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Trailer sailers

By shovelopikis , December 29, 2015 in MarineTalk

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Shovelopikis 0.

Hi, I've been looking at yachts for years and think I'll get a trailer sailer soon, never sailed, keen to learn....are they a good starting point?

In the long run I would want one for cruising good overnight trips once at a confident level.

If I was to get one, what are some important things to look out for in a trailer sailer?

And what is a decent price range? I was looking at $5000-$10000

Also is there a tradeoff in size? I would want one big enough to sleep us for a night or two but are trailer sailers pushing it when it comes to a crusing size ?

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Yes many people had a TS as a first boat. We had a Tasman 20 when I was a kid, but both Dad and I new how to sail before we got it. If you've never sailed before I'd suggest you get some lessons before buying any boat.

That aside; the best boat to buy is one that has been in use and kept maintained, you will pay more for such a boat but it will be cheaper in the long run. Avoid orphan designs, 'projects' and boats that have been parked up unused or left on a mooring for years. Trailers and sails can cost a lot of money to replace, which you will be unlikely to get back on resale.

As an example only:  http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/trailersailer/auction-1006838822.htm

Assuming it is as described; good sails, alloy trailer that's been kept reg and WOFed, new squabs, lots of extras, proven design from one of NZs best designers and builders etc. etc. If the outboard is good that's a plus but they can be replaced fairly cheaply. IMO you are better to pay 10k for a boat you can use straight away rather than a cheaper one that needs work or big $$ spent before you can sail it. 

Whether a 20 footer is big enough is really up to you, how many people you expect to take, and what your comfort expectations are. 

Does the size limit you to certain distances? Eg an 18 vs a 22 would the larger be more sea worthy? Like an excursion offshore to say gbi or mercury islands etc or does size not matter as much as build model/design?

 Ask Andrew Fagan about that one, I think Swirly World is only 17ft?? It comes down to basically the sailor and then the boat.

From my personal experience we started off as young kids in the p class etc. I then had a break for a few years and started up again in my late 20's with sailing a sunburst and moved on from there. 

Anyway to cut a long and rather boring story short I went with a 20 Jim young and sailed it everywhere for a few years until I decided I would like more comfort. While I was still in the trailer sailer mode I got a farr 7five00 ( sorry five key has stopped working) and towed that all around the country for five years. Then as it was a wanted model and easy to sell I sold it and went to a farr 40. That had to be sold after a divorce and now I have a 32ft liveaboard ferro hartley that owns me nothing.

So for my 2 cents worth I would recommend something around the 20ft range that is a known design with easy resale. If the bug bites then you can move it on quickly and buy something else that suits where you are heading. If you are happy with it then you have a good boat.

Distance out to GBI etc really depends on the sailor and knowing the limits of you and the boat. I happily sailed my 20ft across cook strait many times, it was a very wet boat and loved to get up and plane in 20 knots of breeze, never felt unsafe and only wiped out once when hit with 40 knot gust that I wasn't expecting.

Some people head down the path of going bigger as time passes by and they do more sailing and further away. And then some like me find us heading back in the other direction and back to a smaller design but just as seaworthy but easier and cheaper to run

Join or volunteer at a local kids sailing club or with Sailability NZ and you will learn to sail. Always good to get the basic's on board, when I started back into sailing I did a year with the local yacht club in Picton and sailed sunbursts every week. Go and talk to people who have the same boat designs that you are interested in. People love talking about their boats and you will soon enough learn the bad points and maybe get out on a few.

Thanks for that, great info! When you mention wiped out...how/why did that happen and how did you rectify it....I thought it was hard to capsize a yacht...well keelers at least.

I had 2 trailer sailors before I brought my current keeler. 

I started with a Kestrel 18 but very quickly grew out of that. I learnt a lot in her but they are not very stable and quite small inside and I wanted something that I could cross cook strait in and cruise the sounds so I brought a 25 ft trailer sailer, which was much more seaworthy and comfortable. But when getting up to this size TS I had to buy a bigger towing vehicle. But I did cross Cook Strait several times in that TS, sailing as far as Abel Tasman park.

