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Cruising Australia: Everything you need to know about sailing Down Under

• July 7, 2020

From stunning coastal routes to unmissable sailing events, Janneke Kuysters shares her top tips for cruising Australia

Anna Caroline moored with iconic Sydney landmarks in the background

“It doesn’t matter where you choose, you can’t go wrong in Australia. There are so many wonderful cruising grounds,” says Hank Rosendal, a Dutch-Australian sailor. His Amel 53 Tempest is currently moored in Albany, West-Australia. And he’s right: you could sail a lifetime around Australian shores and still not see everything.

So for a foreign cruiser there is a difficult choice: how much time do you want to spend in Australia and what can you do and see? Classically, on a trip around the world , cruisers sail from the islands of the South Pacific to New Zealand for the cyclone season: a tough crossing but with the rich rewards of New Zealand hospitality and boat maintenance facilities.

From New Zealand many go back north to Vanuatu or New Caledonia and then on to the Indian Ocean. For those a short pitstop in Australia in either Cairns, Thursday Island or Darwin is logical. Visits to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef will add the wonderful experience of tropical Australia.

Australia is a vast country: don’t underestimate the distances you’ll sail. From Bundaberg to Sydney is a little under 500 miles; add 628 miles for the trip from Sydney to Hobart. If you go from Hobart to Perth across the Bight, you’ll be adding another 2,250 miles.

East coast cruising

But in the past decade more and more cruisers have viewed Australia as a destination in itself. And that opens up a whole new perspective. The tough 1,000-plus miles crossing from the Pacific Islands to New Zealand is no longer necessary – a downwind cruise of around 700 miles from New Caledonia to the east coast of Australia is much more comfortable.

The boat can be safely left in Australia while you fly home, or you can keep sailing. The most important thing to consider is to stay below 30°S; the official cyclone belt lies to the north of this latitude. Instead of having to wait for the cyclones to pass, cruisers can sail on and explore Australian waters.

There are myriad choices to make depending on the distances you are willing to cover. Two popular options are to make landfall near Brisbane in Queensland and sail south to Sydney and back, or to continue sailing to Tasmania .

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South African cruiser Brent Grimbeek has chosen this second option: “I love the diversity that the Australian east coast has to offer. Most of the distances between ports are short, so we daysailed our Lagoon 44 Impi from port to port. Crossing Bass Strait is always a challenge, but the effort is richly rewarded by the stunning nature and landscapes of Tasmania.”

His wife Ana adds: “There is the annual Go West rally between New Caledonia and Australia. Although we have made this crossing a few times now, we enjoy participating in the rally: it makes entry into Australia easier and it is fun to meet like-minded people.”

British solo sailor Thom D’Arcy sailed his Vancouver 28 Fathom along the east coast from Bundaberg to Sydney and back up north, all the way to Darwin. “I’m very pleased I took Fathom to Sydney. The sense of achievement on entering such an iconic port is fantastic.”

Thom D’Arcy sailed his Vancouver 28 Fathom along Australia’s east coast

For those with a taste for speed and endurance, sailing south along the east coast of Australia can be ‘spiced up’ by entering the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race . Paul Billingham, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia explains: “We encourage foreign yachts to participate in ‘the Hobart’ as part of their trip around the world and extend all the necessary help and support to make it happen for them.”

There is also a lesser used track to cruise around the south of Australia and up the west coast. After studying the weather patterns closely, we saw that the tough westward crossing of the Great Australian Bight is feasible in the summer months of February and March.

A succession of high-pressure systems chases the prevailing south-westerly winds away and makes for periods of four to seven days of nice easterly winds. A cruise ‘along the bottom’ of Australia not only gives the opportunity to visit Tasmania’s lesser known cruising areas on the wild west coast, but also puts cities such as Adelaide within reach.

The start of the Sydney Hobart Race means a congested Sydney Harbour. Photo: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Bruce Roach, Commodore of the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron, says they welcome visiting cruisers. “The south coast of Australia is a very rewarding cruising ground, from Adelaide to the natural beauty of the Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf with its many anchorages,” he adds.

During our cruise around the south of Australia we experienced this warm hospitality first-hand: the generosity of the Australians to visiting yachts is one of the rewards of sailing off the beaten track in such a vast country. Once across the Bight, Western Australia offers a whole new cruising experience. Long reefs stretch along the coast, so careful navigation is needed.

Cities like Perth and Fremantle offer all possible facilities to visiting yachts, and from the west coast of Australia there are two options: start crossing the Indian Ocean as early as possible after the cyclone season or sail north to Indonesia.

The Royal Prince Albert Yacht Club in Pittwater

Coastal sailing

In Australian sailing vocabulary, ‘cruising’ doesn’t mean bluewater cruising, but is mainly coastal daysailing from port to anchorage. Coastal sailing in Australia therefore comes with lots of interesting options, often seen as luxuries by foreign cruisers, such as streaming internet up to 25 miles offshore and ample provisioning (around every corner there is a supermarket and an ATM).

We joked how cruising the east coast is ‘sailing with a watch in your hand’, as a lot of the entrances are river mouths with sandbars across them, requiring careful calculation to cross the bar at the turn of the tide. The navigational challenges can be roughly summarised in three words: current, depressions and sea breeze.

First the current. Along the east coast of Australia there is a southbound current of up to four knots which makes for fast sailing to the south, but rather tedious work when sailing up north, unless you use the countercurrent close inshore. Along the south coast the Leeuwin current flows east at a rate of 0.5 knots. On the west coast the Leeuwin current is stronger and flows south at a rate of about one knot.

