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Information About Chartering A Bareboat Around The Whitsunday IslandsBoating And The Environment. Boating in the Whitsundays is a pleasurable activity enjoyed by many thousands of people each year. The popularity of bareboating has exploded in recent times, with a distinct gravitation from yachts to motor cruisers. This has resulted in a larger number of people per boat and consequently a greater demand on the environment of the beautiful Whitsunday island group. The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's most valuable natural assets. One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the necessity to protect this unique part of the planet is now at the forefront of government thinking. The demand for better information about the Reef has never been greater or more pressing. Marine biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef is close to the highest in the world, the Reef is the largest world Heritage area and Australia's number one tourism destination. The productivity commission recently estimated that the worth of tourism to the Great Barrier Reef region to be about $4 billion. The Reef supports the people of Queensland in many ways, fishing and tourism is both popular and profitable. Shipping provides important services and the value of the Whitsunday passage in terms of reduced travel time for freight has been estimated to be in excess of one billion dollars. The Reef is more than it;s coral beds, fish and seagrass, although this is what most people see as it;s principal attraction. The Reef is also a very important area from environmental, cultural, economic and social perspectives. Many of the world's coral reefs are under great pressure from human activity such as global warming, limestone mining, pollution and destructive fishing and sentiment runoff. In contrast, the Great Barrier Reef remains in good condition, however, there are problems with water quality. Coral bleaching and crown of thorns starfish are two of the most insidious and on going difficulties and are receiving enormous research to try and eliminate both problems. In parts of the large geographic extent of the Reef, damage has been so severe that it is unlikely the reef will ever restore itself. The protection of the Reef has never been more important than now. Major management initiatives underway, included the Great Barrier Reef water quality protection plan that aims to halt the decline in water quality, due to water contaminated with fertilisers and effluent running to the ocean from Great Barrier Reef catchments. The representative areas program is gradually increasing through out the reef, which will increase protection across all regions and will be identified as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This program requires specialist knowledge in a form that is useful to managers and industry. Research providers collaborating can produce this specialist information. The Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, and Queensland Department of Primary Industry, conduct much of the research needed for reef management. This co- operation also extends to the University of Queensland, Griffith University and the Australian National University. In addition, the Great Barrier Reef research foundation plays an important role in raising funds for research to find solutions to the major problems confronting the Reef, as well as similar problems confronting the rest of the world. Government and industry are making a major effort to work together to ensure the Reef is protected, while providing for its sustainable use. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, in association with Marine Park tourism operators and state governments all cooperate to take pressure off the Reef and build its resilience to disturbance. All of the organisations mentioned here participate in a knowledge-based partnership of managers to find solutions to help protect the Great Barrier Reef for the long term. A new joint venture with a rainforest and detachment to Reef program will support the Reef water quality protection plan. This set of tests aims to develop better indicators of water quality and improve our ability to measure the deteriorate of the reef and provide a timeline which will help determine what measures receive priority. A second initiative will lead to the creation of the Torres Strait Islander protection commission. It is imperative when boating in
the Whitsundays, particularly in the central district, which ranges
from the top of Hayman Island to the bottom of the Linderman Island and
out as far as Border island to be aware of the sensitive nature of the
park. This area comprises some 74 islands and is under intense pressure
from tourism. The other problem associated with boating in this highly sensitive area is mooring and anchoring. In the more sensitive northern part of this central group of islands the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have placed moorings for the use of the boating fraternity. In many of these areas anchoring close to, or within a designated area is strictly prohibited. If a public mooring is not available, boats will need to find an alternate area in which to anchor away from sensitive areas. In any event, when anchoring, it is important to locate coral beds, both to prevent damage to these beds, and to prevent the anchor from being fouled on a coral bed, thereby preventing it from being retrieved. Polaroid sunglasses are a great help when seeking an area in which to anchor, as they will highlight the coral from the surrounding seagrass and sand areas. So by exercising caution when anchoring, you not only prevent damage to the coral beds in the area, but reduce the likelihood of running aground on coral causing extensive damage to the boat or having the boat swing during the night and come into contact with coral beds that may be 30 or 40 metres away from where there you originally anchored.