In general terms bigger does mean more seaworthy and faster more comfortable sailing, but there is much to it than size, Different designs have different strengths and weaknesses. Light and fast verses heavy and seaworthy.

Remember the trailer is about half of the value of a TS,so don't neglect to inspect the trailer. When looking I came across a TS that was on a steel trailer that had been bogged with builders bog and painted over.

No one can answer the question of what boat to get, It is all up to what you want, some people happily cruise in incredibly small yachts and never get anything larger.

Ummmm.... google chinese gybe.......

I have crewed on a sixty five foot yacht and that happened to us....

In my yacht we had 800l water ballast. Had it set up so we could drain the water when running downhill, so we had on this day. 30 knots behind us, keel half up, about 100l water left on board, hitting sixteen knots while surfing down waves, wind gust from 90 degrees, all over........ lol. Mast in the water, my crew mate overboard and one rather pissed off dog who was asleep in the cabin.

So not really the sort of situation you would put yourself in as a novice or not well aware of what you or you yacht can do.

How did I rectify it?? Gave the dog a pat and told her it was ok and gave her a biscuit, problem solved!! Just got things back together and did it all over again although did put one reef in the main.

But that was an example of knowing what the boat could do and pushing it all the time till you know it inside out and running on the edge of your ability. 

Had I been sensible or had the wife on board we would of had three reefs in the main and sailing under that only doing about six knots and having a pleasant sail, even if a bit wet.

Wouldn't sail like that now but my yacht isn't designed to do that. If it ever started surfing down waves I would be pack my underpants with brown smelly stuff.

I personally think a 20ft fiberglass boat designed for cruising is the way to go, lots of choices so get out and start looking and learning to sail.

madyottie 82

Agree with most of what has been written above.

In my humble opinion, it's hard to go past the Merlin 6.1 as a 20 foot trailer yacht. Reasonable speed, good stability, and quite roomy for their size. Also the Coronet 20, although they are quite a bit heavier.

On similar threads, people have referred to the NZTYA ratings numbers as gospel. They aren't. While the SRI shows ultimate righting ability from a knockdown, it doesn't really factor in the likes of hull form stability. Or at least it didn't, they may have changed the formula by now. The NZTYA rating, like any performance based system, shows that the boats with the biggest fleets and/or best sailors go faster, but this is often just because they are being sailed better.

An example of that is the Davidson M20. They look a bit tug-boat-esque, and are usually just cruised, joining in the occasional race where they finish near the back. There was one racing in Whangarei a few years back, and when the good guys got on it, they took line honours amongst the mixed 20 footers, beating the merlins, coronets, caribous, and tasmans.

I just saw this on Trademe, used to belong to a friend of mine, was well sorted out back then. Could be worth a look.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/trailersailer/auction-994624209.htm

I would suggest you check out the NZ Trailer yacht site ( http://www.nztya.nz/trailer-yachts.html ) and read through the reviews. They are dated but contain good background info. Where are you based as that can have an influence. Also check out the near by yacht clubs that have fleets.

There are a few designs that have stood the test of time well.... With no preference ones like Farr 6000 or 7500, the Noelex's, Bonito 22, Merlin, Sabre 20 an 22, Tasman 20, Gazelle, Whiting 22, D20 etc.

As others have commented a looked after one is best.

I think there are some real advantages of choosing a trailer sailor as a cruising yacht rather then a keel boat.

The obvious; neither mooring fees nor anti-fouling (ok you might have trailer park costs but they’re significantly cheaper).

An outboard motor; so much simpler. You can take the motor to the repair shop. And an inboard motor adds so very many extra systems, (water, exhaust, fuel, electricity etc), through hulls etc. For that matter you can take the entire boat and trailer for maintenance/repair, even if it's only to your own home. 