Cruising in Pittwater and Broken Bay, north of Sydney

The second challenge is the depressions. They flow in a steady succession from west to east, bringing troughs and fronts. The quality of the available forecasts is high, so you can make good use of the wind the depressions generate to propel you in the right direction. Going against the prevailing winds makes for tough conditions though, because in the shallow coastal areas steep wind-waves build up very quickly.

Australia’s hot interior generates sea breezes. Again, if you study them and use them to your advantage, it can make for some fine passages. But you need to be careful. Sea breezes can easily last for 12 hours and reach over 25 knots on top of the prevailing winds.

Timing and distances

The cruising season in southern Australia is at its best in January, February and March. That means that you can sail to Australia from, for instance, New Caledonia in September. This gives you the time to cruise at leisure down the coast and make some trips overland too. We went to Ayers Rock/Uluru.

You can spend the summer in Tasmania and sail back up in March, to be in time for the end of the cyclone season by the time you reach Queensland again. If you decide to go along the Bight, you need to leave Tasmania at the end of January to time your crossing of the Bight in February or March.

Cruising Australian shores has been very rewarding for us: the wildlife, nature, diversity and hospitality left us in awe.

Entry in Australia

Australia has the reputation of being a tough country to enter. In reality, if you prepare yourself and your boat, there is no need to worry. The process is fairly straightforward and all necessary information is easy to find on the government websites.

Before arriving in Australia, every crew member needs to have a visa. There are two types. The e-visitor visa which is valid for three months. It is free of charge and can be extended. The other type is valid for one year (multiple entry) and costs AU$140. Both can be applied for online.

When you have been in certain countries in the Pacific for more than three months, you will need to have a chest X-ray before you arrive in Australia. Check the online forms carefully for the conditions.

For your boat there are two important steps. First, the cruising permit. This is issued on arrival and is valid for one year, with the option of extending it to three years. With this cruising permit as proof of being a ‘yacht in transit’, buying parts for the boat or having repairs done is exempt from sales tax (GST in Australia).

The second step is the biosecurity inspection. Fresh fruit, meat, dairy and eggs are not allowed. Importantly, the boat also needs to be without any pest infestation, such as fruit flies, termites, or growth on the hull. Australian agri- and aquaculture is strictly protected and the inspections are thorough.

At AU$60 per 15 minutes increments, it pays to prepare the boat in the port of departure, cleaning and making all surfaces accessible makes for a quick inspection. On average, the cost is AU$300 for the inspection.

Where to enter? There are roughly three options, depending on your cruising plans. If you want to do ‘Australia light’, the port of Bundaberg is the best. It is just below latitude 30°S, so you can wait for the cyclone season to pass north of you before you head to Cairns or further north.

If you want to cruise the east coast, ports further south such as Brisbane, Southport or even Coffs Harbour are attractive. If your focus is on Tasmania, you could even choose to enter in Sydney.

About the authors

Dutch couple Wietze van der Laan and Janneke Kuysters are sailing around the world in their Bruce Roberts 44 Anna Caroline . They love high latitude cruising and exploring areas which are slightly off the beaten track.

First published in the August 2019 edition of Yachting World.

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Well, Hello, Old Friend: A Cruise Up Australia’s East Coast

• By Kevin Green
• April 19, 2022

Our Contessa 25, Skyebird , lay at its mooring in Sydney Harbour, looking forlorn after my year trapped overseas amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally back in the Land of Oz, I rowed out to her, my mind filled with thoughts of sailing. It was January—midsummer in our Southern Hemisphere—and my wife, Carole, and I had just enough time to prepare for a voyage north to escape the Australian winter.

Skyebird is a former racer-cruiser that knew Australia’s waters well in its racing heyday. Australia’s east coast is the country’s most popular sailing area—and the most populated part—so there is access to services along the way. Stretching from the edge of the Southern Ocean to the Torres Strait, along an island larger than Europe, the cruising region is one that I have enjoyed several times. It’s best broken into two legs: Sydney to Brisbane, and then the tropical leg north to the Torres Strait and the Indian Ocean. The route is pristine cruising with relatively few other yachts. 

After several months of preparations, we set out in April to cruise the first leg. We gave ourselves six weeks to sail in daylight or overnight, according to the weather. The southern half of the region is more temperate, and the tropical northern part is in the hurricane zone from November to February. The storms can be powerful; Cyclone Debbie, which destroyed much of the Whitsunday Islands charter fleet in March 2017, had the force of a Category 3 hurricane. 

Even after this destruction, the beauty remains. I think of the Whitsundays like the Caribbean in terms of weather, as well as quiet beaches, deep anchorages and, offshore, the beginning of the Great Barrier Reef’s sheltered cruising ground all the way to the Torres Strait. 

Settling into the cruise

Aboard Skyebird , the day had worn on and the wind had lightened, so I hanked on the genoa instead of the working jib for us to reach our destination of Broken Bay before nightfall. Motoring was not really an option because we had only an 8 hp outboard in the transom well. Broken Bay is the Sydney region’s main cruising ground—a network of estuaries, rivers and creeks that offer good shelter. As we sailed in, we passed the busy yachting area known as Pittwater, which is home to several yacht clubs and marinas. 

We glided into our favorite anchorage as the sun fell below the western hills. Later, whisky in hand and our fleeces on, we sat on deck enjoying the evening song of the kookaburras’ laughter. With the strong Australian sun having charged our battery from the two solar panels, I used my laptop to check the weather for the next leg, a 50-nautical-mile sail to the major port of Newcastle. 

