OK guys - I think it's time we started a thread on this - as time is marching on and if we don't make a start with planning and preparation soon, we'll miss the boat
There's a heap of issues that need to be discussed - I guess one of the first issues is dates.
Personally speaking I am fairly flexible at this stage and could pretty well fit in with anytime during January or February. Given that it will take a while to properly prepare, I think we would be pushing it to do anything this ambitious prior to Sat 31 Jan.
If we plan on travelling the entire length from Sale to Lakes Entrance we would probably need to allow a minimum of three days. (53 NMiles or 98.156Km)
So let's start with an expression of interest and availability and see whether we can firm up on some dates - always subject to weather - so I guess we wil need a contingency plan also. The most obvious would be to identify 2 x three day periods a week apart.
If anyone is interested in joining us now's the time to weigh in
Based on the distances involved it looks like we would need to stop overnight at
1. Plover Point ( 20 n/miles from Sale);
2. Paynesville (19 n/miles from Plover Point)
Which then leaves 14 n/miles to Lakes Entrance.
If you wanted to spread it out a bit more you could stop the first night at the mouth of the LaTrobe River (10 n/miles).
I guess a lot will depend on the winds once we're on the lakes. By way of example, Pirate & I sailed back from Metung to the Nicholson River Jetty - a distance I estimate to be 12 n/miles - with a following wind - in one and a half hours. It took us three and a half hours to get there sailing into the wind.
I like the idea of a backup mother ship - whether it be my houseboat or Dave's Haines Hunter.
Mickey
