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Old 03-12-2016, 15:54   #1
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Cruising Kimberleys Australia

Hi. I am looking a purchasing a sailing catamaran around 32 - 36 m (similar to Seawind 1000 etc) with the intent of sailing up Queensland coast and across to the Kimberleys. Some of the boats I have looked at have outboard petrol motors. Does anyone see this as a problem sailing my intended route? I get the impression only diesel is available across the top end at most places? Dave.
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Old 03-12-2016, 17:07   #2
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

Everwhere has petrol.
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Old 03-12-2016, 17:52   #3
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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Everwhere has petrol.
If my piddling little boat can carry 100 litres in plastic jerry cans on deck anyone can. You'll be fine.
Willow brand jerry cans, from supercheap auto. Aussie made, brilliant spouts and with two handles....the normal one on top and another halfway down the back ( which, when horizontal, becomes the top, perfectly in balance) and with huge robust non-leak spouts. And no, not related in any way, just a happy customer. OH! 5 L...10 L & 20 L
And I reckon that not only supercheap sells them but Whitworths sure dont.
Gonna have a ball !!
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Old 03-12-2016, 18:34   #4
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

thanks Mark. Great. Not sure how much I will need from Darwin to King George River etc and back (depending on wind) but something I can work out at the time. Dave
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Old 04-12-2016, 04:00   #5
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

Hi drdave
We have done this trip the opposite way this year. Left Abrolhos in May and just getting to Hervey Bay later this week. We have diesels but had no problems with getting petrol (for the dinghy) along the way.
You should have no problem with fuel procurement from Queensland to Darwin, into the Kimberley you may have to plan it a little more.
Obviously it'll depend on how much you carry and how much you sail.
Some of the places I know you can get both fuels are Broome, Dog Leg Creek, Kalumbaru, Wyndham, Darwin, Nhulunbuy, Weipa, Seisia and Cooktown. Most of these places we had to Jerry can it. There are some communities across the top that will also sell you fuel but you may need to get permission to go ashore first. Maningrida and Galiwin'ku are two.
We used about 320l diesel and nearly 100l of petrol in the dinghy for 7 weeks though the Kimberley. We had no wind for about 18 days. You can go up a lot of long rivers in the Kimberley and there are so many creeks and art sites to explore. I had to ease the dinghy trips in the last week.
You also have to plan all your passages around tidal flow, it can often be 2-6kn. Most days we would only travel for 6hrs ( one tide) and stop and explore.
It was a lot of fun and we're looking forward to going again in a few years. Highly recommend it.
Stefan
PS lots of crocs!
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Old 04-12-2016, 10:10   #6
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

I got diesel at McGowwens Beach Camp at the Bottom end of Napier Broome Bay W of the King George River in 2012. Don't know if they had petrol as I did not need any.
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Old 04-12-2016, 12:38   #7
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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Hi drdave
We have done this trip the opposite way this year. Left Abrolhos in May and just getting to Hervey Bay later this week. We have diesels but had no problems with getting petrol (for the dinghy) along the way.
You should have no problem with fuel procurement from Queensland to Darwin, into the Kimberley you may have to plan it a little more.
Obviously it'll depend on how much you carry and how much you sail.
Some of the places I know you can get both fuels are Broome, Dog Leg Creek, Kalumbaru, Wyndham, Darwin, Nhulunbuy, Weipa, Seisia and Cooktown. Most of these places we had to Jerry can it. There are some communities across the top that will also sell you fuel but you may need to get permission to go ashore first. Maningrida and Galiwin'ku are two.
We used about 320l diesel and nearly 100l of petrol in the dinghy for 7 weeks though the Kimberley. We had no wind for about 18 days. You can go up a lot of long rivers in the Kimberley and there are so many creeks and art sites to explore. I had to ease the dinghy trips in the last week.
You also have to plan all your passages around tidal flow, it can often be 2-6kn. Most days we would only travel for 6hrs ( one tide) and stop and explore.
It was a lot of fun and we're looking forward to going again in a few years. Highly recommend it.
Stefan
PS lots of crocs!
I was very keen to do the Kimberley trip from Brisbane but was discouraged by advice that said keep Australia on the left coming back. Meaning it is to hard to sail clockwise across the top and the easiest way home is to do a full loop around because of wind direction. Now you have done this would you agree or disagree?

Thanks
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Old 04-12-2016, 12:52   #8
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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thanks Mark. Great. Not sure how much I will need from Darwin to King George River etc and back (depending on wind) but something I can work out at the time. Dave
As well as the good advice here, I have found the closer you are the better informed you become. So when you get to Darwin I bet there's a whole stack of people going or coming who will be well informed.

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Old 04-12-2016, 13:00   #9
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

If you have not got onto it already, a ton of good information and cruising guides to be had here.

Kimberley Coast Cruising Yacht Club
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Old 04-12-2016, 13:07   #10
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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I was very keen to do the Kimberley trip from Brisbane but was discouraged by advice that said keep Australia on the left coming back. Meaning it is to hard to sail clockwise across the top and the easiest way home is to do a full loop around because of wind direction. Now you have done this would you agree or disagree?



Thanks

Hi Dave.
I would disagree. Sailing east from Darwin to cape York had its challenges and 95% of it was to windward but we had a fairly open time frame and would wait til conditions were under 20kn. This season was not too strong from the SE.
The most challenging part for us was waiting for the right window to cross the gulf. We had to wait in Gove for 10 days and ended up motoring most of the way across. When the wind did pick up to over 15kn in the mornings it produced the steepest shortest seas that I have experienced but it was only for a couple of hours.
I think the the most important thing is to not have a rigid time frame. The weather will work for you at some point
Stefan
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Old 10-12-2016, 20:42   #11
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

Hi Dave

Just some other hints bring cash you can always buy fuel from some charter company's in the Kimberley's if you ask nicely, we did. McGowens is now closed so the only fuel supplier at Napier bay is a barge that come out once every 2 weeks. you will have to pre pay and diesel only. Yes Kimberley coast cruising yacht club was some of the best information we got but only covers east Kimberley's not much on the west Kimberleys ( Bigge Island to Broome ) We did not find a lot of wind and used over 1500 lt last time we crossed west to east spent 14 weeks there so bring lots. food is what we ran out of first that the hardest thing to buy there

Regard G
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Old 10-12-2016, 22:38   #12
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

Note the new information on the KCCYC...permits now required for much of the Kimberley, and are being enforced. Only problem...to join K...you must have already been there and prove it.
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Old 11-12-2016, 01:01   #13
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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Note the new information on the KCCYC...permits now required for much of the Kimberley, and are being enforced. Only problem...to join K...you must have already been there and prove it.


Not shore what permits required just left there and never ask for permit once. no one there to enforce a permit system anyway. The only permit required as I know was for a car not boat
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Old 11-12-2016, 02:39   #14
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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Note the new information on the KCCYC...permits now required for much of the Kimberley, and are being enforced. Only problem...to join K...you must have already been there and prove it.
What is this crap, you do not need permits to passage through the Kimberleys.
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Old 11-12-2016, 03:34   #15
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Re: Cruising Kimberleys Australia

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We used about 320l diesel and nearly 100l of petrol in the dinghy for 7 weeks though the Kimberley. We had no wind for about 18 days. K
Yep. Seems like you need to be prepared to burn fuel if you wish to cruise the Kimberleys. Whether you have outboards or diesels, seems that those who have cruised this area recommend that you need the tankage and fuel effciency to give range.

FLOATDABOAT wrote: "We did not find a lot of wind and used over 1500 lt last time we crossed west to east spent 14 weeks there so bring lots."
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