If you want to take your boat for a sail around say Lake Taupo, it’s very simple. Don’t know where you’re based but 2 or 3 posts above have mentioned they’ve sailed Cook Strait. But you could also take the boat on the Ferry, that’s a big advantage. Just this week I know of several boats that have had to be left at Picton/Waikawa because their owners had to get back to Welly for work last Monday. That can quickly become expensive, obviously mooring fees, but also now there will be added cost of getting self and crew back down to Picton to bring the boat back in a suitable weather window.

Actually on this I remember once being at D’Urville and boat developed a prop shaft problem. We decided safest to sail to Nelson, (rather than back to Wellington), where the boat could be repaired. But due to weather, and commitments etc it was six weeks before we could get back down to Nelson and sail her home. The mooring fees were pretty horrible, and of course it’s not like your home marina stops charging because the boat isn’t parked in her spot.

And of course in choosing your cruising destination you can drive there. You want to go and sail Fiordland or Bay of Islands or wherever, it’s easy. Whereas with a keel boat, whilst the sailing to/from the destination maybe lots of fun, (and I’m not knocking that), who has the time? Most of us have work responsibilities. I would so enjoy sailing my boat round the Coromandel, trouble is that it's the best part of weeks trip just to get there and a week to get home again (assuming the weather is playing ball). And as above, if something goes amiss much more difficult and expensive to correct away from your home base.

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Tasman 20 II

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TASMAN is a 26.21 m Motor Yacht, built in New Zealand by Carey and delivered in 2007.

Her top speed is 14.0 kn and she boasts a maximum range of 1800.0 nm when navigating at cruising speed, with power coming from two Yanmar diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 staterooms, with 3 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a gross tonnage of 87.0 GT and a 6.1 m beam.

She was designed by Mcbride Design , who also completed the naval architecture. Mcbride Design has designed 2 yachts and created the naval architecture for 2 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.

TASMAN is one of 5740 motor yachts in the 24-30m size range.

TASMAN is currently sailing under the New Zealand flag (along with a total of other 20 yachts). She is currently located at the superyacht marina Marina Port de Mallorca, in Spain, where she has been located for 5 months. For more information regarding TASMAN's movements, find out more about BOAT Pro AIS .

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• Name: TASMAN
• Yacht Type: Motor Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Expedition Yacht , Semi-displacement
• Builder: Carey
• Naval Architect: Mcbride Design
• Exterior Designer: Mcbride Design

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most seaworthy trailer sailboat?

Discussion in ' Sailboats ' started by mr curious , Oct 15, 2008 .

mr curious gunkholer supreme

well? is there such a thing? :?: cheers  

PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

Flica on the small end of the scale, with several at the large end (30'). No, there isn't any such thing, just some that are better then others and personal preferences.  

alan white Senior Member

How about a St Pierre dory? 27 feet and very trailerable. Some say that there is no record of lives lost due to any design fault. It's probably an exaggeration, but such dories and smaller ones have gone transatlantic over 100 years ago. From all I've heard, the high ends and angled sides contribute to a boat that refuses to be tripped by waves. A reasonably well ballasted banks type dory could probably go anywhere, especially if the cockpit is self-baling and the cabin is low. The downside is that dories with slab sides make slow sailers. I've often wondered if an additional chine or two (like Swampscott dories) would improve the sailing qualities while maintaining the survivability of the original type.  

fcfc Senior Member

Perhaps look at minitransat style boats : http://www.pogostructures.com/?m=2&s=1&l= They are the smallest offshore racing boats. They can go in any direction in a 40 knot wind 13 ft waves, including upwind with an acceptable speed. Thats about the upper limit, though. Above that, weakest crew/boats begin to have problems. They also regulary cross Atlantic. Being the cheapest offshore boat, they are numerous enough to make reasonable statistics. Trailerability is possible, but borderline. 22 ft lengh and 2000 lbs displacement do it. 10 ft beam is more complex. Either use an overwidth permit, or use a special slanted trailer, to make the whole width within 8'2". Draft is another issue 5'5". Some have removable keel, something between liftable keel and fixed keel. Definitely not able to use ramps. NB to go upwind in 40 kt wind, you need significant draft and significant ballast well down.  

