Aussie Cyclones

[Reefmagnet]

For another longshot option, Alan Lucas's "Cruising the Coral Coast" claims there is a permanent fresh water stream running out onto the beach at approx S22 28'14 E150 45'15. Bit of a run in the dinghy, however.

Due to a plumbing failure, we ended up on the way to Island Head extremely low on water in bad weather and aimed for this beach but with a 30 kn SE breeze it wasn't going to happen, so I can't verify exactly where the stream is although I know of others that have been there and seen it.

If things are critical, I'd still hit up the VMR as they should be able to arrange a trawler or someone out fishing that way to drop off a jerry of water to you. Maybe even the army could do it if anyone's at the training ground.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by atoll

looking at google maps looks like there are a couple of brakish/fresh water pools about 700m to the south west.

failing that digging a hole/well near the highwater mark on the beach about 50 -100 meters inland, a few feet deep might get you some fresh,as sweet water floats on top of salt.

Bingo! Those pools must have to be permanent fresh water as there are a heap of wild pigs living in the scrub around there and I'm pretty sure they need a regular supply of water.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Bingo! Those pools must have to be permanent fresh water as there are a heap of wild pigs living in the scrub around there and I'm pretty sure they need a regular supply of water.

first pool is actually probably less than 500 meters SW from his position in the mangroves.
probably hard going to head there direct,but there will be game trails leading to and from water if there are pigs on the island.

as for the well idea,i have been on many atolls,and offshore tropical islands and found good sweet water within 50-100 meters of the beach in holes about 3ft deep.

[Ian R]

Thanks everyone I'm not desperate for water yet and it may rain. The swamps aren't easy to get to, I'll check the beaches locally first. Also there is 4 litres of water in a parachute drop about 100 meters away that I can pick up, but it isn't easy to reach.

[Jim Cate]

Ian, you're likely too busy to deal with trivia, but when you have time, I'd like to hear how you did a 360 degree roll in a multihull. Never heard of such an event... must have been horrendous.

Hope your situation improves soon!

Jim

[RaymondR]

The thread has gotten very interesting.
It,s good that you survived without too many physical traumas but it must have been a fearsome experience.
I recall from my last trip south in January of last year where I had used the high water slack to go through Strong Tide Passage and pass along the beach to Island Head that the sand bar between Island Head and the mainland was covered. With a bit of storm surge a pretty decent sized wave could probably make it over the sand bar.

[Mirage Gecko]

Ian
If your boats up to it when you get out you probably already know but there is permanent sweet fresh water in Pearl Bay about 7 NM south of IH Creek.
At the top of the beach to the west of the rocks west of where most people anchor. We took hundreds of litres out of there last year also great for a fresh bath as it just keeps running if you dig a few inches.Are those two yachts still aground at the Nth entrance of Island head maybe water still onboard.
Chris

[Ian R]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Ian, you're likely too busy to deal with trivia, but when you have time, I'd like to hear how you did a 360 degree roll in a multihull. Never heard of such an event... must have been horrendous.

Hope your situation improves soon!

Jim

Jim I haven't heard of it either, especially in a small mangrove creek. I had my anchor 35lb manson supreme and lines from 4 points, I was expecting a cat2 20 or so miles away at this time, and closer to low tide , so I thought I would be okay.
When I heard the radio that night it said cat 5 near high tide, so I immediately tried to sell the boat to a mate of mine but the deal fell through.
That night I thought of what else I would do at daylight, but by then it was already blowing too hard, but I still hoped the eye would be far enough away to avoid the worst of it.
The wind started in the SE from which I was protected by taller mangroves, they aren't taller any more. The wind swung around to the NE in a short time and pushed me up against the mangroves and I thought I would swing around on top of them. I then felt a hull lifting , and I thought I might go over. I went to put on a lifejacket for padding , but I was over before I hade time. Luckily I ended back up the right way and with the mast gone it felt safe .The anchor held but the 12mm 8 plait rode parted and 1 other line, I don't know when.
I then grabbed the EPIRB and set it off by feel, I couldn't see for the blood in my eyes. I then lay down for I don't know how long.
In hindsight the boat was too light it needed a few tons of extra ballast, when the wind was bow on the wind was lifting the bows up in the air and if the anchor and bow lines had parted then I would have gone over backwards, which would have been worse.
Ian

[Ian R]

Originally Posted by Mirage Gecko

Ian
If your boats up to it when you get out you probably already know but there is permanent sweet fresh water in Pearl Bay about 7 NM south of IH Creek.
At the top of the beach to the west of the rocks west of where most people anchor. We took hundreds of litres out of there last year also great for a fresh bath as it just keeps running if you dig a few inches.Are those two yachts still aground at the Nth entrance of Island head maybe water still onboard.
Chris

Thanks Chris I do know about Pearl Bay , I could even walk there, but I should find water closer.
There are no wrecks visible besides me.

[Ian R]

After crawling through the mangroves trying to reach one of the parachute drops, all I got was covered in mud and a bleeding head again. I washed some of the mud off with beer ,to save water.
Black mangrove hornets love beer apparently , and one stung me on the leg. Glad I didn't wash my face in beer. I was beginning to think it wasn't my day.

