Accommodation is booked, holidays booked, check!!!

Shaggy,

Is that mix of NSW V 's QLD boats typical for race week? There seems to be a low representation from the local boats.

Hi LMY,
I thought the same thing, and from memory, not that big a gap. Might be an indication of the differences in the State economies, qld is in the toilet at the mo.

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PhoenixStar said..

gyccrewman said..
I suppose most would go outside Fraser island? I'd be keen to help anyone who would want a crew member for a few days along the QLD coast. (If I can get the time off work)

Why would you want to go outside Fraser? Fuel at Urangan, stores at Bundy, The bar is OK 90% of the time..

Not many go outside Fraser, only those in a hurry

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LMY said..
Shaggy,

Is that mix of NSW V 's QLD boats typical for race week? There seems to be a low representation from the local boats.

Not many local boats left after the last Cyclone, insurance companies saw to that!

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PhoenixStar said..

gyccrewman said..
I suppose most would go outside Fraser island? I'd be keen to help anyone who would want a crew member for a few days along the QLD coast. (If I can get the time off work)

Why would you want to go outside Fraser? Fuel at Urangan, stores at Bundy, The bar is OK 90% of the time..

I was thinking of going outside Fraser... being that I only have 6 to 8 weeks and want to get as far north as I can in that time. Not sure how I'll go doing overnighters solo... that's my next challenge.

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McNaughtical said..

PhoenixStar said..

gyccrewman said..
I suppose most would go outside Fraser island? I'd be keen to help anyone who would want a crew member for a few days along the QLD coast. (If I can get the time off work)

Why would you want to go outside Fraser? Fuel at Urangan, stores at Bundy, The bar is OK 90% of the time..

I was thinking of going outside Fraser... being that I only have 6 to 8 weeks and want to get as far north as I can in that time. Not sure how I'll go doing overnighters solo... that's my next challenge.

You leave Mooloolabar then plan on 3 nights sailing to Gladstone - that's a lot of effort single handed and it is mostly close inshore, so not much rest, particularly if you are relying on wind steering. 8 weeks of day hops up and back, smelling the daisies as you go, you can make the Whitsundays easily and maybe to Townsville.

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Shaggybaxter said..
Accommodation is booked, holidays booked, check!!!

Say hello to the guys on Zen for me. My foredecky SJ is crewing with them. Also in one of the other divisions are Darryl & David on 'That Boat', a Bav 41. They are all great bunch.

Noel

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PhoenixStar said..

McNaughtical said..

PhoenixStar said..

gyccrewman said..
I suppose most would go outside Fraser island? I'd be keen to help anyone who would want a crew member for a few days along the QLD coast. (If I can get the time off work)

Why would you want to go outside Fraser? Fuel at Urangan, stores at Bundy, The bar is OK 90% of the time..

I was thinking of going outside Fraser... being that I only have 6 to 8 weeks and want to get as far north as I can in that time. Not sure how I'll go doing overnighters solo... that's my next challenge.

You leave Mooloolabar then plan on 3 nights sailing to Gladstone - that's a lot of effort single handed and it is mostly close inshore, so not much rest, particularly if you are relying on wind steering. 8 weeks of day hops up and back, smelling the daisies as you go, you can make the Whitsundays easily and maybe to Townsville.

Thanks Phoenix,

Would like to make it as far as Townsville. I'm a bit intimidated by the stories I hear of Wide Bay Bar. Might see if I can grab a crew member for that bit.

Maybe someone might be on the way through there off sea breeze when you are going through wide bay bar Mc Nautical

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McNaughtical said..

PhoenixStar said..

McNaughtical said..

PhoenixStar said..

gyccrewman said..
I suppose most would go outside Fraser island? I'd be keen to help anyone who would want a crew member for a few days along the QLD coast. (If I can get the time off work)

Why would you want to go outside Fraser? Fuel at Urangan, stores at Bundy, The bar is OK 90% of the time..

I was thinking of going outside Fraser... being that I only have 6 to 8 weeks and want to get as far north as I can in that time. Not sure how I'll go doing overnighters solo... that's my next challenge.

You leave Mooloolabar then plan on 3 nights sailing to Gladstone - that's a lot of effort single handed and it is mostly close inshore, so not much rest, particularly if you are relying on wind steering. 8 weeks of day hops up and back, smelling the daisies as you go, you can make the Whitsundays easily and maybe to Townsville.

Thanks Phoenix,

Would like to make it as far as Townsville. I'm a bit intimidated by the stories I hear of Wide Bay Bar. Might see if I can grab a crew member for that bit.

