Sailing Whitsundays

[Normanby]

Hello,
I'm going to a conference on Hamilton Island for the week beginning the 1st June, and I’m daydreaming about driving up there from Melbourne and having a week or so sailing either before or after the conference.
If I do that, where should I take my little Investigator for a bit of 'fun in the sun' in fair FNQ?
I did the same thing last year when this same annual conference was on South Stradbroke Island, and they had their own marina where I was allowed to leave the boat. But sailing on the Broadwater was okay, not so picturesque as I’d have liked, and super busy with huge powerboat status symbols charging hither and yon.

Any ideas as to how I can make my Hamilton Island trip a fun sailing holiday too? Might even be tax deductible!
Does anyone know if I can sail to Hamilton and moor the boat for the week?

Any ideas would be welcome. Maybe I should have the sailing part on Lake Macquarie on my way up there instead?

And this is a long shot, but does anyone know about the rules and facilities if I choose to take the dog?

[BobK]

Normanby,

You might find our post on the Whitsundays useful

http://www.investigator563.com/forum/vi ... p?f=2&t=46

We spent 2 weeks there last June/July. Sailing to Hamilton is no problem, although you need to watch the weather because the passage can be lumpy in strong S/E winds, which are fairly common in the area. But if the weather isn't too good when you get there you can still get to Hamilton by ferry. If you find you arrive when the weather is unfriendly you could leave the boat at Airlie, and then sail out of Airlie after the conference.

You can berth the boat at Hamilton but you'd be wise to book ahead. Only problem is the cost. They charge a minimum fee (about $65/night I think) but you can live aboard. So why not put the marina fees on the taxman and stay on the boat? I would.

Don't know about dogs but I'd think it unlikely they'd be too keen. Best to give them a call on Hammo.

Suggest you launch at Airlie, near the VMR. Don't go to the ramp near the marina. See the pic below. If you want somewhere to leave the trailer in Airlie try Stuart Bell at Boatel on 0400464949. Left the trailer there for $100 cash for 2 weeks. He's not chasing that kind of business but he might be willing to do it again if you ask nicely.

If you find you arrive when the weather is unfriendly you could leave the boat at Airlie, and then sail out of there after the conference.

[Normanby]

Thanks for that Bob,

I have indeed read your posts about your trip, and i have saved your GPS track for reference.

Did you take along a cruising guide of some sort? I was looking at this one:
http://www.marinasguide.com.au/planner/ ... cmiles.htm
But perhaps you can suggest a better one?
How long did your passage from Airlie Beach to Hamilton take?
And is the navigation fairly easy? Would you say that a GPS is a necessity or a luxury (i don't have one yet)?

I think i will live-aboard at the marina at Hamilton. $65 per day is much better than the $260 (minimum) per night at the cheapest resort.
I agree about the dog. The Marine Parks website says basically no dogs anywhere, anytime. Shame, she's my favourite sailing companion (one day i aspire to be the calibre of person my dog thinks i am!).

Any and all advice much appreciated. Most of my sailing has been in 'simple' places navigation-wise; Gippsland Lakes and Port Phillip Bay (on the 6 or 7 days of the year it's not too windy).

By the way, when it got blowy for you, do you reef the main? Jiffy or reef gromets?

Thanks again for your generous advice.

[Yara50]

Sorry to be a fuddy duddy, but I would suggest rather get an airline package, fly up, stay in a hotel, and then maybe do a few days on one of the big yachts that sail out of Airlie or Shute Harbour.
Reasons-
* There are lots of things that can go wrong on a tow from Melbourne to the Whits.
* High cost of fuel when towing all that way.
* The strong currents and tides in the region need experience and time to work around- if you have a deadline to get to a conference, could end up being very stressful.

When you have holidays, come up and sail Port Jackson (Sydney), Broken Bay-Pittwater, Lake Macquarie.

[BobK]

Normanby

We used 100 Magic Miles which is pretty much a must have.

As for navigation, I'd say it's fairly simple. Plenty of significant landmarks around, and I assume you'd have the charts. But that said I use a GPS anyway, because I work with GPS for a living and don't go anywhere without one.

It's 16NM from Airlie to Hamilton Is. We didn't go direct. Went Airlie straight across the passage south of Hook Is. Stayed the first night in Nara Inlet I think. But if you want to go straight to Hamilton you'd want to allow 4 or 5 hours I guess. Have to watch the tides otherwise you'll get nowhere. I'd get there a few days early and take it as it comes.

When it got blowy I was heading in to wind so I just motored. But the Investigator handles a lot better with a reef or two above 15/20kts.