Petros Senior Member

I do not exactly know what you mean by "most seaworthy" but these guys make a high performance folding trimarans up to 44 ft long that can be trailered. They look like hot designs: http://www.f-boat.com/pages/trimarans/index.html And this outfit makes a large trailerable catamaran 36 ft long x 24 ft beam, that folds to 8' 6" wide: http://www.cat2fold.com/  

Hansen Aerosprt Junior Member

Ocean Voyager 26 - Great little full keel double-ender and a true cruiser. Shallow draft and easily trailerable. Check it out here or do an internet search. << http://www.sailingtexas.com/svoyager26a.html >>  

schakel environmental project Msc

beautiful Hansen Aerosprt said: ↑ Ocean Voyager 26 - Great little full keel double-ender and a true cruiser. Shallow draft and easily trailerable. Check it out here or do an internet search. << http://www.sailingtexas.com/svoyager26a.html >> Click to expand...

K4s Junior Member

Allan Wright designed the TASMAN 20 for a bloke who wanted a 20 foot trailer boat he could sail from NZ to Fiji safely(relative I guess). Hundreds of them sailing around NZ and quite a few for sale on Trade me down this way.  

blackdaisies Senior Member

http://www.selway-fisher.com/PCup16.htm http://www.selway-fisher.com/PC1620.htm These look like some nice affordable build it yourself boats. You can always get someone to build it for you or buy one used. Good luck.  

Steam Flyer Junior Member

mr curious said: ↑ well? is there such a thing? :?: cheers Click to expand...

zambant New Member

Take your pick But you could do a lot worse than a Jaguar 22 .... the old ones were built like tanks, sailed well, trailerable, displacement about 1200kg and can be picked up for relatively little money.. My 10p worth John  

bistros Previous Member

alan white said: ↑ How about a St Pierre dory? 27 feet and very trailerable. Some say that there is no record of lives lost due to any design fault. It's probably an exaggeration, but such dories and smaller ones have gone transatlantic over 100 years ago. From all I've heard, the high ends and angled sides contribute to a boat that refuses to be tripped by waves. Click to expand...

thanks for the feedback guys, very interesting.  

mattotoole Senior Member

Some other boats like the ones mentioned: Nor'sea 27 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 and Dana 24 Folkboat and Contessa 26 Cape Dories less than 28' Chuck Paine's Frances But while these have trailerable dimensions (length by width by height), they're all pretty heavy, and would need a monster truck to pull them. They're not really ramp-launchable either. For a more normal tow vehicle and ramp, you might check out the S2 7.9, a Great Lakes favorite. In the same vein, but bigger, the new Andrews 28 looks great.  

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Chickadee Junior Member

what is your program ? 26's Contessa and Ocean Voyager are really big looking like the real - but tiny - classic cruiser ! On the other side, the Pogo is a big boat too, maybe be more seaworthy - do you discuss it ? - and it goes so well! but it's not trailerable, you'd need to ask for a special permit as even with a special slanted trailer it would be more than 2,5 meters I believe. or unmount, then remount the keel, 430 kg ?! Older minitransat have circumnavigated and are trailerable, with big cars only Muscadet Serpentaire So a true trailerable sailboat is a day cruising, lighter boat, no need for a lifting crane. Plenty of nice, day cruising, old looking boats in the previous posts ! Or look at the Microcup for somethin more modern and performant. Cute isn't it ? Or multihulls, people have crossed the atlantic on hobby-cat...  

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if this odd boat forsale near me is seaworthy

seaworthy, bigger i-550... suggestions?

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TASMAN yacht NOT for charter*

26.2m  /  85'11 | custom | 2007.

Owner & Guests

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Special Features:

• 1,800nm range
• Sleeps 9 overnight

The 26.2m/85'11" expedition yacht 'Tasman' was built by Custom .