Early the next morning, we hoisted sail before sunrise and glided seaward past the winking lighthouse at Barrenjoey Head. With safety in mind, I used my phone app to register our voyage with the Marine Safety Authority. At the tiller, Carole enjoyed the thrill of sailing Skyebird over the swells as the breeze filled in to about 15 knots and white spume flew from the wave crests.

Pilotage on Australia’s east coast is relatively benign at first glance: short tidal range, stable weather and lots of sunshine. But there are hazards, such as the strong, south-flowing East Australian Current. It’s a lee shore when strong easterlies blow, and many of the anchorages are guarded by shifting sandbars. Australian surfers are often world champions for a good reason.

The famous southerly wind caught up with us about 10 miles south of Newcastle and then backed easterly. On the foredeck, I wrestled down the genoa for the working jib as we sped along at 7 knots. Our inshore track was now dangerous, so we added some offing as the gusts grew to 25 and then 30 knots. A second reef was put into the mainsail. Slab reefing, gooseneck bullhorns and a topping lift had been my major changes to the rig, and they were all essentials on this voyage, along with using the heavy topping lift as a running backstay. Conditions worsened, so I worried about the east-facing entrance to Newcastle Harbour, a narrow gap known for cross seas. On approach, we followed an arriving coal boat and surfed in on the breaking swells as night fell over the town. 

As we settled into our berth at the Newcastle Yacht Club, a neighbor ­congratulated us on having the ­smallest oceangoing vessel there, beating his home-built Vertue 26 by a mere 6 inches. The next day, he kindly drove me to Whitworths, which is Australia’s main chandlery chain, and then to Jaycar (kind of like RadioShack) for electrical components. 

But we weren’t in civilization for long. A few days later, we headed north, sailing wing on wing along the seemingly endless beaches of the Stockton Bight. Light southerlies propelled us toward the towering headlands that marked the entrance to the next main cruising ground, Port Stephens. Larger than Sydney Harbour and with hidden estuaries and creeks, it attracts cruising and racing sailors. The main town, Nelson Bay, and the general region were once considered for Australia’s capital, but it’s a terribly shallow area where channels must be religiously followed, or sandbars and rocks await your keel. 

Approaching the heads at Port Stephens can be done only in mild conditions, so we skirted the southern headland below the lighthouse, then studied our Raymarine echo sounder. The numbers fell 6 feet before we found a public mooring at Salamander Bay during low tide. These moorings are meant to be for 24-hour use, but a couple of days can usually be spent on them. 

After rowing ashore, we celebrated our arrival in port from the balcony of the Game Fish Club with some gamefish on our plates, no doubt courtesy of the high-end angling boats that hunt the black marlin in the area. 

A relaxing stretch

The next day, a swim at the beach roused us just in time to watch the racing fleet pass. The four main marinas were packed for the annual Sail Port Stephens event. A grand-prix division of TP52s scythed past our boat, and I considered joining one as crew. My wife read my thoughts and reminded me that I was in cruise mode for this trip, so I ignominiously went grocery shopping instead.

Our next destination was only a 15-mile sail yet one of the most sublime, into the Broughton Archipelago. Guarded on all sides by shoals, some uncharted, its fortress-­type exterior deters most yachties, but I knew it well. As we came under the lee of its north side, the water revealed myriad browns (shoals), sky blue (sand) and deep blue (clear water). A shark swam by—the region is a gray shark nursery—as a muttonbird swooped in toward its burrow. Then, sheer bliss as the engine stopped, its sound replaced by the piping of sooty oystercatchers and the quizzical look of cormorants drying their wings on a nearby rock.

The Broughton Archipelago is a national park, but it used to be a fishing settlement. The Gumbaynggirr and other aboriginal tribes would have paddled the 2-mile mainland crossing when the surf was low. The mainland itself has towering gum and eucalyptus trees (the largest one in the entire state of New South Wales is nearby). The place is beautiful today, although its history is bloody; it’s the site of one of the worst aboriginal massacres in this bloodstained land. The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes is essential reading for those interested in the formation of white Australia. 

On Skyebird , the sweet scent from our methylated stove told me that Carole was preparing dinner while I landed a few zebrafish with the rod. After a run ashore, we knew that lingering at Broughton with a usable southerly was not wise, so the following day, we threaded through the reefs with a pod of 100 dolphins escorting us. “Look, a double-finned one!” Carole shouted, pointing toward one that turned out to be a large, gray nurse shark checking out our trailing lure—which I quickly retrieved. 

A few challenges

Just as well, because we were ­approaching one of the major ­headlands, Sugar Loaf Point. It’s strewn with shoals where sudden swells break. We could see them ahead, but I could see a few more were hidden from eyesight when I zoomed in on my Navionics smartphone chart and checked the Blue Charts on my Garmin plotter. 

Even knowing the area well, we were shocked as a huge swell reared up right beside us, just as a shoal, or bommie, revealed itself. Chastened, we carefully sailed beyond the lighthouse. Just like when I’ve raced this coast, we kept in low to avoid the 3-knot current, but it’s a dangerous game to rock-hop. Ahead, Skeleton Rocks bared its teeth at us in passing, just as the afternoon wind died. Avoiding drifting nearer required using the Mercury outboard, so with a plume of two-stroke smoke, we plodded along. The sun bit down on us, and we grew disgruntled, chomping on egg sandwiches while I thought of a plan. 

Motoring was not a long-term option on Skyebird , so I reluctantly resolved to put in at the river entrance of Forster, yet another sandbarred hamlet. However, with no easterly swell, that bar was quiet as we motored over it against the strong outflowing tide, dodging prawn trawlers as we went. The channel of only 50 meters wide in parts held our attention, as did the mere 1 meter under our keel. 

