Whitsundays

[tonyran]

Have just paid balance on a week's charter from Airlie beach Whitsundays after the New Year. I'd apreciate any (helpful!) advice/tips on where or where not to go or do and how to avoid geting ripped off. Their provisioning charges seem a bit high and cost of booze way over the top!

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[masterofnone]

Watch out for the whales, they make big holes in boats.

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[snowleopard]

shut up Shut Up SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here we are with boats getting damp and sad in the boatyard and you're talking about sailing in the whitsundays. it's just NOT FAIR.

I don't leave for Australia till February.

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[mikewilkes]

To be fair he did say for after the new year. Think positively - he may be there when you are, he may go after you get there or he may have been and you still have the pleasure of.
Cant really think of any more options/forums/images/icons/smile.gif


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[Keen_Ed]

Chartered from Hamilton Island a few years ago. If you're sailing round the Whitsundays, then a few points that I can remember. Can't really comment on Airlie beach.

Take two towels: a salt water one for sunbathing and swimming, and a fresh water one for showers.

They probably have masks and snorkels, but you might prefer your own, and maybe some sort of t-shirt/rash vest to swim in stops your back getting burnt.

Some reasonably smart clothes are useful if you want to spend a day on Hayman Island.

We went in Sept/Oct, and the evenings were a little cool. A fleece was useful. Don't know what temperatures will be like after new year.

Boat may well have a CD player?

High point for me was Border Island. Great coral.

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[Cutter]

You lucky people. Great sailing - often windier than you expect. Try and get a reef buoy at the end of the day so you can stay overnight on the reef. Anchoring not permitted in many places.
Snorkel in Manta Bay and see if Fat Albert the giant Maori Wrasse comes and nibbles you. Never moved so fast as when I looked at what was nibbling my leg and saw a 95kg fish with great blubbery lips. I dont care if it didnt have teeth!!
Staying at Caymen Island makes the Solent seem cheap - very expensive mooring. We went with the Moorings and found them helpful and the food packs good quality and plentiful.
The one annoying thing was the 'skeds'. This is the twice a day rigmarole of all charter boats having to radio their positions and intended destinations. Bl boring.
Take the plane ride to the outer reef and have a day there. It will pick you up off your boat.
Have a wonderful time. I'm jealous.
Richard

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[DanTribe]

We chartered a Benny 311 from Cumberland at Airlie last year.
The provisioning may look high but wait 'til yousee what you get! You'll wonder how they do it for the money. Eat the more perishable things first, cos you can't rely on them staying frozen.
It's a superb place and very well organised, but playing devil's advocate, the following were small niggles:~
1 We had to tow a big aluminium dinghy with heavy oyster fouling.
2 Having to check in twice a day by VHF and tell HQ where you would be by evening. They assume everyone is a novice.
3 Some popular places were teeming with backpackers [looking bored]
4 Not as many places as you might think to anchor and moorings few.
5 No drinking whilst sailing [yeah right]
Having said that it's brilliant. Visit Hamilton Island for a surreal experience. Completely artificial, reminded me of Tracey Island.
There is a big bottle shop just up the road towards Shute harbour, stock up there, we underestimated beer consumption badly, and difficult to get replenishments once away from Airlie.
Dan


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[BluePeter]

As a long time lurker, it's time I came out of the shadows on this one.

IMHO suggest you check the inventory v carefully in advance. I had a Jen 45ish from FunSnail, Hamilton Island, with NO GPS, handheld compass, binos, flares, etc. Worst of all were the apalling cork & kapok lifejackets. We were there in mid winter (July 03) with poor viz, 25-30kts winds and 3 metre seas. Unusual even for winter, I was told. But there was no way I was going to get my crew of two daughters and an Ozzie boyfriend into the double E cup jobbies!

Ashamed to say I never got round to complaining to FunSnail when I got back over here - as a company why do they allow different safety standards around the world, shouldn't it be best practice? Was my boat equipped to typical Ozzie standards if so it's a long way off MCA coding.

They say in the Whitsundays there are two sorts of skippers: those that have been aground on the coral and those that haven't yet been on the coral. I'm also ashamed to confess I'm one of the former.

But a wonderful cruising area for short day sails (no sailing after dark!). Enjoy.