The other area of concern within the national park is the disposal of rubbish and the introduction of effluent into the waterway is. The vessels that you charter from Coral Reef Charters are all fitted with holding tanks, which will hold effluent and toilet waste whilst you are anchored in sensitive areas. This waste can then be disposed of, whilst you are travelling, preferably in the Whitsunday passage, where the water is quite deep and as a result of the large amount of boating traffic, is regularly turned over. Additionally, there is a very bare minimum of coral reef beds or other bodies within this passage that will be damaged by the introduction of effluent. Of course, disposal of rubbish can, and should be done in just one-way, and that is to retain all food scraps and rubbish within the vessel until you return to port and then dispose of it in the correct garbage facilities made available at that port. Anyone caught disposing of rubbish directly into the waterway, will be subject to very large fines and have their charter terminated by the rangers employed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Some people believe that you can tip certain rubbish, such as prawn and oyster shells back into the sea as these are natural products of the sea, and will be quickly devoured by marine life in the area. However, there are some species on which these foodstuffs have a deadly effect. For this reason, we ask that all food scraps be maintained on board the vessel until you can responsibly dispose of them on your return to port. Fishing is permitted in certain spots. However, the use of stainless steel hooks is forbidden. All tackle should be mild steel, if lost it will rust and dissolves fairly quickly, rather than remain in the area as a constant risk to marine life. A map can be obtained from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which will indicate the areas where fishing is permitted. It will also indicate which areas are off limits to fishing and those areas are absolutely sacrosanct. It has been suggested by some that boating activity in the Whitsundays should be restricted to yachts due to the fact that some diesel and petrol residue will be expelled through the exhausts of motorboats into the water. It has been suggested that yachts are a much cleaner and more responsible form of boating and that the area should be restricted solely to yachts, with motor cruisers being prevented from using the area. What this argument ignores is the fact that most sailing boats spend at least 50% of their time under power, and that whilst it would be wonderful to exclude all powered vessels from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area it would lead to the prohibition of this area to the great majority of the public. Remembering that around 5% of the population are able to sail, but 95% can drive a car, and therefore drive a boat. Of course, anybody can be taught to sail, and it has been suggested that anybody wishing to go boating within this area should be taught how to sail, and then use only yachts. Again, we believe this to be impractical as a course to qualify most people to sail a yacht would, in effect, take-up their entire holiday of people wishing to have this type of holiday. It would be an unreasonable restriction, and certainly an impractical suggestion to require anybody to spend weeks or even months training for a particular task that they will only use for couple of weeks. Perhaps the solution is not in banning motor cruisers, but in policing the type and quality of those boats to remove twenty year-old vessels with twenty-year-old engines, which do indeed spew oil into the water. A policing of the permit provisions could insure that only vessels with a motor of any description be kept in good condition in order to be chartered within the Whitsunday area, and particularly within the central district. The other consideration is that once a diesel motor vessel is up to its operating temperature and if it is operating at its optimum temperature the amount of pollution created by that engine is quite small. It has been further suggested that the answer to the ongoing destruction of the reef is to isolate certain areas completely from tourism thus preserving the Reef in pristine condition for future generations. To a large extent, this is already happening with floating hotels and snorkelling areas being established. This concentrates the bulk of tourism within a very small area of only several hundred metres in diameter. A truly significant achievement. When you consider that the Reef extends for more than 1600 miles and extends almost 20 miles from the coast, to be able to isolate areas of less than one tenth of one square mile for the mass use of tourists is an illustration of the intensity that reputable operators apply to preservation. It is this writer's opinion that in terms of water quality, by far the greatest damage is being done to the Reef by rainwater washing off fertilisers and untreated effluent from homes in the area during heavy rain, which occurs for approximately three months of the year. Until the wash off from crops, and the untreated effluent from homes, is controlled then it is the writer's opinion that no further restrictions can legitimately be applied to small boats. The boating fraternity are an easy target of envy but in reality it is the explosion of housing on some islands, particularly Hamilton Island that pose the greatest threat. Some people are concerned that a boating holiday would be extremely boring as they would be restricted to life aboard a very small vessel barely interrupted by the occasional swim or snorkelling. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the whole concept of a boating holiday in the Whitsunday Islands is one of variety. For a start, there is a vast difference
between anchoring in a secluded bay or inlet, being quite possibly the
only boat in the area, enjoying the solitude, peace and tranquillity
that can only be guessed that by those staying at a large island resort.
