Bad Weather in Australia - Qld and NSW

[downunder]

Normal situation at Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays in a blow, with heaps of vessels, at least 20 according to ABC radio washed up on rocks today. Normal in a blow there.

[Boracay]

BOM Forecast Explorer is showing 6 - 7 m off Cape Byron for Sunday night.

Yous may have to play round and click forward a bit to find it.

Cyclone action at Mooloolaba includes running chains to the top of the concrete piles. If it can be done at Coffs it could be well worth considering.

The seawall looks like a big sea would go right through it, even if the rocks stay in place...

7 m might go over the top.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by BoomBrake

Hmm, I tend to agree with savior. Check with BOM, they're reasonably more accurate than any other source:

Coffs Coast

I test sailed my yacht there out of the breakwater in 3+ M swell. Not a ripple in that lovely marina. Though there was some crazy trying to save a few dollars anchored out off the old pier. I don't think they got much sleep bouncing off their anchor!

Chat with the boys in the bar at the yacht club, local knowledge is always best.

The marina is good in a SE swell, but less so in a NE.

The BOM forecast is starting to agree with Seabreeze - NE 30-40 on Sunday, NE 35-45 on Monday. Seas to 5m.

Hopefully it will be less.

[Boracay]

I have copied some posts across from another Forum.

[Coops]

We have been warned here of 3-400mm of rain sat/sun/monday. We shall no doubt be marooned in our little village if that happens, as usual.

Coops.

[Coops]

A short video of the potential sadness of being a boat owner after the storms of the last couple of days.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ePKJAhHWwig

Coops.

[Jim Cate]

Sad,sad pix. But for the life of me I can not understand why folks leave their boats on moorings there during cyclone season. Seems like nearly every year we see scenes like this.

No cheers,

Jim

[IslandHopper]

My boat is sitting on the hard at Bundaberg Port Marina, spitting distance from Burnett heads.....

First pictures of Burnett Heads devastation | Bundaberg NewsMail

And me on the wrong side of the continent at 19° 43.9S 117° 15.4E heading SW at 5 knots.....

[Boracay]

If yous are interested there is a webcam for Coffs Harbour that shows the bar, with the marina a distant view.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Sad,sad pix. But for the life of me I can not understand why folks leave their boats on moorings there during cyclone season. Seems like nearly every year we see scenes like this.

No cheers,

Jim

How close were you to the Bushfires in Tassie last week,

[Mr B]

2 or 3 years ago, about 130 boats sank in the Burnett river from the floods coming down the river,

They were out of the cyclones reach, 13 miles up stream,

Yes, it is very sad, Devastating to those who lost their boats and homes,
another couple of days and the floods will hit as well as the water comes down from inland,

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Mr B

How close were you to the Bushfires in Tassie last week,

If that is a straight question, about 30 miles from Dunalley, less from several smaller fires.

If that was trying to draw a parallel between exposure to bushfires and to strong onshore winds in Airlie... well, there is a rather significant difference: Being that I am on board a functional vessel, I can easily move away from even the worst bush fires and find refuge and without risking much danger. For yachts left on moorings at Airlie the chance of getting out of danger is less, for there are not so many harbours of refuge around there and once the wx deteriorates there is real risk in trying to move.

Cheers,

Jim

[Mr B]

It was a straight question, The bush fires throw fire balls, And if your close enough, you can get burnt from the flying embers, It would set fire to your sails,

The bush fire that eventually burnt Kinglake out was throwing fires 16 KLMs in front of the fire,
Cyclones are a different story,

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Sad,sad pix. But for the life of me I can not understand why folks leave their boats on moorings there during cyclone season. Seems like nearly every year we see scenes like this.

No cheers,

Jim

Kind of agree, if it's in the tropics and a "cyclone prone" area. But lots of boats are being damaged or lost well south of the tropics, in areas usually considered reasonably safe.

Friends of ours have had their boat blown off it's mooring in Moreton bay, unfortunately they are overseas so couldn't move it as they would have if they were here. They had left instructions for the boat to be moved into a marina if bad weather was forecast, but it seems these instructions weren't followed.

Right now the boat is in amongst mangroves, and the weather is too rough for any attempt at salvage to be made. Can only hope there isn't too much damage.

[DeepFrz]

Go to that NewsMail link and look for the video about the car emerging from seafoam.