Slam Dunk - Brisbane

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by troymclure

Just above the cid harbour north of the headland that makes cid harbour a harbour .

Gotten pretty rolly atm as the cyclone has passed and waves are getting pushed this way, and still some pretty strong winds but i'm feeling pretty good, might even go too sleep in a bit.

Also gulnare: i draw 1.8 i figurei could probably get in there on high tide but what about the anchorage? My charts show only a small bit that is 2 metres and if there is going to be a few boats there will there be space? Otherwise i was thinking about a creek or maybe a marina, hamilton or airlie. anyone sat out a cyclone in a marina before? that one near fiji atm looks like it could be a kinda hectic...

Yeh that is Yasi further east. Nasty eh!

My guess would be that the marinas will probably be getting pretty full. .

What about Nara? Or is that full already? Its a shame that just about every public mooring up there is too exposed for a cat 3.

Hayman has a great lagoon also. Doubt that they will be letting every man and his dog in, but it may be worth a phone call to them all the same.

But I wouldnt take too many risks with Yasi. They are saying that it may go to cat 3 (80-110 knots). Luckily you have a few days to make a call. It would be good if you can park it at Hamo marina and grab a cheap room for a night or two. Better off alive than dead with a good boat mate

Cheers
Oz

[downunder]

Yasi is scary (up to 250kph -cat 4, possibly higher) not sure where I would go and would not want to be in any of Whitsunday marinas.

Probably should start a new thread

[downunder]

Weather bureau tracking maps

[atoll]

ouch!doesn't look good,but hopefull will track a bit further north though see a very strong cold se air flow......

[ozskipper]

No sign of the OP today ( Slamdunk). Hope youre ok mate and just busy moving the boat.

I take back what I said about hayman as a safe place now. If Yasi is a cat4 and anywhere near hayman it will probably have a surge and waves entering lagoon.

Atoll, I am with you on that. It may just shoot north of the whitsundays, hopefully for slamdunk it does.

Cheers
Oz

Cheers
Oz

[Factor]

I would head for the Abel Pt Marina, damn fast.

[downunder]

Able Pt might be OK in cat2/3. I would not be there in Cat4/5 though with my boat.

[Talbot]

Not a cyclone, but there is some pretty yuck weather forecast for SW Aus as well.

[seacap]

troymclure, you will be seeing winds from the N, S and E as "Yasi" passes you to the north. so pick your spot accordingly and hope the track is fairly accurate (sometimes there not).
Marinas can be a bad idea, depending on the marina and its relationship to the storm. A storm surge will have you floating high with the pillings trying to pound through your hull. Check the surge forecast for any marina you may consider.

Good luck mate!

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by downunder

Able Pt might be OK in cat2/3. I would not be there in Cat4/5 though with my boat.

Where would you go up there? I was talking to him about Gulnare inlet. But frankly, considering this blow, I would park the boat and secure it as best as possible then get the hell off the water. Cant see any sense in staying on a boat with this beast around.

I notice that they are evacuating Hammo and some of the other islands also. Or so Anna Bligh mentioned on the update.

Cheers
Oz

[troymclure]

Howdy all...

er I would just like to lodge a formal protest against the general weather conditions in the whitsundays.

Besides that...

Um not a marina? Have made a booking with Hamilton island marina this morning, tried for abel point but they're fully booked. I was worried about the storm surge but i figure with hamilton i can at least book a hotel for a couple of nights just in case.

Boat is insured and while I think i'd be ok riding out a cat 3 or maybe a cat 4 somewhere if it's not too close. Yasi is looking a bit scary (i'm not afraid to say^^).

Though I also heard hamilton was being evacuated so i'm not even sure if the marina will be open.

Any tips on cyclone gunkholing? Theres a creek not too far from airlie which i was thinking might work, that or gulnare and of course Hamilton which is my default atm, but fair play I havne't been sailing that long so if anyone has any convincing arguments for somewhere else i'm all ears.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by troymclure

Howdy all...

er I would just like to lodge a formal protest against the general weather conditions in the whitsundays.

