Hello Seabreezers,

I'm currently in Melbourne lock-down and dreaming about doing a trip up the stretch of coast line commonly referred to as the Great Ocean Road this summer.
I have a suitable boat (Swanson 31) and a moderate level of experience.

General plan is for a week sometime in early January. Sailing solo and sticking to day trips as much as possible. I've been up the coast as far as Port Fairy before, but that was a crew, racing on a boat much bigger and faster than my own. I don't plan to over extend myself by heading out that far at this stage.

Basic plan is Queenscliff to Apollo Bay. Rest up there. Round Cape Otway to Port Campbell. Back via Apollo Bay.
A question on Port Campbell.
Has anybody used Port Campbell that as an overnight stop-over?

It does look somewhat exposed in all but benign conditions. There is a jetty there looks more to be the premise of being a drop off point for shallow draught fishing vessels, so I'd probably just anchor out in the bay.
I'd run this idea past my regular club-mates first, but I haven't been out there for a while (Melbourne lock-down).
I believe half of them follow this site anyway.

Port Campbell? A popular stop-over point with good holding or a wash-basin of swell that everybody avoids?

I don't know but there are some fantastic stories of hardship and tragedy along that coast!

Hi Wildemann, sounds like a good trip and something positive to look forward to. I don't know that coast, but looking on the Navionics webapp, I can see your concern, it's pretty exposed through there. There's a telephone number listed on the yacht symbol - tel:+61 3 5598 6053. That might get you some local knowledge. Let us know what you discover please, you never know when I might be along that way.

Port Campbell, sorry wouldn't dare in any weather. But beauty is Furneaux Group and Refuge Cove triangle.

No no no to Port Campbell! Anchored in a narrow inlet that faces directly SW into the source of the worst of Bass Strait weather - what could possibly go wrong? But yes yes to Port Fairy a little further on if you have the conditions and time. Heading into the calm of the Moyne river from the ocean is magical, and you can berth right in the middle of town for a pretty modest fee. Or you could stop in Warnambool. A week would be cutting if pretty fine. If that's all you have, figure on Apollo Bay and back.

January is not the greatest time in Bass Strait. If you can delay till late February or March you'll usually have better weather. And my broken-record response to any Bass Strait queries is to buy a copy of the excellent CYAV's "Cruising Victoria" book. Even if you never go near your boat again, you will enjoy countless happy hours of arm-chair cruising. But when you do go you'll have heaps of great information on all the stopping points and what you'll encounter in between.

Cheers, Graeme

Sounds a fantastic trip.
You realise that coastline is called "the shipwreck coast " for good reason
with over 500 recorded.
Notwithstanding it is a magnificent coast from the Ocean in good weather. In not so good weather or at night it can be treacherous for the inexperienced. Nearly ended up on the beach at Warrnambool in a rough Melbourne to Portland race one night on a Bounty 35.
Admiralty Charts a must imo as there are many rock outcrops
Can be a busy shipping highway and they come up pretty fast so keep an eye out .
Been to Port Campbell a few times ,by road, and never saw a boat anchored In the bay.
The cray fishing boats are lifted in and out by the crane on the wharf .
Talk to the various yacht clubs along the coast such as Portland and Apollo Bay for local info.
eg. Cape Otway below . That white water are rocks offshore. I would keep well outside Some braver than I would cut the corner and go inside

.
Edit. What wongaga says

Thanks for the excellent advice on Port Campbell.
Pretty much confirming my initial thoughts.
Plan 'A' had always been go to Apollo Bay for a couple of days and do a day trip out from there as and when I felt like it.

Thanks for the advice on Bass Straight in general as well.
I've done a bit of sailing out there and know it can get nasty.
I spent a couple of years crewing on a boat that actively competed in the regular Offshore Racing Club of Victoria races.
A Sydney-Hobart as well.
Me sitting amidships (wearing yellow with red cap) with kite sheet in hand.

