Cruising Yachts

After clearing into Hobart and reprovisioning, perhaps hire a car and travel further afield – roads are excellent and distances short.

Tasmania has plenty of events and attractions to appeal to yachties, including the biennial Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the Royal Hobart Regatta, Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and the Australian Wooden Boat Centre in Franklin, south of the capital.

The usual route between Tasmania and mainland Australia is along the sunny east coast. From Hobart, you sail first past the magnificent Tasman Peninsula. Here and beyond are protected anchorages and a spectacular coastline of towering sea cliffs, turquoise ocean and white sand.  Mid-way up the coast, on the Freycinet Peninsula, lichen encrusted rocks add tinges of red and orange to the palette.

Choose a safe picture-perfect anchorage farther north to while away a day or two until weather conditions are favourable for crossing Bass Strait. (Check with the Bureau of Meteorology’s web site.)

The alternative route around the west coast is heavily dependent on westerlies. High winds and seas often make for ‘adventurous’ conditions. However, Port Davey in the south-west is an absolute must – wild, remote and beautiful, it is a destination the likes of which you may never have the opportunity to experience again.

Bass Strait is revered by sailors throughout the world as one of the toughest stretches of water on the planet, a result of shallow depths and strong westerly winds causing high, confused, steep seas. Whichever direction you sail in, treat it with respect. For up to date marine information including Notices to Mariners refer to Marine and Safety Tasmania.