Finally, we lassoed a piling and came to a semigracious halt near the fishermen’s cooperative. Later, my worry about depth proved correct as I watched the full moon semidry us out, causing me to leap off and secure the mast to a nearby power pole. Our slightly drooping bow revealed the one major flaw in the Contessa 25 design: a cutaway angled forefoot on the keel, unlike the flat forefoot of the English Contessa 26 that regularly takes the ground in the tidal UK.

The next day, the town’s plentiful ­facilities—including Woolworths, a gas station, and a club where I enjoyed a draft VB, the most typical of Aussie beers—were easily within walking distance. 

Leaving Forster with only a light southerly felt like déjà vu , so again, we had to consider shortening our sea time. Like all diligent sailors, I did have a secondary port in mind—in fact, the only one: the commercial fishing harbor at Crowdy Head. 

This headland, like many Anglo-Saxon ones, was named by Capt. James Cook when he surveyed this coast in 1770. Drifting windless would only mean the current sending us southward, so we carefully glided into the shallow harbor with only inches below our keel, right alongside the jetty. 

Later, I threw out our smaller, second anchor to work as side rope—an old technique from my commercial-fishing days in Scotland, where 30-foot tides required creative mooring. The view of the Three Brothers mountains to the north was enjoyed with a Dimple whisky. My son and I regularly surfed the beaches around here, using the farm of a family friend. Famously, Australian novelist Kylie Tennant had a writing hut here and fondly wrote about some of that farming family in her book The Man on the Headland .

The next day saw us running north for our first overnight part of the trip, something that Carole was apprehensive about. With no ports of refuge on this leg, my weather planning had been done carefully, but it didn’t prevent strong winds and sail changes under the tall Smoky Cape. We were glad to see the lights of the all-weather port and town of Coffs Harbour and its good marina. It’s about the cheapest on the coast, and we stayed for 10 days, enjoying the restaurants and our walks up Muttonbird Island to view the nesting shearwaters.

A rough end to the journey

With the planned departure of my lovely wife, the next 200-mile leg was done alone. It began in big swells and wind as I caught the end of a gale to propel me northward before the forecasted lull. However, conditions were heavy and broke the Raymarine Tiller Pilot linkage. As I surfed down 12-foot swells with only the mainsail up, I considered my options. 

There was only one that seemed worthy: North Solitary Island, where I’d heard about fishermen sheltering. With night falling, I closed its wild coast and then sharply turned east into a tiny cove on its northern end. This rocky perch in deep water afforded me enough shelter to rebuild the shattered wooden linkage, and allowed some fitful rest before the long leg that would take me to my final destination on the Gold Coast in the state of Queensland. 

Contrary to the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts for the next day, conditions again worsened considerably as I passed the one possible shelter at the rivermouth town of Yamba, with its breaking sandbar entrance. More sail changes ensued, and then the ship traffic began. I’d been monitoring the ships via my Marine Traffic phone app with a good 4G signal, but there is a delay in this system. And, of course, an app is no substitute for proper shipboard AIS. So I found myself dodging coal ships and some unidentified vessels, including one that I thought was a barge tow, causing me real anxiety. 

Then the gale hit just as my autopilot batteries expired. Thankfully, I had prepared for this potential problem by catnapping in preparation for helm time. 

The worst of the gale came 20 miles off Australia’s most easterly point, Cape Byron, an often-feared place with the strongest of the East Australian Current. I trimmed the jib enough to allow Skyebird to self-steer with the helm lashed. Gaining some respite below from the rain and wind, I recovered, but I knew that the current had gotten me. I battled to douse the main, and with no autopilot, I tacked toward the powerful Cape Byron Lighthouse beam and, at last, beyond the river towns of Nambucca Heads and Tweed Heads, and the final obstacle, the shoals on the south end of the Gold Coast.

With daylight, the towering skyscrapers of this Las Vegas-by-the-sea welcomed me shoreward and provided some blessed relief from King Neptune’s realm.

Kevin Green is a sailor and yachting ­journalist based in Sydney.

The C ontessa 25 

A quarter-tonner penned by Australian America’s Cup designer Peter Cole, the Contessa 25 has sweet sheerlines, a semilong and encapsulated lead keel, and a sizable skeg/rudder that, together with a 44.5 percent ballast ratio, makes it a stiff boat. There’s a fairly tall deck-stepped rig of about 36 feet with an inner forestay and a sail plan that has 120 percent genoa plus a symmetrical spinnaker. This boat’s class dominated the Sydney racing scene in the 1970s with 50 hulls launched. The hull is solid GRP that’s thickly laid, and all the bulkheads and cupboards are glassed. The mast has a 4-inch-thick wooden archway connected to the keel. 

The design is, in a word, sturdy. In 1972, one Australian magazine declared after the sea trial that its team would take the Contessa 25 around the world. Race results made some sailors famous, such as aspiring boatbuilder Bruce Ritchie. Bruce Fairlie, at East Coast Yachts in Gosford, built the Contessa 25 as a scaled-down version of the Cole 43 that won Admiral’s Cups and Sydney-Hobart races, and completed record-breaking circumnavigations. 

The deck was simply laid out with a tiller, self-draining cockpit, and large forehatch for spinnaker hoists. Inside, the Contessa was highly customized for each owner. Skyebird (most likely Hull No. 48) has a V-berth and quarter-berth, plus a third that is accessed by removing the table. It is an ideal cruising layout for my wife and me because there’s a large cockpit lazarette instead of a second quarter-berth. 

The standard galley came with a two-burner Maxie stove—the same type I retrofitted to Skyebird —along with a sink. Sharing the V-berth on some hulls was the Bryden Boy head. A useful fitting was the removable jerry-can water tank, handy for Junior Offshore Group racing. 

