Crossing the Bight, From Perth to Adelaide,

[Mr B]

Thanks all,

Very informative,

Looks like Albany, Ive been to Albany, It has a good safe bay to anchor in,
Esperance, Ceduna, Streaky Bay, Port Lincoln, They appear to be safe harbors from the southern waves if the weather gets too bad,
They seem to have safe spots on the west side of these bays protected from winds and ocean swells, Horse shoe type bays, Not exposed to the south or wind,
Most of those waves would be going to the east, Continously,

I can duck in there if its over the top, weather wise,
I will sit in Esperance till I get a good weather window, Then head to Ceduna,

Im also doing the touristy thing as well, Im a cruiser, Looking at the sights along the way is a part of the voyage,
I can get 170 kays a day, if there is no wind, on the motor, So I do have a safety margin,
Usually between 5 and 10 ten knots on sails, I like to keep it under 10 knots,
Things dont break, Its a pleasant ride and Im no hero,

I have the internet, So I can get BOM updates all the time, Unless Im out of reach of a tower,
Which is a good possibilty across there,
So I would have two to three days notice of a bad storm coming,

Adelaide to Port Campbell, I dont know, Port Campbell to Melbourne I do, The Victorian coast,
East Coast of OZ I do,
Tassie, I dont,

Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay are not much different to each other, They both get very challenging at times, only 30 kays separate them,
Both are on top of Bass Straight, Which also gets very challenging at times,

Cheers, Brian,

[Fore and Aft]

Check out this book below. They did the bight twice.
https://jackandjude.com/books/wildwinds

These people did the bight in stages.
Embracing the bight - Ocean Navigator - November/December 2014
Cheers

[boatman61]

Port Fairy is a pleasent stopover and well sheltered.. just watch for the bar as you come round the corner into the bay before the river mouth into town.. gets pretty shallow so stand off a bit then follow the bouys
Ducked in there for a couple of days to hide from 50kts..

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Port Fairy is a pleasent stopover and well sheltered.. just watch for the bar as you come round the corner into the bay before the river mouth into town.. gets pretty shallow so stand off a bit then follow the bouys
Ducked in there for a couple of days to hide from 50kts..

They have a really good folk festival there as well,

[Ozifrog]

Hi, Iv'e cruised this area a couple of times. Some of the best cruising in the world.
The sir Joseph Banks group are magnificent. The bight is a bit desolate but there are some pearls along the way. Albany, Coffin bay, Flinders island, kangaroo island, the list is long. I'd go the east coast of Tasmania. The west coast can be a lee shore with nowhere to hide. As far as shallow water is concerned..... Use charts. January February March is the best season down there but it can blow hard. South Easters are common (on the nose) and then south westerly fronts hit from time to time. Fast but furious.
Enjoy your trip.

[ZULU40]

Around about now is the most stable weather for SA. During the winter the strong Southern Ocean storms seem to come up a lot higher and thoroughly blast the states coast. Gusting 60 knots is not uncommon. Generally storms run for 3 days.

There are a few very good spots to provide some respite from the dominant westerly (WSW) weather on the lee side of Kangaroo Island but you need to be aware KI's west coast is littered with wrecks for a good reason.

Likewise Backstairs passage gets weather pushed between KI and the mainland, also around the back of the island as well as tidal influence out of the gulfs. From Cape Jarvis on the mainland looking across to American River you can actually see the sea surface in confused short chop, visibly dark and higher than the sea on the westerly approach at Investigator Straight. Good anchorages at Bay of Shoals and Antichamber Bay.

In full gale you have to stand off which puts you more within the influence of the worst weather. My favourite refuges are Port Lincoln, Thistle Island and KI. Beyond there and east its lee shore where theres nowhere to hide and nowhere to run until you can get around the Victorian coast.

Any marina in SA must give you up to 3 days refuge if you need it, free. Beware if you are anchoring off that holding can be in sand and sea grass which will test a CQR which can slip. Lets not even talk about sharks ..

