Taking a boat to Moreton - drive or ferry

[bugman]

Gents (and ladies)

We've got nine days booked in April over at the newish villas at the sourthern side of Tangas on Moreton island.

There's two families with 4 adults and four kids. My mate is a keen fisher and the kids love the water so we thought we'd take the boat. He's my conundrum.

Should we take 1 car on the ferry, 2 cars on the ferry, 1 car and the boat on the ferry or two cars and the boat on the ferry. With the first two options we were looking to drive the boat ourselves while the wives and children go on the ferry.

They have a car to seat 8 so we probably only need one car on the island but its the driving the boat over that has got me worried. I've been across to Moreton many times in a boat and know how rough it gets. What's the odds on getting a good day for the trip over and a good day for the trip back.

The boat is a 5.6 Quintrex bowrider so we'll need a relatively good day. We'll also need to take some gear in the boat so she'll be weighed down a bit (probably more on the way over.

I've got to book the ferry now so I can't change my mind if rough weather is forecast when we leave.

I'd rather drive the boat over but I've been going over in my head time and time again the possibility of getting in trouble and am now leaning towards one car and trailerling the boat.

What would you do?

Brett

[peterbo3]

Boat & trailer by ferry for sure. Saves the drama of leaving the trailer somewhere on this side & the possibility of a WX change that will make a return Bay trip ugly.
Plus you will not need to anchor the boat off the resort or beach it above the HWM.

[MyWay]

Hi Brett

you should be OK going there and back i say that only if you going to drive boat there and back
where you going to anchor over night and who is going to look after boat overnight ..??? that is only problem ....( would be better if you take one car and boat on ferry.)
cheers

[craigie]

Brett,

What about the "Incident" with the old fibreglass runabout !!
And I know of others similar to yours along that western beach of Moreton Is.

9 days (nights) is a long time for a boat to be sitting there if the winds start puffing from the west.

I understand your dilemma, as towing a medium sized rig on barges (at extra costs) and gouged sand tracks can be unpleasant.

Unless I was sleeping in the boat on the water, I would go the barge option.

Cheers
Craigie.

[brisbane_boy]

april is a good time for weather brett, if its average remember you can drive the boat a bit further and wing it thru rainbow channel skip across sth pass and up thru days gutter, itll get you thru the worst southerlies.

[GBC]

If the unit is on the south side you'll have to use the bypass track to get there which can get a bit gnarly for a bog standard boat trailer depending on track conditions which means you'll be basically launching the boat as soon as you get off the barge and not putting it back on unless the weather turns nasty, or you're going home anyway.
I've no doubt you'll drag an empty trailer through there no worries, but she's a two way track and if you meet a tour bus or something whilst you've got the boat on it could create some unpreferred fun and games.

If it's deep blue apartments you're staying at, then parking is at a premium and I'd advise you to ask if you can even use the visitors park for trailers.

You'll have a bit more play fuel if you don't have to drive it over and back though = more fushin.

Either way I'm jealous.

[bugman]

If the unit is on the south side you'll have to use the bypass track to get there which can get a bit gnarly for a bog standard boat trailer depending on track conditions which means you'll be basically launching the boat as soon as you get off the barge and not putting it back on unless the weather turns nasty, or you're going home anyway.
I've no doubt you'll drag an empty trailer through there no worries, but she's a two way track and if you meet a tour bus or something whilst you've got the boat on it could create some unpreferred fun and games.

If it's deep blue apartments you're staying at, then parking is at a premium and I'd advise you to ask if you can even use the visitors park for trailers.

You'll have a bit more play fuel if you don't have to drive it over and back though = more fushin.

Either way I'm jealous.

Yep Deep Blue - we've got the two bottom floor units side by side for the two families. I've been told the back track is a bit ordinary and was thinking if we ferried the boat we'd have to launch at the wrecks as you say.

It's interesting the responses here are about 50-50 which is exactly my thinking at the moment and I'm struggling to make a deicision.

Yes and as Craigie elluded to I have "lost" a boat while at anchor in a big storm on the Western side of Moreton once before - it's not something I would like to do again. The units do however have mooring bouys which can be used so I think we'd bow and stern anchor normally and if the weather looked like changing we'd run her out to the bouy.

I think my back is worried about the ride in the 5m quintrex across the bay on a bad day - sorry all you quintrex owners.

Brett

[banksmister]

Brett if just take the boat over and the weather turns i could always take your trailer to the barge for you
Just ask the grumpy mob that run the barge if its ok
ps are you ever home

Banksy

[bugman]

Thanks Banksy,

The barge mob will actually park the trailer in their yard under security for the duration of the trip on the island. We'll be driving two cars up from Murwillumbah so one will be left with the trailer in the compound.

Overnight we had a chat and I think we're leaning towards driving the boat over. What's a holiday without a bit of excitement.

Worst case scenario - I take the boat over alone and if it's a rough day I plod along in the way of the big ferry. We've been there before coming home from North West Island in some SHITE conditions so we should be able to manage.

Anyone over in the part of the world from April 9 to April 17 and wants to catch up - let me know.

Brett

[finding_time]

Buggy

Remember there is NO fuel over there now!!! So if your planning to do a bit of boating you'll have to take extra fuel! If it were me i would take the trailer and boat , and also ask my good mate Ian if i could borrow his 2 X 60l drums for extra fuel.


Ian

PS.
Do you ever work!!!!

[griz066]

Not wanting to jinx you but what if you should have engine trouble or something and no trailer to get her home.

[death_ship]

fuel at bulwer now. 20 litre drums only

[ShaneC]

Not wanting to jinx you but what if you should have engine trouble or something and no trailer to get her home.

Probably would have to do the same as you would any other time you go fishing in the boat.... Dont usually take your trailer with you.

[finding_time]

fuel at bulwer now. 20 litre drums only

Good to know! What it sell for a per/L do you know??? Much above current retail???

[captain red beard]

I would drive the boat over. I used to do this most weekends in a smaller boat. Some trips just take longer then others. You can always change directions or take a different coarse if real bad.