Hi All,
I'm just about to fly the family over to Queensland for a holiday. Planned on taking a cruise round the Whitsundays with Sunsail. I have 7 and 9 year old children.
We will be there in December.
The main thing I do not want to do is scare them off sailing by wild wind and waves.
I sail an S&S 39 so am not to concerned about the sailing side of things, but more so the weather. Things can turn nasty over here pretty quickly.
Does the forum think this is a good entry level destination for a reasonably experienced skipper but a young family. Its looks almost idiot proof online but looks can be deceiving and hence the post.
Do these charters come with all the gear, can anyone think of anything I need to bring or request on arrival make sure things run smoothly.
A great choose of holiday Sunseeker. The kids will love it and so will you. I cant wait for my kids to be old enough for it.
This is one of the most memorable holidays I have ever had.
The boats are well stocked and easy to sail and there is always help at hand if you require it.
Apart from the obvious spots to go, Nara Inlet, Whitehaven beach, Hamo Island, Palm Island etc etc, one of the best day spots was Eske Island just off Whitehaven Beach.
Make sure you get the bible for the area "one hundred magic miles" and plan where you want to go prior, then adjust your plans for the prevailing winds to get the best spots to anchor.
Make sure you all have good wide hats/sunbird/suncream. A nice light long sleeve shirt can be a good idea too if your fair.Take some good repellant as the sand flies can get a bit bitey as night sets in ,if your on shore.
It's all line of sight navigation so easy for all.
The breeze can kick up at times and if the tide is running (they have big tides up there) can get bumpy so just plan for it and take advice from the shore crew.
If sailing between Hook Island and Whitsunday Island keep a hand on the sheets as you can get some sharp gusts coming down onto the water. Apart from that it's a dream.
Kick back with a coldie and get the family to sail the boat.
Oh, and a good secure and calm anchorage is worth hours n hours of restful sleep.
You lucky bugger!
Thanks guys - awesome responses , very helpful.
I'm not keen to be stressing about dragging anchors whilst Im sleeping. Are there certified moorings you can book for overnighting at various Islands. Or is it simply drop the hook and keep an eye on things.
I'm pretty keen to visit Hayman, Any ideas on many hours cruising from Hamilton to Hayman assuming 10 knot breeze and a 40 ft monohull.
I'd heard there is a small marina at Hayman Island that's available for public use ??
Actually I'm tempted to hire a skipper for the first 24hrs to get them to take me on a familiarisation cruise. Put the male pride aside and play it safe with the kids on board ! I think that could be $300 well spent.
Craig
There are public moorings in most of the anchorages. If there is one available you can grab it after 4pm for a overnight stay other than that they have a 2 hour limit. The bible (100 magic miles) will show you how many are located in each bay. Personally I prefer not to sit on moorings overnight as they often bang on the hull when tide and winds change and there is always a race/fight to grab a morning. Best is to find less than 15 mtrs depth and lay all your chain for overnight sleep.
Blue pearl bay is at Hayman island, it is 15 Nm from Hamilton island. It's not really worth paying to go into Hayman resort as its a private resort and they are not really that friendly unless you have boat loads of money. However you can hike over the hill from blue pearl to the resort, but make sure you ignore the trespass signs. Blue pearl has the most fish life and very nice coral,it can get very busy with other boats and with the 7 moorings taken it can be tricky to anchor as depth is around 18mtrs in the anchoring zone. Another note is that there is a tide around the islands. Best to remember is if the tide is going up head down(south) tide going down head up (north) and for the best snorkelling try 1hour before and after slack tides.
I am a professional commercial unemployed skipper which could decently show you all the best spots in a week but really if your a yachtie I would not worry...a lot worse charter these boats believe me!
I have added a picture from navionics with 5 pin markers, the top of the island are very exposed in North winds so only attempt to visit the marked spots in Southerly. The best is to overnight at Stonehaven or butterfly and then visit Langford,black and Hayman during the days. Langford is great sand spit for swimming,snorkelling with turtles and black island is a great little island with some great snorkelling and bird life. Also butterfly and the bays to the east also provide great snorkelling and shore trips.
The best sleeps I had on the trip was when we were berthed at Hamo......maybe because of the bevs consumed, and Long Island (I think that's what it was called). We were berthed stern in and tied to the beach after passing through a narrow gap in the reef by the locals. Not sure if this spot is still there but it was certainly a standout.
I was amazed by the amount of fish life and coral available just from snorkeling.
In Nara Inlet there are some indigenous rock art to look at if your up for a little hike.
Beware of some of the more vocal charter boats which can go deep into the evening if parked nearby.
G,day Seeker, some great advice from all who have replied. A note on the moorings in all the anchorages. We were up there in May with an average wind speed for 12 days of 20 kts, and saw wind speeds in Butterfly Bay of 50 kts coming off the hills whilst on a mooring. Yes there was a little banging overnight but when the southerly hit in the morning I was glad we were tied to the mooring. You are supposed to release the mooring in winds over 35 kts but it held us well. Pick up a mooring after 2 pm and its yours for the night. There are so many fantastic places in th Whitsundays that we still haven,t seen the whole place yet. Try the charter companies at Airlie Beach i.e. Whitsunday Escapes , Cumberland , Cya , etc. As Southace said, nearly every morning on radio scheds you would hear Sunsail talking about maintainance issues, there are companies cheaper and friendlier. Rain , hail or shine A Bad Day In The Whitsundays Is Better Than A Good Day At Work.( I pinched that from somewhere).
