Hey all, just bought my first boat (19ft semi cabin with inboard) and planning our first trip to rotto for a post exams party.
We've never done this before so I thought id ask for some advice.
What kind of safety gear will we need? (PFDs, eperbs, radios)
Are there boat pens in rottnest?
Is it a bad idea to tow a small dinghy behind us? (ive seen people do it, they store their petrol and auxiliary motor on it and use it for transport around rottnest).
The boat has 4 seats, 2 front and 2 either side of the motor box. Is it ok to have 6 people and travel slowly?
Ive been playing around in little 6-8hp boats most of my life, but next week will be taking rec skippers ticket so i will know more about the posts and protocols :)
Any advice is appreciated :)
Bilge pump ,EPIRP and life jackets will save you and your buddies if **** hits the fan!
Six people seems a lot for a 19 foot boat.
My advise, send four people over on the ferry.
You and a mate take your boat.
Leave early with a light easterly behind you, follow another boat over, catch up to them stick with them.
Once at rotto load up with the other four people and have a blast.
Do the reverse coming home.
Do not come home in a sea breeze until you have confidence.
A 10kt sea breeze will give you a flogging in a small boat.
Rotto is boating paradise, enjoy.
Were are you leaving from? It also pays to understand the Island bays and leads into each one, or at least Thompsons before you leave. Its not a case of just driving up to the Island, there are a few reefs in between when you get close
But bit of planing and you'll be fine. If your North of the river i wouldn't mind if you wanted to drop in and i can give you a few easy pointers on a map.
My Boat Yard is in Joondalup.
www.boatshack.com.au
There is always this option ... for anyone new to travelling to Rotto
not to sure when they are going though.
And just because you can, does'nt mean you should..
What I mean by this is even if your boat is licenced to take 6 people, does'nt mean you should take 6 people.
Just because the corridor between Freo and Rotto is EPIRB exempt, does'nt mean you should'nt carry one.
If you stick your nose out of the heads and you get a gut feeling that you should'nt go, then dont. I did that this weekend just gone and kicked myself the entire weekend. But your better off being on shore wishing you were at sea than at sea wishing you were on shore.
And the fact that you are asking questions show that you are being somewhat resposible. Dont be swayed be mates charged up on a dew tinnies to do something that you don't want to (or should'nt) do..
And dont just sign on with the local VMR, become a member. It's only 35 bucks a year..
I'm not from WA, but an Epirb for sure regardless of where you are. Life Vests rated up to the heaviest person on the boat not just for the operator.
My old man always had a spare vest as well just in case. and an old family friend all ways had a pool noodle for the ones who couldn't swim to well. Another thing my old man had was some of those lights ya strap to ya head. if ya end up floating in the dark they are a good help for the rescue to find ya.
Good luck and have fun, and remember stay to the right not to the left.
EPIRB, life jackets, offshore flares, CB radio, anchor with at least 50m of rope/chain as a minimum.
Make sure you keep an eye on the weather. Even with a 15 knot easterly and bit of swell it gets pretty lumpy and rough out there. It'll look nice from shore but don't be decieved.
As JB said you it's not just a case of driving straight into rotto where ever you please. Lots of reefs and shallow water around so make sure you know all your cardinal markers etc. Get your hands on a marine chart with water depths etc if you can and have a look over that.
You'll p!ss it in in a 19 footer but wouldn't recommend taking 6 people unless the weather is going to be tiptop. There and back!!
If you've only just got the boat you'd want too if you haven't already take it for a good run in the river or not to far offshore to make sure it does everything it's spose too. Would recommend getting the outboard serviced if you aren't certain when it had it's last one. Small price to pay for a bit of piece of mind.
Enjoy and congrats on the new boat.
Lot good advice above - and getting your RST will obviously help with some of your questions. BUT having the RST does not mean a trip to Rotto and back will be easy. It is a nav nightmare, and a following swell and breeze in the afternoon coming back can be a lot of fun (not). You need a good handle on nav and forecasts and knowing how much seabreeze and swell is too much.
