H28 Sailing from the Whitsundays ?

[reiner]

Hi everybody
We just bought a H28 Compass in Airlie Beach in Queensland. We are beginners with only a few days sailing on a small 16 foot lugsail sloop and reading books.
We are very tempted to sail our new 29ft boat back to Brisbane from up there. Anybody here thinking we are mad please share your thoughts.....
Thanks
Reiner

PS anybody with some helpful suggestions please let us know too :-)

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by reiner

Anybody here thinking we are mad please share your thoughts.....

Being mad is only one requirement for ocean sailing. Making sure you have a sea worthy well equipped boat is another. If you don't have the experience for the journey, why not find an experienced sailor to go with you and you will learn heaps along the way as well?

Happy Sailing
Greg

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Reiner,

Congratulations and all that!

Now as to your query -- isn't clear if you are asking if the boat is appropriate for the proposed passage or whether it is advisable for a crew with only a few days sailing in a dinghy should attempt the voyage.

First, the boat is certainly, if in good condition, capable of doing this trip. No worries on that account, but one wonders if you are able to accurately judge the boat's condition yourselves.

Second, I don't really think that your current expertise is up to the challenge. The voyage from the Whitsundays south isn't a hard one at all. There are anchorages galore, the route is well bouyed where appropriate, and there are repair facilities in many spots on the way just in case. But, having said that, there are plenty of ways to go astray... reefs, strong currents and big tides in some areas, commercial shipping to avoid and so on. When you balance these factors out, I feel that you might be standing into danger for yourselves.

But here is the good news: Coming south from that area is best accomplished in the spring when there are Northeasterly breaks in the normal Southeast wind flow. The southerly migration usually occurs around October, and experienced folks jump on the periodic Northerlies and use them to get as far south as they can before the next southerly change is established. So, this time frame gives you a chance to sail the boat a lot there in the Whitsunday area, learning its ways and improving your skills and familiarity with the systems on the boat, and generally improving your chances of having a successful and enjoyable trip south. And this is what I would suggest to you as a plan.

There are lots of us here on CF that could offer specific advice relating to specific problems as you progress along the learning curve. Ann and I might even be passing through heading south ourselves around that time...

Anyhow, you have chosen a well tested design that should give you a lot of good sailing hours... good luck with it

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Manly Qld Oz

[reiner]

Thank you for your great replies. Our biggest problem is we are back in Brisbane and the boat is up there. We get a survey done next week but just as a feel good measure. The boat was completely rebuilt in 2009 and looks fantastic as a bonus. We did plan to go back to Airlie Beach in Sept and spend 2 weeks on the boat and sail every day. After those two weeks we decide what to do. We have friends who are experienced sailors and offered to sail it home but somehow that feels like a chicken thing to do. I think we can learn a lot from now to Oct and sail it home without help. But as I said I think we decide on that in Sept.
We will take my laptop,we have a VHF radio and mob phone so we should be able to ask for help or advise on the way.
I better find a way to post some pictures here......the " Kakahy" looks fantastic.
Thanks again for your help.
cheers
Reiner and Sam

[langlandsr]

mY ADVICE TO YOU WOULD BE TO LET YOUR EXPERIENED FRIENDS TAKE THE HELM AND JOIN THEM IN PROCESS . THERE IS NO SHAME IN BEING NEW TO SAILING.yOU THEN HAVE THE CHANCE TO SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO THE SKILL AND EXPERIENCE OF A COMPETENT SKIPPER AND PICK THEIR BRAINS FOR ALL YOUR WORTH!
Once you are home you can avail yourself of the Bay to get all the experience you will need....then go sailing safely and confidently.good luck and hope to see you when Ido exactly what you plan to do ,,only from GORGEOUS jERVIS BAY TO BRISBANE..CHEERS rossco

[Headplant]

I've done a lot of sailing our of Newhaven, Westernport Bay in my Dad's Walker H28, ketch rigged. This version is heavy, very solid and will take anything. Sails downwind very well in all conditions, but can struggle upwind in lumpy chop of Westernport or Port Philip Bays ... not a great pointer. So don't try to point too high in lumpy seas!

Like the others, I would think a bit more experience would be preferable. Also try to sail with some northerly in the weather pattern.

Our boat, Castaway, will do around 5kn upwind and up to 7kn downwind in normal conditions ... bud my Dad did once record 10kn in a bit of a blow (I think trisail only) sailing up from Wilson's Prom.

We won a couple of ORCV/Westernport Racing Club Flinders-Cerberus races on PHRF back in the early 90s with a bit of help from following breeze (25kn!).

[SkiprJohn]

Aoha,
Congratulations. Yes, let your good sailing friends help you. Pick one that has had some sailiing instruction experience and you'll learn a lot. Pick just any old sailor and you are bound to learn some bad habits.
kind regards,

[MarkJ]

Yes, well, of course,.... I didn't see this post when it appeared, but just saw your post about trucking it down.
You are only thinking thats a good idea because you hav'nt got the quotes to truck the boat!!

the trip from the Whitsundays to brisvagus would be a wonderful learning experience for you. Plenty of upwind sailing, plenty of navigational difficulties, and plenty of coral looking to rip your ass out.

That said, once you've done it there is no way anyone would call you a novice. you would know your boat, how it works, and the various methods of navigating and anchoring.

Best would be to do it in easy day sails with a day or 2 off after every day or 2.

You could plan it very well and always be close to a haul out facility to capitulate to a trucking company.
By the time you get to the Wide Bay Bar you would be ready for it in calm weather.

The trip, I guess, at a nice slow but not too slow rate would take up your 4 weeks anual leave. But what a truly magnificent trip!

USB internet Modem will work all the way along the coast for perfect weather information as well as Google Earth.

I think if you want a good challange to learn to sail on your new boat this is one of the best places in the world to do it.


Mark

[Pilot Rob]

Originally Posted by reiner

Thank you for your great replies. Our biggest problem is we are back in Brisbane and the boat is up there. We get a survey done next week but just as a feel good measure. The boat was completely rebuilt in 2009 and looks fantastic as a bonus. We did plan to go back to Airlie Beach in Sept and spend 2 weeks on the boat and sail every day. After those two weeks we decide what to do. We have friends who are experienced sailors and offered to sail it home but somehow that feels like a chicken thing to do. I think we can learn a lot from now to Oct and sail it home without help. But as I said I think we decide on that in Sept.
We will take my laptop,we have a VHF radio and mob phone so we should be able to ask for help or advise on the way.
I better find a way to post some pictures here......the " Kakahy" looks fantastic.
Thanks again for your help.
cheers
Reiner and Sam

Reiner and Sam

It sounds like you might have a good reliable Yacht if the Survey turns out favourable. If you do sail her down south a book called "CRUISING THE CORAL COAST By ALAN LUCAS" is a must for a lot of the way. In my very limited experience I would certainly take advantage of some knowledgeable sailers to help.

Good Luck
Rob