Tamala Station Boat Launching

 G'day,

Looking at a trip to Tamala station in May next year. Have got a 6.5m plate boat on a dual axle trailer. Anybody have experience on launching a similar sized boat up there, and if so where? Any info on best camp sites for shelter from the wind and good for mooring much appreciated.

 

Cheers.

 


ranmar850's picture

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Date Joined: 12/08/12

Big place with a lot of variety

Mon, 2016-09-05 17:12

 Baba Head has good launching--any tide, I think, but please correct me if I'm wrong, only spent 2 days there. Over at Tea Tree Camp, totally tide dependant, you really need to leave the boat anchored as anything under half tide just sees the water ankle deep for miles. Which means mooring the boat well out on the mud, which also means you reallly need a way of getting to and from unless you like swimming in the dark, tidal range can get  over 1.5 metres.  Good holding bottom with a big Danforth and some chain. Sheltered from east through to SW.  On the other side of that peninsula ( east side), there is  a variety of launching/mooring options ( apparently) but I've never launched there. Wide open to the easterlies and south-easterlies, of course, but more fishing options.

Swompa's picture

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 Per above and staying in Tea

Mon, 2016-09-05 20:10

 Per above and staying in Tea Tree also for 10days in May. At low tide, we would need to drag the rubber ducky 150m out over course gravel and at high tide the beach was steep enough to dig a bath into it.

 

 

ranmar850's picture

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Date Joined: 12/08/12

Note that tide is very weather driven

Tue, 2016-09-06 07:11

predicted tide heights and times are strongly influenced by local wind conditions. We were there for a week in April, and, while the tidal range predicted was moderate, we had the extremes. Strong SE, water just disappeared. Lucky we had the boat as far out as it was and anchored over the mud, just got away with it. A lot of people seem to anchor pretty close--they would have woken to find their boats sitting on flat rock if they'd tried it then. And then the other extreme--wind went around to NE, and then N, not strong, but the water piled up down the bottom where Tea Tree is located. The tidal flow was very obviously running out all day, but the water level actually rose, then held, didn't start dropping until the wind died right out. Got caught with the Hobie, dragged it above tide level on a falling tide, came back after lunch to find slop washing it around on the very narrow bit of beach below the rock shelf.

Note-this applies to Tea Tee Camp side (Depuch Loop), don't know if the effect is as marked on the Freycinet Inlet ( east) side of the peninsula.

timboon's picture

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 Yeah mate as Ranmar has said

Tue, 2016-09-06 07:35

 Yeah mate as Ranmar has said Baba Head is the go, there is a launching spot on the leftish side of the large camping area looking north which you will have no worries launching and retrieving there.

It is quite sandy but if you just ease it out in low range you'll spin and eventually grip as it finds some stone below.

There is a couple of round cement moorings about 30m off the shore there so take a shackle and additional rope if you want to moor the craft there. 

Be aware of the shallow area about 50m slightly NW off the ramp, saw some clowns plow into that which made for some entertaining veiwing. I would have been more sympathetic had we not just had to un-jackknife his bogged 2wd and boat trailer. He'd somehow got the boat in then got himself bogged pretty badly, we got him out and then he realised his boat was full of water sitting on the ramp as he'd also forgotten to put the bungs in.  He wasn't one for taking advice so we left him to it but sure enough he plowed straight into the shallow country, you wouldnt have known it though he hardly missed a beat, kept on trucking at full throttle and off he went. 

When you head out we were idling heading slighly NE until we crossed the weed line where it gets a bit deeper and then you are away.

Take some goggles to find the mooring and dive on it, its olny about 5ft deep, when you're balls hit the cold shark bay water you will fear you have lost them forever but eventually they thaw out and re apprear.

Enjoy

Swompa's picture

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 Forgot how cold the water

Tue, 2016-09-06 19:15

 Forgot how cold the water was! 

I went up expecting balmy salt water baths each evening but wash during the middle of the day so you can warm up in the arvo

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Date Joined: 18/02/13

 Thanks for the info guys!!

Tue, 2016-09-06 08:44

 Thanks for the info guys!!

OOH YEH's picture

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I stayed at tents landing at tamala station

Tue, 2016-09-06 20:11

 In June around the 13 th the weather was blowing from the south east ...... As you can see from my photos the boat ramp hard rock all the way in .... The depth is around .5 to 1 meter there is two bouys there for mooring ....and the snapper ,pink and black come right into the launch ramp !!!!!! 

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Date Joined: 24/11/10

Prickly point

Tue, 2016-09-13 19:00

 Prickley point, i think the campsite is Tent Landing, has a long drop dunny, bore water on tap, and heaps double gees!!!

 

A natural boat ramp, stone bottom, so not much chance of getting bogged, just a little shallow so care needed when lauunch/ retreive.

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Date Joined: 18/02/13

 Some friends of friends have

Thu, 2016-09-29 22:50

 Some friends of friends have recommended Shell Beach given the size of boat. Anybody familiar with this spot for launching a boat this size?

Swompa's picture

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 She'll Beach was a Nomad

Sun, 2016-10-02 09:12

 Shell Beach was a Nomad carpark when we were there. Seriously like Bunnings but with Caravans set up for months and land cruisers. Facing north east so bear that in mind with the prevailing winds whenever you are going.

timboon's picture

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 Baba Head............ I've

Sat, 2016-10-01 21:45

 Baba Head............

 

I've been there and done it, If Shell beach is the one i am thinking of which is east of Baba you'll be walking the boat in 500mtrs at mid-low tide....

 

Baba Head you can park right in front of you're camp with more snapper than you can feed the dolphins with not far away........

 

P.S Take a good book, Pinks get boring after a few days

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Date Joined: 18/02/13

 Thanks guys. Think we have

Sun, 2016-10-02 13:18

 Thanks guys. Think we have settled on Snapper Bay which is about 500m south of Baba head. 

 

Cheers for the info. 

ranmar850's picture

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Date Joined: 12/08/12

I've camped at Snapper camp.

Mon, 2016-10-03 17:31

 Nice little one-tent/camper campsite, above the water, launch at Baba Head. You could leave the boat moored there if you took it out a bit, but I don't thing I'd bother given the ease and proximity of the Baba ramp.

Posts: 9

Date Joined: 18/02/13

 Sounds like there are plenty

Wed, 2016-10-05 19:22

 Sounds like there are plenty of options there. Thanks for the info mate.