Anyone been through the Narrows recently? I've got the guides, charts and tides, but is there any local knowledge that would help?
For info, we're a 28' yacht drawing 1.3m.
The plan is to go through on a high tide that gives us about 0.2m margin 1 hour before high with the next tide being significantly higher, just in case.
As an off the wall idea, the night tides are significantly higher and there's a full moon ..... bonkers to even think about it?
Cheers
Bristle
I went through for the first time 3 years ago and i chose the night tide. Motored up from south to the fork, anchored there till the tide was perfect and then went through. I had made very detailed waypoints on the plotter by zooming right in. So I basically steered by the plotter as it was pitch black that night and my girlfriend watched the reds and greens and kept of good count of them next to the guidebook. It was slightly scary but we had no problems at all. At the tightest point were you have to do a hard to port turn i turned on the spotlight and was shocked how close we were to the bank.
Markings are all correct though and as long as you do it with the tides correctly its no problem. A big advantage of doing it at night is that you'll not have to worry much about traffic coming the other way;
There are two lines of lead close to each another, at green nr 11 marker. Line markers are not lited at night and they mark rather narrow chanel. All other markers are not lited eighter. With my old boat, monohull 1,5 m draw I never went trough Narrows in dark. Going North I always aimed to complete Narrows before high water.
Why would anybody bother going through the Narrows other than to feed the hairy nosed sand fly and the long proboscis mosquito with their own blood?
The east or middle passage between Facing and Curtis Islands is a whole lot better option that will get you out into the sailing roadstead a whole lot quicker with far less motoring. Ask shaggybaxter.
If you want to visit Yellow Patch you do not have to go via the Narrows. If you go around the outside of Curtis Island it is only just around the corner of it's top end.
So Bristle, again I ask do you have Noel Patrick's "Cruising the Curtis Coast" in your onboard library??
I have a public confession to make - I don't have Noel's book in the cruising library.
However the message is received loud and clear and my error will be rectified as soon as Gladstone hoves into view!
Thanks, as ever, for all the info
Bristle
When you have bought it you will be glad you did.
Here are a few places you might find it.
www.google.com.au/search?q=yacht+chandlery+glasdstone&rlz=1C1NOOH_enAU708AU708&oq=yacht+chandlery+glasdstone&aqs=chrome..69i57.20294j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Nice relaxing motor up the channel. Sounds good to me. When you pull in to Gladstone have a talk to the locals and they'll let you know what's best. At 1.3m you shouldn't have any problems if you use the tides and stick to the channel.
But in saying that, it is also a nice motor over to Facing Island and you can anchor up against the island just before departing the channel to do some sailing. I just wouldn't advice anchoring at Cape Capricorn as it can be very rolly if there is a bit of a swell running.
Yellow patch really needs some local knowledge before entering and would be best to anchor outside and use your tender to verify the best track and depths.
One of these sonar bad boys is gods' gift to the adventurous sailor. Just wifi's into your phone or iPad and it then updates your navionics charts to have realtime depth contours (recorded forever) as you putter around in your tender over your intended track.
www.vexilar.com/
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Sailing/General/TBox-sonarphone?page=1
Just did it last week. Heading north, stayed at Black Swan island and made friends with the local mossies. Ran the engine for 10 minutes at dusk and they disappeared, probably don't like the smoke.
We draw 1.7 on a fin keel and skeg hung rudder. High tide was officially high at 11:32, 3.62m but Lucas says the tide is 20 minutes later and about 20% higher in the Narrows. We got to the first shallow at the first green channel marker and promptly ran aground at the next red marker about 50 metres later. Waited 20 minutes, put the boat back at the green marker and let the tide drift us over. About 0.2 clearance through there. That was at 9:45.
We also noticed the shallow spots tended to coincide where a side channel enters. We made it through until the next major shallow area next to the island. It is more a series of speed humps, but the trick is to go right next to the channel markers. Next to the channel marker means you can touch it with the end of your boom. Even if it is in the mangrove. The mud is soft and pliable, but be warned if you don't have skeg on your rudder, you may loose it. We got over this section with 2 full buckets on the boom and a bit of speed. But we still had 90 minutes of high tide to play with. We cleared the crossing section without problems.
