Townsville climate and weather conditions

A good thing about sailing in North Queensland is the great barrier reef. In the Townsville area the reef is about 40 nautical miles offshore is generally too far for a slow displacement vessel to day visit. The outer reef off Townsville is patchwork type  it does reduce the south pacific oceans swells to about 1-2m wave height in normal conditions.  It can get to around 3 m inside the reef in a 30 knot S Easter. Checking the marine weather forecast and tides before going is most important.

Usually 5-15 knot forecasts meant a good day out, 

The Climate of the tropical Townsville coastal area is wet and dry seasons. The wet - cyclone season runs from December to March. 

The wet season is ok for sailing as sunburn is less of a problem. Its often cloudy with rain showers, extra runoff makes waters near river mouths murky.  Stinger jellyfish also breed and take to the waters so protective clothing's worn (stinger suits) and vinegar is aboard. The vinegar prevents stinging cells in a tentacle from firing into the skin. Haven't witnessed a stinger attack yet, its relatively rare but they usually happen to unwary swimmers outside the lifesavers stinger nets at the beach. 

Winds tend to be light from the northerly sector NE, N maybe NW but can still come from the E and SE. It a good time for keel yachts to head south on these favorable winds and get clear of the cyclone belt, from Gladstone south is safe. Cylones do hit any one place on the coast every few years. The main thing is to have a trailer boat ashore above predicted storm surge height. At home in a garage, away from trees and tied down if outside is best. 

The dry season from March to November is what its all about.  Little to no rain and E to SE trade winds. Cruisers and tour boats are out there to explore the reef waters. The water is clearer and better for diving.

A good local weather forecast site is willyweather. Managed to add their weather widget (with site link) to the side bar for quick reference.

I'm also a fan of Windy animated weather maps . Winds and rain for 5 days ahead ,  1 hour rain radar and satellite image animations are free. (Premium sub for longer or more detail, but you can see the info still if needed) There are many maps to checkout from rain, sea currents, sea temperatures etc. It's easy to see predicted future cyclones forming up on windy.

The rain radar and forecast wind maps and weather warnings from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) are good. Rainfall and flood maps information too.

Also like "Seabreeze" forecasts, Townsville (and places beyond). They have good forecast charts for wind, tides, rain and real time wind and tide charts for last 12 hours.

Wind chart

Tides and temp charts

The weather forecasts are checked before each planned trip, and fair weather can be chosen, rather than fight the bad stuff.

Hartley 16 boat handling and navigation

If it gets too windy sail needs to be reduced on yachts. However, sail reduction ability on "Jakarri" was basic. The mainsail couldn't be reefed down to reduce sail area, no reef points or roller boom reefing. The jib had a great roller-furler, a highly recommended feature. If it got too windy the main had to come down and the jib could be rolled up to reduce sail area. Alternatively, all sail can come down and the motor used to reach port, especially if its upwind. The mainsail luff had a bolt rope attachment to the mast as is common with most off the beach dinghies. This means that when the mains dropped the the sails luff must detaches itself from the mast just above the boom, which allows more chance of the main blowing over the side before its tied up on the boom. Luff track sliders are preferable when off shore, they keep the mains luff always attached to the mast.

Navigation

I carried nautical charts, hand-bearing compass, dividers and parallel rulers for navigating. (and a coastal navigation book) The washboard laid on a bunk doubled as a chart table. (No affordable GPS in the 90's). Landmarks and navigation beacons were reference points to take a hand bearing and get a position on the chart. The steering compass helped stay on course or when to change tack if a wind shift was unfavorable. It was very useful at night with its 12v red light lit compass card.

For night sailing, Jakkari had  port-starboard lights and a stern light. These had 10 amp filament bulbs powered an old 12v car battery.  Sunsets were a nice time of day to still be out there so often returned to the ramp after dark.  A single 10 w cabin light and a few torches ("maglights", "Dolphin" floating torch with square 6v battery, head torch) provided night lighting. 

The anchor light was a car's dash-board bulb on the end of a double 12v wire. Used when anchored with sails stowed, the anchor light could be hooked under the boom, it gave some cockpit lighting and also a 360 degree warning to other boats.