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[Gypsy]

I have sailed many times in the wonderful Whitsundays. Some responses to cover points made by you and other posters:
I would not bother with the provisioning service if you can arrive a day earlier to do your own shopping without wasting charter time. There is a shopping centre only 5 mins away by car/taxi and an easy walk. Make your own purchases and get a taxi back to the marina. When I was last there 5 yrs ago the butcher next to the supermarket would vacuum pack the meat and freeze it overnight for you. Try to check out what basics and staples are on the boat first so you don't double up, sometimes previous charters mean the basics are there - even Vegemite!! ALso look at the size of the fridge so you know what you can store. You will not be able to get provisions anywhere else other than Hamilton Island. On Hamilton there is also a supermarket, liquor shop and other supplies but not the range as in Airlie/Cannonvale, and the prices will be higher too.
I don't agree with the comment about lack of anchoring opportunities but there are very few where there are any services. Hamilton is a marina with full services but on most other islands with any inhabitants the facilities are for the holiday resorts which cater mainly for themselves. Hayman Island is a very upmarket resort and last I heard you had to pay for a resort room to stay in their small port overnight - ouch! But it does have one of the nicest bays, on the west side, Blue Pearl Bay which is a free anchorage but can be busy. South Molle Island resort welcomes yachties (or used to) and the Friday night was always good entertainment and a reasonable place to stop if you have to have the boat back in Airlie by Saturday midday.
Navigation equipment such as GPS is not needed. You are always within easy sight of a number of islands and witht he use of the eyeball a local chart and the pilot for the area (1000 Magic Miles) you won't have any problems of navigation. The most important is to ensure the depth guage is working and that a hand lead line is available in emergencies.
One poster commentes on the heavy dinghy. Aluminium is the hull of choice because of the coral. It is quite common for inexperienced users to find their dinghy high and dry on a coral outcrop after they left it anchored in 1m of water and when walking along the beach. Tide ranges in the area are from 4-8m. Some boats have "Niad" rib style dinghies which have an aluminium double hull section as these are approved as emergency safety tenders instead of needing a liferaft. Of course there is no excuse for having weed/barnicles choking the bottom.

Weather in Jan/Feb will be hot (late20's and 30's) with a high likelyhood of rain in the afternoons. But this is warm tropical rain so you don't need to rug up, it's just a bit inconvenient to have to close the hatches. It will be humid.

Your cruise plan will have to consider your initial provisioning, water usage and winds/tides around the inter-island passages. There are a number of passages which you will simply not be able to pass against the tide and others that can get a bit "exciting" with wind over tide. These are all well identified in the 1000 Magic Miles. Some early reading will be invaluable. I seem to recall the prevailing wind in Jan/Feb will be N/NE. As mentioned earlier, Hamilton Island is really the only provisioning source after you leave Airlie and this applies to getting water too. We used to ensure we called at Hamilton mid week for supplies and as we had teenage kids at the time it was a good place for them to roam and socialise. You should radio ahead for a berth at this time of year unless your charter company has a permanent berth or special arrangement with the HI marina.

The radio skeds are a bit of a pain but they are an essential safety feature as there are many in-experienced people in boats in the area. By this I mean they may be inexperienced in the boat or they may know their boat but not know the weather or tide and reef issues of the area. The charter companies want you to be at anchor before the sun gets too low as this is important to identify coral in the anchorages. There are not just fringing reefs to consider, there are "bommies", growths or mounds of coral, which can be anywhere in a bay that might be otherwise 10m deep. With the high tide range you need to be sure you will not swing to an area which will sit you on the coral at low tide!

None of the issues I mention are rocket science or a real worry but one has to keep the head the realities in mind whilst cruising in an area that is truly "100 Magic Miles".

Hope you enjoy it. If you need other info let me know.


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[Gypsy]

Further to my earlier posting - more about where to go. This is of course a very personal and subjective but I can tell you that the water is clearer in the northern part of the island group abd therefore the coral viewing is better, I believe this is mainly due to less turbulance and therefore particles in the water.

Whitehaven beach is raved about but I think is now a bit over-rated, specially if you have had the chance to see other long ocean beaches elswhere in Australia.

