Bali To Oz

[Manureva]

Having sailed from Phuket and Singapore and been 'moored up' in Bali for over 12 months, the time has come for us to begin the voyage to Australia - Bali /Timor /Darwin or Port Moresby/Cairns /Brisbane /Sydney. All the advice we can find is , basically, not to do it. All weather patterns are against the west to east route from Indonesia across the top end of Oz and on down the East coast. However, I'm sure it has been done. Any general advice from those who have made the trip in amy season?

[MMNETSEA]

Will see what we can do. True the wind will be on the nose. However, there are some options.

First need to have a little more information :-

When do you want to leave Bali?

Is plan A's final destination - Sydney?

When do you want to get there?

What range does your boat have on diesel?

How many on board?

Do you know The Historical Yacht VEGA ? is it still in Bali ?

Richard

[idlerboat]

Hi Richard,

I am of no help with your journey "across the top", but if you are planning on leaving soon, It would be reasonable to sugest if you made a fast journey to the north coast of QLD, tht you would arrive in the midle of the cruising season. To that end I would only be concerened with getting there not the rest of the east coast of Oz..

cheers

Martin

oops didnt mean to quote Richard...I need to study this sites buttons a bit more sorry..

[Manureva]

Hello Richard. Thanks for the reply. The Manureva is a 53' full keel teak traditional ketch built in Hong Kong in 1970. Carries 1150 litres of diesel which gives the perkins 120hp a range of about 500 miles.Our crew will normally be 4 or 5 with some comings and goings along the way. We want to leave around mid July. Our final destination is Melbourne where we want to be by late October for the opening of the Couta Boat season.(http://www.couta.net/) However, I digress.

Have thought about the west coast option by not keen on the great Ozzie Bite bit along the bottom. And North Queensland and the Whitsundays is a strong attraction.Any advice would be appreciated.

Peter

P.S. I don't know of the VEGA. We are moored off the yacht club at Serangan Island - She isn't there but might be at Benoa around the corner at the Marina.We are at home in Melbourne at the moment returning to Bali in a few weeks to prepare for the on going adventure. I will inquire then and let you know about VEGA

[MMNETSEA]

Hello Peter,

Looking at the options in stages maybe the way to go.

1st. Melbourne in mid July is winter - therefore do not want to get there too quickly.

2nd. Need to arrive late October.

3rd. With the above in mind - around a 90 day passage from Bali

4th. The shortest distance is around 2400nm as the Kookaburra flies.

5th . The next shortest is via Perth around 3200nm - wind on the beam for the first part, then once having rounded the South West corner of Australia, the wind will be behind for the rest of the way to the Tasman Strait - which could be lumpy.

The another Option is to leave Bali and sail on a beam reach between Borneo and Suluwesi until reaching the North West corner of Suluwesi - then motor-sail along the Northern coast of Papua New Guinea, then South East as far out as the Louisiade islands ( or even further) before turning South West for Queensland.

The Option to sail east from Bali through the Java Sea to the Torre Strait is the least desirable,

The easterlies will require tacking the whole way to save the engine and its diesel. Others have made passage by using the offshore winds of the Northern coastline of the Java Sea - this is a slow but interesting passage.

Come back nearer the time and we should have wind forecasts that will make decisions easier.

Richard

[AliceDarling]

Originally Posted by plp0849

Having sailed from Phuket and Singapore and been 'moored up' in Bali for over 12 months, the time has come for us to begin the voyage to Australia - Bali /Timor /Darwin or Port Moresby/Cairns /Brisbane /Sydney. All the advice we can find is , basically, not to do it. All weather patterns are against the west to east route from Indonesia across the top end of Oz and on down the East coast. However, I'm sure it has been done. Any general advice from those who have made the trip in amy season?

Hello there,

Am interested to know if your Manureva is the same one I spent 9 mths sailing in the Sth Pacific back in the early 1990s? Is she an Alan Buchanan ketch built in HomgKong in 1961?

If so, would love to see a picture of her in her present state. My email address is alicedarling@hotmail.com. i certainly have many stories I could tell you in return.

Best

Alice