The Lizard Island Rally Guide This event is organized and operated by the Lizard Island Yacht Club The sole purpose of this Rally is to enable the majority of the boating public to venture together in friendship and harmony to see and experience the wonders of The Great Barrier Reef and the surrounding areas and of course in particular Lizard Island a tropical paradise set in a clear blue ocean with stunning views, walks, beaches, wild life and in a completely relaxed atmosphere. Below is a helpful guide to assist you in your journey north, enjoy!
List of pages & contents Page 1: Disclaimer, Introduction, Skippers responsibility, Required charts, books etc Page 2: Special notes & COLREGS Page 3: Australian Authority notice, emergency radio contact. Page 4: Communication, Mobile phones, Internet Page 5: Tides & weather, safe ports, proposed passage Page 6: Proposed passage continued. Page 7: Things to do & places to go on Lizard Island, Shipping channel, fishing. Page 8: Anchoring, Watson s Bay and etiquette. Page 9:
Fuel, water, food & LPG gas and general provisioning along the way. Page 10: Lizard Island attachment. Watson s Bay, Lizard Island
Page 1: Disclaimer This document is purely a guide and is to be used as such. Contents in this guide do not at any time constitute a professional, legal, navigational or communication advice and it is strongly recommended that all entrants seek advice or an independent opinion or opinions before proceeding. Introduction: This document gives a guide as to the proposed rally course from Townsville to Lizard Island, skippers may however take an alternative course. Skipper s responsibility: It is entirely up to the skipper/owner of each vessel as to whether they take part and or continues in the event and to when they depart and what course they take. Each action taken by skippers/owners is theirs and theirs alone. Recommended charts, books etc: Australian Navigational Charts of the area Current Queensland Tide Table booklet Queensland Fisheries Charts Alan Lucas Cruising the Coral Coast GPS/plotter system with backup and any other relative publication.
Page 2: Special notes: The event will have a staggered start with vessels departing from Townsville mid October, dates to be advised & for skippers and their vessels to join in along the way and return at your leisure. There will be no official start, handicap or time taken, this is a cruise take your time & enjoy! In previous years the weather has played a big part and by staggering the start a suitable weather window can assist in making the journey more comfortable, also some vessels are much faster than others so with our overnight stops it helps everyone to catch up! There also is a concern with too many vessels trying to anchor in the small lagoon such as Hope Island so a staggered start might ease congestion in these areas. All vessels must observe the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 [COLREGS], IMO International Maritime Organization, Queensland Transport and MSQ [Maritime Safety Queensland] rules, Regulations & Bylaws.
Lizard Island Lodge, Lizard Island
Page 3: Australian Authority Notice: In past years it is known that vessels both anchored or underway maybe approached by Qld Police, Fisheries, Australian Customs, National Parks and Wild Life requesting information regarding safety equipment onboard your port of registration, destination etc so please ensure that you comply with their requests and to also ensure that your vessel has the required safety equipment on board that is current, registered and operational and complies with MSQ safety for vessels at sea in this area! Emergency/Radio: In an emergency follow normal standard procedures for ships at sea. Radio frequencies: Volunteer Marine Rescue and the Coast Guard monitor VHF channel 16, you can also leave your travel plans with a local VMR or Coast Guard! Cairns Met Office 81, VTS 11 & 14 HF channel 6215 will get most Coast Guards. HF Weather 8176 at 0730, 1130, 1530, 1930 and 2330 hours every day.vhf channel 72 will be used by entrants.
Lizard Island resort and Watsons Bay
Page 4: Communication: Radio: VHF works well to a point but north of Cape Bedford your VHF communication will become difficult with shore, ship to ship is fine. Lizard Island Lodge or the Lizard Island Research Station monitors VHF 16 in day light hours. VTS will monitor VHF 11 & 14. Local Coast Guard operations are on air during daylight hours they monitor channel 16 primarily. HF is also monitored. If you require assistance call the above or a fellow rally entrant. You can also register your vessel with www.skipr.net you can then communicate with others via the internet and let family & friends know about your travels. Mobile phones: Unless you have a booster antenna connection will be limited Telstra has the best coverage. Internet: Again limited and with a booster antenna only. Public phones are available at Townsville, Magnetic Isl, Fitzroy Isl, Port Douglas and Lizard Island.
Page 5: Tides and Weather: Obtain tidal information from Queensland Tide Tables or via the internet from www.bom.gov.au. Safe Provisioning & Assistance Ports: Townsville s Breakwater Marina, Horseshoe Bay, Mourilyn Harbour, Cairns, Port Douglas & Cooktown where assistance & provisioning can be obtained. All ports monitor VHF channel 16. It would also be useful beside your charts of this area is to take a copy of Alan Lucas s book Cruising the Coral Coast plus a current tide chart. Special note: Cooktown can also be a difficult and risky anchorage. The proposed passage: Depart Townsville Breakwater Marina to Magnetic Island s Horseshoe Bay. Then to Little Pioneer Bay on Orpheus Island, then to Dunk Island and onto Fitzroy Island. Then Cairns for a provisioning stopover then Low Isles [or Port Douglas] Hope Isles, then Cape Flattery and into Lizard Island. It is advised that all skippers are aware of their vessels speed and that you arrive at your next destination
anchorage in daylight hours! You travel at night at your own risk!