I strongly recommend a long hard think, do the RST, then another think, a halfway trip out and back, brush up on nav and charts, talk to JBShack as he has offered.
Then think about it some more.
No insult, but buying a boat now for a "post exams party" at Rotto, and having driven it very minimally, may not be such a great idea.
A lot of people have commented on the gear but I'll have a crack on the driving. On my 17 footer I take it easy, bloody easy if it's rough. You use less fuel and you still get there. If in doubt, slow down. As long as the nose is up (mine about 8 - 10 knots) it won't roll in swell even though it feels like it will. Don't try to be a man and 'power through' swells or anything, slow down and let them roll past. Go down swells about 45 degrees I find, if you go straight it will speed up and the bow will plough in to the bottom (fark'n scary).
Now I am a conservative boater by all means, but my budget is very very limited and I'm a realist. I get the on a bucket (no bilge), 27mhz radio (which wasn't working for a while) and I've taken four people and two eskys on a mild day. What I am saying is, I can't see 6 people being a problem on 19 foot of solid boat. Go slow!
Here's some of my dodgy safety tips that hopefully make up for lack of bilge / EPIRB:
1)Scatter your life jackets across the floor. If it tips they'll float out (don't lock them away!)
2)Leave one or two boards unstrapped. Again, they'll float.
3)Take heaps of fuel
4)Log in with sea rescue (channel 90) VN6DI
I just read Woodro's advice, yeah 6 people on good weather. Heavy and it's a bad idea! Check seabreeze and BOM and don't go unless winds are real calm.
Also be weary extra people on boat tend to put you into situations you don't want to be in. They'll egg you on and say things are safe when they're not! Pick your crew wisely.
Sounds like a recipe for either a comedy of errors, or a disaster, I cant' tell yet.
If you have a crack at it stay off the grog until you get there, dumb **** happens to people when they are half pissed.
hi, where abouts are you launching from. Fremantle or hillarys, because 2 totally different propositions. A nineteen foot inboard, is that a chivers thunderbird, a voyager, fraser, guardian or seeker etc. I assume its a fibreglass boat as very few older ali boats under 20 feet had inboards. How much fuel do you carry and do you have an auxhilary engine, as older sterndrives can be notoriously unreliable. Asking because there are 19 footers and then there are 19 footers, depending on the hull make and design some are very competent offshore, eg haines hunters, glasscraft, chivers etc,, while many are flat water river ski boats such as the yankee glastrons etc, and are marginal ocean boats at the best of times. i dont want to sound like a smart arse but the rotto run can be perilous in the wrong conditions. Ive made the trip for over 30 years in boats ranging from 20 feet to 50 feet. I still never take it for granted. In spite of 30 years experience, i still find that at least once every couple of years i have to rely of fremantle sea rescue to get me back to the inner harbour. Knowing the details of your vessel, its age its state of repair its intended design brief, ie is it a ski vessel with no freeboard or an ocean going high sided deep v boat tells you whether you should even attempt the journey. If the vessel is a suitable ocean going vessel, then you need to carry the regulation offshore flare kit, a compliant pfd for everyone aboard the vessel,the new style epirb which must be registered in your name, a 27 mgz radio, a fire extinguisher and a suitable anchor and chain for the vessel. I would also highly reccommend a good gps chart plotter with the latest marine charts for rottnest. As importantly you need to ensure that the engine is in tip top shape before you venture forth. The best strategy given your lack of experience would be to pay some one like boat services australia to take you there on your first foray and have them show you how to tackle the crossing and how to enter thomson bay safely. If you dont want to spend the money doing that, then only attempt the crossing on a very calm morning with a light easterly and as prevoiusly stated follow a larger vessel to the entrance into thomsons bay. the best advice is to wait for the ferry,s to enter thomsons and follow them in. Larger vessels obviously draw a lot more water than you and will by necessity follow the safest path into the bay. You will also need to get a rottnest island permit for your boat from the rottnest island authority to allow you to moor, anchor or beach there, otherwise you will need to pay an individual landing fee for each member of your party. Once you have your permit you will be able to go on line and book a pen or a mooring.