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HG02 said..
Maybe someone might be on the way through there off sea breeze when you are going through wide bay bar Mc Nautical

The Wide bay bar is fine in good conditions. I always leave Mooloolaba so as to hit the bar at half flood tide in day light (before midday if possable) . This can often mean leaving in the early hours of the morning. I never anchor under Double Island. Double Island may be OK in a cat but not in a mono hull unless you enjoy rolling all night. Buy hitting the bar at half tide this has the added advantage of giving you a good push up to Garry's anchorage where you will get a good nights sleep. The next day you can tackle the shallows and head up along the western side of Fraser Island. We often push it and go right through to Burnet Heads. Just remember it can also be very ugly up round Breaksea and you are a long way from help. I have done 19 Brisbane to Gladstone yacht races and have seen Breaksea from glassy to very ugly. When bring the boat home we always come down the inside and over the bar.
We draw 2.2m and need at least half tide to make it over the shallows. The shallowest point is at the northern end of the shallows as you head back towards Fraser Island.
Last trip up, we had a 20kn southwester, cold, but great sail and no bar, so pray for that and you will be laughing.

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HG02 said..
Maybe someone might be on the way through there off sea breeze when you are going through wide bay bar Mc Nautical

The Wide bay bar is fine in good conditions. I always leave Mooloolaba so as to hit the bar at half flood tide in day light (before midday if possable) . This can often mean leaving in the early hours of the morning. I never anchor under Double Island. Double Island may be OK in a cat but not in a mono hull unless you enjoy rolling all night. Buy hitting the bar at half tide this has the added advantage of giving you a good push up to Garry's anchorage where you will get a good nights sleep. The next day you can tackle the shallows and head up along the western side of Fraser Island. We often push it and go right through to Burnet Heads. Just remember it can also be very ugly up round Breaksea and you are a long way from help. I have done 19 Brisbane to Gladstone yacht races and have seen Breaksea from glassy to very ugly. When bring the boat home we always come down the inside and over the bar.
We draw 2.2m and need at least half tide to make it over the shallows. The shallowest point is at the northern end of the shallows as you head back towards Fraser Island.
Last trip up, we had a 20kn southwester, cold, but great sail and no bar, so pray for that and you will be laughing.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



There's not much wrong with going over the bar late in the day or even at night, at least you can see the leads that are usually lost in the setting sun. If you don't want to anchor just south of the yellow off Inskip Point you can get good anchorage a couple of miles up the track.
If you have to stop under Double Island Point, go down to the western end of the bay for the least roll. I have holed up there in 35 knots.


The only really tricky part going up the straits is just north of and close to the green at Stewart Island, the charts show a depth that just isn't there, but if you keep close to the island you will be OK. And if you are coming into Urangan, pick something better than low tide, cos the channel south of the last yellow is narrow, shifting and shallow. A quarter tide will do it.


JodeS is right, Breaksea Spit can be a bugger particularly if a tide is running through the channels through the spit.

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PhoenixStar said..

HG02 said..
Maybe someone might be on the way through there off sea breeze when you are going through wide bay bar Mc Nautical

The Wide bay bar is fine in good conditions. I always leave Mooloolaba so as to hit the bar at half flood tide in day light (before midday if possable) . This can often mean leaving in the early hours of the morning. I never anchor under Double Island. Double Island may be OK in a cat but not in a mono hull unless you enjoy rolling all night. Buy hitting the bar at half tide this has the added advantage of giving you a good push up to Garry's anchorage where you will get a good nights sleep. The next day you can tackle the shallows and head up along the western side of Fraser Island. We often push it and go right through to Burnet Heads. Just remember it can also be very ugly up round Breaksea and you are a long way from help. I have done 19 Brisbane to Gladstone yacht races and have seen Breaksea from glassy to very ugly. When bring the boat home we always come down the inside and over the bar.
We draw 2.2m and need at least half tide to make it over the shallows. The shallowest point is at the northern end of the shallows as you head back towards Fraser Island.
Last trip up, we had a 20kn southwester, cold, but great sail and no bar, so pray for that and you will be laughing.

Pre gps days we always came over the bar in the morning so we could see the leads. These days with good gps waypoints you can come in any time. I would not tackle the bar relying on the leads at night as currently they will put you too far south. If you have reliable way points, all is calm and you have good local knowledge you are Ok at night. In McNaughtical's case with limited experience and no local knowledge I would stick to the safe way I said previously. I have gone out over the bar at night a couple of times but never come in at night. I must say I did not enjoy the experience as I still like to see where the White water is.

Jode5 is on the mark again, the bar has shifted north over half a mile - but the new track is very good even in slightly crazy weather. The next leg can be very rolly if the break is coming over the sand bank so maybe avoid a full tide. They have moved the Inscip Point leads to show the new track on the second leg.

Thanks for the advice Phoenix and Jode5. I'll be needing all the good advice I can get when it comes to it.

where do you find these "new tracks"
are they waypoints .wpt or routes .rte files .kmz
who publishes them ?

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madmission said..
where do you find these "new tracks"
are they waypoints .wpt or routes .rte files .kmz
who publishes them ?

Give VMR Tincan Bay a call when you get close to Double Island Point, they will give you the latest. I was lucky last time, I went out in daylight and it was obvious where the best exit was.

Check out Google earth it's always good just so you can get a rough idea what the area looks like from a birds eye view.

There you go done it for you as I like flying! Just keep the sand and waves to your port side and you will be fine.