Guest Accommodation

Tasman has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 9 guests in 4 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 3 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Range & Performance

Tasman is built with a wood/grp hull and wood superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by twin diesel Yanmar (6HAM-DTE3) 330hp engines, she comfortably cruises at 10 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 14 knots with a range of up to 1,800 nautical miles from her 8,998 litre fuel tanks at 10 knots. Her water tanks store around 4,399 Litres of fresh water.

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• Sailboat Guide

Tasman 26 is a 25 ′ 11 ″ / 7.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Joe Adams and built by Tasman Yachts (AUSTRALIA) starting in 1980.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

IOR design (1/4 ton) from Adams who really didn’t think so highly of the IOR.

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The Abel Tasman

The Abel Tasman is a tough yacht, and truly one of a kind. Finished in 1981 she is the last ship ever built by Phoenix BV Westerbroek, a self-taught Dutch boatbuilder, Siep Van Houten, operating out of his backyard. With his perfected steel-craftsmanship and uncompromising attitude to quality, he managed to combine strength with design, without sacrificing the yacht's strong sailing performance. Even in lighter winds one can sense that Sieps's inspiration for the Abel Tasman was the famous Americas Cup-winning schooner “America One”. The Abel Tasman now has an impressive history of visits to the world's most remote places. With several North-West passage transits, Antarctic voyages, and two winters in the Greenland ice, she has proven herself worthy in every condition.

The Abel Tasman is 75 ft long and comfortably accommodates 9 people in 4 bunkbed cabins + 1 extra bed. Down below she is cozy and a great place to spend any downtime. She is an expedition yacht and not a luxury cruiser, with many amenities being simple but resilient. Onboard there are 2 toilets, 1 shower, a kitchen with a gas stove, and a large common area.

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Sailing Tasmania: Bucket list cruising across the Bass Strait

• October 9, 2019

Cruising in the ‘roaring forties’ proves rewarding for Janneke Kuysters as she braves the Bass Strait to explore Tasmania

Photo: Alamy / Alistair Scott

“No pizza today.” When this announcement is made at Port Cygnet Sailing Club, all conversations among members in the clubhouse stop. “The pizza guy says it’s too hot. He won’t bake today,” is the explanation. Too hot in the Roaring Forties? It’s true; it has been a delight to sail here with warm temperatures, clear skies, light breezes and moderate waves.

The sailing club members recover from the disappointment of missing their pizza by delving into more cheese and crackers with gusto. The local Shiraz flows, as does the conversation about sailing, racing, crews and skippers: this is cruising in Tasmania at its best.

Tasmania is one of those bucket-list cruising destinations . On the other side of the world and across the daunting Bass Strait, it takes a lot of effort to get there. But the rewards are plentiful: stunning landscapes; very diverse cruising areas; superb food and a friendly welcome.

Bathurst Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast

The cruising areas can roughly be divided into three: the north of Tasmania and the islands scattered in the Bass Strait, the east coast, and the west coast. The numerous islands to the north of Tasmania, such as the Furneaux Group, Hunter Islands and King Island, offer excellent opportunities to break the crossing of the Bass Strait into daysails, with a wide range of anchorages available to find shelter from the occasionally strong winds.

The islands are little treasures where everything revolves around really good food; many are the base for specialised fleets of fishing boats and the cattle on the windswept pastures produce milk for an abundance of cheeses and other dairy products.

The north coast of Tasmania has a few towns, Launceston being the largest one. This second largest town of Tasmania lies on the banks of the river Tamar and has an active sailing community.

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Sharon Bon, who cruises with her husband Jason from Launceston on their Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 Aurora , comments: “The Tamar river is a perfect place to potter around in a boat. Launceston is 30 miles inland, so you can take your time exploring the river and using anchorages, jetties and sailing club facilities as you go south. Beware of the strong current though.

“We also find Launceston a good base for cruising the north coast of Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands. The north of Tasmania is known for the excellent wineries, which are worth a visit.”