The standard inboard engine was a 5 hp gas-powered Albin with a feathering propeller. A diesel Volvo Penta MD1 could also be fitted.

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From CruisersWiki

An online cruising guide for yachts sailing around Australia.

Australia is both a continent and the world's largest island, with a landmass of 7,617,930 km 2 (2,941,300 mi 2 ). Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas. Australia has 34,218 km (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands) and claims an extensive exclusive economic zone of 8,148,250 km 2 (3,146,060 mi 2 ) including some areas of the north-west continental shelf disputed by Indonesia. This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory. The Great Barrier Reef , the world's largest coral reef, lies a short distance off the north-east coast and extends for over 2,000 km (1,240 mi). Mount Augustus, claimed to be the world's largest monolith, is located in Western Australia . At 2,228 m (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko on the Great Dividing Range is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, although Mawson Peak on the remote Australian territory of Heard Island is taller at 2,745 m (9,006 ft).

Although boat ownership is widespread, most Australians don't travel much further than their local waterways, and marinas are often clogged with moored craft that haven't been moved in years. Added to this the tendency for local government to frown on living aboard and we have an environment that isn't really conducive to cruising. Considering the size and beauty of Australia's coastline this is tragic. On the other hand the Australian people are warm and friendly to travelers, and mostly disagree with the restrictions imposed, so you'll find assistance anywhere you go.

The main route for visiting cruisers lies between Sydney on the east coast and Darwin in the north, from where a jump to Asia is usual. The Whitsundays in Queensland are a favoured destination, with protected reefs and islands abounding and very picturesque marine life. Those wishing to circumnavigate usually go anticlockwise, and provisioning on the west coast can be difficult. Fortunately this unspoiled area is teeming with fish and the many natural wonders make the journey more than worthwhile.

An option often overlooked is to go south from Sydney to Melbourne and then on to the island state of Tasmania or — for the adventurous — going direct by following the path of the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race held annually on Boxing Day (Dec 26th). From there a direct jump back to New Zealand's south island would be possible. Although best done in summer, Australia's winters aren't as severe as the northern hemisphere so even starting from Sydney in early autumn (fall) is a viable option. With 334 offshore islands, Tasmania could take years to see in its entirety.

AHS Chart Agents List

As a large continent a wide variation of climates are found across Australia. Coastal regions are the most populous since large parts of Central Australia are virtually uninhabitable desert. The north is hot and tropical, while Melbourne has a much cooler Mediterranean temperate climate. Western Tasmania has a climate similar to England , although Tasmania's capital Hobart is the second driest Australian capital. Temperatures in some southern regions can drop below freezing in winter.

As Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the timing of the seasons is reversed with respect to Europe and North America. In other words, June-September is winter in Australia while December-March is summer. So Christmas actually falls in the summer in Australia, instead of in winter like in North America or Europe.

See the various regions for local climate details.

Weather links

• Weather Forecasts and Warnings Bureau of Meteorology - Weather
• Tide Predictions Bureau of Meteorology - Tides
• Climate averages Bureau of Meteorology - Climate (eg. average temperatures, wind rose for each month) for hundreds of locations. eg. Hamilton Island - near the Great Barrier Reef
• Ocean currents and ocean temperatures Bureau of Meteorology - "BlueLink". It covers all the coast around Australia, plus Australian territories (Norfolk Island, Cocos & Keeling Islands, etc). The area covered extends from the Solomon Islands to Java in Indonesia.
• Seebreeze A funky site that gives graphic presentations of the predicted wind direction & strength, wave height & direction, and tides and moon phases hour by hour for the coming 7 days. eg. Sunshine Coast (N of Brisbane) - is designed for windsurfers and kite surfers, but who cares.

International

• Australia to New Zealand
• New Zealand to Australia
• Trans-Pacific Passage — Americas to Australia
• Trans-Pacific Passage — Australia to Americas
• Coral Sea Passage — Cairns to New Guinea/Louisiades
• Darwin to Thailand Passage
• Indian Ocean Passage — Fremantle to Bali
• Southern Ocean Passage — Australia to South America
• Trans Pacific ("Puddle-Jump")

See also Indian Ocean Passages .

• Bass Strait
• Transit of Torres Strait
• Transit of Carpentaria

See also East Australian Current

Communication

• Also see World Cruiser's Nets
• 0100 - 21.185MHz - Controllers in WA, SA. Relays in WA, VIC, QLD, NT, Philippines, PNG and NZ.
• Callback time 0300. Net controller: VK6BO Roy.
• Collects position and weather reports daily at 0325 UTC after informal 'warm-up' session.
• 1000 - 14.315MHz - Robby's Net
• Very informal, multi-purpose with position reports, Wx reports and local inter-yacht traffic. Net control rotates amongst members and has many shore-based regulars who help with local knowledge.
• 2100 - 14.316MHz - Tony’s Net - South Pacific, Aust & NZ.
• Also 2130 'early-bird' session.
• 2300 - 14.315MHz - Robby's Net
• Marine Radio Operator's Handbook
• HF band 2182kHz (AM)
• VHF Channel 16 (156.8MHz NFM Simplex)
• 27 MHz Channel 88 (27.88MHz AM)
• Emergency Networks

WICEN (Wireless Citizens' Emergency Network) operates on the following amateur frequencies:

• 80M band: 3.6MHz
• 40M band: 7.175MHz
• 30M band: 10.115MHz
• 20M band: 14.125MHz
• 17M band: 18.15MHz
• 15M band: 21.19MHz
• 12M band: 24.95MHz
• 10M band: 28.45MHz
• 6M band: 53.15MHz
• 2M band: 145.2MHz

