HI
New to the sailing game, am planning to sail up the east coast to Qld from Port Albert Vic, solo, am interested on the amount of heavy shipping, and where, any help would be good, Thanks
Stephen
There could be ships anywhere of course, but there is always plenty of traffic outside the major ports, eg Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane (in Moreton Bay, through the channel north to Bribie and offshore there), Gladstone. Not sure about the south NSW coast. Coming north you probably won't be out wide much (avoiding the EAC), so you should be out of the major shipping lanes. An AIS, while not doing everything for you, would be useful.
Have a look on www.marinetraffic.com/ and you'll see where the heavy action is.
Hi Stephen
The safest option is log in with Coast guard. They here just for that
reason, look after boaties.
You can use app to fill up details and trip progress will be monitored.
The most important, you can ask for local advice, they happy
to advice you than rescue you.
Sailing decades Port Philip and Westernport. Suggest south west tip
Of French Is. nice spot when waiting for sailing window to Refuge.
Perhaps San Remo jetty, walking distance to shop. / very strong current /
The real answer to your real question is sailing up the NSW coast is very difficult solo. It isn't the big ships that will hinder you, it is the fishing and other small boats. You will encounter merchant traffic outside Botany Bay, Newcastle and Brisbane so can plan to be on watch to avoid them. You will encounter fishing boats and their nets and floats at every coastal village. The fishing boats are often unlit and their lookout is dependent on their workload at the time.
The safe ports are too far apart to go from one to the next in 24 hours so you will need to sleep. It therefore isn't possible to do the NSW coast solo safely although people do it and often get away with it. It is high risk and it is illegal (not the biggest issue for many but a factor) not to keep a watch at all times.
AIS might help with the big ships, it is useless with the small vessels which are your main problem.
I have been a volunteer with Marine Rescue and agree with Charriott that it is good to log on so someone will look for you if needed. However, they cannot help you with traffic advice.
I sail solo at night but only get my head down outside about 40nm, off the continental shelf, where the traffic is almost non-existent and the risk the same. The EAC is too strong to do that northbound.
HI, Thank you for your reply, am not sure its what I wanted to hear, but sounds good advise, I will need to give it more thought, I really wanted to do it solo, and realize sleep is important, and as you say ports are not every 24 hrs, would there be more traffic north or south of Sydney ?
Stephen
Steven, you have excellent boat. MB highlighted things to by aware.
It was done on T/ S , there is no reason not to do it.
You get close to commercial traffic a few time only, otherwise you mile away from shipping lines.
From my experience there is no sleeping any were around Aussie coast lines,
mostly you on lee shore, you too close and other traffic.
Key to comfort is homework, Lucas NSW is a must.
Victoria is your backyard, strait forward, isn't it?
Westernport, Reffuge Cove, Lake Entrance, Gabo Is. , Eden. Easy peasy.
Stephen, I agree with Charriot that there is no sleeping around the coast for vessels staying coastal. But I disagree on there is no reason not to do it, there are numerous reasons not to do it. Of course anything can be done but skippers must weigh up the risks and not rely on the view that someone will rescue you .
Going north you stick close to the coast to avoid the East Australian Current, google it or watch Finding Nemo. Here is a link to show you what it looks like.
oceancurrent.imos.org.au/LordHoweS/latest.html
Going outside the EAC is a long way offshore, 36? hours out? Battling against it is possible but it is 2-3 knots a lot of the time and with you doing 5 knots you can see it isn't a good place to be.
Close to the coast you don't have commercial traffic a few times, it is almost constant with fishing and other recreational vessels. Eden, Moruya, Narooma, Batemans Bay, Ulladulla, Greenwell Pt and Kiama are south of Sydney and all have fishing and recreational fleets. Sailing from Sydney to Queensland there are hundreds of small vessels that don't use AIS. E.g. Last year we had 2 fishing trawlers turn their nav lights on 200 metres from us in rain. We could not have seen them if they hadn't seen us and turned their lights on. That was off Norah Head north of Sydney about 5nm out. If you were asleep you would have been in trouble as they were recovering nets and unable to easily manoeuvre.