Good luck and stay safe.
If U R still tuned in to this post.... Nice plan .... what a great read - well done seabreezers....
Can't repeat this one enough the mechanics...
Might be wrong - but if it is a 2nd hand buy then..
Get your motor / drive serviced / overhauled + battery/electrics checked (or DIY if U can). Understand your motor - if it bails do you loose the boat??
Hopefully U can unplug a fuel line / cooling line - ditch water from the fuel trap, find a loose lead, basically you are familiar with it...
Years back - Dad's mate had similar bit bigger wooden internal chug chug (diesel) - he had added tap to his inlet cooling pipe and ran a hose to a sieve filter in the bilge - any time he wanted to he pumped the bilge dry by sucking it using the motor's cooling pump - U could see the trouble if you sucked the bilge dry and did not flick the tap back - but U could have an alternate automated float setup.. Great rough weather pump.
Make a sea anchor - if for no other reason you understand how to use one.
Stuffed if I know why someone red thumbed JBShack when his post first went up - what an offer - take it up..
When all is said and done the Lighthouse to Leightons still runs across there..
so do what they do - tick all the boxes...
If you do not have enough knowledge about weather forecasts - talk to JBShack.
1) the weather = go / no go (U or JBShack / safety people)
2) Planning for safety = understand + ticked the box = go / no go (Read posts above - lots of experience)
3) the motor = go / runs but not for long enough (Buck stops with U).
3 go's & U should have a ball - use the same criteria before return trip - and U will be doing many more...
Cheers
AP
Here's one more of my dodgey safety tricks. I ALWAYS charge the battery over night before I leave. And I get a spare charged battery and just put it in the boat somewhere. You wouldn't believe how often I see a dead battery ruining someone's day. My spare battery has saved me a few times. Throw that and two adjustable spanners into the boat. Or if you have more money, get double battery. But if like me, just carry a spare.
Computer says "YES"
Can you post a picture of your 19 footer?
10nm @ 6knots computer says 1.35hrs.
Computer says 1 hr crossing until reasonable shelter.
Fuel @ 6 ltrs per hour = 10ltrs give or take a little.
2 80kg dudes forward,2 80kg dudes midships, and 2 aft..... Everything balanced total loading 500kg
Would be an awesome adventure!
timmyz if you want to do a rotto trip , like suggested do it with one person first and on a calm day . I am happy to come over with you in my boat on a weekend as i can keep an eye on you . It looks like an easy trip but as said it can turn dangerous very quickly .
even in our 32ft boston , once the seabreeze kicks in it can be bloody hairy coming back .
6 people plus how many cartons of beer plus swags etc. the boat is going to be overloaded, won't sit right in the water and will not handle properly.
The number of times a year that the weather stays nice enough that you will have a pleasant trip out to and back from rotto over the course of a weekend are quite small. You have played around in small boats so must know how miserable things can get very quickly. Even a moderate seabreeze will make for a very uncomfortable experience.
Firstly as the skipper... I'm just saying... don't bloody attempt to drive back in a seabreeze with a skinful of piss
You can certainly do the trip, but I'd put most of the people on the ferry. And the date will have to be set by the weather forecast, not the end of exams. You should be able to get a decent trip out in a light early morning easterly, for the trip back you may well have to play it by ear and wait for reasonable weather. It's not rocket science but you need to have a very healthy respect for rough sea.
Be sure that the radio and gps is not just bling, it's no good to you or sea rescue if you don't know how to use it or where you are.
And as other people have said, playing with the boat a bit in the river and sound till you know her limitations and reliability would make a lot more sense.
this made me think of the OP
taken from perthnow
Wow....reading this thread made me think that it is all really too much effort and expense to go to Rotto on your own boat.