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Bananabender said..
Sounds a fantastic trip.
You realise that coastline is called "the shipwreck coast " for good reason
with over 500 recorded.
Notwithstanding it is a magnificent coast from the Ocean in good weather. In not so good weather or at night it can be treacherous for the inexperienced. Nearly ended up on the beach at Warrnambool in a rough Melbourne to Portland race one night on a Bounty 35.
Admiralty Charts a must imo as there are many rock outcrops
Can be a busy shipping highway and they come up pretty fast so keep an eye out .
Been to Port Campbell a few times ,by road, and never saw a boat anchored In the bay.
The cray fishing boats are lifted in and out by the crane on the wharf .
Talk to the various yacht clubs along the coast such as Portland and Apollo Bay for local info.
eg. Cape Otway below . That white water are rocks offshore. I would keep well outside Some braver than I would cut the corner and go inside

.
Edit. What wongaga says

That sort of photo scares me at some primeval level. At night....peering into the darkness....shudder.

Select to expand quote

shaggybaxter said..

Bananabender said..
Sounds a fantastic trip.
You realise that coastline is called "the shipwreck coast " for good reason
with over 500 recorded.
Notwithstanding it is a magnificent coast from the Ocean in good weather. In not so good weather or at night it can be treacherous for the inexperienced. Nearly ended up on the beach at Warrnambool in a rough Melbourne to Portland race one night on a Bounty 35.
Admiralty Charts a must imo as there are many rock outcrops
Can be a busy shipping highway and they come up pretty fast so keep an eye out .
Been to Port Campbell a few times ,by road, and never saw a boat anchored In the bay.
The cray fishing boats are lifted in and out by the crane on the wharf .
Talk to the various yacht clubs along the coast such as Portland and Apollo Bay for local info.
eg. Cape Otway below . That white water are rocks offshore. I would keep well outside Some braver than I would cut the corner and go inside

.
Edit. What wongaga says

That sort of photo scares me at some primeval level. At night....peering into the darkness....shudder.

God I loved the excitement of those overnighters along that coast back in the 70/80s before electronics . Was lousy calculating leeway so a bit of added spice when on the nose in rough weather.

.

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wildemann said..
Thanks for the excellent advice on Port Campbell.
Pretty much confirming my initial thoughts.
Plan 'A' had always been go to Apollo Bay for a couple of days and do a day trip out from there as and when I felt like it.

Thanks for the advice on Bass Straight in general as well.
I've done a bit of sailing out there and know it can get nasty.
I spent a couple of years crewing on a boat that actively competed in the regular Offshore Racing Club of Victoria races.
A Sydney-Hobart as well.
Me sitting amidships (wearing yellow with red cap) with kite sheet in hand.

Nice, what's the name of the boat?

Have just ordered a copy of the CYAV "Cruising Victoria book, as recommended by Wongaga.
Just I was after.
Thanks.

The boat pictured above is "Beyond Outrageous". Raced in the 2011 Sydney-Hobart under the name "Kiss Goodbye to MS" as part of a fund-raising campaign into finding a cure to multiple sclerosis. Regrettably there is still no cure to this condition, although progress has been made with treatments to manage and slow its progression.

My sailing these days is a bit more like this.

Apologies to wildemann for a late thread-stealing message in the public interest:

EVERY Victorian yacht owner MUST buy themselves a copy of the CYAV's "Cruising Victoria" book. Editor Andrew Garret and his team did a fabulous job, and there has not been another comprehensive publication like this covering our entire coast since the venerable "Victoria's Waterways" in the mid-1980's. It also covers all the Bass Strait islands and Tassie's north coast.

Even if you never go out through PPB heads, you will enjoy endless hours of happy reading and dreaming. That's especially handy nowadays, when you can barely leave your front door. Drop a hint to the family for a great Christmas gift. End of rant.

Cheers, Graeme

'Even if you never go out through PPB heads'
I know everyone these days ,including some local gov'ts , incorrectly calls Port Phillip
Port Phillip Bay but did did know there are 16 Bays in Port Phiilip

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Bananabender said..
'Even if you never go out through PPB heads'
I know everyone these days ,including some local gov'ts , incorrectly calls Port Phillip
Port Phillip Bay but did did know there are 16 Bays in Port Phiilip

That is just like Sydney, where we have Port Jackson, with three harbours, but everbody just talks about Sydney Harbour.