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crossing st vincent gulf


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hey all, just found this site so thought I would give this question a go to see what response I get. just brought a 23ft boat and want to get into some longer distance fishing, eg West Beach (Adelaide shores) to Edithburgh. If anyone has done it what are the best wind conditions? also any spots you recommend to leave from there and reach. I want to build up to finally drive to wedge island!

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I've done St.kilda to Ardrossan with a mate and it was a bit of breeze when we left st.kilda and i said its going to pick and get rough but a guy that fishe's once a year said it will be cool,got out pass the black pole and started to hit some waves and still he wanted to go,in my eyes we were still safe we got to ardrossan and it was blowing hard from the south south west and i said we can head back and the weather would be on starboard quarter,he was sick as a dog and said drop me of at the ardrossan ramp and he would rather walk home so i rang up and had car and trailer brought to ardrossan and haven't heard from him since,pays to know the area leaving and going to,have fished edithburgh many times but has a nick name "windyburgh".

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Watch the weather all week and pick the days where it's not going to blow up more than 5-10 knots with minimal swell all day. No point heading over there in dead flat conditions on to come back at a snails pace in 20 knot winds chewing up a heap of fuel.That's another thing...make sure you take plenty !!!I would suggest teeing it up to go over with another boat for the first time to help build some confidence.Do some long range trips and get used to the boat first

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cheers guys - dropping in at Ardrosson last week and hit 30km out in approx 2-3m swell. handled it beautifully although not sure I would want to cross over in those conditions. did learn one tip on the voyage! put the plugs in the fish wells! never had live bait wells before. good suggestion on the two boats but I dont know anyone with another vessel thats keen.

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Long range weather forcasts is what you'll be watching and generally up to 15 knts is great and crossing the gulf shouldn't be problem for you, once it gets up to 25 knts it becomes a slower trip, even in a 23 footer.One of the legal requirements is to have Admiralty charts for these sorts of adventures, study them for reefs, sand bars and any low water areas and plot your journey.Then you need to know were you can anchor in protected water if the wind picks up too much for safe passage, Edithburgh, Marion Bay, behind Haysack Is, Althorpe Is, Pondalowie Bay and Wedge itself. The waters from Marion Bay past Althorpe Is can really stand up with the currents and winds. Then were you can get supplies from if needed, like Edithburgh and Marion Bay.Reliability of your cruiser and servicing is to be consideredFuel range of your boat.Log on to the coastguard with your VHF radio.These are just some basics I can think of and all things concidered, you should have a good trip and doing the short runs would be fun.What sort of 23 footer do you have. B)

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Hi mate, I've done west beach to tapleys shoal and north haven to ardrossan on a 5.5 m boat. To ardrossan was a breeze running over generally shallow water. Tapleys was another story , nice and calm over here and a shit fight once we hit the middle of the gulf and beyond. It's dangerous water so getvas much of a forecast as possible for that side of the gulf, itsvalways different to this side

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Hi 'I have crossed the Gulf many times in a 16'7" open run about from Sullies like 3 times a week ,now I run a 5.85 mtr 1/2 cab a bit more comfortable plus can sleep overnight. however always check the wheather pattern if there is a high coming over you look for isobars spaced out so there is less wind if there is any wind and the tide goes against it as well then the waves will stand up pretty well.I personally don't fish anything over 1.5 mtr tidal run as it extremely hard to keep a bait on the bottem in between tides there can be very good fishing to be had try to coinside a tide change as the sun goes down ,same in the morning with sun up .You can add 10-15 knots of wind on top of what we get in Adelaide.if you are caught out you can shelter behind Throughbridge Island where you can also pick up some nice Whiting

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We were sitting in the middle of the gulf Saturday evening when we were hit by the storm / squall that some experienced over north of Adelaide. It was seriously amazing, and scary how quickly it went from a balmy evening blowing 10-15knots with 0.5m seas, to heavy pouring rain, darkness, thunder & lightning, 30-40knot howling winds and seas easily 2.5m. No exageration it changed within 10 minutes and we had just enough time to put away the bait, rods, sort the boat out and pull the anchor up before we were having waves crash over the top of us.My boat is a reasonably modern 6.5m fiberglass with a reliable motor and have plenty of fuel on board. I've got a few years of boating under my belt and feel reasonably competent and confident in my skippering abilities. It was an easy drive out to our spot 36km in the gulf sitting on 50km/hr, and had we wanted to we could have quite easily crossed to the other side without getting a drop of water on our heads. But it was the unpredicatbility of the weather and the speed of the change that caught us out. All on board kept a level head about themselves, didn't panic (too much) and we slowly made our way back in the darkness and through the pounding seas. The first 30 minutes of the storm was the worst and the fear in the back of my mind in that 30 minutes was whether we were through the worst of it, or was the sea actually going to get bigger. I doubt a smaller boat without scuppers (wet deck) would have made it to shore without the crew doing some serious bailing. Without clears on the boat we had at times some serious amounts of water coming in.Long story, but as others have alluded in the right conditions very small boats can make it across and back no problems. It's when the weather picks up and you're out in the middle that you may second guess your choice of crossing the gulf in a smallish boat.