VKS737 (The Australian HF Radio Network) operates on the following licensed subscriber frequencies:

• Ch. 1 - 5455 kHz - secondary sked channel
• Ch. 2 - 8022 kHz - primary sked channel
• Ch. 3 - 11612 kHz - general and telephone use
• Ch. 4 - 14977 kHz - general and telephone use
• Ch. 5 - 3995 kHz - general and telephone use
• Ch. 6 - 6796 kHz - general and telephone use
• Ch. 7 - 10180 kHz - general and telephone use

The VKS737 network is primarily designed as a safety and emergency network for remote travelers (4WD and so on) but the first two channels should be noted as they are useful as a direct link to the Royal Flying Doctor Service in a medical emergency, especially where regular marine channels are not eliciting a response. See also Bush Telegraph See also Royal Flying Doctor Service

• Marine Emergency Radio Devices (MERDE) Regardless of the above, the cruising yacht should always carry a 406 MHz digital EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) and this is now mandatory for any yacht sailing further than 2NM offshore. Older devices on 121.5MHz are no longer monitored.

Also see World Cruiser's Nets .

Any navigation notes here. If this section does not apply remove it.

The following information was provided by Australian Customs regarding arrivals .

"The Master of a vessel arriving in Australia is required by law to give notice of impending arrival NOT LATER than 96 hours before arrival. Customs does realise that not all vessels are fitted with the latest communication equipment. For these vessel this requirement seems to cause confusion as people interpret it as notification must be given 96 hours prior to arrival. This is not the case. This is the minimum requirement. I'll explain this with an example below.

Example: A vessel is travelling from USA to Australia. The time frame is one month. The Master could report his impending arrival to Australia prior to departing USA. This would mean that he gives 1 months notice which meets the above criteria. Other alternatives is the Master could report his impending arrival from one of the ports he stops at on his way to Australia or prior to his departure from his last port before arriving in Australia. This may even be a week prior to his arrival, as long as the estimated sailing time is a minimum of 96 hours. Again this meets the above criteria for reporting to Customs."

Be warned that the 96 hour advance notification rule IS enforced. Yacht owners have been prosecuted for not complying, resulting in a criminal conviction, a fine, legal expenses and delays.

96 hours notice may be given by either:

Customs does not have access to SSB/HF radio communications. The preferred radio communication is through VHF.

Full details of requirements and contact information can be located on the Customs web site . Foreign vessels MUST make landfall at an Official Port of Entry

If by chance the vessel arrives prior to lapsing of the 96 hours of arrival it can wait out the time anywhere it is safe to do so. If due to dangerous seas or a medical emergency landing earlier is necessary, then the vessel is able to progress to a safe haven or the Boarding Station. All that is required is that Customs is informed at the first possible opportunity. The 'Q' flag should be raised upon entry into the port. Customs, Quarantine and Immigration clearance must be completed prior to going ashore.

Please stay on board. No persons other than a Quarantine or Customs officer is allowed to board your craft, nor can any person, animal or article leave the craft until you have been given full clearance. Depending on your arrival time, Customs and Quarantine may require all persons to remain on board overnight before clearing you the following day.

• Don't throw any waste or foodstuffs overboard while you're in Australian waters or while you are moored. Use designated quarantine disposal points.
• Keep all food and animals secure until your vessel has been inspected by Quarantine officers.
• Don't trade foodstuffs with other overseas vessels.
• Keep your vessel free of insects.
• To go ashore without prior clearance is an offence. Contact with other vessels in port prior to clearance is also prohibited."

Vessels arriving in Australia or sailing within Australian waters should be aware that Customs aircraft (commonly known as Coastwatch) may overfly at low levels and query their identity on VHF channel 16, and therefore this channel should be monitored.

Customs and Immigration

Checking in procedure.

Australian Customs have the reputation of being one of the most difficult customs agencies to deal with world-wide, and recent media attention appears to indicate that there is some justification for that.

A good place to start reading is the information for pleasure craft travelling to australia page, following all of the links from that page. The salient points being as follows:

• The name of your craft
• Craft's Country and Port of Registration
• Your intended first port of arrival
• Your estimated arrival time
• Your last four ports
• The details of people on board including name, date of birth, nationality and passport number
• Details of any illness or disease recently encountered
• If you have any animals on board
• If you have any firearms on board
• Visas are generally not available on arrival, for either the vessel or its crew. See the Immigration and Visas section above for more information.
• Depending on the port of entry, customs/quarantine officers are likely to want to board and inspect the vessel before it ties up to any berth. Phone the customs officials at the port of entry to request directions (once again, most of these officials are not available on either VHF or HF, although Marine Rescue or the equivalent other state organisation can potentially provide some information).
• Extensive and expensive fines and other action, potentially including deportation, can be meted out for failure to meet all of the checking in requirements.

Checking Out Procedure

The basic procedures are, as relayed to me by a customs official via telephone:

• Notify the customs office of your intended port of departure at least a few days before intended departure. Often the best way to do this is to attend the customs office in person. This will be required of all crew members, to present passports and fill out the necessary paperwork.
• On the day of departure or the day before, notify customs again and they will visit the vessel to provide outbound clearance.
• This page can provide some guidance.

Arriving in Australia with Pets

If you have animals aboard you may ONLY anchor out (not allowed to tie up at a marina or dock), and the animal must be kept on board and confined (in a cage or below decks) at all times. Quarantine must be notified of your intention to change mooring at least 48 hours prior to moving, as well as the proposed itinerary in Australian waters. Permission to go to a dock to take fuel or water must be obtained in advance. While at the dock, the animal must be locked below. Permission must also be obtained before sailing to another area. The boat must be locked up whenever the crew is away. If embarking animals in Australia, they must have a health certificate issued by a veterinarian. Regular inspections are carried out at the yacht owner's expense (very costly) and moving the animal ashore into quarantine is also a very costly and difficult experience.