[Normanby]

I hear what you're saying Ian, and thanks for the advice.
But when it comes to sailing i've found i only really enjoy it when i'm alone (plus the dog). I'd find sailing on a big yacht with other guests a bit too trying.
I've towed Pip to Southport before with the same car and trailer, this time last year, and i rather like the long-distance driving. In another life i could have been a truckie. I crave the solitude of the open road and of the open sea i guess.

Thanks Bob. I'll have the charts and the book, and i plan to arrive in Airlie two days before the conference starts. If the forecast turns out to be too windy for both of those two days i've been advised by the Marina Manager that i can have Pip taken over to Hamilton on their barge, on her trailer (but not the car - they're banned). Then they'll tow her to the ramp and drop her in for me. So that's Plan B.

The Marina will charge me $415 for the week, which seems okay, if the facilities are as "world class" as they say.

I don't think i'll buy a GPS just for this trip. Turns out a mate of mine used to be a wind-surfing instructor at Airlie years ago. He's wind-surfed to Hamilton, and reckons all the landmarks are easily identified. Charts, tide tables, and a compass should be all that is needed (must fix that depth sounder too, that way i can run aground just as often as i usually do, but i'll have less excuse).

Wish me luck, i'll let you all know how i go.

[Yara50]

Matt
You are a brave man good luck!
Tell us about sailing with your dog. Our dog thinks he can walk on water, and I am a bit reluctant to take him on board as he will be hard to retrieve if he decides to go for a swim. (Did it once from the inflatable dingy, and that was easier to lift him back on board.) Also, around our area, most landing spots are National park, and dogs are not allowed.

Hand held GPS units are only around $150, and are invaluable not just for position navigation, but to give you speed over the ground. This will be particularly useful if you are navigating where there are strong tides.

Incidentally, on Hammo there is a staff restaurant which is a lot cheaper than the fancy places, you just have to pretend you are a worker.

[BobK]

I'd endorse the recommendation for a GPS. I've got one of these.

This one looks like a good deal and they are in Melbourne so maybe you can save on postage. I've got one and it's all you need. No maps but you don't need them on the GPS. Plot your course using the program that comes with the GPS (Mapsource), check the route by viewing in Google Earth (easy) and save it, and you are good to go. This will give you tracking info, groundspeed, distance to run, ETA and more.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Garmin-GPS-60-BR ... 255a95dcea

Have a great trip and keep us posted.

[Normanby]

Thanks for all the very useful advice.

Sorry I haven’t responded sooner, once I had made the decision to go sailing I soon realised just how much other stuff I had to get done before I left.
So I just ploughed through work, parenting, etc… didn’t really have time to get on the forum, and headed off last Wednesday, with very few plans other than getting to Airlie Beach by the weekend.

So here I sit, in a motel in Airlie, and the car and boat are on the nature strip out the front. The drive was long – 2,700 km – and it took about 40 hours behind the wheel. It’s funny, I blasted on through like some kind of endurance event, thinking that I’d have more sailing time if I got here as soon as possible. But I was so tired that it’s been two days at this motel taking it easy and resting. Making it not so much of a three day drive, as a five day drive – three driving and two resting! I think I’ll take it a bit more leisurely on the way back.
Car, boat and trailer came through like champions. Though I bent the jockey wheel getting the boat out of the laneway at the back of my Richmond house (bluestone laneways – pretty, but bumpy).

Now that I’ve had a look around I agree that the Shute Harbour boat ramp would be the best to launch at, and as someone mentioned, busy as hell on the weekends. So Monday morning (tomorrow) looks best.

Having said that, the forecast is 15 – 20 knots, seas to 1.7 metres, so I’m 90% sure I’ll take the barge option. That means having the boat and trailer taken over on the barge and the boat launched on the island. It’s easier to get secure parking for just a car than for a car and trailer.

So after this week (which will be full of this conference) I’ll go sailing. Not sure where yet. I’ll be sleeping on the boat in the marina which is about $60 per night – as opposed to $360 for a resort room.

I’ve bought “100 Magic Miles” and read a fair bit of it. It’s deflated my confidence a bit – the tidal range and coral rubble sea floor kind of put the kibosh on the trailer sailer party trick of tying up to the shore and stepping off the boat onto dry sand.

I may ignore the Whitsundays altogether. A friend of mine who sails keel boats around here regularly says I’d have more fun cruising the Keppel Group – given the strengths/weaknesses of a trailer sailer. Less tidal range and more sandy beaches. Dunno. I may sail around the trailer-sailer-friendly parts of the Whitsundays for a week then drive to Rockhampton and do another week in the Keppel Group. I’ll buy that book by that Lucas fellow about the Curtis Coast if I go there.

Anyhow, plans schmans. The only certainty is that I have to be back in Melbourne around the 18th June. We’ll see how we go. The only downer is that I miss my dog.

I bought that Garman G30 – the very one on eBay that was recommended on this thread. Thanks for the recommendation.