Jakkari's cabin layout

 The cabin has 2 bunks one each side of the centerboard-case and mast support post. There is about 2 foot of floor space aft of the bunks and the bunks are only about 4" above the floor. Stowed gear goes on top of the bunks (Ice box "esky"), so it need to be pulled out in the cockpit each night to use the bunks, similar to camping out. The cabin had sitting headroom, was a good shelter from the elements and kept all the camping gear dry. 

Cock-pit lockers under the seats had sizable stowage space. Tool box, food supplies, snorkel gear, mooring ropes, water and fuel were stowed here. A storage box/locker inside the main hatch was used for nav gear, torches, first aid etc. The area under the foredeck was good for sails, lifejackets and anchor.

Deck and cockpit layout

Hartley 16s are beamy, the hull form is descended from the NZ "mullety" a commercial fishing boat in the engine-less era. This gives the cabin and cockpit considerable useful space. I found the flat aft deck to starboard ideal for a diving seat/platform, freeboard aft is reasonable, but not too high to prevent climbing back aboard from the water. A self draining well for the outboard is in the port quarter.

I didn't try it, but the TS16 should be light enough to paddle in a calm harbor. It looks like oars could be fitted but would be difficult to stow unless they're two-part type like fatty knees oars.

The shallow minimum draft (23 cm = 9") and 360 kg hull weight made the boat very easy to launch and retrieve with a small winch. Also it was easy to navigate into shallow tidal areas. The kick-up galvanized steel center plate increased depth for sailing upwind and it also acted as a type of depth sounder in shallow waters, if it touched bottom it was time to turn, and the boat certainly did spin about quickly.

Jakkari was powered by a 6 horse-power Johnson short shaft outboard which was mostly used to clear port, or to go upwind in light airs. A 3-4 horse would likely easily move it too and certainly reduce weight and cost.

There is an active TS16 association in Australia the website has TS16 specifications and other info.

There is also allot of TS16 information in Duckworks website.

The Hartley TS16

 I had the good fortune to own a Hartley TS16 in the 1990's and it is one of the great small sailboats of all time. It was one of the original plywood home built  trailer sailers designed by Richard Hartley of NZ in the 1950s. They are very popular  in Australia and NZ. The boat was light weight (400kg?) easy to launch beamy and form stable. Seaworthy enough if you knew what you were doing but it was possible to capsize and swamp (tho this never even looked like happening). She ran a 6 hp Johnston 2-stroke outboard, there were 2 bunks in a small forward cabin. The center case came up between the bunks but the wide sliding cruising hatch gave plenty of room into the broad cockpit area. The free board wasn't too high so it was possible for a fit person to re-board from the water over the transom.

The TS16 hull is very shallow with swing up center plate and rudder so beaching was easy. She could nose in to the beach, riverbank or lake edge so it was easy to get ashore. I would usually anchor out, but it wasn't too far. Knowing what the tide was doing and picking a safe stretch of sand without rocks etc, you could also dry out on a falling tide, the hull wouldn't lean over too far, i once propped it upright with a couple of bits of wood.

Proper care and maintenance is needed with a plywood boat - keep freshwater out of the bilges while stored and have adequate air ventilation. So when stored ashore, a dry cover, either a tarpaulin or shed and leave hatches and lockers open if possible.  Fiberglass TS16 were also professionally built - these can take allot more neglect but still a good idea to do the basics above.

Jakkari drying out at home, before covering with tarpaulin

Destinations visited with Jakkari were Cleveland Bay off Townsville, Magnetic Island, Palm Islands, Hinchinbrook Island, WhitSunday Islands and Lake Eungella near Mackay.

Hartley TS16 "Jakkari" at Magnetic Island, Townsville, Queensland.

Townsville and Magnetic Island

"Jakkari" was great for sailing trips out of Townsville. It made a good day-sailer - as it was light, shallow and quick and easy to launch/retrieve. (compared to my 18 ft Investigator - much heavier and deeper which is generally an overnight/weekend trip boat due to the more difficult handling at the ramp) A TS16 can be easily launched and sailed solo for those days that crew aren't around.