(Note: Delatbabel 10:51, 30 September 2013 (BST) -- I no longer believe the above to be correct provided tha the animal has a valid vaccination certificate or PETS passport. This is as a reminder to myself to check the above details with customs at some point).

Immigration

Tourist visas allows people to visit Australia for holiday, sightseeing, social or recreational reasons, to visit relatives, friends or for other short-term non-work purpose. Tourist visas are available for a stay of three, six or 12 months. Once in Australia, visas of three months or less can be extended to a maximum of six months.

Visas are also available for working holidays (18 to 30 age group only), retirement (over 55 only) and for people traveling to Australia for medical treatment. There are also special visas for professional visits (cultural, social or research), students and workers with specific skills. Citizens of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu who have been invited by an Approved Employer may enter as Pacific seasonal workers.

Special category visas are available on arrival to holders of a New Zealand passport. In most other cases a Visa or Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) must be obtained before entering Australia. For further information see the Dept of Immigration and Citizenship website.

Only the following passport holders are eligible to use the ETA system:

Both the ETA and eVisitor systems limit the duration of stay within Australia to three months, although they do allow multiple visits and are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. For longer periods either apply for a regular Visa from outside Australia, or apply for an extension (to six months maximum) after entry.

IMPORTANT: Electronic entry is for tourists only. If you intend to work you will need to apply for the visa at an Australian Embassy.

Fees and Charges

Restrictions, health and security.

Australia's life expectancy continues to increase according to the 2010 health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Women are expected to live up to age 84 while men are expected to reach age 79. Despite the high life expectancy, Australians still suffer from major diseases like cancer and heart problems. Fortunately, Australia has effective health care systems, both public and private. The public health care system is paid for by taxes and is run by the government through Medicare. The private health care system consists of the private hospitals, other health providers like dentists, health insurance companies, etc.

Unlike the USA, Australians are not permitted to own guns except for sporting purposes, and the conditions of ownership are very strict. They must be kept locked at all times when not in use, and ammunition stored separately. In country areas this is somewhat relaxed, and twenty-two gauge rifles for rabbit shooting are the most likely seen, although this also is becoming rarer.

Since the New York 9/11 tragedy Australia's security measures at airports have been stepped up severely, and due to the constant arrival of asylum seekers (aka "boat people") Customs have increased coastal surveillance to nearly Orwellian proportions, with local craft often queried and boarded in Australian waters for no good reason. Such is the price of security.

Although there are venomous snakes and spiders in Australia, the only land-based predator to man is the crocodile which can be found in some northern regions. Oh yeah, and the water buffalo up north can be a bit grumpy, but they're an introduced species and mostly docile.

Examples of terrorist activity have also been extremely rare. In general, Australia is a safe country in which to travel.

External Territories

Also see External Territories .

• Ashmore and Cartier Islands — uninhabited. The Ashmore Reef is overseen by a resident warden under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1975, and permission to land must be sought by radio from the caretaker vessel. Private vessels are ordinarily permitted to anchor and obtain fresh water from the pump on West Island. Commercial vessels must be in possession of a Commercial Permit at a cost of $2000 per annum (1997 prices). They are also required to be under Australian Marine Safety Authority (AMSA) survey. Cruising yachts should not attempt to land on Cartier Island due to unexploded ordnance left over from WWII. Indonesian fishermen are commonly seen in the area, which is a traditional fishing ground.
• Australian Antarctic Territory — not exactly a cruising destination.
• Christmas Island
• Direction Island
• Home Island
• West Island
• Coral Sea Islands — only Willis Island is inhabited (by a small weather station).
• Heard Island and McDonald Islands — subantarctic, uninhabited. Some volcanic activity.
• Lord Howe Island
• Macquarie Island — subantarctic research station, part of Tasmania.
• Norfolk Island

• Northern Territory
• New South Wales
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• Australian Capital Territory
• Jervis Bay Territory

For offshore islands and state protectorates, see individual regions.

See each region .

Also see each port .

Transportation

List transportation to other countries, etc.

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums . ( see link for requirements)

• Penalties for not adhering to yacht entry rules (on CruiserLog)
• Australia Sailing and Cruising Discussions (on Cruisers Forum)
• Australia at the Wikipedia
• Australia at the Wikivoyage
• sv Ocelot (Cruising Australia page)
• Australian Marinas Guide
• The Coastal Passage (cruising magazine)
• Australian Hydrographic Service - Chart Agents list
• Australian Embassies
• Warwick Clay, South Pacific Anchorages 2nd edition , Imray, ISBN 0852884826
• Jeff Toghill, Circumnavigating Australia's Coastline: A Yachtsman's Manual , Reed, ISBN 073010186X
• Alan Lucas, Cruising the Coral Coast , Alan Lucas Cruising Guides, ISBN 9780958176804
• Alan Lucas, Cruising the New South Wales Coast , Alan Lucas Cruising Guides, ISBN 9780958176828
• David Colfelt, 100 Magic Miles , Windward Publications, ISBN 0958698902
• Leslie P Richards, A Guide to Cruising Northern Australia , Lulu.com, ISBN 184753077X

(The above are available over the net from Boat Books in Sydney (except Jeff Toghill's), or from Whitworths or Bias Boating (chandlers))

• AFLOAT Magazine One of Australia's leading boating publications, and is often read by the cruising and racing yachting fraternities here. It is available for free from most boating outlets, book shops, and marinas.