In such an environment one can take the dinghy, and in some areas travel
extensively up creeks into the mangroves and forest areas, often for
many miles. You can explore around the rocks and foreshores and generally
enjoy yourself away from the maddening crowds. There are many walks to
be had through the National Parks, particularly on Lindeman and South
Molle islands. These walks can be quite strenuous and will certainly
exercise off the extra few pounds, the result of all of the good eating
and drinking that generally accompany a bareboat holiday.
It is possible to spend time at Laguna Keys either at the beginning or at the end of your boating holiday. A full list of the resorts, what they offer to boating enthusiasts and how to arrange a visit can be obtained during the regular radio sked or by telephoning or radioing the Island resort direct. Should you wish to explore the outer reefs. you can include this as part of your boating holiday by arranging to be picked up by a small aircraft, helicopter or a high-speed passenger vessel, which will transport you for a days snorkelling or diving on the outer reefs. Again, our briefers or office staff will provide you with details of how to arrange these visits. The History Of The Whitsunday Group The Whitsunday Islands were originally discovered by Captain Cook in 1770 and were named the Cumberland group, a name that exists formally even to this day. They were renamed Whitsunday much later, and it is by this name that they are most commonly known today. Most of us is can remember from our schooldays the story of Captain Cook, running aground in 1770 in the area now known as Cooktown. This is where cannon and other equipment were cast overboard to lighten the vessel, whilst substantial repairs were made following a collision with the Reef. History Of Bareboating In The Whitsundays The first bareboat operation started around 1930 before any formal marinas were in place in the area. From the fifties a number of companies decided to offer more luxury and more convenience to the public. It was yet another 15 years before motor cruisers made any real impact as an alternate to yachts for a bareboat holiday. Originally only recreational motor cruisers were used, which had the disadvantage of not only being designed for the part and suffered from a lack of fresh water capacity and refrigeration space. These boats were quite cramped, and in many cases, unreliable and often did not exceed 35 ft. in length. They also tended to be quite old and at one stage the average age of motor cruisers available for Boat Charter was twelve years. The Introduction Of Coral Reef Charters
Charterers are away from port for up to ten to twelve days and the lack of any facility to call into for additional fresh water or provisions is extremely limited. A boat that is suitable for three or four days of overnighting in Sydney Harbour with three or four people on board and any number of places to stop and replenish water and provisions is virtually useless for a extended passage of ten days for up to twelve people. With the only available fresh water supply at Hamilton Island. For that reason, all of the vessels chartered by Coral Reef Charters have in excess of 2500 litres of fresh water. They also have onboard a 240 volt generator that enables refrigeration to be maximised and to provide the small comforts of home, such as hairdryer, irons and other cooking facilities that one comes to expect in as a matter of course. The other area that Ken felt required attention was in the provision of sleeping quarters. He felt for a 10-day holiday people would like a large comfortable bed in a private cabin with plenty of headroom and room to move around the bed plus plenty of storage and hanging space for people's clothes and their belongings. The other area that was important to Ken was the amount of deck area where people could relax on comfortable chairs and enjoy a meal in the open. For this reason, the boats he builds all have a full length top deck, that will accommodate 10 to 12 people, comfortably without people having to sit on a towel on a hard fibreglass deck. As many people chartering this boat will not have had much experience at sea, and may feel the effects of water movement, each boat has been designed with a cathedral hull, which reduces movement whilst the boat is at rest, in the same way as a catamaran without the disadvantages inherent in that design and also provides a much more stable platform when under way. These boats have been surveyed as a ferry holding upwards of seventy people, many of which are on the top deck. There has never been a more stable and seaworthy boat ever built in this size range. Of course, the bathroom and galley, two areas where it is important for the ladies to feel comfortable and to more closely resemble the home that they have left. Ken felt people wanted to experience the isolation and beauty of the Whitsunday's, but not have to live in a cave to do it. People do not want to have to pump toilets or press buttons, they would much prefer to simply flush the way they do at home. This is available on all of our boats. Similarly, the shower is full size with a glass screen and a mixer tap, and because of the large reservoir of freshwater everybody on board can have a reasonable shower, wash their hair and generally not have too suffer from the restrictions of having less than thirty litres of water per person per day for a ten day cruise The galley also features for a full size double sink with mixer tap, a full size gas cook top and oven with an electric grill and full size microwave and microwave, and on some boats, even a dish washer. Refrigeration is essential in this part of the world, and it follows that all of our boats have generous provisions for deep freezers and refrigeration in addition to being fully