Bundaberg, AU during tropical season

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by mjcook

Hi I keep my boat in Tin Can bay and there’s never been a problem the marina has a good hard stand and in water is also ok. We are just South of the cyclone line
Michael s/c Rainbow Dreaming

Does Tin Can Bay offer long term hard stand storage? It seemed to me to be a fairly small dry stand area.

One advantage of Bundaberg over Tin Can Bay is you don't have to go over the treacherous bar at Tin Can Bay or motor through the flats.

[mjcook]

Tin Can Bay offers long term storage and the bar is no problem coming from the North the passage through Shariton Flats is also easy and Floods are not an issue

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by mjcook

Tin Can Bay offers long term storage and the bar is no problem coming from the North the passage through Shariton Flats is also easy and Floods are not an issue

The bar may be no problem for a local but it is intimidating for a cruiser coming from overseas. I've been out it once and would be fine not doing it again.

Just looked at the monthly hard stand rates at Tin Can Bay. Pretty reasonable at aud$473 for a 41-46ft.

[Mr B]

Bundaberg is very safe during a cyclone, Being 13 miles or so upstream,
But as soon as the cyclone has passed, get your self and the boat out of the river, Fast,

The river rises dramatically as the flood waters come down the river, a day or so later,
The hard stand and the buildings of the slipway just under the bridge at Bundaberg were submerged,
114 boats were lost in early 2011 as the hyacinth caught on anchor chains and pulled the boats under, The rest were in the top of the trees,

This piccy is the hard stand at the slipways at Bundaberg, It was totally submerged during the floods, including the buildings of the slipway company behind it,
The boats on the other side of the river and the buildings were submerged or washed away during the floods that followed the cyclone,
Most of the buildings on the side of the river were washed away,------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Bundaberg is very safe during a cyclone, Being 13 miles or so upstream,
But as soon as the cyclone has passed, get your self and the boat out of the river, Fast,

The river rises dramatically as the flood waters come down the river, a day or so later,
The hard stand and the buildings of the slipway just under the bridge at Bundaberg were submerged,
114 boats were lost in early 2011 as the hyacinth caught on anchor chains and pulled the boats under, The rest were in the top of the trees,

This piccy is the hard stand at the slipways at Bundaberg, It was totally submerged during the floods, including the buildings of the slipway company behind it,
The boats on the other side of the river and the buildings were submerged or washed away during the floods that followed the cyclone,
Most of the buildings on the side of the river were washed away,------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just to clarify this is not the Bundaberg Port Marina with the large, dedicated long term storage, hard stand area. These pics are the smaller yard up river in the town.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Just to clarify this is not the Bundaberg Port Marina with the large, dedicated long term storage, hard stand area. These pics are the smaller yard up river in the town.

Thats correct, The slipway is 13 miles upstream, Just under the Bundaberg bridge,

The Bundaberg Port Marina Is very wide open and all flat, possibly two miles from the ocean,
I dont think it would be safe at all in a cyclone, As there is no protection from the prevailing winds, Just my 2 cents worth,
I would not use it in a cyclone,

[mjcook]

Coming in from Fiji one would have to clear in Bundaberg then sail South into the Sandy Straight and on to Tin Can Bay. No bar crossing involved. The current rate for a 40’ boat is$430 per month with at least $150 for the lift the down side to TCB is the limited transport

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Brady 50

Hi S51ra,
I am based in Hervey Bay just down the road from Bundy.
Yes Bundy has been hit by cyclones in the past.
Bundy is now within the the new cyclones zone.

Insurance companies have lowered the cut off line from 30 deg to 25 deg.


The 25 deg brings U down to the top of Fraser Island.

Brady 50
Grumps

I think you've got that a bit mixed up 30° is just north of Coffs Harbour in NSW.

If they've moved the southern boundary from 30° to 25° (Fraser Island), they've reduced the zone.

I assume you are talking about building standards and "cyclone regions" and have mixed up Region C and Region B ( southern limits on east coast - 25° and 30° respectively)

[Reefmagnet]

Many insurance co's wont insure north of 26 degrees in Oz, but hardstand insurance might be a different animal. I've been insured on the hardstand @ 21 south for the last few years with the only real requirement being that the vessel needs to be in a "one piece cradle".


That hardstand at the mouth of the Burnett looks to be a nice yard. A number of foreign vessels get laid up there.


Don't go up the river, that's for sure. I don't think the marina in town exists anymore after it was destroyed a second time within a few years. Here's an example of the bad things that can happen if too far into the river during a flood...

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Many insurance co's wont insure north of 26 degrees in Oz, but hardstand insurance might be a different animal. I've been insured on the hardstand @ 21 south for the last few years with the only real requirement being that the vessel needs to be in a "one piece cradle".


That hardstand at the mouth of the Burnett looks to be a nice yard. A number of foreign vessels get laid up there.


Don't go up the river, that's for sure. I don't think the marina in town exists anymore after it was destroyed a second time within a few years. Here's an example of the bad things that can happen if too far into the river during a flood...

Thats why you get out of the river before the flood comes down,

[sbmesafirstmate]

we had a great experience with the haulout yard at the Bundaburg marina Paul L mentions. We were there Dec 2012/ Jan 2013 when they had one of their big floods. Our boat was safe on the hard. The boat that was in the slip we had occupied before haulout sunk when hit by a boat floating down river. Definitely haul out. We also had to get our insurance company to make an accommodation for our location that was slightly north of their standard 'line'.

[RaymondR]

My insurance tightened up on the "named storm" (cyclone) conditions on this years renewal and I am now uninsured if I stay in the zone extending from 10 to 25 degrees south during the official cyclone season which extends from November until April inclusive.

Both Bundaberg and Burnett Heads (the port for Bundaberg) lie within the proscribed limits. In addition when last in the boat storage area I recall that I did not observe any of the buried deadman tie downs which are usually present in storage yards designed for cyclone prone areas.

Whilst cyclones are rare (probably one about every 10 or so years this far south) I would be inclined to store a little further south.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Thats why you get out of the river before the flood comes down,

But the OP is looking for somewhere to LEAVE the boat. Presumably while they go overseas.

It might be worth calling Fisherman's Wharf marina at Hervey bay.

I have seen boats hardstanding there long term.

Flood free and pretty much cyclone free too. I think the last hit from a cyclone was more than 50 years ago.

No idea of what their prices would be like.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

...

Both Bundaberg and Burnett Heads (the port for Bundaberg) lie within the proscribed limits. In addition when last in the boat storage area I recall that I did not observe any of the buried deadman tie downs which are usually present in storage yards designed for cyclone prone areas.

.....

Here's the long term hard stand tie downs in Bundy

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

But the OP is looking for somewhere to LEAVE the boat. Presumably while they go overseas.

It might be worth calling Fisherman's Wharf marina at Hervey bay.

I have seen boats hardstanding there long term.

Flood free and pretty much cyclone free too. I think the last hit from a cyclone was more than 50 years ago.

No idea of what their prices would be like.

1973, Hervey Bay got levelled by a cyclone, I was living in Maryborough at the time,