Page 6: Magnetic to Little Pioneer Bay you can go between the islands off Palm Island as there is good deep water. Then you have a choice of going inside or outside of Hinchinbrook Island. Outside, Zoe Bay is open to the SE trades inside will test you and be careful, read your charts particularly at the southern end of the channel! Dunk Isl to Fitzroy Isl another good run, you can stop at Mourilyn Harbour a good overnight stop. Be careful at Fitzroy Isl if the wind and tide change. Cairns to Low Isl is another good run with the Isles only appearing late. Low Isles to Hope Island. Hope can be a great anchorage but be very careful entering the lagoon. If you are unsure talk to someone who knows the area and have a lookout on your bow & go slow! Don t enter the Hope lagoon in the dark or bad light. The coral reefs in this area are extensive. Hope Isles to Cape Flattery is a big day so leave early, Cape Flattery is a good anchorage. Cape Bedford it s self is known for strong tides so stand out to sea. Cape Bedford is also a good anchorage but shallow it has good holding.
Page 7: From Lizard Island there are many places to go: Cod Hole, the outer Ribbon Reef, Macgillivray Reef, Newt Island, Turtle Group. On Lizard it s self there is much to do such as Cook s Lookout, Blue Lagoon & other walks, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, the Research Station guided tour and or do nothing it s up to you! But don t forget Halloween!!!! And if you stay a while it s the Melbourne Cup in the Marlin Bar with TV coverage! Shipping Channel: From just south of Cape Tribulation going north you are in the main shipping channel going north/south so be aware and vigilant especially at night of all commercial traffic. You will also encounter many fishing vessels in the area that maybe fishing and using minimal lighting. Fishing: Please ensure that you have the necessary fishing charts on board highlighting the zones in and around the reef and don t fish in areas shown and comply with the Queensland Fisheries rules & regulations.
Page 8: Anchoring: Marine Park Moorings are available in some locations. Use your charts, move slowly in and around the reef and have someone on the bow if you are unsure of the depth. Most of these anchorages are in a marine park so please insure you do the right thing with your anchor, rubbish, toilets etc. The anchorage at Lizard can get crowded most drop a small white float off the anchor to ensure that another vessel does not moor over the top of yours. While Watson s bay looks big but it is restricted by coral reef so please take note of the Marine Park white cones which mark a no go zone! If the wind turns to the NE at Lizard you should be OK but N to NW is a problem, The Blue Lagoon offers shelter but seek advice before going here as most plotters are incorrect as to the entrance!
Watson s Bay, Lizard Island sunset
Page 9: Fuel & LPG: Is only available at Townsville, Cairns & Cooktown, however Seaswift does run a barge that stops between Cairns and the Cape with a stop at Cape Flattery each fortnight however this service ends around late October. Know your engines fuel consumption rate & take enough fuel to get you there and back if you need to. Food & Water: Again only at Townsville, Cairns & Cooktown. There is no food available at Lizard other than at the Marlin Bar and only on the nights when it is open. A menu board is displayed and changed daily. If you require food it can be obtained from the Lizard Island barge once a fortnight or get it flown in! This can be expensive and is done with the permission & support of the resort! If you require any further information about this please ask. At Magnetic Island there are shops along the esplanade in Horseshoe Bay and cold showers & toilets but no fuel. At Dunk there is a bar and restaurant which is open three days a week plus hot showers in the camp site. The resort is closed.
Page 10: Fitzroy Island there are cold showers in the camp site and a restaurant and bar which is west of the resort. Flights: Aircraft fly into the resort on Lizard daily, these flights are operated by the resort, flight bookings can be made by contacting the resort reception direct on 07 4043 1999 Attached: Lizard Island Lodge is a private resort for paying guests but a list is attached of what visitors can and cannot do in regards to the resort, this list also contains many other questions and answers you may have regarding the resort and their facilities remember there are NO shops here so if you forget something it s NOW too late! The Lizard Island Rally is planned to be a one way event to cruise in company from Townsville to Lizard Island and then for vessels and their crews to either venture further north or return to their home port at their leisure.
Page 11: Please enjoy this wonderful part of the world and all it has to offer and please remember it s our National Park. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Lizard Island Rally is run, organized and operated the Lizard Island Yacht Club. by Contact information: Email address: lizardislandrally@hotmail.com Web site: www.lizardislandrally.com www.lizardislandyachtclub.com Phone: 0459 956 604 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~