air-conditioned on every level. Again, it was important that this refrigeration be activated by means other than relying on batteries. One of the great complaints from people chartering vessels is to have flat batteries early in the charter, which results in the thawing of all or part of their food which cannot be refrozen leading to a scarcity of food in the last half of the charter. Storage was also a source of complaint from people. Charterers were advised to bring soft bags and if possible to leave them ashore as there was simply no area on recreational boats, where a number of bags could be stored. Similarly, people wanting to dive, often had to have their air bottles in their cabins or strapped in the cockpit area, which further reduced the available recreational room. Storage area on our boats is vast, and feature dive bottle racks below decks to accommodate up to eight bottles, and to prevent them from moving about the boat. All lifejackets and safety equipment are stored beneath the seats, again, freeing up wardrobes, that on recreational boats are often filled with lifejackets as there is no other room on the boat to store them. In short, there is ample room for guests to move around the boat. Enjoy a television show, watch a DVD, or just get out of each other's way. There is room aboard to find a spot on the boat, where you can snuggle up with the book a have a little bit of privacy, and not have to live on top of the rest of the party. Although these boats charge a premium charter rate they are nevertheless the most solidly booked vessels in the Whitsunday area. This is testament to the foresight of Ken in providing people with the luxury and comfort that they expect albeit at a slightly more expensive price and than can be obtained on lesser vessels. The boats are constantly upgraded to insure that they remain as new. Bedding is constantly changed, TVs upgraded. Carpeting is replaced as soon as it begins to look shoddy. In short, we take immense pride in our boats, in the Whitsunday's and in our customers. The Barrier Reef As A Holiday Destination The Great Barrier Reef is
the perfect tourist destination. The Reef has about 1.6 million visitors
each year into a truly small footprint with the effect on the reef
being quite small. The reef has more than 2900 individual reefs and
over 940 islands, so the human pressure is currently very thinly spread. Better mooring systems are being introduced including pontoons on the reef, to prevent damage to coral beds. Pressure from boats is being reduced by setting up moorings. Many of which have been installed by the operators themselves. New anchoring areas ha ve been introduced in particularly sensitive sections of the reef, along with an education campaign for boat owners. There is major scientific effort to insure tourism does not impact on populations of whales, turtles and birds - with many tour operators involved in developing codes of practice to insure that tourists do not disturb wildlife or endangered species. Coral damage is being reduced by educating divers and keeping inexperienced snorkellers and large groups away from sensitive areas. One of the problems on the Great
Barrier Reef is the cyclone, which extends from December through March
of every year. Great strides are being made by research to establish
modelling units that have won both state and national awards. This project
uses state of the art computer modelling to identify the probability
of different coastal water levels during tropical cyclones. They modelled
over 10,000 simulated storms to represent cyclones that would create
a different level of storms surge. The water level when the cyclones
hits also depends on the tide at that time so they combined storm surges
with as many as possible scenarios to find how storms act.
Another
headed north to Port Clinton, averaging 45 kilometres a day over eight
days. Here he rested for a few weeks before moving an additional 500
kilometres north of the tagging point. The research also discovered what appears to be a wintering ground for dugongs. They are sensitive to the cold and can be attracted by warmer waters from the tropics that flow into this area with the Eastern Australian current. Although this is a bare place, with hardly any seagrass and many sharks several dugongs revisited the area several times, swimming over 70 kilometres across the bay from seagrass beds at the heads. As temperatures started to rise at the end of the winter dugongs stopped visiting this area. Research shows that while dugongs spend about 70% of the time about 3 metres from the surface they can range as deep as 37 metres. Dugong deaths as a result of boat strikes have been recorded in several areas of Queensland and management are concerned about the potential for boats to drive due gongs from habitats that are important to them. Using a balloon to get a birds eye view of dugong behaviour and their response to bay traffic it was discovered that, because dugongs spend very little time, near the surface and are difficult to see from a boat they are easily struck. Most importantly, but perhaps not surprisingly, it was discovered that it is more difficult for dugongs to avoid boats that are moving fast up on the plane than boats moving slowly. Due gongs have a delayed response to boats and only move away from a boat when it is very close. Boats moving at high speed do not give due gongs enough time to move and often run over the animals, while due gongs always manage to avoid boats that are moving slowly. Although due gongs
are disturbed by day their reaction is relatively short and generally
returned to their original behaviour within
a few minutes of the boat passing. However, this result should
not
be interpreted
as meaning boats and dugongs can survive together easily. |
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