D'Entrecateaux Channel, S.E. Tasmania

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pratkins

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Devonport, Tasmania, Australia
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The Channel separates Bruny Island from the Tasmanian mainland and is a fantastic water-way, boasting over ninety safe anchorages. Here you see "Saona" a beautiful wooden ketch, with a centre-board keel, during a recent and inaugural Wooden Boat Festival at Kettering,to fill the gap on the off-year from our Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart. This photo was taken from Peter Robyn during a race.

NB Spelling error! It should be, "D'Entrecasteaux" ! Apologies, but just noticed it!
 
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Fond memories of sailing out of Kettering around ten years ago with an old school friend of forty years ago. Sailed south towards Cape Bruny and Southport, somewhat different from sailing up the East Coast of the UK.
I remember being anchored up one night with not a light in sight nor sign of human habitation. We were away for around three days and I remember questioning my friend about the relative lack of water or supplies that we were taking into what is a very sparsely poulated area---his reply was quite simple---"there are plenty of springs to get water from and plenty of salmon that have escaped from the fish farms" He was quite right, we had caught a good sized salmon within five minutes. A fire built of driftwood with potaoes in the embers and the salmon encased in foil and some white wine provided a meal that I can still remember to this day. One day I will go back.
 
Great to hear of your good experience, Lydia. Do come back and next time look us up in Barnes Bay. A few years ago one of the pens at a local fish pen (and there are dozens) broke and they all got out. A friend caught a wheel-barrow load and asked us if we would please take some to help get them off their hands. That was a pretty nice ask, especially for Atlantic Salmon.
The company who runs the fish farms is Tassal.
 
I didn't make it down to the wooden boats in Kettering, how did it go, many entrants?

The Launceston WB rally went well this year, although mainly smaller boats, good atmosphere.
 
Hi Andie!
It went well although organisation was not its high point. The activities were mainly water based as it was felt that there has not been enough water activity at the AWBF, so in a sense this makes up for that discrepancy. On the Sunday there were two races, one in the morning with spinnakers: the one in the afternoon was restricted with no spinnakers allowed. Conditions were absolutely supberb.One of the bonus features was the berthing arrangement for visitors. The older marina at Kettering has been significantly updated with a total of 240 berths and 90 new ones in the last twelve months. The down side of this was that it was hard to distinguish which were the Festival boats.
Give us a call if you are down this way. On the radio I am RG999.
 
Organisation will come with experience, the next time will be fine, I'm sure. We find people just love looking at the wooden boats regardless, these events are a great crowd pleaser.

You didn't mention the other reason people like cruising in 'the channel'......the scallop pies at the Dover bakery ;)

Are you moored in north Barnes Bay? Some may of heard the 'Duck Pond', the great all weather anchorage, just south/part of your location.

Only just recently, Scott and Mary Flanders, the well known motor-boat world circumnavigators, were anchored there and wrote in their blog (Nordhavn.com.....Voyage of Egret)

If you are heading north......I'm at Seaport


Cheers
 
Barnes Bay, a good place to be!

Yesterday, I took Peter Robyn for an hour's motoring, part of my test runs (See Careening-Gone Wrong). I saw one chap drop his anchor and later passed quite close to him. My conclusion was that this guy had come across from Kettering, 5nm away. His face appeared from a horizontal position, obviously, I had encroached on his snooze.
Following your comments, Andie, a few thoughts on this place could be of interest. There were two other yachts at anchor, one from New Zealand and the other probably from North America. This happens quite often. We are a safe anchorage, and an appealing one, part way down the Channel and not too far distant from Hobart.
I have identified that within Barnes Bay, there are seven bays, each providing good holding ground and a choice of anchorage that may be made, depending on the wind direction. From the eastern shore, it is 3nm to the Channel and from the northern end of Simmonds Bay to the Duck Pond is about 1 nm. Inside the Duck Pond the deepest water is 8m and it has to be one of the most secluded areas around, and ideal for a prolonged stop-over. It is rather like a large lake that is our play-ground.
A good way to see it all is on Google Earth. Search for, "Barnes Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania". If you travel north you can even see Peter Robyn in North Simmonds, and then a little way further a stone jetty on the western bank and a track that leads up to our property. It can be identified by two dams, one a triangular shape close to crown land.
What more could you want!?
Andie, tell me just where is Seaport.
 