The north end has leads around the crossing, but nothing is lit within the Narrows. Even with a full moon, it is not a place to be at night.
Great adventure tho. My partner wants to go through on the way back. I will see what the tides are and make a decision closer to the time.
If you have time to be stuck and the underside is strongly built, at 1.3 draft you should get through without problems. And there are dolphins to watch for as well.
Yellow patch is a beauty. On the way in I lifted centreboard and using Garmin plotter zig zag to see channel , negative.
On the way out I follow Coast Guard waypoint , no channel found.
It was just before Marcia.
Central coast, after Marcia, is very different place, all previous knowledge don't apply any more.
Personally, narrow inside channel with strong tidal current is more challenging .
Don't forget Sea Hill and Pacific Creek up the top of the Narrows if you like beachcombing.
It's also a good trek up to to the old Sea Hill lighthouse and into the cemetery. Lots of history if you care to research.
Pacific Ck is a bullet hole.
I'd love to get up there again.
Firstly, just to confirm to Cisco that we've bought the Curtis Coast Guide, that plus the free sheet from the excellent Gladstone Marina got us through the Narrows.
Crossed this morning on a Gladstone tide of 3.7. from our anchorage at Black Swan Island. Min depth .7 under the keel.
It's a beautiful run, I'm so glad we did it.
Cheers
Bristle
I like the Narrows, I've done it with 1.8, 2.1 and 1.5 draft at night and during the day. I think it's a different and fun passage just not the best place if you have to anchor up, too many mosquitoes at night and flies during the day. Not sure what it's like now but Gladstone side used to be good for fishing for flake as they had fish processing plants outside the marina there and then you get to exit to the magical Keppels :).
Glad you enjoyed it Bristle. If you have the time and can time it right (say for a daytime non stop passage), I am sure it is well worth the effort.
Well, now that you are armed with Noel Patrick's "Cruising the Curtis Coast" you have all the info you need to get into any gunk hole between where you are and Mackay.
No excuses, the crew here are expecting great things from you accompanied with great pics like above.
Now go to Noel's book and look up Port Clinton and another beautiful little nook by the name of Delcomyn Bay just around the corner. Well worth a stop for a day or two there.
Happy Sailing!! or Motoring as dictated. 
Just to update my post. We crossed north to south today. We started our run 1hr 10mins before Gladstone high past the northernmost green on a Gladstone high of 4.04m.
Minimum depth below keel was 1.1m. We followed our previous course. I would go a little later if you're not sure of the route as you fairly whizz through on the tide at this time.
Our draft is 1.3m
It is a magic place. Here's a photo of sunset in Badger Creek. No badgers, but plenty of dolphins.
Cheers
Bristle
Select to expand quoteBristolfashion said..
Ha, finally worked out how to add a video!
Bristle
Magic spot. When we went through, I had with me a crew mate who lives in Darwin. After we had done some sightseeing in the dinghy around Black Swan Island, she remarked that it looked so much like the mangroves up near Darwin where the crocs hide out, and asked would there be any around this area. I scoffed at the time, but then later re-read Lucas's book that makes mention that crocs are as far south as Gladstone.
Not going for another ride in the dinghy around that area any time soon......
Select to expand quoteEC31 said..Bristolfashion said..
Ha, finally worked out how to add a video!
Bristle
Magic spot. When we went through, I had with me a crew mate who lives in Darwin. After we had done some sightseeing in the dinghy around Black Swan Island, she remarked that it looked so much like the mangroves up near Darwin where the crocs hide out, and asked would there be any around this area. I scoffed at the time, but then later re-read Lucas's book that makes mention that crocs are as far south as Gladstone.
Not going for another ride in the dinghy around that area any time soon......
Yep! Did I see that the cops are after the person who shot a 5m croc in the Fitzroy River last week?
The beach in Gladdie is shut because of crocodile sightings! They sure are spreading - watch out NSW!
NPWS are hunting a croc sighted in the Great Sandy Straits.
It is not safe to go swimming in Queensland waters anymore. There will be one in the Mooloolaba River soon.
Global warming.....crocs moving South along with the cane toad....If a croc eats a cane toad does the croc die ???.