On those legs that can be done without proper sleep go for it. Take someone with you on the legs you can't do without sleep.
Stephen,
Take heart me lad its nowhere as bad as the blokes above are making out.
Firstly I sail solo.
Your biggest jumps are from Refuge Cove to Lakes Entrance and then to Eden. About 100 nm each
After that its all day sailing of about 60 nm each day max, with your longest day being about 12 hours, most are less than that.
I sometimes do the longer jumps, 60 nm max, as an over night'er. Its great sailing solo at night! You sleep the next day.
This allows for better planning so as to arrive at bars with a flooding tide.
Use Lucas, he has taken all the work out of planning, but double check his GPS marks for arriving off a port.
As far as shipping. You will be sailing headland to headland, its unnecessary to go into a bay when you can go straight across.
Because of this you WILL see big ships inshore of you. Especially the Newcastle Bight and north of Seal Rocks to Coffs Harbour.
They are there because they are wasting time [waiting for a berth] or avoiding the EAC which can get up to 5 knots southwards.
As for the other stuff Charriot is spot on.
Have a look at my blog for 2011 when I went up to the Whitsundays www.sailblogs.com/member/seaka/ for detailed info.
HI Thanks for your reply
I dont wish to seen or be rude, but what is "LUCAS" I only come up with Lucas Heights :)
This is Allan LUCAS: www.chartandmapshop.com.au/cruising-the-new-south-wales-coast-6th-edition-by-alan-lucas-2010
and Allan provides updates at www.alanlucascruisingguides.com/
You need both books NSW and Cruising Coral Coast ...QLD
Buy directly from ..
www.alanlucascruisingguides.com/
Guess you need some charts too, from Vic to Qld,
I have Marine Atlas, 3 books with all chats you need.
Each book was about $50.
Further up, large scale are not much help, standard 800 charts are way to go.
Some charts are not even 60 nm. /AUS622/.
Amount of charts and cost involve is scary .
Check this option 3/4 size
tidesend.com/index.php/chart-portfolios/south-pacific-galapagos-islands
Folio 705
Download the "East Coast Passage Planner". Several versions available, you can buy the full bit or just use the sampler.http://skipr.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/RPP20121203.pdf
Buy a copy of Alan Lucas guides of the NSW coast. Older edition off eBay is good enough. Download the free nav programme Seaclear and collect the appropriate digital charts. Your mates from your previous career will probably help out here. Find out the VHF frequencies used by the professional fishermen in the areas as you transit and monitor these for gossip. Trawler operators in particular always talk about the weather, currents etc. The daily current situation will have a great effect on your planning for heading North on the East Coast.
One comment regarding AIS. While it is certainly true that small vessels, such as fishing vessels, are not required to carry AIS, increasingly many of them will at least have an AIS receiver - which have come down in price dramatically in recent years. So while you won't see them (unless they have a transceiver), they'll at least see you, providing you're transmitting AIS signals.
Personally, I would not venture single-handled offshore into busy waters without an AIS transceiver.
How far north do you go before you are past the worst of the EAC. Earlier in the year I sailed from Newcastle to Gold Coast and it seemed like the current was around 4 Knots plus between Camden Haven and Coffs Harbour.
Would highly recommend Cruising the NSW Coast by Allan Lucas It was invaluable on the trip.
I have to agree, I would not feel comfortable sleeping too close inshore
RiffRaff is correct about the EAC but it can be a problem as far north as the Tweed.
Only answer is to be close in, and I mean close.
You will also need Beacon to Beacon [any version will do as last I heard it may not be reprinted, anybody know more?]
Curtis Coast and the Whitsundays 100 Magic Miles, I think there is another guide for further north and another for across the top.
And Lucas's books on NSW and Qld.
All these books are available from Boat Books.