pratkins said:
Yesterday, I took Peter Robyn for an hour's motoring, part of my test runs (See Careening-Gone Wrong). I saw one chap drop his anchor and later passed quite close to him. My conclusion was that this guy had come across from Kettering, 5nm away. His face appeared from a horizontal position, obviously, I had encroached on his snooze.
Following your comments, Andie, a few thoughts on this place could be of interest. There were two other yachts at anchor, one from New Zealand and the other probably from North America. This happens quite often. We are a safe anchorage, and an appealing one, part way down the Channel and not too far distant from Hobart.
I have identified that within Barnes Bay, there are seven bays, each providing good holding ground and a choice of anchorage that may be made, depending on the wind direction. From the eastern shore, it is 3nm to the Channel and from the northern end of Simmonds Bay to the Duck Pond is about 1 nm. Inside the Duck Pond the deepest water is 8m and it has to be one of the most secluded areas around, and ideal for a prolonged stop-over. It is rather like a large lake that is our play-ground.
A good way to see it all is on Google Earth. Search for, "Barnes Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania". If you travel north you can even see Peter Robyn in North Simmonds, and then a little way further a stone jetty on the western bank and a track that leads up to our property. It can be identified by two dams, one a triangular shape close to crown land.
What more could you want!?
Andie, tell me just where is Seaport.
Click to expand...


I just read the thread about the careening issues.....nasty business, hope things get sorted soon, sounds promising from your reports though.

Although we both know the channel to be a very special place, the proximity to Europe, will rarely see visitors from that region. They also tend to stay in the lower latitudes, anything higher than 35 possibly reminds them of home too much :), even though costs are significantly less down this way.

The American visitors seem the most prolific, as far as (distant) internationals are concerned (Kiwis aren't really far enough away to fall into this category ;)), and have been for 25 years that I know of.

Peter...Seaport is the new (6 year old) marina in Launceston. See Classic Boat forum, 'Wooden Boat Rally', on the first page.

Cheers
 
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Other Fine Yachts in Nth. Simmonds Bay (Barnes Bay)

Here you see Peter Robyn just aground on my #2 mooring at the lowest point of a low tide; this mooring is used to provide easier access when doing maintenance. Beyond Peter Robyn is Meander, a lovely double-ender. Then there is the ketch, ForTwo and in the background to the left, Emma, the smallest, but a very fast yacht, whose owners came from the UK near the Lake District.There are also two Hereschoff ketches owned by neighbours, quite a fleet if you could get them all under sail at the same time.
 
pratkins said:
This is "Emma": built in New Zealand and sailed to Tasmania.
Click to expand...

Sorry Peter, the previous owner (John Syme) doesn't appear to live in this area anymore, so am stuggling to get any more info on the yacht.
The varnished timber cabin sides are a visual improvement, compared to them being previously painted.
 
A Closer Look at some boats in Barnes Bay

Andie! It looks as though after youself, ownership of "Emma" went to Neil Houston; Robert Swan and now Stewart Males who is taking fine care of her. Out of interest what did you name her?
Here are some others:-
1. Meander
2. Some people's Dream Boat is a converted fishing boat!
3. What could bve more beautiful than a Hereschoff ketch!
4.Our New Zealnd visitor. Quite a yacht!
5.For-Two
 
For-Two

Today I had the privilege of being invited aboard this lovely yacht, by John and Marie the owners.It has to be one of the best equipped yachts I have ever seen. Not to steal John's story, he may take it up and tell us more. We have a constant view of his boat from our house. See for yourself!
 
Hereschoff Ketch: the home of Jon and Barbara Tucker

Just up the road from where we live, Jon and Barbara Tucker are building a home - on land. They are both from notable maritime families from New Zealand and having brought up five sons on this their maritime home, have chosen Barnes Bay to put down their anchor. Their yacht, New Zealand Maid, is another example of one of the beautifully designed Hereschoff yachts, presently moored at Kettering, across the Channel. About three years ago Jon accompanied two of his sons on an expedition to the Antactic over our summer. Mat who is a keen photographer made a video record of their travels from which a film has been made and shown in cinemas, including interstate, I believe.
 
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