Enjoy
Cheers
Ken
Yes I got 50knts in may at butterfly and 62 knts the year before in the middle of the night when a cold front came through, my tender and outboard capsized! This usally happens when the wind is N then goes W and then followed by a strong SW to SE change . The weather will start to get unpredictible when the trade winds die next month and sometimes Northerllys or no wind will preveal.
Oh and yes in places such as butterfly and blue pearl it's advisable to pick a morning overnight.
Best thing if you need to anchor is check the charts for depth and sand as you don't want to anchor in coral neither do you want to anchor too deep. Usually 5 to 10 Mtrs is a good range with most of your chain out for overnight.
Main thing is to relax,enjoy this great cruising ground.
Gday,
My recommendation is to get the trip professionally provisioned for at least the first few days, we hired through Queensland Yacht charters, & got our boat "half" provisioned, which gave us a few main meals, & all the other stuff you often forget about ie, oils, butter, fruit, sauces, salads etc.
I would forget about the pro skipper(better advice from others here on seabreeze!), & spend that $300 on provisioning, that one decision to spend a few hundred dollars on provisioning really made the holiday for us.
We didnt use the anchor at all, plenty of moorings available everywhere.
cheers
I'm so glad I posted my questions, thank you all so much for your great replies. I have now googled and got quotes from the other charter companies you guys mentioned.
I think provisioning the boat initially sounds like a great idea. That way we simply shop for the fun stuff.
Thanks Southace for the chart mooring advice , did not expect anyone to go to that much trouble, I really appreciate the effort.
Am trying to buy 100 magic miles online as we speak.
Its a month before we get there so if anyone thinks of any must do's then I'd love to hear them.
I can recommend a really nice boat. I skippered it for a week for an Italian couple. It's a brand new seawind 1250 the name of it is Sea change and it should be available with Queensland yacht charters. It's the pride of the fleet and possibly the best boat to hire in the whitsundays. I had never really liked cats until I sailed this one and its great for kids and wife with no rolling around at anchor/mooring.
This was our charter in 1985. Bareboating was well established but nowhere as crowded as it is today.
Starting at Shute Harbour we went straight out to Cid Harbour and early the next day headed south stopping at Lindeman for a couple of hours having a shower at the complimentary unit they then kept for visiting yachts. I bet none of the islands do that any more.
We comprised of two couples. We then slipped over to Shaw Island for that night.
The following day we had a run up to Whitehaven Beach where our anchorage fellow was the magnificent "Condor of Bermuda" and we had an unbelievable BBQ with the goannas trying to steal our steak off the hot BBQ plate.
We just spent the rest of the day on the beach where a bit of the old "Purple Haze" set in, no doubt assisted by the herb and ambers we had with lunch.
The track marked on this map is on the inside of the complimentary copy of "The Complete Yachtsman's Handbook to the Whitsunday Passage" (now morphed into The Hundred Magic Miles) supplied by the charter company and was mailed to us when we had paid the deposit.
It was a seven day charter and if you can emulate our track you can well and truly say you have done the Whitsundays.
This map shows the partially smooth water limits for the area which today no longer includes the Smith Group. The Macro on my camera is not that good.
Berthing at Hamilton Island I have heard will cost you around $130 per night. Hayman may be twice that.
The yacht we had was the Naut 33 which was very adequate and I suggest a similar size for your charter for ease of handling. Say a Catalina 34.
We drove up from Brisbane and did some very good grocery shopping at Mackay the day before and we had an Esky. That worked in well with the "Half Provisioning Package".
If you are flying in and won't have a vehicle I would have to say the "Full Provisioning Package" will save you time and money. You are going on "Holiday" and grocery shopping is not really a holiday activity.
This outfit is located at Shute Harbour and grew out of Whitsunday Yachting World I think. Some of their yachts are managed by them only and owned by people who live locally. They employ the owners of those yachts to do the briefings and if required sail guiding for the first day or two. You would be talking to the butcher, not the block.
Local owners tend to look after their yachts better as they take them sailing when not being chartered.
Also being based at Shute rather than Airlie, you will get a head start out to the islands and not have so far to come back. Pioneer Bay can be a pain in the butt.
Their web site is good so click around it some. I would be steering clear of Cumberland and Sunsail.
www.rentayacht.com.au/home/
All the others offer good info on getting food in the boat but there are a few things a TRUE Queenslander needs to advise you of the following:
1. You are comming up in Cyclone Season so be warned.
2. You need to bring stinger suits for all your family and ensure the fit as there are marine stingers in the water and the worst is Irikanji (think I spelt it wrong) very nasty little thing.
3. There are plenty of anchorages.
4. Stay away from the Resort Islands.
5. Bring enough toys for the children and board games.
6. Very hot in December.
7. tropical Strength RID or Bushmans insect spray.