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I have done the crossing a couple of times and only once had it blow up which made the return trip a bit long. If I had been closer to Edithburgh I would havd headed there and stayed until it blew over but I was 1/3rd across already.I think that any wind as long as its under 15knots would be ok for you in a 23fter. Although how much boating experience would also play a huge part as well. Its not a trip for something to go wrong. In the middle of the shipping lanes, big waves and not a lot of assistance.Do a couple of runs down the coast from Nth Haven to Wirrina and Cape Jervis. See how the boat goes in handling as well as fuel use and then make a call on it. A few members from here go over so when your ready just ask if anyone is going on that date and if they would tag with you for safety.Cheers

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thanks again all,yes no doubt there are some hectic seas when the wind blows up, eg saturday night hence my email to you experts. interesting you were out saturday as it was forecast on Willy Weather and Seazbreeze to really blow up early-mid evening. Rollas - great advice. I have done Glenelg to Aldinga a few times but were only talking the other day about heading to wirrina and park there for the evening. I will post a trip in the coming weeks to see if anyone is keen to head acroos

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. interesting you were out saturday as it was forecast on Willy Weather and Seazbreeze to really blow up early-mid evening.

willy and Seabreeze? I never bother with either since they are so often wrong!! Windfinder and most importantly BOM are the ones I use, and on saturday /sun, waters where to be less than .5m and less than .5m swell. We even thought it was ironic that upon our return to Westbeach the sign said SE, 5-10 knots!!My point is tho, yes, read all the forecasts, but most off all be aware that you will be 40kms away from land in the middle and if something happens you may have to call upon you and your boats abilities. If your not sure about any 3 off the above points, dont do it.On another note, on saturday night, once back on dry land we asked the respective wives what the storm was like. Mine said she didnt hear it (CBD), the skippers wife experienced a mini tornado (hills) and my others mates wife (north) got a a fair battering aswell. 3 diffrent suburbs, less than 50kms away from each other, 3 diffrent scenrarios!! Even my mates where on the espy at a pub, they said the foreshore didnt cop much at all!!But us 40kms away in the middle had 3m waves to ride into!!
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Hey Alewas out with some pro's last week and each to their own but they all use willy weather these days...Im sure everyone has their own opinion and no doubt its not always correct matey.I was 6km out on a mates tinny saturday night when the storm rolled in so I know it would have been hectic out in the middle as it was hard enough to get back to west beach in a 2m floating cork in those conditions. did you get some good fish though?

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We used to do the crossing fairly often in the old 18' cat once on the way back in huge un-forecast blown up swells on only a single motor as one refused to start, not exactly ideal conditions in pitch black darkness. Have done edithburgh to wedge on occasion in the new bigger cat and it is a rather long trek, made even long if you didnt pick your days correctly

These two blokes had to be winched to safety by a chopper last Thursday at Wedgehttp://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/boat-strikes-rocks-helicopter-to-winch-men-to-safety/story-e6frea73-1226254117695

I was over that way thursday, the sea's out there would have been terrible
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The forecast on Willy mustnt have been to bad if you still went out 6kms in a small tinny!!But thats cool man, saturday night proved that NON of them are ALWAYS right!!!! and I will endeaver to check all the sites next time we attempt a trip across. Live and learn I say.just glad we where in the big boat and not in Rowbak!!!In regards to the fishing, we didnt get much of a chance, but things where looking real good just before it blew up..... Im having a shocker of a summer fish wise :blush:

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I checked BOM for thunderstorm warnings on Saturday before we headed out locally because it was northeasterly and there were warnings further north but nothing for here. Does anyone remember the squall a few weeks back? One of the gusts recorded at the black pole was 54kts!! What would you do if you were caught in that?Dan