[Factor]

Mr B, My mate single handed his Seawind 1000XL (he was aged 62 at the time) round Australia, including the bight. Good planning saw him have a very uneventful trip. Also worth reading the BLOG of scarlett about their trip across the bight

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by Factor

Mr B, My mate single handed his Seawind 1000XL (he was aged 62 at the time) round Australia, including the bight. Good planning saw him have a very uneventful trip. Also worth reading the BLOG of scarlett about their trip across the bight

My Gemini 105 mc is very similar in size and shape to a Seawind,
A Seawind was out of my reach financially,

[BruceS]

Can be a strong West current through Backstairs Passage and be very carefull from off Robe to Port McDonnell ... lots of reefs that claim some!
(Especially Beachport)
https://www.google.com/search?q=yach...ient=firefox-b
Hopefully the cray season will be finished by your trip?

[Billmeerkat]

Hi Brian,
I have just read an article in this months Cruising Helmsman travelling from Adelaide to Perth but it does give locations to stop of to avoid blows
last year there was an article in the same mag from Perth to Adelaide cant remember when it was published.
Regards
Bill

[knockabout]

have done the trip mono hull / fremantle - streaky bay non stop / there are numerous islands not far from cape leuwin / along further in close is dangerous unless you have a particular spot you would like to experience and plot your course in and out / many rocks, shoals / very wild along the shelf / we stayed well out clear of it all and had a very exciting and enjoyable sail

[knockabout]

small poem about joanne falling in along way out off cape lewuin / she went head first into a swell that was higher than the boat right on her shoulder ( not one sound was heard) I reached around to hand her the shifter and she wasn't there / then followed the life line along and pulled her back on board / wear your harness / make sure you are clipped on

M.O.B is a terrifying sound
voracious predators are known to be around
Pass the shifter
the shackle key has met it's match
Hazardous ten feet
to the foredeck and back
Return trip via the ocean
not a sound was heard
but the lifeline wasn't slack
Helping hand to shelter
dry clothes,short rest
but butter would have melted
The wind,water,air and boat warm to the smile
but no time to gloat
The sail still had to be changed
the passage still had to be made
Keeping in mind the sound of M.O.B
and predators are known to be around

r p oakley

[Johnno]

G'day Mr B, I crossed the bight in December 1988 from Freemantle to Melbourne. Normally you have the roaring 40s behind you making the passage a fairly quick one, however in December there is actually an Easterly breeze between 15 & 30 knots which blows against the roaring 40s swells standing them up and resulting in us standing South to around 37 degrees. We stopped at Albany, Adelaide, Robe and then Melbourne. Whilst much of the December trip was windward work, if you pick the right time of year, you should be able to sail the Rhumb line for most, if not all, of the trip.
All the best!

[Wotname]

Some info from someone who hasn't sailed it but...

Your safest passage would probably be made by staying well off-shore; I reckon you don't won't be near those cliffs in deteriorating westerly or especially southerly weather.

As Johno notes, there can be a lot of easterlies close inshore in summer, just depending how high the highs come up into the bight etc.

Some tell me that off-shore, the swell is predominately from the south while the seas (and wind) can be anywhere from the SE though W into the NW. I can't confirm that but it makes sense to me.

Albany (as you note) is an excellent place to recover (if necessary) from the Freo / Cape Leeuwin leg. All weather harbour, good entry in all weathers, plenty of shore facilities.

I very sure you won't have cell coverage anywhere but very close to costal towns. All the cell coverage elsewhere is aligned along the Eyre Highway with nothing directed south (or north).

[Diamond Life]

I sail out of Esperance so I see a lot and talk to many who have or are about to cross the Bight. I have been across twice. We have had several cats head east over the last month, we will see more again at the end of winter who hope to grab the last small cold front to get them across before the easterlies set in. It is all about planning and being patient if the weather isn't right. Most head from the eastern islands (Middle Island) after watching the weather and head to Ceduna or if short for time straight to Port Lincoln. You will be a long way from the cliffs and you will not have mobile phone coverage much after Esperance. If you cross whilst a high is in the bight you will be several hundred nautical miles south of the rhumb line. Yachts cross all the time and it is a place that should not be feared, just don't be impatient.