8. A mizzie net is good
9. Your sense of humor and slow down you will be served sometime..............
come and have a lovely holiday the sailing is great and blows SE majority of the time.
Hi
We were up there a couple of years ago and chartered a Catalina 350 through Charter Yachts Australia. Can recommend them as very professional with well maintained boats. A friend of ours also owns two of their fleet, a Catalina 320 and a Catalina 375, and he seems to be very happy with them as an owner. We did the full provision and to be honest found it a bit too much for just the twoof us. Next time I would do a partial provision and then top up at the Canonvale supermarkets. One little bay we enjoyed was Mays Bay. Small and relatively quiet compared to Cid.
My Whitsunday experience was about 10 years ago. I am an experienced sailor but my wife was not. We chartered a Beneteau 42 which was exceptionally comfortable and not too hard to handle despite the two of us rattling around in such a large yacht.
We chose Sunsail out of Hamilton Island so we could fly directly there from Sydney and be in the beat cruising area ASAP. The yacht was half provisioned which worked out really well.
100 Magic Miles was our bible and we followed all of the great advice therein. I would love to report it as a perfect holiday but that would only be 80% true. Whitehaven, Cid Harbour - all perfect until the day we decided to take the outside route east of Whitsunday and Hook Islands to Butterfly Bay.
There was a solid 25 knots of ESE which we handled with reefed main and part furled jib using the engine to motor sail and settle the boat in the rising sea.
Then the engine died. Long story short, the fuel had run out despite the gauge still indicating a full tank and the reassurance from Sunsail that the boat had full tanks of diesel and water on departure two days before.
Sailing square to the wind round Hook Island against the tide with no motor to help us through, we experienced massive standing waves and the marriage nearly ended right there.
Sailing unassisted through 30 knot bullets to pick up a mooring in Butterfly Bay taxed all of my skills but at least when we were secure, we knew we could look forward to a shower and a night's rest. That's when we found the water tank was also dry.
In the wash-up we found that the fuel gauge was faulty and the dock crew must have assumed that since fuel and water top-up was done at the same time, a 'full' fuel tank meant that the water tanks would be full too.
Moral of story: If you are told that the tanks are full, ask for proof such as a wet dip stick. And when you are planning your next days sail avoid at all costs narrow passages when the tide flow is against the wind.
Hope these are not silly questions, I have 100 magic miles in the post as we speak and my inav-x plotter is missing a few details. Still 4 weeks til the trip.
1) Hooks passage is not labelled on my navionics charts - where is it ?
2) We pick up the yacht in Hamilton Island , should we go to the north of Hamilton Island on the way to Whitehaven beach or the South. I would assume the north due to more protected waters for longer periods.
3) If we leave for Whitehaven at 9am and allow a couple of hours on site should we anchor off the beach at Whitehaven or head back to shelter to the west of the Islands for that nights sleep. Perhaps back to Hamilton for the overnight before heading north the next day.
4) If our next destination after Whitehaven was Cid Harbour , (that looks as safe as it gets) , would you try and get there after visiting Whitehaven as detailed above or its that too much in 1 day.
The trip is about relaxing and enjoying it safely without stress, If the family enjoys it we'll be back next year so I'm deliberately not trying to do too much.
I don't want to be looking for a place to anchor/moor at sunset !
many thanks again for everyone's thoughts.
Craig
Hook passage is between hook island and Whitsunday island,it is also a good anchorage in SE trades on the southern side most of the maxi charter yachts overnight here for the Whitehaven run in the morning (2hrs) or (3hrs CID or Narra)
Going the southern route (approx 5nm shorter) from Hamilton is fine as long as the weather has been favourable in previous days and try to hit solway passage at slack tide it can really rip there!
Whitehaven can be very a pleasant overnighter providing there is not a lot of E or NE on the forecast and the winds are light, however There is no real close shelter if the weather changes unexpectedly.
Getting to Whitehaven during strong wind warnings should be avoided but shelter can be found in both tongue bay and the most southern anchorage at Whitehaven,but this could make for a long rough trip in winds above 20 knts , best is to run north many activities can still be made at Langford and blue pearl during strong Southerly's
Charter company's will give you advise each day on the radio skeds if the area you have selected is not suitable to the weather conditions.
Below is 3 anchorages near hook passage ready for the trip south to Whitehaven in the morning.
Hi All,
Just a post to say thank you for all your comments and thoughts back in November.
We are back from our trip to the Whitsundays and had a great time.
I must say the weather was far from ideal but due to the info I'd received from you
guys I was prepared.
20-30 knots the entire week, I now have an appreciation of what a 40 knot bullet of wind feels like moored stonehaven - the kids slept through it - I didnt unfortunately.
I stayed away from any windward passages so my kids would not be scared and my 7 & 9 year old cried when we left.
Job well done sea-breezers - many thanks
regards Craig
Well you know what we all say here on the Breeze Craig. Pics or it didn't happen.
Yep, 20 to 30 photos would be nice. Don't exclude the photos of semi-naked women on neighbouring yachts. Or fully naked.