[Ian R]

[Ian R]

The tropical low that eventually became severe tropical cyclone Marcia was first identified and tracked on Sunday, February 15th. During the next several days it drifted eastward with little change in intensity.

On Wednesday, February 18th, the system turned southwest and began intensifying. It was officially designated as category 1 tropical cyclone Marcia on Wednesday evening and maintained its southwesterly track overnight into Thursday morning.

Between 8am and 6pm on Thursday, Marcia underwent a period of extremely rapid intensification, increasing by three categories to a category 4 cyclone in approximately 10 hours. On Thursday night it turned almost due south and intensified even further, reaching category 5 at 4am on Friday 20th February. Wind gusts at Middle Percy Island reached 208 km/h as the cyclone passed to the east.

Severe tropical cyclone Marcia made landfall as a category 5 cyclone at 8am at Shoalwater Bay, north of Yeppoon. The cyclone then weakened steadily as it moved southward over land during the day. The town of Yeppoon received significant damage, and wind gusts up to 156 km/h were recorded there as the cyclone passed to the west. A storm surge of 2 metres was recorded at Port Alma, but luckily this occurred near low tide.

The weakening cyclone passed over Rockhampton during the early afternoon of Friday 20th February, where wind gusts to 113 km/h were recorded and again significant damage occurred. Marcia then turned to the south-southeast and impacted the town of Biloela early that evening, where wind gusts to 85 km/h were recorded. Marcia was finally downgraded to a tropical low at 2am on Saturday, February 21st. Impacts were still felt further south with heavy rain and flooding occurring in the Wide Bay and Burnett and Southeast Coast districts, particularly around the Sunshine Coast and the Mary and Burnett Rivers. Dangerous surf and abnormally high tides were also experienced around exposed beaches in southeast Queensland.

The remains of Marcia eventually moved off the Sunshine Coast during the afternoon of Saturday February 21st.

All information relating to intensity and track is preliminary information based on operational estimates and subject to change following post analysis.



Coastal Crossing Details Crossing time: 8am AEST Friday 20th February, 2015 Crossing location: Shoalwater Bay 90km NNW of Yeppoon Category when crossing the coast: 5

Extreme values during cyclone event (estimated) Note that these values may be changed on the receipt of later information Maximum Category: 5 Maximum sustained wind speed: 205 km/h Maximum wind gust: 295 km/h Lowest central pressure: 930 hPa

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Ian R

After crawling through the mangroves trying to reach one of the parachute drops, all I got was covered in mud and a bleeding head again. I washed some of the mud off with beer ,to save water.
Black mangrove hornets love beer apparently , and one stung me on the leg. Glad I didn't wash my face in beer. I was beginning to think it wasn't my day.

Sound like it hasn't been your year, so far. Hopefully, it can only get better!

The BOM really failed with Marcia. They've been pretty hopeless since around Christmas. Maybe the real forecasters were on holiday, and they had the cleaners in covering for them?

There was a boat well aground on the front beach at Island head, but it was removed last year. So no chance of finding water there, unfortunately.

Cruising season is near, hopefully you'll get some company soon. We'll be there, but not for a few weeks yet.

[Ian R]

Just been for a walk to try and recover the first parachute drop. I can see it but the mangroves were too thick.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Ian R

Jim I haven't heard of it either, especially in a small mangrove creek. I had my anchor 35lb manson supreme and lines from 4 points, I was expecting a cat2 20 or so miles away at this time, and closer to low tide , so I thought I would be okay.
When I heard the radio that night it said cat 5 near high tide, so I immediately tried to sell the boat to a mate of mine but the deal fell through.
That night I thought of what else I would do at daylight, but by then it was already blowing too hard, but I still hoped the eye would be far enough away to avoid the worst of it.
The wind started in the SE from which I was protected by taller mangroves, they aren't taller any more. The wind swung around to the NE in a short time and pushed me up against the mangroves and I thought I would swing around on top of them. I then felt a hull lifting , and I thought I might go over. I went to put on a lifejacket for padding , but I was over before I hade time. Luckily I ended back up the right way and with the mast gone it felt safe .The anchor held but the 12mm 8 plait rode parted and 1 other line, I don't know when.
I then grabbed the EPIRB and set it off by feel, I couldn't see for the blood in my eyes. I then lay down for I don't know how long.
In hindsight the boat was too light it needed a few tons of extra ballast, when the wind was bow on the wind was lifting the bows up in the air and if the anchor and bow lines had parted then I would have gone over backwards, which would have been worse.
Ian

Ian, you sure know how to have a GOOD time!!! That sounds pretty awful to me, and I'm glad that you and at least some of your boat survived to tell the tale.

But I still can't imagine how the second half of the roll happened... with the boat inverted, possibly with the rig still attached (although broken to bits) and acting like a drogue in the water, or perhaps with the bits jammed into the bottom... what force could pick it up enough to lift a hull and let the wind under it to accomplish the second 180???

I understand that small cyclones (tornadoes) are sometimes spawned in the wall of the eye. I suppose that if one came over you it could generate enough lift to get a hull up, and that's the only idea I've come up with.

At any rate, you have now experienced something unique, something I hope remains in the realm of nightmares for sailors at large. Thanks for sharing your misadventure with us all.

Jim