The most popular cruising ground is on the east coast of Tasmania, where there is shelter from the rough westerly winds and the large swell of the Southern Ocean . Steep cliffs rise out of the icy cold water on the north east coast, and large granite boulders are covered in orange lichen.

Photo: Alamy / Shane Pedersen

The weather can be unpredictable here and the distances between safe anchorages are slightly longer, but shelter can be found at iconic anchorages like Wineglass Bay and Chinaman’s Bay on Maria Island.

Passing the pipes

In the middle of the east coast the Tasman Peninsula juts out into the Tasman Sea. The rugged coast has some interesting dolerite rock formations: the ones at Cape Raoul famously resemble organ pipes and feature in many photographs from the Sydney to Hobart Race . The peninsula is also home to Port Arthur Historic Site, the world-renowned ruins of a penal settlement.

Once around the peninsula, Storm Bay opens with many more options for anchoring. As soon as we drop the hook in Nubeena we meet Australian Margaret Beasly, who has sailed around the world with her husband Chris Wilkie for many years in their Alan Payne 40 Skookum Storm Bay of Hobart . She told us: “We finally came back to Tasmania and enjoy every minute we get to go out and sail here.”

Spectacular ‘organ pipe’ rock formations at Cape Raoul near Port Arthur. Photo: Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Hobart appeal

A pleasant south-easterly slowly pushes us up the river Derwent, the infamous closing stage of the Sydney Hobart. You can almost feel the agony of the racing yacht crews in their final miles to the finish line. The mouth of the Derwent can be the place where races are won or lost: Mount Wellington looms in the distance and its bulk changes the direction and strength of the wind in the final minutes.

For us, the warm embrace of the marina of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania beckons, and we have the luxury of being able to start the engine when the wind drops. In Sandy Bay, the RYCT and the Derwent Sailing Squadron have large marinas where visitors are welcome (a 20 minute walk into Hobart). In the city centre, Constitution Dock offers berthing too.

Hobart is one of those towns where you can easily stay longer than you intended: the foodie scene dishing out Tasmania’s best foods and drinks, the museums and well-preserved heritage buildings, the laid-back atmosphere and all the facilities a yachtsman could want are here. But there is more to be experienced elsewhere, so after two weeks of indulging, we slip our docklines and head south to Bruny Island.

The lighthouse on Bruny Island. Photo: Piter Lenk/Alamy

The first thing you see when you sail closer to Bruny Island are the nets over the orchards. Fresh fruit is abundant, but birds are too, so the crop is protected. Meanwhile, out to sea, large Norwegian-flagged ships work the fish farms.

Bruny Island shields the south-east coast of Tasmania from strong easterly winds and swell. The D’Entrecasteaux Channel is a sailor’s playground in itself: many small bays offer anchorages, often with a small village nearby.

We happily pottered around here for a week in a steady rhythm of sailing, enjoying the delicious food and meeting very hospitable Tasmanians. Yacht clubs like the Port Cygnet Sailing Club often have an active social programme to which visitors are welcomed.

Salamanca Markets in Tasmania’s capital, Hobart. Photo: Kerin Forstmanis/Alamy

The southernmost anchorage is Recherche Bay, which offers shelter from all but easterly winds. And that is exactly why yachts anchor there: as soon as the wind veers to the east, it’s time to go west. In a long day, you can sail around the south of Tasmania; a milestone in itself. The scenery is eerie, even under blue skies and bright sunshine, and the large south-westerly swell is impressive.

Once round Southwest Cape, Port Davey is our next destination. Port Davey was once the place where whalers sought refuge in bad weather; on shore they’d meet loggers of the majestic Huon pine. Now there is a lone fisherman tending to his lobster pots.

On the eastern side of Port Davey a small strip of islands, aptly named Breaksea Islands, covers the entrance to Bathurst Channel, which leads to Bathurst Harbour. Bathurst is a true gem, which can only be visited by yacht or small airplane (in Melaleuca there is a small airstrip and some huts for the park rangers). VHF coverage is limited, internet nonexistent; it’s a perfect place to unwind.