The TS16 was a big step up in cruising comfort from the Caper Cat 14 catamaran i previously owned, which was a spray-drenched fast beach camping cat. The drop in speed from 8-12 knots to 3-5 knots was noticeable. But the reliability with engine and huge increase in buoyancy/ storage volume made the TS16 better suited / safer for longer multi-day trips.

The other safety factor was this TS16 was fitted with a large volume hand operated bilge pump and a good steering compass. Caper Cats rely on being beached and draining from transom bungs, a simple hiking compass sufficed. Both boats shared an old style EPIRB,  which didn't need to be registered to any one boat in those simpler days. An AM/FM transistor receiver, for weather and music was aboard. No 2-way communications as standard nowadays, i'd never had it before then and it never seemed to be a problem or worry, just prepare well and mostly sailed with crew for longer trips.

Townsville was my home ramp  (Ross Creek, near Magnetic Island ferries, inside the Shipping Port) Magnetic Island is an hours sail away. The Island has many nice bays and beaches to visit.  Picnic Bay is the closest bay and beach and is generally good for day trips, weather permitting. The other east coast bays and beaches are more dependent on favorable weather, not easy when the prevailing NE - SE winds are blowing making them a bit hazardous for boating then (Alma Bay great for surf swimming though) Horseshoe Bay is a longer, all-day sail dependent on winds - a favorite cruising yacht anchorage. It takes about 2 hours to get there in a trailer sailer.  In the 1990's Arcadia and Picnic bay both had passenger ferry wharves and were yacht anchorages. (Now Arcadia is the only Island Ferry Terminal and a break wall / marina / resort development exists - no anchoring in there anymore.)

Jakarri heading toward Magnetic Island

Jakkari at Florence Bay, Magnetic Island

Jakarri circumnavigated Magnetic Island once.  The wind was up to 15  knots North Easterly, we sailed around anti-clock wise which is usually the easiest way. Early morning land breezes make it an easy downwind run to visit the tourist bays on the eastern shores.   Low rise buildings virtually disappear into the natural landscape.  The Challenge is to get around the NE cape/ Orchid rocks before a stronger NE -E  sea breeze kicks in about 10 am. Horseshoe bay provides great protection in most winds and is a popular stop over anchorage for cruisers. A sheltered  beach, beach-side hotel playing nice music, hire cats and kayaks, and eateries provide a small link to a civilized world. Crew can come or go on the local bus which goes to the ferry to Townsville at Nelly Bay. 

The next leg is an easy run downwind along the uninhabited  north coast (National Park west of Horseshoe Bay) to West Point. There are deserted fairly calm bays with nice beaches, which sit below backdrops of forested steep granite hills. In an E to SE wind the seas are slight. After rounding the western cape, Jakkari was faced with a headwind, which needed tacking-up outside the fringing reef flats against slight seas and on back to Townsville.

Townsville and Magnetic Island (from Sunmap fishing guide)

Orpheus Island trip

A 2 day  overnight trip was out to Orpheus Island in the Palm Islands group, about 40 nm north of Townsville. We launched at Dungeness, near the town of Ingham. The Island was about 2 hours from there. We accompanied a larger half-cabin power boat as part of a trip organised by a group of uni friends.  Jakkaris cabin was heavily laden, packed to the roof beams with camping equipment and supplies, plus we had 4 people aboard. She was a bit slower and more sluggish than usual but she could carry allot for a 16 footer. The sea was calm so motored past the Lucinda sugar jetty (very long, can see curvature of earth along it) and across the passage to Orpheus Island, National park camping ground in Pioneer Bay, where many tents were set up. By day we did some hiking to the seaward hill tops, plus some snorkeling on the fringing coral reef. A campfire evening barbeque and a few stories in great company.  For the return trip, one crew went with the much larger power boat, so Jakkari was within safe carrying capacity for a relaxing downwind run under sail to Dungeness harbour.

