Australian Nautical Mile Calculator

[Cruising Roo]

Hello All. I have been trying very hard not to be asking too many questions but despite far too long trying to find an answer, I have failed AND, this should be a simple reply. I am trying very hard to find a site for Australia that gives nautical miles distances between locations. Like Google Maps but for the ocean. For example, I enter Geelong Victoria and say Lakes Entrance and it will give me the nautical miles or any figure then I can convert it NM.
I am getting close to the point of purchasing a boat and need to calculate the distances to see if I will steam or have it trucked. All sorts of issues like fuel and where it can be purchased along the route etc need to calculated accepting wind and currents and the element of being ‘conservative’. It was from this site and the inordinate amount of wisdom that the sailing vessel is off my list due to a significant lower back injury. I am looking at the first boat to be primarily steamed around Port Phillip Bay (PPB) to do some fishing, scuba diving (awesome scallops out there) and weekends or so on the water. I will travel outside PPB but how far is depending on the boat. Thank you in advance and may you stay afloat. Darren

[chrisr]

see attached

has some of the info you're looking for

the rest you might need to work out for yourself, using eg goggle earth. fyi this is what most of us do ie make up our own distance tables. it's good practice in self reliance

cheers,

Passage Planner V2.2.pdf

[ChrisJHC]

Hi, Darren,

I recommend you get yourself a marine navigation app for your phone / tablet.

This will allow you to plot a route between the two places and it will show you a suggested actual route rather than a straight line between two places.

Navionics is one of the most popular (and the one I use).
It does cost a little but it’s definitely worth it.

You can also put in your average fuel usage and it will work out how much fuel you will use.

Using your example of Melbourne to Lakes Entrance, the app throws up that it is 145 nm in a direct line but 236 nm for an actual route.

The screenshot below took about a minute.

[Galumay]

Yes I was going to suggest the Navionics app, its actually called Boating Marine & Lakes on the app store.

You can also measure on Zulu Offshore/Waterways.

It can also be done easily on OpenCPN on a laptop/desktop but its a bit more of a learning experience to set up - but something I would consider invaluable as a boat owner anyway.

Also regarding your plans, you might enjoy the YouTube channel, Motor Sailing for Old Dudes, he has a motor cat with a bit of headsail that he is currently sailing from Qld down to Tassie, I suspect you would find it interesting.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Hi, Darren,

I recommend you get yourself a marine navigation app for your phone / tablet.

This will allow you to plot a route between the two places and it will show you a suggested actual route rather than a straight line between two places.

Navionics is one of the most popular (and the one I use).
It does cost a little but it’s definitely worth it.

You can also put in your average fuel usage and it will work out how much fuel you will use.

Using your example of Melbourne to Lakes Entrance, the app throws up that it is 145 nm in a direct line but 236 nm for an actual route.

The screenshot below took about a minute.

Attachment 271263

No need to put Navionics on your phone initially, you can playaround with the online version for free to see if it does what you want:


https://webapp.navionics.com/#boatin...y=d%60niFolxyZ

[Cruising Roo]

Originally Posted by chrisr

see attached

has some of the info you're looking for

the rest you might need to work out for yourself, using eg goggle earth. fyi this is what most of us do ie make up our own distance tables. it's good practice in self reliance

cheers,

Attachment 271262

Thankis Chrisr. Yes working it out roughly is certainly doable but was wanting something a little easier. I am thinking that a "ports" authority may have this but this site is where to get the answers. Cheers. Darren

[Cruising Roo]

Sorry Everyone who replied. I am having all sorts of grief with my account and have messaged the Moderators (hopefully they get it) and when/if this is corrected, I will get6 back to you all. Thanks Darren

[Cruising Roo]

I will try one more time...wish me luck

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Cruising Roo

Thankis Chrisr. Yes working it out roughly is certainly doable but was wanting something a little easier. I am thinking that a "ports" authority may have this but this site is where to get the answers. Cheers. Darren

There's no such thing as a "Ports Authority". The closest is the "Ports Australia" association https://www.portsaustralia.com.au/
which has 28 members - all individual commercial "Port Authorities". But they don't provide anything like distance charts even between their member ports, let alone all the little places that recreational sailors want to visit.


Route planning and pilotage are essential skills you need to develop if you intend to coastal cruise safely, there are no shortcuts.
(Playing with the Navionics site mentioned above is a good start)

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Cruising Roo

I am trying very hard to find a site for Australia that gives nautical miles distances between locations. Like Google Maps but for the ocean. For example, I enter Geelong Victoria and say Lakes Entrance and it will give me the nautical miles or any figure then I can convert it NM.

Navionics will actually do that. You can tell it to to create an automatic route. This one took less than a minute to generate.

[JPA Cate]

You can also download Open CPN, and work it out, on a laptop. All the Ozzie charts can be had for a reasonable sum and loaded into your computer, complete with all depths and hazards. It wouldn't take 10 min. to develop routes for sailing around PPB.

Ann

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

You can also download Open CPN, and work it out, on a laptop. All the Ozzie charts can be had for a reasonable sum and loaded into your computer, complete with all depths and hazards. It wouldn't take 10 min. to develop routes for sailing around PPB.

Ann

On a laptop OR on Android tablet (using "Dave Register" version)...

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by StuM

Navionics will actually do that. You can tell it to to create an automatic route. This one took less than a minute to generate.

I'm sure you are well aware but others may not be.

Do not think auto route gives you a safe or logical route.
It's bloody dangerous.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

I'm sure you are well aware but others may not be.

Do not think auto route gives you a safe or logical route.
It's bloody dangerous.

You'd have to be blind to miss the warning

All waters are hazardous!

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by StuM

You'd have to be blind to miss the warning

Pretty easy to miss on the online webapp version