Riviera Raft up at Refuge Cove - A Riveting Experience

Refuge Cove, Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria: After six months of planning, it was time for Riviera owner Peter Turrell and his friends from the Sandringham Yacht Club to travel some 145 nautical miles to “a small slice of Heaven situated at the most southern part of mainland Australia and Victoria” (theprom.net.au).

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The fleet including three Rivieras ranging in size from 36 to 43 feet departed the Sandringham Yacht Club on Easter Sunday bound for Queenscliff Harbour to refuel for Riviera 3600 Sport Yacht with IPS, Eagle III, with David Harrison and Kevin Hibberson on board and then on to their final destination, Refuge Cove.

Located in Australia’s oldest National Park, Refuge Cove offers spectacular scenery, beautiful rain forests, bush walks and camping grounds, as well as surfing, swimming and fishing.  The waters surrounding Wilson’s Promontory are protected as a national marine park, which makes it a great spot for diving.

Gary Axton on board Riviera 37 Flybridge, Evening Star, said the trip was a great opportunity for those inexperienced in offshore boating to cruise through Port Phillip Heads and along Bass Straight in the company and security of more experienced boaters.

“We were able to enjoy the adventure of cruising through Bass Straight comforted by the security of numbers and all the boats performed without incident,” Gary said.

“Refuge Cove is a sanctuary for those cruising through and around the southern coast of Victoria.  It was our Easter break destination and what a pristine and stunning location to raft up and enjoy a holiday in great company with well appointed boats.”

David Harrison on board Eagle III said they experienced heavy seas on the journey south with about a two-metre swell and 15 knot breeze, but Eagle III handled the conditions perfectly.

“Being relatively new to boating, the thought of leaving the safety of Port Phillip Bay and venturing out into the wilds of Bass Strait was rather daunting for me, so when the opportunity arose to spend Easter at Refuge Cove in the company of three other boats from the Sandringham Yacht Club, I jumped at the chance,” David said.

“The trip south, the day after extremely stormy weather in Melbourne was interesting to say the least.  Bass Strait didn’t seem to know that the storms had past, but Eagle III performed impeccably.  At no time did I feel nervous and the IPS came into its own when rafting up and pulling up to the dock to refuel at Port Welshpool in extremely windy conditions.”

Prior to departing the Sandringham Yacht Club, trip organiser Peter Turrell meticulously planned the voyage to ensure it was a safe and enjoyable journey.

“I asked all skippers to report their fuel consumptions at various speeds, 12, 16, 20 and 22 knots so I knew each boat’s fuel capabilities and I asked them to give me a GPS track check with their compasses, so if their compass failed we had a back up,” Peter said.

“We also checked that we had current fire extinguishers onboard, a parachute flare, plus normal flares and we hired a six man life raft.

“Given the right weather and seas in Bass Strait, we all felt comfortable to try for the faster speed, which we achieved.  More fuel was used but we travelled a great distance versus less fuel and small distance.

“Calculations had to be made about what fuel was left after 145nm to Refuge Cove and a further 25nm to Port Welshpool where we met other friends from the Yacht Club onboard two trailer boats.

“We did a lot of homework to make sure the skippers were happy with the fuel stops.  The two 37’s used a little under 2000 litres return, the 36 even less.”

When the fleet arrived at Refuge Cove, they were struck by its magnificence – the huge granite mountains set atop majestic beaches and the crystal clear turquoise water.

“We were taken away with the beauty of Refuge Cove and upon our return to Sandringham we were extremely lucky to see pods of dolphins,” said Debbie Finemore on board Riviera 37, Imagination.

“As members of the Sandringham Yacht Club, Gary and I have met some fantastic people and we decided to do a trip together from Sandringham to Refuge Cove, Wilson’s Promontory which is a six-and-a-half hour trip each way travelling at about 22 knots.  The sea conditions on the way down were not ideal but Imagination handled it beautifully and on our return trip we encountered smooth seas.  We had such a great time, we are now planning the next trip to Apollo Bay and then on to King Island next Easter.”

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