Tasmania’s Bathurst Harbour is protected by the aptly named Breaksea Islands. Photo: Viktor Posnov/Alamy

Further north on the west coast there is a similar, though slightly more populated, inlet of Macquarie Harbour. No nice islands here to shield the entrance from the swell: it is called Hell’s Gate for a reason. Once through the challenging tidal currents at the harbour mouth, the large estuary offers enough places to explore for a month, especially near the confluence of the Gordon and Franklin rivers.

Macquarie is typical of Tasmania – the island offers such a diversity of cruising options at relatively close distances, that many visitors come back again and again. But it is not only the beauty of the landscape that leaves a lasting impression: the genuine hospitality of the Tasmanians who love to share their amazing home will stay with you for a long time.

A chequered history

Dutch navigator Abel Tasman was the first to sight Tasmania on 24 November, 1642. He called it Van Diemen’s Land, after the Governor of the Dutch East Indies. He named an island on the east coast Maria Island, after the wife of the Governor.

Chinaman’s Bay on Maria Island

The Dutch thought that Australia wouldn’t yield any value for the Dutch East India Company, so they didn’t colonise any further. In 1700 Captain Cook arrived and started exploring the east coast of Australia, before a fleet of 11 British ships arrived in Sydney Harbour 18 years later.

In 1798 George Bass and Matthew Flinders circumnavigated Tasmania and established that is was an island. The race was on to colonise it, and the British won by settling in what is now Hobart in 1803.

From 1788 the British began shipping convicts to Australia. They were set to work alongside the settlers until their sentence was over. Returning home was almost impossible, so most of them settled in their new country and helped populate the new colony.

One of the locals… a Tasmanian Devil. Photo: David Kleyn/Alamy

A second penal settlement was established in Tasmania, where Governor McArthur ruled with an iron fist. Conditions were grim, especially for reoffenders, and many died of exhaustion. Several prison ruins can still be found in Tasmania, as part of the Unesco World Heritage Site programme – Port Arthur is a particularly recommended site to visit.

Van Diemen’s Land had become synonymous with hardship, so in 1856 the name of the island was changed to Tasmania in an attempt to change the image and make it more attractive to settlers.

Tasmania had been inhabited for thousands of years by several Aboriginal tribes before the Europeans arrived. They coexisted with the colonists peacefully at first, but when the settlers took more land for farming, the Aboriginal Tasmanians fought back. The Aboriginal population was decimated by disease and gunfire, until the last remaining Aboriginal people were sent to a settlement on Flinders Island, where they withered away.

Tasmania essentials

To make good use of all the anchorages Tasmania has to offer, there are several cruising guides available. We used Cruising Tasmania by J. Brettingham-Moore. In addition, the government organisation Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) offers information on several platforms, including Facebook .

Anchoring in Tasmania is relatively easy; the thick mud provides excellent holding, but a deckwash system (or a crewmember with a bucket!) is advisable when the anchor is pulled up. MAST provides courtesy moorings, as do some of the sailing clubs.

Navigation is easy with good charts, the major hazards being submerged rocks and shallows. Be aware that the fish farms sometimes ‘lose’ large items in storms; so sailing at night is risky after such a weather event.

Anna Caroline is a steel Bruce Roberts 44, originally built in Nelson, New Zealand

Even in summer it’s important to keep an eye on the weather. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology offers local forecasts. The weather can change rapidly in these high latitudes, so cruisers need to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. The volunteer rescue services broadcast the weather forecast regularly on VHF. The reception is good, except for Bathurst Harbour on the south-west coast.

Provisioning is relatively easy on the north and east coast. On the west coast only Strahan has some facilities. Hobart is an official port of entry, so all customs, immigration and biosecurity facilities are available. You will need a valid passport and visa before you arrive.

About the author

Wietze van der Laan and Janneke Kuysters left the Netherlands in 2013 and have sailed half way around the world with their Bruce Roberts 44 Anna Caroline . They cruised the Australian shores for a year before setting off to explore Indonesia.

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