Hinchinbrook Island trip

Jakarri took 3 of us on an overnight trip to Hinchinbrook Island.  The South and east sides of the Island is exposed to the SE trades, and was mostly a rough  lee shore with beach breakers as we approached mid afternoon. However from seaward the entrance to Mulligan's creek appeared to be sheltered and relatively calm. But it was a deceptive illusion, even tho it was glassy calm 1-2 foot waves came from nowhere, (bending around the headland) they broke on the boat and quickly pushed Jakkari onto the sand bar, to be thumped mercilessly on the sand bottom by other waves. A sailboat-owners worst nightmare began to unfold, in alarm we went over the side, one crew abandoned ship and sought safety ashore. This left two of us to push her off with great effort/adrenaline into the deeper channel. This was only possible because of the dinghy-like 12" draft and light 500 kg cruising displacement, a heavier boat would've stayed there longer (until tide/calms and kedge or coast-guard tow). Being close to man-eating crocodile habitat doesn't help either.

 The TS tied up nicely in the flat calm creek on the side of a sand bar, a tent was pitched ashore. It was a surreal scene as the sun rose, a primordial forested mountain formed an unforgettable back drop similar to scenes in "Jurassic Park" with a dawn-chorus sound track. Mt Straloch towered spectacularly above the upper reaches of the creek.  We exited the creek safely at high tide during the early morning calm hours.

In retrospect it gave me a far greater respect towards sailing near lee shores, and especially river entrances on such shores and the time of day/tide to do so.  These situations are more suited to light surf cats with outboard (like the Capercat 14), sea kayaks or powered planning dinghy's ("tinnies" or inflatables). Trailer-sailers should stay clear and find more sheltered anchorages unless absolutely familiar with the local conditions.

We visited only one small spot on this huge island, plenty more to explore here.

My first sail to Hinchinbrook Island - Jakkari late 1990's

WhitSunday Islands trip

The final 3 day trip was to WhitSunday Islands. I was lucky to have a local friend as crew who knew local conditions well.  The first day was cancelled due to a strong wind warning, so we took Jakkari up through rain-forested mountains to Eungela Dam for a day trip. Nice cool air at the higher altitude.

Launching at Lake Eungella

Ashore at Lake Eungella 

(Sorry, the photo margins are not a photoshop special effect, the old photos nearly got water destroyed by a cylone) The dam was a safe place with little wind, though had to look out for the cut stumps of dead trees just below the surface near some of the shores.

Once the weather settled down again, we towed Jakkari to Shute harbor boat ramp which is closest to the WhitSunday Islands. A stiff SE wind was blowing straight into the harbor, but a small island helped shelter the ramp a bit.

There was a strong tidal current getting across to the Islands, so we motor-sailed to hull-speed, and even then we were crabbing across at 45 degrees to the course line!. (An introduction to large tidal ranges of 3-4 m, about twice that of Townsville).  The WhitSundays is a cruising yacht sailing paradise for Queensland, if not the world,  but  the big tides and sometimes strong SE trades can create challenges too. Still there are plenty of safe sheltered bays and harbors to choose from and familiarity of winds and tides could be used to advantage if timed right, rather than fought against.

We didn't get much wind but the tides were big and currents strong, some of the passes between Islands had a good tide race - our 5 knots with engine on full throttle was just enough to inch through one pass. In the WhitSundays good auxiliary motors which get you to hull speed are just about mandatory for the average yacht or novice to the area.

Motoring through an Island pass with 4 knot head current towing a surf ski tender.

We stayed overnight at two bays with beaches, cooking in the cockpit with my old Trangia 27. The first night the 2 bunk cabin was OK but the hull had allot of noisy wave slap , very hard to get some sleep. So the second night we beached on a falling tide and set a tent ashore. I stayed aboard but there was no sleep around the hours the boat touches down or re-floats though! Some lessons learnt, for me at least it's best and safest to have a "quiet" boat anchored off the beach (hence the Investigator 563) . In retrospect, The Hartley TS16 is in the category of semi-open beach cruiser - It would be better to have carried beach rollers to pull her above high tide mark and coral reef level to avoid any damage/wave action and always setup a tent ashore when beach cruising. Otherwise an enclosed calm anchorage should be sought for camping aboard (eg Nara inlet).

White Sands beach on Whitsunday Island is about the whitest beach i have ever set foot on, it's spectacular and extremely popular with tourist charter vessels.  Still there are many quiet corners around the island group. An easy light breeze Spinnaker run back to Shute harbour and favorable tide was very relaxing.

Sunset in the WhitSundays - Hartley's very shallow draft handy for going ashore. 

We just scratched the surface of this incredible cruising ground, hope there will be further adventures.