A free downloadable pdf titled "Western Australian Cruising Guide" published by the Fremantle Sailing Club is available at https://fsc.com.au/cruising-section/wa-cruising-guide/ . This lengthy document covers the full Western Australian coast and is periodically updated.

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

• Australian television system is now DVB-T with analog VHF and UHF transmissions due to cease in most areas of the country. Capital cities usually have twenty (20) Freeview stations available. -- Haiqu 05:50, 26 May 2011 (BST)

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Leading Yacht Clubs • Working Together • Sharing Experiences

The 2023 Yacht Club Managers Group Forum Convenes in Sydney

Sandringham Yacht Club

August 29, 2023

Six general managers from ICOYC Member Clubs, including Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club , Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron , Sandringham Yacht Club , Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club , Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Royal Perth Yacht Club recently attended the Yacht Club Managers Forum in Sydney, Australia. The Yacht Club Managers Group (YCMG) Forum was held May 17-19, and attracted 38 yacht club managers from all states of Australia as well as three international clubs.

YCMG was formed in 2011 and has grown to include managers from every state and territory in Australia as well as some of their neighbours from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong. The group’s first forum was in Adelaide in 2012 and they aim to physically meet at a forum biennially, alternating years with the Marina Industry Associations Conference. The last forum, in 2018, was held on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane. Though the group only represents around 10% of Australia’s sailing clubs, it is an opportunity for these major clubs, all facing similar challenges, to meet and discuss opportunities and issues in our industry. Collectively the group represents 106,535 members, 2,667 staff, 7,734 marina berths, 1,848 hard stand spaces and thousands of dinghy sailing boats. Furthermore, the collective statistics on land holdings, boatyard facilities and food and beverage operations are quite staggering.

The 2023 YCMG Forum was hosted at three venues: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and St Georges Sailing Club. Tours of each location were provided, and the forum sessions were divided and held in these clubs.

Session presentations were prepared by various yacht club managers and included topics such as international trends in yacht clubs, benchmarking, hospitality, yacht racing trends, youth development and training, facility development, asset replacement, growing and retaining membership, volunteers and staff, and marina management and maintenance.

There were also several industry professionals from the fields of insurance, cyber security, club management and marina software, including presentations from the forum’s sponsors Northstar Technologies and Marina Focus. Australian Sailing and Marina Industries Association also presented during the busy three-day schedule.

In addition to the above, managers had plenty of opportunities to meet and network, solving all of the world’s problems over a glass or two of wine. The networking and therapy provided by such forums cannot be underestimated. Managers left the forum with new friends and contacts that will be available to assist and offer support with those tricky questions and situations. Meeting in person is a great benefit to all clubs involved.

Early discussions for the 2025 Forum have already commenced with several clubs in Hobart collectively showing interest to host the next event.

The group is managed by Craig Evans CMM, Chief Executive Officer of the Fremantle Sailing Club. If any ICOYC clubs from further afar would like further information, including copies of the presentations, contact Richard Hewett, CEO Sandringham Yacht Club [email protected] .

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2010 Formula 18 Cat West Coast Champs

The 2010 great texas 300.

Brought to you by Australian High Performance Catamarans and Red Gear Racing

2010 Charleston Race Week

Presented by Harken and Layline

• Dec 23, 2010

2010 Puma Moth Worlds

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• Mar 29, 2010

Layline 33rd America's Cup

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• Feb 22, 2010

2008 Melges 24 North American Championship

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• Nov 5, 2008

2010 SORC Lauderdale to Key West Race

brought to you by Point Loma Outfitting

• Jan 17, 2010

2008 Melges 24 Worlds from Sardinia, Italy

Presented by Ullman Sails , with technical support from Joe Fly Sailing Team

• Jul 8, 2008

2010 A-Cat Coconut Grove Invitational

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• May 4, 2011
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The 100th CYC Race to Mackinac

Brought to you by Torresen Marine and chicagomackinac.com

• Jul 1, 2021

2008 Charleston Race Week

Brought to you by the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation

• Apr 22, 2008
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2008 Melges 32 Gold Cup

brought to you by Latis Yachting Solutions, Point Loma Outfitting, and SLAM

• Dec 12, 2008

2008 St. Pete NOOD

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• Jul 1, 2008

2008 Key West Race Week

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• Aug 23, 2017

The 2007 21st Canada's Cup

Mr. Clean Reports from the 21st Canada's Cup. Brought to you by IonEarth

• Oct 16, 2007

2007 Annapolis Boat Show

Mr. Clean reports from the Annapolis Boat Show with photos and video

• Oct 11, 2007

2007 Audi Melges 24 U.S. National Championship

Mr. Clean and Team report from Lake St. Clair Brought to you by RejeX

• Sep 25, 2007

2007 Charleston Race Week

Mr. Clean reports from Charleston South Carolina, with the help of Mer and Luis Kahl.

• Apr 18, 2007

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Sailing Anarchy Podcast with Scot Tempesta

How to make a smooth-sailing boat using constraints?

I am looking into making a boat system using constraints, that would function similar to what is seen here .

The issue I am having is, trying to replicate this. In the video above, I use BodyMovers’ BodyPosition, which is long since depreciated, and some of the boats seen in the game where I recorded in , they spazz out due to using the ancient BodyMovers.

I tried replicating BodyPosition with a boat model I have, and this is what happens:

Spazzes out still, but at least it doesn’t fall into oblivion.

I use AlignPosition, the recommended replacement for BodyPosition, and it’s useless, as seen below:

What should I do?