47 kts true wind speed on Moreton Bay, Brisbane

Hi all,

I thought I try and share a short video 1 minute video, taken from the flybridge this Tuesday just past. Unfortunately I cant seem to get it to load (if anyone has any bright ideas on that, pls let me know!).

We were heading south back to our home berth at Moreton Bay from further north (at Fraser Island), Brisbane with an ETA of 1.30pm. The forecast for that day was a strong SW to kick in ‘late afternoon or early evening’. So we planned on being tied up at the dock long before the weather change arrived.

HOWEVER the change kicked in at about 10.20am, just as we were passing Bribie Island.

The footage is taken on Moreton Bay, not far from our home berth. Water depth ranges from about 5m to say around 9m (it isn’t deep, you do have to keep a watch of your course). Once consequence of the shallower draft is that when the wind picks up, you can get a nasty chop with small waves with very steep faces and coming onto you in very quick succession.

At the time of this footage the wind was 40kts True Wind Speed (AWS was higher, as we were pushing into it). The wind that day topped out about 15 mins later at a whopping 47kts TWS, while we were still a distance away from the marina!!!

We passed another local TF member just near the entrance to the Brisbane river, Brian on Insequent. Am guessing Brian also got caught a bit by the early arrival of the wind.

Hamish.

Hi Hamish, yes I saw you near mud island. You were still making good speed though!

The winds were much higher than even the updated 10am was forecast. They said 20-25kn, but by 10:45 it was over 30 and strengthening. Given they were SW I just kept reasonably close to shore. All relative of course, as the bay is so shallow, I still had a lot of water to windward1

I had spray go all over the place, very unusual as my boat is normally quite dry riding. It was beam or stern quarter for me, so more comfortable than you had. I did see a 49kn gust at one point, but it was brief.

Just after I saw you I had to slow down for a fuel tanker that required a clear river, no overtaking. Just before it swung to berth I was at idle with barely enough speed for steerage! The winds were disrupting the Port operations, with even the Vessel Traffic System guys noting severe conditions for arriving and departing ships. A lot of the ship berths are quite exposed to westerly winds. But no incidents that I know of.

Hamish I think I saw you motoring past off Peregian Beach in the morning.

Yep Ralsy, that was me! Have you got a boat yet?

Hi Brian!

Hamish

Didn't you get the memo?
40's been the new 20 for quite a while now..

We saw it coming so made the preemptive move and tucked in out front of Raby Bay around 7am before it arrived.

BrisHamish said:

Hi all,

I thought I try and share a short video 1 minute video, taken from the flybridge this Tuesday just past. Unfortunately I cant seem to get it to load (if anyone has any bright ideas on that, pls let me know!).

Click to expand...

Best to upload it to YouTube and then post the link here.

No not yet. I'm currently in NZ until December and hopefully will be inspecting a 55 ft Nelson Raebel timber flybridge cruiser in Eden when I'm back if it hasn't sold. The boat is similar in style to a boat that's been in Moreton Bay for a few years called Barcarolle II.

BrisHamish and Insequent, You guys are madmen. Thanks for posting your stories. :lol:

Thanks Menzies - the vide on YouTube can be found here:

https://youtu.be/J0Gyp11gt8w

Hamish.

Looks nasty. Is that the worst you've been out in the?

I really enjoy being out on waters like that. I've always figured anyone can pilot a boat on waters when they're calm. Waters like in your video help to expand your horizons as far as your experience and your level of confidence.


Thanks for sharing your video.

I did wonder whether the bimini might come off at some point (!!), but Ralsy I had been in what I consider was worse than that (once when I went out from Newcastle the seas were 3 to 3.5m, and at that time the boat wasnt stabilised - so that was truly awful).

Moreton Bay is a pain when the wind gets up, but in some ways it is quite predictable and you can push through it.

H.

Seems to be handling it nicely with minimal fuss.

GFC said:

I really enjoy being out on waters like that. I've always figured anyone can pilot a boat on waters when they're calm.

Click to expand...

Great for us, timber boats love getting a bit of salt thrown at them

Waters like in your video help to expand your horizons as far as your experience and your level of confidence.

Click to expand...

This was us before we had any real confidence in our current vessel.
Had no idea what to expect punching into developed 30+ knots, but after 5 minutes of it I was far more relaxed.

Ralsy said:

No not yet. I'm currently in NZ until December and hopefully will be inspecting a 55 ft Nelson Raebel timber flybridge cruiser in Eden when I'm back if it hasn't sold. The boat is similar in style to a boat that's been in Moreton Bay for a few years called Barcarolle II.

Click to expand...

Didn`t Raebel design barges? If memory serves, he surveyed a sailboat for someone I know.

Thats how I felt about it Simi. The hull shape tracks nicely, and is proof that a well designed and well built hull can be good for decades.

Of course, the hull shape on our boat is an older design now and there are probably lots of faster + more efficient ones available. But we like it!

Hamish.

Ralsy said:

No not yet. I'm currently in NZ until December and hopefully will be inspecting a 55 ft Nelson Raebel timber flybridge cruiser in Eden when I'm back if it hasn't sold. The boat is similar in style to a boat that's been in Moreton Bay for a few years called Barcarolle II.

Click to expand...

Much admired

https://www.gccm.com.au/classic-cruiser-completes-tassie-crusade/

Mate Simi, if you're worried about your x trawler boat in 30+ winds then I pitty the rest of us.

Nelson Raebel died during the 2017 Logan Qld floods. The boat I'm looking at was built and designed by him.

Here's a short video I took on my first ocean trip. I was helping a guy take a boat from Seattle to Stockton, CA. Bayliner 5788 and this was the first trip he'd taken since he bought the boat.




We had planned the trip for 6-7 days but had some weather delays so it ended up being 9 days. T'was a good trip and I learned a lot about big water boating.

Hamish,

What kind of stabilisation do you have?

Ralsy said:

Mate Simi, if you're worried about your x trawler boat in 30+ winds then I pitty the rest of us.

Click to expand...

Not worried as such just had no idea what to expect having only owned fast, light performance orientated keelboats and multihulls in the 30 to 40ft size range so in that slop, wet ride and spilled drinks.

Didn't take long to see that near 70tonne has its way with it quite convincingly.

Hi Kit,

Naiad 252 with 7.5sq foot fins. Installed new in 2016.

Hamish.