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We were sitting in the middle of the gulf Saturday evening when we were hit by the storm / squall that some experienced over north of Adelaide. It was seriously amazing' date=' and scary how quickly it went from a balmy evening blowing 10-15knots with 0.5m seas, to heavy pouring rain, darkness, thunder & lightning, 30-40knot howling winds and seas easily 2.5m. No exageration it changed within 10 minutes and we had just enough time to put away the bait, rods, sort the boat out and pull the anchor up before we were having waves crash over the top of us.My boat is a reasonably modern 6.5m fiberglass with a reliable motor and have plenty of fuel on board. I've got a few years of boating under my belt and feel reasonably competent and confident in my skippering abilities. It was an easy drive out to our spot 36km in the gulf sitting on 50km/hr, and had we wanted to we could have quite easily crossed to the other side without getting a drop of water on our heads. But it was the unpredicatbility of the weather and the speed of the change that caught us out. All on board kept a level head about themselves, didn't panic (too much) and we slowly made our way back in the darkness and through the pounding seas. The first 30 minutes of the storm was the worst and the fear in the back of my mind in that 30 minutes was whether we were through the worst of it, or was the sea actually going to get bigger. I doubt a smaller boat without scuppers (wet deck) would have made it to shore without the crew doing some serious bailing. Without clears on the boat we had at times some serious amounts of water coming in.Long story, but as others have alluded in the right conditions very small boats can make it across and back no problems. It's when the weather picks up and you're out in the middle that you may second guess your choice of crossing the gulf in a smallish boat.[/quote']Mate, I heard from ALE the next morning and the first thing I said was lucky you guys had a good level headed skipper :clap: and the scuppers ;)When I saw the radar that night, I figured some dudes in the gulf might get caught. The story from a sober ALE was ridiculously similar to my own experience (but in Spencers) one night. Funnily enough, we were done the same way with the storm moving from east to west!!!! See, I look at Willy and cbreeze but that's second hand info, BOM and their synoptic predictions are the closest you will get. And I missed the.east West squalls that night. That's the thing, your usual black on the horizon when the nine to five west to east patterns are going on, you can leg it back home (unless you launch at ards haha).Only if you've been in it do ya know.that sinking feeling when the peninsula you came from disappears! And I know what you mean when it's not good and.you think 'holy shit, what if this isn't all its got?!?' Mighty fine effort rotare. And a story/lesson everyone should take in. I for one enjoy the confines of the creeks and estuaries more and more these days :P Take it easy ladsJACk
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Mate, I heard from ALE the next morning and the first thing I said was lucky you guys had a good level headed skipper and the scuppers

Did he also tell you he was nearly launched over the front of the windscreen? :lol: We came off the top of a roller and in the corner of my eye I just remember seeing Ale's feet eye level, then I turned around to see him laying on the floor in the back of the boat....strange place to hang out in the middle of a storm I thought :P . He reckons he lost his footing but I reckon it may have had more to do with the copious amount of alcholic beverages consumed prior to the storm :whistle:

Only if you've been in it do ya know.that sinking feeling when the peninsula you came from disappears! And I know what you mean when it's not good and.you think 'holy shit, what if this isn't all its got?!?'

Yep, you've got it in one :clap:. When the lights of Adelaide disappear behind the rain and waves, and the sun is setting behind you, you get that eerie reminder that home and dry land is a long way away....
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Classic conversation lads!! One thing for sure though, you boys are making me more nervous about the crossing the longer this chat goes for!In all serious though, I really appreciate the advice and tips! In regards to tinny, put that down to stupidity. When my mates wife rang from stirling to tell us how bad it was up there and we saw he black cloud rolling over the hills towards us we couldn't pull up anchor fast enough! I used to use BOM as main source so lesson from all involved here is I better start checking it more often.

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i have never been out in the middle.eazyeasty saying your nervous is a good thing so you dont just decide to head out 1 night and get caught out.. i would be nervous untill i had a few trips under my belt and made damn sure i knew how the boat handled in rough weather before doing it tho!ale and rotare glad to hear you guys made it back onto dry land eventually but safe is the main thing!just my opinions

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  • 5 years later...

Aye guys just wandering if someone can help me

I have fishing kayak. I want to do a big trip from stansbury to port Wakefield then on to outer harbour how many nautical miles. How many miles as I am going to do this for kid with diabetes hope you can help

Just google it

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For a beginner crossing, Adelaide to Port Vincent is a good one. A mate does it quite a bit when its nice and glassy. You can get a casual berth at the Port Vincent Marina - go over there and spend the night, have a few beers at the pub, go back sleep on the boat and plus you can use their toilet / shower block at the marina. I reckon its like $30-40 for the night.

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