Sailing The Rip into Port Philip Victoria

[Mr B]

Another chart, to add to your collection,

[GILow]

Hey Rustic Charm, probably the wrong time to mention it, but there's this lovely friendly marina in Western Port Bay. Yaringa Boat Harbour. Pull in there and it's a short trip up to Melbourne on the train.


Just sayin...


Sorry, couldn't resist.


Best of luck, you're getting the benefit of so much wisdom you won't need it.


Matt

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Monitor Ch 12 well before you get there.... you will get a feel for the traffic...

Too right! We crossed the approach from East to West a few years ago and I felt like the proverbial chicken crossing a freeway.

[stillbuilding]

Originally Posted by GILow

Hey Rustic Charm, probably the wrong time to mention it, but there's this lovely friendly marina in Western Port Bay. Yaringa Boat Harbour. Pull in there and it's a short trip up to Melbourne on the train.


Matt

Actually, the approach to Port Phillip Heads has some marked similarities to the approach to Westernport. So much so that windjammers of last century often confused the two. At least one large square rigger ended up on Westernport mud trying to get to Melbourne.

Seems silly now, with the benefit of satnav but check out the charts and actually sail the approaches and you will understand the confusion.


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[Mr B]

Originally Posted by GILow

Hey Rustic Charm, probably the wrong time to mention it, but there's this lovely friendly marina in Western Port Bay. Yaringa Boat Harbour. Pull in there and it's a short trip up to Melbourne on the train.


Just sayin...


Sorry, couldn't resist.


Best of luck, you're getting the benefit of so much wisdom you won't need it.


Matt

Yaringa is a very nice friendly Marina, My boat is there,

But Im sorry, There is no train there,

The train is at Hastings, About 12 Kays south from Yaringa,

A short walk from the Marina at Hastings,

Brian,

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by GILow

Hey Rustic Charm, probably the wrong time to mention it, but there's this lovely friendly marina in Western Port Bay. Yaringa Boat Harbour. Pull in there and it's a short trip up to Melbourne on the train.

Just
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Best of luck, you're getting the benefit of so much wisdom you won't need it.
Matt

Hi Matt,

Whilst I havnt been as far as Yaringa, I did go in to the Marina at Hastings last year and that was really nice. I'm not sure about your 'short trip to Melbourne on the train' suggestion though. I recall it being a damn long and boring train trip with on a graffiti plastered train full of bigots and bogans. Wasn't pleasant at all.

But in any case the idea of docklands is that we can stay in the centre of Melbourne for $50 a night. That's the cheapest accomodation around.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by stillbuilding

Actually, the approach to Port Phillip Heads has some marked similarities to the approach to Westernport. So much so that windjammers of last century often confused the two. At least one large square rigger ended up on Westernport mud trying to get to Melbourne.

Seems silly now, with the benefit of satnav but check out the charts and actually sail the approaches and you will understand the confusion.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I could understand the confusion with it. Until I got the charts and went to Hastings last year, I actually thought all these years Western Port 'was' the entrance to Melbourne. I've been over through the rip on Tasmanian ferries a number of times over the years but never once been on deck to watch going through. Of a morning it's usually to early and of an evening it was usually getting in dinner time in the restaraunt.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Hi Matt,

I'm not sure about your 'short trip to Melbourne on the train' suggestion though.

In my plan Mr B was going to give you a lift to the station.

Don't worry about me, I am just jealous that you are doing the R.I.P. Er... I mean the "Rip". We had to just sail on past last time.

Here's a laugh, as we were going past the rip, the VHF arced up with a whole lot of chatter, a Seaplane had crashed in Corio Bay. Happily nobody was hurt, but my wife declared that we should immediately alter course and go to their assistance. I agreed but pointed out it would take us 10 hours to get there and was not sure if we'd be much help by then.

She allowed us to continue to Apollo Bay.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by GILow

In my plan Mr B was going to give you a lift to the station.

Don't worry about me, I am just jealous that you are doing the R.I.P. Er... I mean the "Rip". We had to just sail on past last time.

Here's a laugh, as we were going past the rip, the VHF arced up with a whole lot of chatter, a Seaplane had crashed in Corio Bay. Happily nobody was hurt, but my wife declared that we should immediately alter course and go to their assistance. I agreed but pointed out it would take us 10 hours to get there and was not sure if we'd be much help by then.

She allowed us to continue to Apollo Bay.

I was flying a light plane once and after I took off the lady passanger became really nervous and demanded I 'Pull over and let her out'.. I didn't make things any better by laughing.

[dirkdig]

Watched that plane crash from the back of our cat. Plane now gone! So much less noise now


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[GILow]

Originally Posted by dirkdig

Watched that plane crash from the back of our cat. Plane now gone! So much less noise now

Was that the event that caused the plane to be gone, or did they keep flying it or another like it for a while?

[40 South]

Originally Posted by GILow

Here's a laugh, as we were going past the rip, the VHF arced up with a whole lot of chatter, a Seaplane had crashed in Corio Bay. Happily nobody was hurt, but my wife declared that we should immediately alter course and go to their assistance. I agreed but pointed out it would take us 10 hours to get there and was not sure if we'd be much help by then.

She allowed us to continue to Apollo Bay.

I was the guy calling the MAYDAY in. It took 2 calls before anyone answered! I blew up a 450hp MAN diesel going to their aid. The plane was a right-off.

Sorry to hijack the thread...

[Rustic Charm]

Hi guys, can you help me to understand this. I'm getting stuff ready to go. Got my charts today too.

The following article I just googled at boat point and working it out with what you guys have recommended. I don't quite understand it. As you can see the first part says the best time through the heads is slack water which I think you all have said. But then it says 'slack water flood occurs about three hours after high water at the rip and slack water ebb occurs about three hours after low water'. How can slack water, occur three hours after high or low water at the rip?

The most favourable time to pass through the heads is ‘slack water’ or no tidal movement. Slack-water-flood occurs about three hours after high water at The Rip and slack-water-ebb occurs about three hours after low water. It is important to note that the maximum tidal flow occurs at times of high and low water when the tide can run at up to 8kts.

Slack water at the heads occurs around the time of high and low water at Williamstown (Melbourne). Tidal Streams and times of slack water at The Rip can be also found in the tide book published annually by the Port of Melbourne and available at most chandleries. I highly recommend this publication to anyone contemplating travelling through The Rip, or even if just going to nearby Queenscliff

[40 South]

Originally Posted by dirkdig

Watched that plane crash from the back of our cat. Plane now gone! So much less noise now

What about the bloody helicopter???

[Rustic Charm]

Ping, you said something similar,

Slack water at the start of the flood is the best time to enter.
Tide runs 3 hours out of synch with high and low water