Oz Coastal Cruising - 2.1m draft

[Davo55]

Hi folks. New here. Experienced sailor, but haven't owned a boat in 20 years, just getting back into it pre-retirement. We are looking seriously at a boat with 2.1m draft.

What does that do to us for coastal cruising in Oz? East Coast (bar crossings)? over the top? Any Tas cruisers here?- how about Denison Canal?
Any advice appreciated.
Cheers,
Davo

[Jim Cate]

g'day Davo,

Well, we have been cruising in Oz much of the time since 1992 and both of our boats have had 2.2 m draft. We have not felt that the few places this kept us from entering were so important that we wished for less depth of keel.

Yes, one needs to be aware of tidal state in some areas and patience is needed while nature works her magic and restores depth. This has not been too onerous for us...

Bar crossings: really, a few centimeters of draft difference does not affect this IMO. It is the sea state that determines safety in crossings, and absolute draft is not usually a consideration. One exception to this is getting into mangrove creeks for cyclone protection. There it is draft that must be considered because one often wants to enter in calm conditions well before the SHTF and there are often shallow bars blocking the way into relatively deep creeks.

No experience north/west of Lizard Is., so can't help you there.

We've been visiting Tassie since 1994, and full time there since 2019 (Covid). Been through Dennison many times... and it does require careful consideration of tidal state, with some times not being possible for us. One can always go around the peninsula (affording a visit to Fortescue, one of our favorite anchorages!).

We live aboard in Port Cygnet, so if you are yourself a Taswegian and happen this way, give us a hoy!

Jim

PS We often tell folks who favor very shallow draft that all cruisers run aground at times. We just do it a little farther from the beach!

[skipperpete]

With 2.1 m draft there are a few places on east coast Australia where you’ll either need to use extraordinary care or simply not visit. NSW river bars are generally deep enough at high water but the Queensland coast is where you might be a bit limited. The inner route from the goldcoast seaway through to Moreton bay is tricky with a deep keel and further north, the great sandy straits are fairly shallow. The “Narrows” north of Gladstone is a place you might want to avoid, the consequences of grounding out in that route could be dire due to the rocky bottom and high tidal velocities. A lot depends on how well your boat handles being aground and drying out and how keen you are to get into a difficult anchorage.

[ChrisJHC]

2.1 is fine for most of the East Coast, but as others have said you’ll have to be careful with depths at some places.
You will have to anchor a little further out than other boats (especially cats) so that will often put you in slightly more rolly anchorages.

I find using the depth charts in Navionics (and I’m sure other systems as well) makes for really quick calculations of how much the tide will rise or fall from the current time - great for determining what depth to have below you when anchoring (i.e. how much will the tide drop between now and low tide) plus how much chain to put out (i.e. how much will the tide rise between now and high tide).

[DVMitchell]

Hi Davo
Agree with previous comments re Tassie (haven't cruised any further north). Shallowest official depth at LAT in Dennison Canal is about 1.4 m. Best to transit at slack water anyway - so do it at high tide. If you planned to visit Port Davey you would have to be really careful in Melaleuca Inlet. We draw 1.7 m and have to be very aware of tide.
Cheers, David

[arsenelupiga]

We crossed WBB many times and had 3 x exciting times. 2 x was due to unexpected shallow waters during crossing. Luck helped, but better to strictly wait for max tide and less than 1.5m waves. More dangerous than one would expect.

[Jim Cate]

If you planned to visit Port Davey you would have to be really careful in Melaleuca Inlet.

We, at 2.2m, don't even think about going up Melaleuca (sp?). Just anchor in Claytons and go up in your dink. Very cool dink ride!

Jim

[Davo55]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We, at 2.2m, don't even think about going up Melaleuca (sp?). Just anchor in Claytons and go up in your dink. Very cool dink ride!

Jim

Exactly the reason we are looking at an up-spec'd tender. I figure it will be critical for Kimberly also - something that can plane with a few bodies in it.

