They might have been my comments. I recall its about 96nm to Southport to Yamba bar.
Yachts your size do make it into Ballina (where I do my skiff sailing), but it's not a reliable port of entry (or exit). We based our yacht at Yamba for that reason even though we live near Ballina.
As a matter of safety and prudence, your trip plan has to at least contemplate the strong possibility that you'll need to continue on to Yamba. Our best time Southport to Yamba in a Bavaria 34 was 12 hours in a good NE'er (14 hours in a less good one) always using the motor to stay near hull speed when the wind eased and clearly with wave assist letting us exceed hull speed for the latter part of the trip. But obviously a SE would be a different proposition,
As Toph infers, like any dodgy bar, try and time your entry towards the top of an incoming tide. But my understanding is the bar has deteriorated since 'the old days".
It's a high of only 1.29 at 8.26 Saturday morning with a moderately low low both before and after. That's a very early departure with mainly night sailing from Southport, without much wind assist for the trip and not much of a high high. The evening tide is higher but after dark. And with a near meter drop it will be a strong run out when it gets up steam.
Other sites show the afternoon getting up to 15 knots NE, but I have to say, I'm not sure why. The synoptic charts suggests a SE and there doesn't seem to be enough heat for a seabreeze. Still, I'll defer to the experts (I'm not being sarcastic).
We'll be out racing on Sunday afternoon if you make it in. Wave to the yellow and white twin wire skiff.
Stockie said..
I'm currently in the Goldcoast, enroute South back to Sydney. Looks like I'll be travelling this leg solo, the same as the last 600 odd miles ex Hamo.
This next leg has some long transits between Anchorages. On the way up north, I avoided Ballina Bar, due to adverse comments in the past about the bar. I did a night in Byron Bay, not ideal, between the GC & Iluka. The weather on Saturday looks to have promising ENE backing to NE 10 k
but Sunday promises a return to SE, same as Friday. So ideally I would like a rest stop in Ballina! So could anyone with knowledge advise the pros/cons
please!
I draw 1.95m. 11.4 m Bavaria.
Looks like 60 miles, which I have done before.
cheers Richard
