Port Phillip
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Port Phillip, Victoria
 Port Phillip Bay - click for larger view | |
 (Click links for more information)
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 | 38°09.56′S, 144°52.89′E |
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 | Photo gallery |
 | Local chartlet |
Overview
Port Phillip, often known as Port Philip Bay, incorporates Corio Bay to the west and joins Bass Strait with Victoria's capital city Melbourne and Victoria's largest regional city Geelong. The bay is large, covering approximately 1,930 km2 (745 mi2) with a shoreline of approximately 264 km (164 mi) with a single opening to the sea in the south known as "The Heads".
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Cruising the region
Although the bay is relatively shallow, it is mostly navigable but care is required in the southern area which has two navigable channels: the West Channel usually used by recreational vessels and has a depth of around 4m; and the South Channel that is used by all commercial traffic and has a depth of around 12m. The bay has Yacht Clubs and Marinas dotted around the shoreline.
The Yarra River flows into the northern end of the bay and is the site of both the city of Melbourne and the Port of Melbourne, which is Australia's busiest commercial port. To service this port, Port Phillip Heads and the mouth of the Yarra River were dredged to allow deeper drafted vessels to enter the bay. This work was started in 2004 and finished in late 2009 and has been the source of great controversy by environmental groups.
Charts
- Australian Hydrographic Service
- AUS 158 Entrance to Port Phillip
- AUS 143 Port Phillip - The Rip
- AUS 154 Port Melbourne
Radio Nets
- See Melbourne
- Also see World Cruiser's Nets
Weather
The prevailing wind for the West and Central Victorian Coast is South West all year round, but during summer Northerlies and North Westerlies are common, and during Autumn (Fall) Easterlies can prevail for periods. Weather patterns always flow west to east, with low and high pressure systems developing in the Southern and Indian Oceans and travelling across the Great Australian Bight, across Victoria and on through the Tasman Sea, drifting south east to New Zealand.
Offshore Islands
See Melbourne
The approaches to Port Phillip Bay at "The Heads" whether from the East, South or West, are free from hazards. However, the heads themselves must be approached with extreme care. Due to the larges body of water and the relatively small opening, the area in the middle of the heads, known as The Rip, has tidal streams that can run in excess of 6 knots and large breaking seas can be encountered in wind against tide situations.
The recommended timing of entry through the heads is at 'slack water', which occurs 3 hours after high or low water at Port Philip Heads and the ideal is 3 hours after low water as this allows the trip up the bay on a rising tide with a favourable tidal stream. This information can be found from the Victorian Tide Tables or from the Bureau of Meteorology web site.
When approaching the heads, Point Lonsdale Lighthouse can be seen on the western side, which has a characteristic of a group flash 2 every 15 seconds. At night, the light also displays a single red light to show the first half of an ebbing tide, two red lights to show the second half of an ebbing tide, a single green light to indicate the first half of a flooding tide and two green lights to indicate the second half of a flooding tide. If in any doubt at all call "Lonsdale VTS" (Vessel Traffic Service) on VHF channel 12 or 16 and they will tell you the state of the tide and also conditions at the heads. As a courtesy, it is a good idea to call Lonsdale VTS anyway and ask if there is any commercial traffic. Vessels over 35 metres require a pilot.
There are 4 recognised channels into the heads, east, central, west and four fingers west. These channels are detailed on the Australian chart AUS 158 "Entrance to Port Phillip" and are aligned with 4 lighthouses on Shortland Bluff inside the heads, a high light and 3 low lights, east central and west. The recommended channels for recreational vessels are the west channel or four fingers west, these channels keep you away from commercial traffic that uses the central channel.
Hazards at the heads include Lonsdale reef on the western side and corsair rock on the eastern side. Neither of these hazards come into play if you are aligned with any of the recognised channels.
Check-in facilities (Customs and Quarantine)
- Contact Customs and Quarantine for information on anchorage/berthing
- See also Australia
Ports and Popular Stops
- Port Melbourne
- Port Henry (Geelong)
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
See Melbourne
Anchorages
See Melbourne
Routes/Passages To/From
Popular passages/routes, timing, etc.
References & Publications
See Melbourne
Cruiser's Friends
See Melbourne
Forum Discussions
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
External Links
Links to relevant websites.
Personal Notes
Personal experiences?
Last Visited & Details Checked (and updated here)
Date of member's visit to this Port/Stop & this page's details validated:
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Names: Buena Vista, Haiqu |
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| | HOMEPAGE | Wiki Contents | Australia | Victoria | Port Phillip | |
