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Hi all
All things being equal, I should be bringing the new boat home to Brisbane in February so I'm trying to educate myself about the EAC.
I'm looking at these:
www.bom.gov.au/oceanography/forecasts/idyoc300.shtml?region=NSW&forecast=SSTCur#
oceancurrent.imos.org.au/product.php
To my inexperienced eye, the temperature and current patterns of each site look a little different.
Can anyone give me a quick lesson for dummies on how to best interpret this data please?
Thanks
Trace
In the end, I found this site easier to use in practice
www.windy.com/-Show-add-more-layers/overlays?currents,-26.264,154.330,8,i:pressure
HI Selkie,
A very simple explanation mate, I'm not good enough to get all techo on this.
a) My main use for it is to know the temperature of the Southerly stream, as this can help you determine where the boundary lies. If you're working north , its nice to know how much current you are pushing, so use your sea temp to keep an eye on when you are in it or not. Use it to stay out of it altogether if you can by hugging the coast. Or if you can see an eddy, use it to push further quicker.
b) If the wind is from the south, and you're pushing a big current, this will help the waves stand up more than wind with the current. Dont go when the forecast is Southerly 20+ knots and you're in the EAC which is running strong and ripping south, not fun.
Cheers!
Just stay in close going north. There are often reverse eddies to give a small boost.
i use the IMOS site but it isn't always accurate.
Lets talk in the New Year about the delivery.
Another one to keep an eye on is this ...
earth.nullschool.net/#current/ocean/surface/currents/orthographic=-210.47,-28.91,3000/loc=153.941,-28.830
Copy and paste the entire line rather than just the active part of the link
When going North up the NSW coast, Keep one foot on the boat the other on the land!.
You might geta back eddie close in.
You'll be pushing 2 to 3kts at times around Seal Rocks, Smoky Cape and Byron,that'll have you looking over the back to check you haven't picked upa crab pot or some other rubbish slowing you down.
Just out of curiosity, how close is close or relatively close?
2 miles? 5 miles?
The Windy site has the current very close to the coast.
gary
Tack just before the surfbreak. Go out to (pick something dependent upon current ) 20-50m gradient.
Rinse.
Repeat.
Ad nauseum.
Its a pretty coastline.
Edit: I should say if your trying to avoid current.
Thanks guys. That is all very useful information.
Shaggy, that may explain the sea state a few years ago coming north. Was only blowing 20 SE, however, the waves were stacked up... especially just south of Coffs.
Speaking of Coffs, I'm assuming people go outside the Solitary Islands group?
Thanks guys. And yes, Morning Bird, definitely talk in the New Year.
Hi Selkie,
Regards Gary's question on how close and far to the beach do you tack?
A screenshot of the tracker from the Pittwater to Surfers boys. In a light northerly, this is how you get up the coast staying out of the current!
Cheers,
SB
Going north I went between split and south and inside north solitary. Coming south, I stayed well outside all of them.
Thanks Woko and EC31 for the feedback regarding traversing the Solitary Islands. I guess I was just being super prudent 
Just received a great stack of charts plus Lucas plus The Admiralty List of Lights and Fog Signals I purchased off a guy on Gumtree. Have also downloaded Rob's Passage Planner. Exciting times
The EAC is a fickle thing, it is at it's maximum in the early months of the year (IE: now!) and it weakens towards winter.
Copy and paste this into your search bar.
earth.nullschool.net/#current/ocean/surface/currents/orthographic=-207.58,-26.16,3000
heading north as a rule I never go over 50 foot of water and never go outside an island
Just an observation over the last few years that the Southerly changes in summer are quite unreliable to travel North on, i mean the idea is to wait for the southerly change then sail up on thee back of it.
But I've noticed not much ofa tail to the Southerlys, meaning you might need to get out there sooner after actual front goes through rather than waiting days.
Interesting topic, I wonder if this was what gave me a hard time heading back north from Jervis Bay in late December. The Northly was not that strong but the swell was steep and strong. On the tack out I was crashing off the swell occasionally, it would virtually stop me in my tracks, then on the inbound tack I was being rolled back to JB
It took me an eternity to get across Crook Haven bight, on the way down I was enjoying a kite run at 10 knots!
Same kind of issue sailing up from the Hacking to the Harbour, much more sea than what should have been for the wind, quite uncomfortable and frustrating.
cheers Richard
