coast from there)
Never assume you can get in to Hell's Gates (you got radar as GPS not too accurate in them parts) and anchoring outside for the night is usually crap.
As for Port Davey, if it is good going in it will be crap going out.
Those nice thick lines on the weather charts are never like that is real life in Tas, and when the BOM says gust can be 40% than the averages given, they actually mean it in TAS. 20-25 usually means 40 plus sometime in the day.
Anyway, you will miss all the South coast anchorages in December and weather windows might be 4 weeks apart.
There is reason that the old cruising folk of Southern Tas leave the boats on the mooring until February.
Good luck.

Can I ask where you get your 4 day passage across the Bight from?

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lydia said..
Can I ask where you get your 4 day passage across the Bight from?

Daw Island to Port Lincoln, could be 5 days depending on our average speed.

Daw Island is 33 S and South West Cape at about 44 S
So you are that much closer to the centre of the Southern Ocean lows in late spring with no blocking high to force the lows further south.
Cheers

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Ilenart said..

lydia said..
Can I ask where you get your 4 day passage across the Bight from?

Daw Island to Port Lincoln, could be 5 days depending on our average speed.

May I suggest that even though Daw island is closer to your intended destination of Port Lincoln we prefer to hang out at Wharton / Duke of Orleans Bay. It's an all weather anchorage unlike Daw island plus you get phone coverage to plan your weather window.
Daw island is deep and very exposed as the wind swings through the North before a westerly change. Middle island anchorage also lacks all round protection.
As for time of year , when heading east we prefer to be at Wharton at the end of winter. Ready for a September window. On our last crossing we left after a very strong westerly front . The wind quickly clocks into the South and moderates. The go is to get down to around 40 south to stay south of the high ( very close reach). A 5 day window is unusual so be prepared to motor for the last 24 hours as the centre of the high reaches Lincoln. The next front will not be far away.
By late October the easterlies may be starting depending on the year.

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gwiongwion said..

Ilenart said..

lydia said..
Can I ask where you get your 4 day passage across the Bight from?

Daw Island to Port Lincoln, could be 5 days depending on our average speed.

May I suggest that even though Daw island is closer to your intended destination of Port Lincoln we prefer to hang out at Wharton / Duke of Orleans Bay. It's an all weather anchorage unlike Daw island plus you get phone coverage to plan your weather window.
Daw island is deep and very exposed as the wind swings through the North before a westerly change. Middle island anchorage also lacks all round protection.
As for time of year , when heading east we prefer to be at Wharton at the end of winter. Ready for a September window. On our last crossing we left after a very strong westerly front . The wind quickly clocks into the South and moderates. The go is to get down to around 40 south to stay south of the high ( very close reach). A 5 day window is unusual so be prepared to motor for the last 24 hours as the centre of the high reaches Lincoln. The next front will not be far away.
By late October the easterlies may be starting depending on the year.

Thanks gwiongwion, appreciate your comments. Was planning on staying at Victoria Harbour prior to Middle & Daw Island, Duke of Orleans Bay also looks good. I also have Predictwind via Iridium Go, so getting phone coverage is not such an issue. Was thinking we may skip Middle / Daw Island depending on the situation / weather, your comments suggest this maybe the way to go. My plan is to head south pretty quickly to get down to around 35 south and track straight to Port Lincoln, have had a few friends who have done this on previous crossings. But definitely weather dependent, depending on placement of the lows / highs coming behind us. My insurance has a limitation of 250NM so I will try to stay within this. May have to give my insurance company a ring :). We carry 460 litres of diesel in the tanks, so plenty of scope for motoring.

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gwiongwion said..

Ilenart said..

lydia said..
Can I ask where you get your 4 day passage across the Bight from?

Daw Island to Port Lincoln, could be 5 days depending on our average speed.

May I suggest that even though Daw island is closer to your intended destination of Port Lincoln we prefer to hang out at Wharton / Duke of Orleans Bay. It's an all weather anchorage unlike Daw island plus you get phone coverage to plan your weather window.
Daw island is deep and very exposed as the wind swings through the North before a westerly change. Middle island anchorage also lacks all round protection.
As for time of year , when heading east we prefer to be at Wharton at the end of winter. Ready for a September window. On our last crossing we left after a very strong westerly front . The wind quickly clocks into the South and moderates. The go is to get down to around 40 south to stay south of the high ( very close reach). A 5 day window is unusual so be prepared to motor for the last 24 hours as the centre of the high reaches Lincoln. The next front will not be far away.
By late October the easterlies may be starting depending on the year.

Victoria Harbour/Hammerhead is more a summer easterly / low swell anchorage, even then the bullets and surge become very tiring.

My apologies llenart that was meant to read 35 south not 40. The same latitude as Kangaroo island. Good luck with your trip