Hill Inlet

[Teeto]

We would like to take our cat into Hill Inlet on Whitsunday Island, probably beach her. My question is about tides. We draw 1.1m. Assuming we go on the last hour of a rising tide and pick our way carefully, can we get in on neap tides, or do we need springs?

[SimonV]

tides are large and any high will do, once in there you will find some deeper holes on the west side of the inlet and more further in down the south east at low tide.

[noelex 77]

The best tactic is to anchor off Whitehaven and take a look at hill inlet at low tide.You can then pick the ideal spot to end up. It will give you a map of the channel which is quite winding and varies as the sand shifts. Depending on your draft and the tide, it's not always necessary to religously follow the channel, but it's nice to know where the deep water is. Always enter on a rising tide.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Teeto,

Apocryphal info says that the park Nazis may get huffy about your putting your nasty boat bottoms on their pristine beaches. Don't know if this is true, nor if it would bother you, but those guys can be pretty difficult to reason with!

Cheers,

Jim

[Teeto]

Thanks all. We'll give it a go!

[Teeto]

Well it is a very pretty place, great shelter and quiet. No trouble getting in after a dingy survey and a few waypoints. If there were just a few less sand flies .......

[Andrew G]

Teeto,
Would you get a 1.8m draft mono in there and find a hole to anchor? (I've been right in in a dinghy but I wasn't taking depths etc).
Cheers,

Andrew

[Teeto]

Last week we had a minimum of 1.3m at half tide on a track we had pre set with our dingy ( it has a depth gauge). I think if you have the right height of tide you could make it to a deep hole by the rocks where the channel is furthest north before it curves to port. Here there seemed to be around 6 metres depth. I wouldn't try going around to the left behind the sand spit.
Might be a stressful exercise. Easy to drift out of the channel and end up stuck .

[Andrew G]

Thanks Teeto. Do you mean getting stuck like this? (Fitzroy River on the way to Rockhampton).

It is one thing to be able to do it it is another as to whether the parks people discourage it.
Cheers,

Andrew

[noelex 77]

It has been a few years since I have been there, but with a 1.8m draft it falls into the "Doable, but I wouldn't do it" category"

Hill inlet is really only viable with a retractable keel, or low draft like a cat.

The anchorage outside is better anyway. No sand flies. You can avoid the crowd at the other end of Whitehaven by anchoring near the entrance to hill inlet.
There is never anyone there.
Until I told you about it

[Teeto]

Yes, that's exactly where we hit a bank in May this year. Reversed off fine. I guess that's what could happen in Hill Inlet but at least this week tides are going Neaps to Springs so the next tide can lift you off.
I have never heard any cruisers mention any discouraging noises from the National Parks or Maritime about going in there. All those high powered jet boats with their hoards surely have more impact.

[Teeto]

I would take Noelex 77's advice and save yourself the stress and bites.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Andrew G

Teeto,
Would you get a 1.8m draft mono in there and find a hole to anchor? (I've been right in in a dinghy but I wasn't taking depths etc).
Cheers,

Andrew

Definitely no.

[Andrew G]

Nolex and Teeto,
I agree. And the anchorage W of Tongue Pt is good (if a little shallow) with good access to the walk to the lookout.
Cheers,
Andrew

[surfingminniwinni]

Thought you all might like this video I found on YouTube sailing to hill inlet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiUMv...e_gdata_player