Don't worry about sharks - that does not mean they are not there, but if you worry about them you'll never get a swim. Another "ouchie" spoken of in QLD is the "stinger" jelly fish. These are not a problem in the islands but for reasons that escape me they are a problem on mainland beaches further north.

Ray



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[BrianJ]

Tony,
I hate to be the one to say this , but you will be in the " cyclone " season ><>>>
BrianJ

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[Sea Devil]

I was not mad about the whitsundays as they are very commercial and in lots of places you have to pay to park...even on your anchor. Still if its a holiday its not so bad. The only place I really liked was Nara inlet - fairly quiet and if you land on the little beach you can climb up to the old aboriginal cave - interesting visit. Bowen is a fishing town and just north of the Whitsundays - Really nice place and great murals - worth a visit - on the way there is a nice anchorage between the mainland and an island with a 'club' on it - you'll see it in the book. The rest is pretty touristic but beats the hell out of sailing in europe at this time of year..

fair winds

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[Gypsy]

Yes it is officially the cyclone season but the greatest risk is that the holiday will be cut short. Cyclones tracking gives plenty of warning for cruisers in this area to get back to a port which is usually less than a day's sail away.

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[BrianJ]

Ray,
the jelly fish are also present this time of the year.... I lived in Darwin for a few years , and we would not sail in the "wet" for that reason.. also went ghrough " Tracy" .. so have some knowledge of advance notices on cyclones.. no one in Darwin believed those warnings...
BrianJ

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[Gypsy]

Brian, in 10 yrs of cruising in the Whitsundays we never saw the "stingers" and the locals assured us they did not gather around the islands though I know they are a problem on coastal beaches and particularly further north. Neither do the charter operators warn against them - however forwarned is forearmed and people should keep a good lookout for any of them.

As for cyclones, they again are a greater risk further north. The real issue here is that the cruising range allowed by the charter companies means that you cannot be more than about 8hrs motoring from a cyclone proof port such as Hamilton Island or Able Marina/Airlie beach. But again awareness is the key. If I had a holiday booked I would take cancellation insurance to cover the cruise and the airfares and I would be watching the southern hemisphere weather closely in the weeks ahead for any suspects. The reality is that there are hundreds of charters going on over Xmas and Jan/Feb every year which are not affected. Those people who ignore evidence of cyclones forming or when they get to official warnings are just plain dumb.
Ray


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[oldsaltoz]

G'day Tony,



You will have a great time and I speak from experience, I live here and have been cruising the Whitsunday's for over 20 years, and am still finding new places. There are literally hundreds of islands and most are uninhabited, the fishing is fantastic and the weather is very predictable.



Get yourself a copy of the book "100 Magic Miles" by David Colfelt, it is a gold mine of information, charts, tips, best anchorage for a given wind direction, fish identification, marina call signs, fantastic photographs and lots lots more.



The best agenda is to look at the wind direction, select an island, any island, and go exploring, but keep away from low broadleaf plants, some sting like nettles. In addition, look ahead for spider webs, no, they won't eat you but I have seen tourists injure themselves diving backwards.



Places to go:

Nara Inlet, located at the southern end of Hook Island, keep to the right going in, reef on the left, Unique rock formation at the waters edge just after you enter, coral reef along the entire edge, head for the northern end, about midway between the end and the small sandy beach on the right is a 7 m hole. The hills are very high and steep, covered in tropical rain Forrest, it could be blowing outside with hardly a ripple in here. Free anchoring, but have a bucket and brush ready when the anchor comes up, it will have mud all over it.



Hamilton Island; Lots to do and things to see. First, hire a buggy (Golf cart) they are about $60 AU a day and will take you all over the island. Make sure you visit the look out and take a good camera. The main resort is on the other side of the island away from the marina, anyone can go in and shop, swim, visit the many bars. Or you can hang glide (on a wire), do some go cart racing, or just find a shady spot an cool off with a cool drink at the yacht club. Night life is not bad at all, many fine restaurants and a disco, there is even a gondola to take you and your special around the harbour complete with soft music. This destination should be saved for a time when the weather is not to your requirements.



Pearl Bay, very nice spot, free mooring just make sure the wind direction is right.