Besides that...

Um not a marina? Have made a booking with Hamilton island marina this morning, tried for abel point but they're fully booked. I was worried about the storm surge but i figure with hamilton i can at least book a hotel for a couple of nights just in case.

Boat is insured and while I think i'd be ok riding out a cat 3 or maybe a cat 4 somewhere if it's not too close. Yasi is looking a bit scary (i'm not afraid to say^^).

Though I also heard hamilton was being evacuated so i'm not even sure if the marina will be open.

Any tips on cyclone gunkholing? Theres a creek not too far from airlie which i was thinking might work, that or gulnare and of course Hamilton which is my default atm, but fair play I havne't been sailing that long so if anyone has any convincing arguments for somewhere else i'm all ears.

Given your proximity to hammo and the fact that they are bound to have a room somewhere safe for you, its possible the best call atm imho. Luckily its marina isnt too exposed.

The only problem with a creek or Gulnare, at this point, is that you will most likely end up staying on the boat. I dont think its worth the risk. Your call of course. But if the boat is insured, there is no need to risk your life for it.

Lets face it, if you show up at hammo and the marina is "closed", what are they going to do? send you back out into a cat 3-4 cyclone? It may be a little presumptous of me to speak like that, but hey Bob Oatley has plenty, I am sure he can afford to have a boat steal a place on his marina if needed. Lets face it, he is a yachty after all.

All that being said, the upside is that it may just track to the north of you and Gulnare may be nice and cosy. Sadly, no-one knows exactly where the middle of it will pass-yet.

What sort of boat is it?

Cheers
Oz

[troymclure]

Yeah current forecasts look like gulnare would actually be alright, problem with that is cyclone anthony forecast was for a few hundred kms further north then it actually ended up being. Probably the forecast is right this time round but geez not sure if i want too risk being out on the boat if that cyclone passed near overhead.

Probably see how it goes though, I'm hoping the marina is open still.

edit: Boat is a 35 foot monohull, ketch and steel. Albion by Caroff (not a production boat). She's sturdy and damn dependable but with a potential Cat 4 cyclone...

[rusky]

Goodat=y Troy,
I guess Refuge Bay is the closest downwind spot I could suggest. I know of a friend who sheltered there during Ada.

Good Luck and keep us posted. If time, get up to Hinchinbrook and go up a creek.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by troymclure

Yeah current forecasts look like gulnare would actually be alright, problem with that is cyclone anthony forecast was for a few hundred kms further north then it actually ended up being. Probably the forecast is right this time round but geez not sure if i want too risk being out on the boat if that cyclone passed near overhead.

Probably see how it goes though, I'm hoping the marina is open still.

edit: Boat is a 35 foot monohull, ketch and steel. Albion by Caroff (not a production boat). She's sturdy and damn dependable but with a potential Cat 4 cyclone...

Yeh. No offence mate, but I am glad its not me having to make that decision. Its easy for us to sit behind a keyboard and give advice, but youre the bloke that has to get through it and make the calls.

Have you spoken to other nearyby yachties,boaties etc? What are they all doing? Nara? marinas?

I generally dont like steel boats (I had a financially bad experience once lol) . But this is one of those times when I would take a nice steel cruising boat over any Bene, Hunter, Hanse or other plastic boat.

If you do end up at anchor in Culnare, I heard a tip once that may help. Sinking or partially sinking the tender, off the transom, can stop the boat swinging on the anchor dramatically. I have never used it, but may be something to keep in mind. you would need to make sure it didnt foul the prop or rudder- maybe pole it out with a kite pole perhaps. just a thought if it helps. Go in at low tide and get as far in as you can. Even if your gently in the mud. The storm surge and subsequent highs will lift you back out. Try and get some lines ashore if you can.

My only other thought would be to get to wherever you decide as fast a possible. No doubt there will be plenty of other people with the same idea.

Cheers
Oz