Trailer Sailing Port Welshpool to Refuge Cove

[@davidwolff8903]

Great video Mark. Refuge never gets old. Great advice on the safety to mate. You've set yourself up wisely and showed other's how important it is.

[@ddaverowee]

Wow! I have been going to Port Welshpool for years but never knew of this place. Its a real Easter egg. Thank you for sharing as I know ill never make it out the heads much less there. Its a beautiful place. I'd love to anchor there for a couple of days. Anyway i think this video is the closest ill ever get so thanks for recording it for everyone to enjoy ;)

[@aaronpetch2737]

Thanks for another adventure Mark, I like your range of safety equipment too

[@DocLois2010]

Great work, Mark! I have been looking forward to your next trip. If Refuge Cove is always that crowded I will be staying away!!!

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Its a funny place. Back in 2012 I was there for 2 weeks in February. One of those weeks I had a dozen boats company and the following week I was the only person person in the cove both on a boat and ashore. January would be the busiest time and even then if you don't mind anchoring further out finding room is quite easy. Cheers Mark

[@mickfisch96]

Thanks Mark. Looked like a good adventure.

[@bryanbaldwin6440]

Agree...that sort of commercial use should not be allowed in a national park. I have been visiting this beautiful cove for over 50 years (hiking) and I was horrified when I saw these images.

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

I am sure it was not a sanctioned use by National Parks. Worse still when I went for a walk along north refuge beach the 2 security guards from the mini cruise ship just gave a steely stare that just said move on and keep clear. The boat is a charter boat that I am told costs over $100,000 a week to charter and that some of the wealthy clientele may be from a background you wouldn't want to mess with. Of course this is here say but it wouldn't surprise me.

[@anthonyreardon7955]

Nice vid and very informative.....

[@joecoleman6032]

Hi Mark, thanks for posting yet another inspirational video. I really liked your run down on the safety equipment you carry for solo sailing. Refuge Cove is high on my to do list but I think I need to get a lot more experience under my belt before I tackle it. I have a Sabre 22 which is a lovely little cruising TS and I will try some of your other cruising grounds in the meantime. Thanks again and I look forward to watching your videos as you have new sailing adventures.

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Hi Joe, Sabre 22 is a perfectly capable boat and definitely suitable for the refuge cove trip. The swell is not a big thing but if you see lots of breaking swells on the right of the channel past the outer markers going out its probably better to stay in corner inlet, but this tends to be the exception. Avoid easterly winds because exiting corner inlet has to be on an outward tide and these appose that jacking up the seas. Ideal winds are SW, W, NW and N as the prom gives some shelter from these. Outward tide starts at the time of high water at Port Welshpool Pier and the inward tide starts at low water time. You go out on an outward time and come back on an inward tide. That's probably the most complicated part. Its only around 3.5hrs from the entrance of corner inlet and is an easy sail. A bit rolly going into Refuge but not dangerous and once inside it smooths out beautifully. If you want to go as part of a group I think the Port Albert Yacht club organizes a refuge cove cruise most winters when easterly winds are nearly never around.. Cheers Mark

[@joecoleman6032]

mdedman100 thanks for the tips Mark. I’ll get in touch with the PAYC and find out when they’re planning a cruise.

[@stephenreardon2205]

Looks great. Pretty quiet weatherwise.

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

A bit more sailing wind would have been good with only half the total distance under sail alone. The day at Refuge blew 25knots from the south west and the last day 25 knots from the east but by then I was in Corner Inlet.

[@coopersrace7277]

Do you have any security concerns with your car and trailer when you go out overnight?

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

I worry about it a bit but have come the accept the risk to allow extended trips making sure I have good insurance. I haven't had any issues leaving the car and trailer for 3 to 5 days in geelong, 5 days at port welshpool , 10 days in Hervey Bay and 2 weeks in Airlee Beach. I always pick a visible location, near security cameras if around and lock the trailer to the car with multiple padlocks. So far so good (touch wood). If I didn't do this the sailing adventures would be very restricted. Cheers Mark

[@anar128]

Hello, we are currently passage planning to bring out sail boat from Metung to Westernport. We anticipate that we may need to motor a lot. What places along the way have facilities l where we can refuel?