[Davo55]

[QUOTE=Jim Cate;4025270]g'day Davo,


We live aboard in Port Cygnet, so if you are yourself a Taswegian and happen this way, give us a hoy!

Jim

Thanks for the advice, Jim. I suspect things might happen pretty quickly for us, so may see you on the water soon! Likely to be an older 'plastic fantastic' just because cruising with family and friends (ie a good number of cabins) will be a priority for now......

[Davo55]

Thanks all for your very useful replies! We are going for a second look over the (2.1m draft) boat later this week. You have convinced us that the up sides outweigh the downsides.
Cheers
Davo

[gordonhinds]

As you have a choice it seems I would try and get a boat with less than 2 meters draft. 1.8m would be ideal. You will be bumping otherwise, depending on where you go. The East Coast is in places shallow (you only need one spot). Bar crossings are not so much the issue but more the shallow parts once you get in. A lot of Queensland has shallow parts (inside Fraser Island), between the Gold Coast and Morton Bay, parts of the rivers in NSW. It s not that you will get stuck but you will be bumping a lot. So if you have an option go for 1.8m and depth anxiety will not be an issue.

[barnakiel]

We sailed Cairns to Darwin. Cannot recall places where 2m draft would be limiting in any way. You do not want to anchor that close inshore do you.


barnakiel

[JPA Cate]

Fwiw, we didn't have problems with 2.2.

We did go through the Narrows with no problem. We've gone into Gary's once. Way too many sandflies for me! I'd prefer to anchor further off and let the catamarans cop them.

Yes, we have run aground in Oz, but more due to poor judgment or loss of situational awareness than draft.

Ann

[grantmc]

[QUOTE=Davo55;4025364]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

g'day Davo,
We live aboard in Port Cygnet....

What a fantastic place to live. I am envious.

This topic of draft comes up much here on CF. I think it's much like any other feature on your boat; you adjust and adapt to them all.

Whether you draw 1.2 or 2.2 or 3.2 (thank you so much Napoléon for the metric system!) you'll always still need to check the relevant chart and tide tables, and be cognisant of sea state etc. Rough wave troughs can easily put you below mean low water springs. And all bar crossings are potentially dangerous.

You quickly learn to consider your boat's draw when sailing and passage planning.

Perhaps more practical aspects to the draft and keel configuration are the services available for haul out and hard stand storage. And can you live on the hard in your boat (so should you carry a ladder)? Really basic stuff like that. If you have a swing type keel how can you get it out? Can you remove your prop and prop shaft without removing the rudder (or worse moving the engine forward, a major obviously).

And I think too that the reality is that occasionally you'll hit bottom. Sorry that's the reality. and so what damage might result if you do? Modern wide beam plastic fantastics don't always have much, it strikes me anyway, to actually bolt the keel to. So a slight bump and significant damage results. And that might compromise the hull to the extent you sink.

And then there are the hazards we all encounter, fishing gear, your own rope, other people's ropes, logs, and all this chat of Orcas having a happy time etc. So how is the under carriage protected, access, visibility? I mean seaweed is a real hassle in many places, especially kelp. If you can get at your prop and rudder, skeg etc with a boat hook say hanging off the swim platform that is a mighty advantage if you don't like swimming (and swimming in Tassie is too cold for me).

Gosh I borrowed a friends marina slip in Wellington recently to discover a significant sand bank that prevented access for my boat except near high tide. And I only draw 1.8 but the slip suits my friend and it's discounted accordingly.

I have friends with an old racing thoroughbred and she draws over 5 metres. They had to sail over 1,000 miles to the nearest travel lift that could cater to them. And because she's too high for conventional stands they need to dig a couple of relatively deep holes for the keel and also the rudder. Not all yards will let you dig holes and many are concrete or blacktop. And I recall them struggling to get into a Q berth to clear Customs. Some negotiating was needed to just be in the berth for an hour each side of high water. Customs, Immigration etc are always so obliging.

[Ard Righ]

Best information for much of East Coast Australia is found in two books (now probably out of print) - Cruising the NSW coast and Cruising the coral coast. These two are comprehensive and very popular.