Navigating the Great Sandy Strait

[Stressless]

I am coming down this Friday to help a friend bring a 48ft coastal cruiser back to Cairns.

Top speed is 8.5knots on a calm day, and draws 1.2 metres and has a beam of 4.6m.

From what I've been reading on Cruising the Coral Coast by Alan Lucas, it is possible, but then consulting Beacon to Beacon, and Google Earth, it's kind of turning me off going the shorter route.

My ability is in negotiating reefs and northern mangrove rivers and creeks, and I have no practical experience in bar crossings, perhaps I have just answered my own question?

Any opinions, liability free, are appreciated. I'll post a final comment on Thursday

[Lucky_Phill]

I have done the Straits in a similar size boat a few times.

There are places that gets shallow, but the only advice i can give you is to navigate these areas at high tide. I suppose that would mean leaving Urangan Harbour... or pass Big Woody Island about an hour before high tide to get to the narrow and shallow areas further down the straits on the top of the tide.

The Straits are well marked with beacons and should not pose a problem.

Then I suppose you have the Wide Bay Bar to contend with. IMO....... once you get there, wait for an incoming tide, which may mean anchoring for the night inside the Straits maybe up the channel towards Tin Can Bay. Once you are set, call the VMR..... VMR417 on VHF channel 80 or 82 and ask for the GPS co-ordinates to cross the bar. It is a dog leg with an " outter bank ", not difficult, but reasonable sea conditions are needed and an incoming tide is ideal.

Enjoy the trip and take your time to admire the scenery.

Cheers LP

[Stressless]

Thanks Lucky Phil

Just the reply and assistance I was after, I'll certainly take your comments "onboard" with us.

We'll be leaving Scarborough early Sunday morning, that was the plan, now I'll need to check the tides to confirm departure etc.

I also need to stock up on gars and IQF pillies, soft plastics and jig heads, I've packed some 24kg outfits, and will be pushing my flight weight limits.

Is there a good quality store that could fill my needs between the airport and marina? pms me if you prefer

Kind regards
Steve

[Lucky_Phill]

sorry Steve, just read ( re read ) the post... you are leaving from Scarborough and heading North... to Cairns...

OK, similar applies.... try hitting the Wide Bay Bar at high tide, coming in is good.... and with your speed, that should be sufficient to take you all the way through the Straits with no problems. But again call up the VMR to get GPS co -ords for bar crossing.

. If you are calling into Urangan Harbour ( Hervey Bay ) for fuel etc, you can get things there. the VMR will also be able to help you with that . guide you in the right direction.

This is a tackle shop in between the airport and Scarborough.

Hornibrook Bait n Tackle Fishing Tackle - Clontarf, QLD

(07) 3284 6939

[PROS]

Scarborough ramp has bait shop as well at the chandlery, limited on plastics but good bait

[spelchek]

Haven;t done wide bay bar, but all i know who have pretty much echo the advice given here. As for the straits - done them about 7 times now on various house boats and bare boats in years past as well as our 35 riv. The only place you'll potentially get into trouble is at 'the skids' - pretty much 1/2 way up the straits. It's where the tides meet. Situated just south of South White Cliffs anchorage - it's the shallowest part of the channel but well marked and doable in a boat of your draft on high tide. All channels are pretty well marked so should be no surprises if you have current charts you'll find it easy. Be aware that whilst many of the channels are deep, the edges can rise sharply so don't muck around near the outers of the channel if possible (having said that, you'll most likely come across at least one idiot sailboat going against the current under sail forcing you right to the edge). Plan to ride the tides and you'll get around 2kn 'for free'.

Above all keep in mind that there is a large hire-boat fleet renting to unlicenced and un-clued clientele - this industry wouldn't exist if it was a particularly dangerous area. Also remember that just about anything you can hit is soft (sand).

Can't really help with tackle shop recomendations - we take/took all ours with us from home.

Have fun. If you;re planning on refuelling etc at Bundy, let me know - I'll come down and say g'day. Be happy to tlk you through Musgrave/1770/pancake crk and Gladstone if/when we meet up if you're planning to visit any of those.

HAve a good trip you lucky bugger.

Edit - be sure to talk to the relevant rescue group (CG Sandy Straits) to get tide adjustments for The Skids and any relevant current info.

[cuzzamundi]

Tackle Land at Sandgate is your best bet for bait etc. Huge range of everything, including plastics.

Enjoy the inside of Fraser. Maybe take an extra day or two to explore. Some great country right the way up from the Straits to Rooney's. Beautiful scenery. Hit the flats near Rooney's in your tender for small Blacks. Chuck a lure out the back while cruising up the island, too.

Cuzza

[Apollo]

I live in the area and as has been mention is pretty much dead on. The WBB from half tide running up is ok unless swell and wind is out of NE or E and then wait a little longer in the run up to high. Once in the straits you should be fine through out, but as mentioned earlier if you can time your run to get to the skids by high tide, then you get the run of the tide both ways which is a handy elevator ride. Watch your channels and stick to them. They don't call it the great sandy straits for nothing.

[Stressless]

Thankyou all for your comments. I've just had confirmation that the purchase, subject to a full survey, has gone ahead, and I will be flying down tomorrow.

Lucky Phil, bait has been arranged, and we’ll give VMR a call as we get close. I’ve read the print off the tide tables, we have two opportunities of entering the leads with a making tide, depends on how long it takes us to get there. We’ll make sure we have plenty of water under us in the shallow section at Turnkey.