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Hi Ana, There really isn't that many places you can find fuel between lakes and Westernport. Port Welshpool is probably the only place but would involve a longish walk with jerry cans. I am told that walkerville in Waratah bay on the other side of the prom is a possibility but more exposed and harder to go ashore. Both would require a substantial detour from the direct route and use extra fuel in the process. Best option is to work out your fuel consumption and try carry sufficient fuel for 200 nautical miles or 50 hours of motoring if at all possible. Cheers Mark

[@petergrayson4765]

Great vid and thanks for the information on the trip. I'm planning on doing the same passage solo on my Ross in the near future. By the way my 16yr daughter was on the Young Endeavour when you were in Refuge Cove. What a coincidence :)

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Hi Peter. Yes it was a real coincidence that I happened to be there for the short time the Young Endeavor anchored at refuge cove. What a great experience for your daughter, they certainly sounded like they were having a great time jumping off the ship during the afternoon. Its an easy trip for a TS, the main one is go out on an ebb tide out of corner inlet but if there is more than a 10 to 15 knot easterly blowing wait for the direction to change as wind against tide can make it uncomfortable or even dangerous if the easterly hits 30+ knots. On the return trip come back in on the flood tide. Other than that its a great trip and well worth it. Cheers Mark

[@petergrayson4765]

@@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES Hi Mark, thanks for the great advice, will definitely take it on board. Was looking forward to a sail off Lakes last weekend but the weather and tides were against me so stayed inshore. Another time. Word got out and I think all the "Teenies" that were on the young Endeavor have now watched your video. Cheers Pete

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

@@petergrayson4765 Hi Pete, I was too far away to get video of them jumping off the ship and I had already put my dinghy away but I could sure hear them, sounded like they were having a great time. Good to hear you get out of lakes entrance at times. The mouth is relatively tame these days having been in and out 3 times now. Great for some ocean experience. Hoping to do some trips out the entrance to Deal Island and maybe up the east coast when I move to Metung in 4 years. Cheers Mark

[@noelgrant5783]

Good to see your videos again and thanks for sharing this beautiful part of East Coast Australia that many of us don't even know about. Loved your safety tips of carrying a spare cartridge for the life jackets and sat phone , what sort of plan do you have for that?

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Hi Noel. I have accidentally inflated my PDF too often by catching the pull cord on something leaving me a bit embarrassed and with a far less useful PDF. I always keep some spare cartridges. I used to have a prepaid recharge for the sat phone but they have become ridiculously expensive and short lived. I have been assured by someone who should know that even without a balance that the phone can contact the emergency number. I have never tested this theory though. On longer more remote trips I do get a prepaid recharge. When inmarsat first started these lasted 12 months and were cheaper than mobile rates. Now they last less than a month and cost and arm and a leg or more if you want them to last longer. Cheers Mark

[@chrisbarnes6312]

lovely informative videos..enjoying them a lot. the pedant in me cant resist.."experient"?... "PDF"? ;D

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes the PDF was a slip that has been noticed a few times. What can I say, bit dyslexic and have a background in computer programming as well. Trouble with you tube is you cant modify the video without losing all comments and history so the slip will just have to stay. Cheers Mark

[@tonywoollcombe1799]

well done Mark, you have been away too long.

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Thanks Tony. Did a lot of maintenance on the boat over winter and then had 2 different leaks during spring that cut several trips short and needed fixing. Finally back on the water. Was going out this week but family commitments stopped that. Hope to get a few more in before summer ends.

[@zooknut]

Nice video! It's PFD by the way, PDF is a file on a computer 🤣⛵

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

What can I say, work on a computer most of the day and am probably slightly dyslexic. Yes PFD it is. Will just have to add to the list of my you tube bloopers. Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers Mark

[@davepalmer1521]

May i ask what size outboard motor you have?

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

9.9hp 4 stroke Mercury. Very economical but also very prone to idle jet blockages. Recently upgraded to 15hp 4 stroke Mercury efi for my trip to the Kimberley where I might have to push harder against tides. Not nearly as fuel efficient as the 9.9hp carbureted engine. Cheers Mark

[@davepalmer1521]

@@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES thanks for the info Mark fair winds mate keep up the great content

[@susanmclauchlan9358]

What kind of trailer sailer are you sailing please? Thanks.

[@TRAILERYACHTADVENTURES]

Its an RL28 or Rob Legg 28, mine made in 1986 in the Gold Coast by its designer Rob Legg. There were several hundred made from the late 1970's to the late 1980's. Cheers Mark