East Coast Current on NSW Coast, Australia

[ribbony]

Does anyone have links to info, charts, resources that give good info on the East Coast and how to best use/avoid it for making passages along the coast. The only 2 times we tried sailing from Sydney to Port Stephens we seem to be fighting the current as we headed north. Coming back down was much easier !

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Ribbony,

Try this: Ocean Currents (CSIRO)

Has everything you need... but realize that the vortices in the current change fairly quickly, and it isn't easy to use the current images in a slow moving yacht. The old practice of going north with one foot on the beach still works most of the time!

Happy cruising

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Broken Bay, NSW, OZ

[ribbony]

Wow, the CSIRO chart is great. Thanks.

On todays chart that looks like a whopping big whirlpool off Batemans Bay

http://www.cmar.csiro.au/remotesensi...SW/latest.html

[SurferShane]

I just posted a link to the same CSIRO website on a similar thread

http://www.marine.csiro.au/yachtinginfo/eacyacht.htm

http://www.marine.csiro.au/remotesensing/oceancurrents/

I really like the way the CSIRO superimpose the currents over Google Earth so you can map exact coordinates and distances etc..,

Just glad I am heading in the opposite direction; or at least intend to be doing so after severe Tropical Cyclone Ului dissipates! See all the action at, Bureau of Meteorology - Home Page

[ribbony]

The description from CSIRO on the current is great information, Thanks !

[surfingminniwinni]

After sailing around the south east NSW coast for years and recently to Hobart. I find the current to be unpredictable and hard to find at times. But when you do find it, its a great lift.

Ribbony, did I buy a magna BBQ off you? If I did thanks, it has been great!!

[ribbony]

Hi Glenn

We may get to try the current again in a weeks time when we head for Port Stephens to slip the boat (cutlass bearing/antifoul/through hull, etc). If this cyclone up developing up north has much spinn off this way then we may have to slip closer to home as we need to sail up and minimise the iron sail until we fix that bearing.

There is nothing quite so tasty as a bit of fresh caught fish, roasted over the Magna hanging off the back of the boat.

[Capt.Ger]

Originally Posted by ribbony

Does anyone have links to info, charts, resources that give good info on the East Coast and how to best use/avoid it for making passages along the coast. The only 2 times we tried sailing from Sydney to Port Stephens we seem to be fighting the current as we headed north. Coming back down was much easier !

If you go to a good chart shop (maybe Boat Books or R.A.N. Hydrographic office,) and look at the Australian Pilot (or the Pacific Pilot) it will show you in graphic form both prevailing wind and current for the time of year you need. They are presented either in Monthly or Quarterly chart form.
Cheers and good luck, Capt.Ger

[Dod42]

Not sure how accurate this is but it sure looks great

earth :: an animated map of global wind and weather

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Capt.Ger

If you go to a good chart shop (maybe Boat Books or R.A.N. Hydrographic office,) and look at the Australian Pilot (or the Pacific Pilot) it will show you in graphic form both prevailing wind and current for the time of year you need. They are presented either in Monthly or Quarterly chart form.
Cheers and good luck, Capt.Ger

Ger, if you will have a look at the linked daily current charts, you will find that the printed charts from the Hydrographic office are next to useless. The current changes significantly on a daily time scale, and in a specifically unpredictable fashion. If you really want to try and use (or avoid) the current on a specific passage, the CSIRO plots are far superior to the predictive ones.

Cheers,

Jim

[ribbony]

Wow, that animated graphic is a joy to look at. I think it would make a great active screensaver

The only thing I found limiting, was that I could only zoom in so far (can still 2/3 of East Oz at closest zoom)

[Dod42]

The one they do for wind is also very cool. You can click on a point and it gives me detail lower corner.

earth :: an animated map of global wind and weather