I disagree with most, i sail solo a night often, a reliable egg timer set to 20 mins, sleep for 20 mins, look 360 carefully and sleep another 20 mins
Binoculars are good at night
Staying out at night is way way safer than entering a strange port
The biggest risk are bulk carriers slewing down the coast sideways, so you may see a port light way to your starboard but that massive ship may or may not be steaming forward
The passenger ships go real fast but they are really well lit
Agree with you Jedibrad , short handed night sailing can be tackled , with care. I also use a kitchen timer but allocate only 15 min spells. During my last RTW , 3 years ,there were 2 occasions when I would have been wiped out had I not kept watch.
One in mid N. Atlantic , but on a shipping route ( Ocean Passages for the World , chart ) and the other near Bab el Mendab , in the Gulf of Aden. More ships than you can poke a stick at !
Recently , I have been worried by small craft that move fast , such as off of coastal towns. Previously mentioned in this subject. Even with a crew and full time night watches , have been " surprised " a couple of times. Best strategy , I hope , is to keep well lit up. Clearly the fisherman that move fast , keep a good watch and probably see me from miles away.
In respect of EAC , I can only speak about S. Qld.- Travelling N from Brisbane, there could be a light counter current within 2 m of coast. Out wide , 10m +, have measured 1.5 k southerly , in early Winter , easing as Fraser comes abeam.
Fair winds, Bob
Thanks for your replys
I am amazed at the amount of help and interest I have been shown, all good advise, I still have a few jobs to do on the yacht, I bet you all got a laugh when I couldnt find "Lucas" I thought it was a port up the east coast :)
Still fitting AIS and a new 6 man life raft and numerious other small jobs as there always seems to be, but am looking forward to the trip with some concern, I too worry about entering ports that I havnt been before, with a craft drawing 7 ft and a small hp. hpoe to meet other sailers along the way soon, may even start a blog
Stephen
PS have ordered "LUCAS" from Allen
Select to expand quoteBobFord said..
Recently , I have been worried by small craft that move fast , such as off of coastal towns. Previously mentioned in this subject. Even with a crew and full time night watches , have been " surprised " a couple of times. Best strategy , I hope , is to keep well lit up. Clearly the fisherman that move fast , keep a good watch and probably see me from miles away.
Fair winds, Bob
When I was a fisherman the closest I ever came to a collision was about 3 in the morning when I had a close call with a maxi returning from Hobart. Crossed my bow about 50 metres away doing about 15 knots. At the time I was transiting to the Kiama dropline grounds,crew asleep I was watching TV. Some of the other vessels heading to the same grounds from Kiama were operating one up and traveling in a group. One bloke would keep an eye on the others with radar while they steamed along on autopilot and slept!
HI Bob
Years ago, too many to remember, I also was a fisherman, owned Cray boats out of Flinders Island, but thew was 60ft with big hp, sail I am finding a totally different "Ball game" I guess once the sea is ion your vains it stays, back then chart plotters were not around, if fact I [purchased one of the first colour sounders
Lex and Ramona, Now you've made me think again about small boats at night ! Good to have your feedback , tho'. I must say that my " near ones " , coastal, have been amateur fishermen , the ones that rush out to the reefs at 100knots ! You professionals seem to be always well lit up with your unlimited power !! Do you have advice on longliners ? Going by the" Hardlines" ,on Ch 7 ,they seem to be at least 20 nm offshore. My question - how do you pick out the line floats ? Didn't notice , on tv ,reflectors or lights mid span .
Longlines are never a problem. The main line is probably 20 metres down under the float[depending on the species they are targeting] and the branch line will be taunt. No way a yacht will catch on the line or buoy line. The longliner will normally be at one end or the other or steaming along the line burlying. Or joining the line after tankers etc snap it off. They do cut the line occasionally to let trawlers trawl through. They have beacon buoys each end and along the line to keep tabs on where its going.
I keep a powerful spot light ready at night so that if I suspect something is around I protect my eyes [to keep my night vision]
And light up my main sail.
That gets the attention of any nearby shipping!