Butterfly Bay; the eastern bay is best, the western bay has a back-packers camp. Anchor just un front of the small cove, head to left side of the beach and follow the creek bed in, tip, walk behind the others, about 20 m or so and you might be rewarded by seeing your friends walking under a rainbow of blue butterflies they disturbed; fantastic sight. Some good diving and fishing within an hours distance too.



South Mole Island Resort; this is a family oriented resort but has a good cocktail bar right next to the pool, golf course and bird feeding, take the tinnie to the Eastern side in about 2 to 3 m of water and hook yourself a coral trout, very nice.



You will not be warm at night, you will be hot, and it will be humid so don't bother with the jim-jams and think about how you can cool off. Sleeping on deck is fine (if it don't rain).



On the subject of rain, it's not the stuff you get there, this is warm and is not something you run to get out of when boating.



Get the BOOK it will make you trip...........







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[BrianJ]

Re: Radar

Ray,
This will help.....go to www.mirror.bom.gov.au/weather/radar

Then open up any part of the coast you want to see.. in your case watch the FNQ coast.
Nara inlet as Oldsaltoz says, is a very safe cyclone shelter. I would rather be there than some of the other islands.

You will renjoy yourself.. you are aware of the dangers .. so now go for it
Lets have a report when you get back.
BrianJ

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[dk]

We hired a car for peanuts and did it ourselves - turned out a lot cheaper and we got want we wanted. But we had more time than you - with just a week you want to be on the water asap.

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[geronimo]

The 8 of us hired a boat from Sunsail two years ago around the New Year. Everything was fine as other responders described and it could have been a lovely hoiday, but for the jelly fish problem.
At the end of the Sunsail handover routine we were offered to hire anti sting clothes. We asked why and were told that there is a real chance of being bitten by totally invisible jelly fish. The symptoms become apparent only after half hour and every boat has large quantitites of anti sting liquid.
I suspected that there may have been some liability problem or something similar and that it was all an exageration, but I did phone the local hospital (I am an physician).
From November 2002 to December 2002 they had 3 patients that ended up in an intensive care unit (many more that did not, I suspect) for several days mainly with uncontrollable high blood pressure. All patients survived but during the previous season I was told that one patient died.
So we ended up renting 8 antisting suits, buying balaclava caps, gloves and socks, and not being able to enjoy one free swim or jump into the inviting sea. We also saw inumerable small jellyfish washed on the beaches (not all of them would have been dangerous I hope).
We may have exagerrated, but we did not fancy a smallest chance of spending a part of our holidays in an intensive care unit.
The otherwise very good guide book for sailing in the Whitsundays downplays the risk and when I complained to the author he told me that it is a new phenomenon and that the new edition of the book will be more explicit.
My advice is: Enjoy your holidays in lovely Whitsundays, but do some research about what to do - do not be surprised as we were.

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[Gypsy]

Just read reply from Geronimo which indicates quite a difference to my experience up to 5 years ago so called a friend in the charter industry there. She confirms there is a recent problem with Irukandji jellyfish. These are relatively new to the area, last 4-5 yrs, and maybe due to climate change as they arrived after the bleaching of coral which has attracted so much attention and study. The "stingers" I referred to in an earlier post are the Box jellyfish which are quite large - body 20-30cms and long stinger tail of up to 4-5m. I am told they are found on the mainland beaches and the estuaries, seldom in the islands or the outer reef.

On the other hand these new intruders, the Irukandji, are very small with a body about the size of a thumb (1.5-2cms) and stinger tails of 30-80cms and are difficult to see in the water. It seems they have a sharp sting but the key symtoms of backache and throwing up can take 20mins and more to develop. They are not considered as deadly as the Box jellyfish but do need to be avoided.

One disturbing point is that from what I have read, the "rashies" (lycra suits often worn under wetsuits) are evidently able to protect against Box jellyfish but not necessarily the Irukandji! I guess they are better than nothing.

These little Irukandji are around in the Whitsundays during summer Oct/Nov to Apr/May but not in the May-Sept times.

All of the above is from my own enquiries, I am not an expert, but I hope it helps.

My friend did ask me to mention that there is no problem from sharks as they have all been eaten by the crocodiles! (joke)

Ray


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