Pros, I managed to find some space for big placcies and jig heads, but I'll take a look as well. Bought extra baggage allowance!!!

Spelchek, we should be at the skids as the tide changes to spit us out. The boat has a 1000Nm range, so hopefully we won’t have to refuel, that’s the plan but who knows.

Cuzzamundi, the plan is to drag some lazer pros and gar wogheads, I’m not familiar with your grounds, so I hope the fish swim like they do up here.

Apollo, Looks like the winds will be from the E/NE, but that may change Sunday morning???

We hope to be back in Cairns in 6-8 days, depends on Nature, and the amount of fishing we end up doing.


Foxy Lady.jpg

[Chong]

Stressless,
when you arrive in the staits, give me a call, i come out and say hello and bring a bottle "JOY".
Nice rig and safe travels.
Cheers
Chong

[spelchek]

The boat has a 1000Nm range, so hopefully we won’t have to refuel, that’s the plan but who knows.

No worries, offer stands if you do pull into Bundy.

Cuzzamundi, the plan is to drag some lazer pros and gar wogheads, I’m not familiar with your grounds, so I hope the fish swim like they do up here.

For Hervey Bay, may I suggest the Halco 'Crazy Deep' in the redhead/white body pattern. Trolled at 5-7kn. We've been slaying the macs on these.

[Yobbo70]

If you have a ipad download the Navionics app. Nice boat too, I like the Sea Ranger aft cab, and that one is set up for coastal cruising with the desal and stabilisers, hope your mate got it at a good price, I looked at a ranger 40 aft cab earlier in the year with twin 3208 cats but have decided to keep the riv 33 for a few more years, good luck with your trip

[Stressless]

Hello All

We arrived back in Cairns late yesterday. Fortunately we had a mechanical engineer on board who managed to replaced a dodgy mechanical fuel pump with an electrical one at Townsville.

Navigating the Great Sandy Straits was either skill, luck or arse, or a combination of all three. We timed the tides, weather and seas perfectly at the bar entrance, and then the high tide at Sheridan Flats for the run out into Harvey Bay.

I’ve got to thank all you, and Marine Rescue Stations Tin Can Bay and Sandy Straits, and other VMR's as we made our way north.

Sorry Chong, mate I was too busy stressing to give you a call for a bottle of "JOY". If it can explode or is flammable, feel free to courier one up to me at my expense. One marine rescue was changing radios and we had no contact for 30minutes, and I was too busy on lookout.

Yobbo, we did buy an Ipad, the day after buying paper charts. It is a useful back-up to have for such a long trip.

I used to spell BOAT, ""Bring Out A Thousand"", then was told it was spelt BOATT, "Bring Out Another Ten Thousand".

I found out during the trip that it is spelt BOAT-i, "Bend Over And Take-It", because we also had an autopilot issue, and hand steered the final three days from Percy Islands!!!

Only one case of the dreaded Mal-de-Mer. The casualty put it down to the smoked oyster canapes', and it wasn't the Skipper or I. We're lucky the Chief Engineer came good!!!

Don’t forget to contact me if any of you are heading up here, I’ll look after you in some way.

Thanks again
Steve

PS only three fish caught, two macktuna, and a rather large Stinkfish Cuda, Chief Engineers pb's

[SandStorm]

I have done the Straits in a similar size boat a few times.

There are places that gets shallow, but the only advice i can give you is to navigate these areas at high tide. I suppose that would mean leaving Urangan Harbour... or pass Big Woody Island about an hour before high tide to get to the narrow and shallow areas further down the straits on the top of the tide.

The Straits are well marked with beacons and should not pose a problem.

Then I suppose you have the Wide Bay Bar to contend with. IMO....... once you get there, wait for an incoming tide, which may mean anchoring for the night inside the Straits maybe up the channel towards Tin Can Bay. Once you are set, call the VMR..... VMR417 on VHF channel 80 or 82 and ask for the GPS co-ordinates to cross the bar. It is a dog leg with an " outter bank ", not difficult, but reasonable sea conditions are needed and an incoming tide is ideal.

Enjoy the trip and take your time to admire the scenery.

Cheers LP

Hi LP please forgive my Ignorance but why is it better to cross the wide bay bar on an incoming tide?
Thanks Sandstorm

[Lucky_Phill]

IMO... all bars should be crossed on an incoming tide, simply because you have the current flowing in the same direction as the waves.

On an outgoing tide this will mean current against waves creating " pressure waves " which equates to a short waves with no back on them... they " stand up ". Particularly over the shallower ground.

Also the wind is a contributing factor in some cases.

It is not critical to cross a bar on an incoming tide and is relevant to the time you need to cross. Certainly the size of the swell also dictates when you cross.

Large swells ( easterly ) with an outgoing tide requires a lot of caution.

This is paramount on bars like Wide Bay, where many " cross -waves " happen. That is current pushing waves up from the sandbars and forcing them in a different direction, other than out ( east ). I have experienced crossings where the main swell / waves are coming from the west ( behind me on an outgoing tide ) and then a few " surprise " waves hitting us side on, from the south. Not a pleasant experience.

I just use the incoming tide as a guide / rule when crossing bars. This is more of a priority after dark when I do not need waves coming from different directions, or standing up and forcing a situation where a change of undies are needed once we arrive at the boat ramp.


cheers Phill