Torres Strait

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Torres Strait

Map of of some of the southern channels of Torres Strait, in the vicinity of Thursday Island, Prince of Wales Channel and Endeavour Strait.
Click for larger view

Description

The Torres Strait is the body of water lying between the northern tip of Queensland, Australia (known as the Cape York Peninsula) and Papua New Guinea. It contains many islands known as the Torres Strait Islands, most of which are Australian territory.

Climate & Weather Information

Expect hot and moist tropical weather for most of the year. The cyclone season runs from November or December through to about April. The SE trade winds run through the strait from about April to November, and can be quite strong.

Sources for Weather forecasts:

Weather Windows

The cyclone season runs from November to April, and without extensive local knowledge the area is best avoided at this time.

The best time of year for an east to west passage is during the months of April through to September. The prevailing winds are often reversed prior to (and during) the cyclone season, and so a west to east passage is often best attempted in October and November. Be prepared to sit and wait for wind shifts if necessary.

Radio Nets

Sheila Net on 8161kHz at 2200UTC (0800 Australian Eastern Standard Time) is the most active radio net covering this region.

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Navigation Charts Required

Australian Hydrographic Office
Aus292 -- Australia Torres Strait - Queensland - Adolphus Channel to Prince of Wales Channel (1:75000)
Aus293 -- Australia North Coast - Torres Strait - Prince of Wales Channel (1:37500)
Aus294 -- Australia - North Coast - Torres Strait - Endeavour Strait (1:75000)
Aus296 -- Australia North Coast - Torres Strait - Prince of Wales Channel to Varzvin Passage (1:37500)
Aus297 -- Great North East Channel - Basilisk Passage to Moon Passage (1:50000)
Aus299 -- Australia North Coast - Torres Strait - Approaches to Thursday Island (1:12500)

Note that all of the above paper charts are available in S63 electronic (vector) format: http://www.hydro.gov.au/prodserv/important-info/echarting-info.htm

There are many shallows, banks, and reefs within the Torres Strait. Although the main shipping passages are well marked, anyone venturing into the region for the first time would be well advised to have reliable and accurate charts.

Possible Departure Points

Route/Suggested Stopovers

List the route and the suggested stopover points (in sequence), including their coordinates, and some description.

  1. [[Departure Point1]] DD°M.M′N/S, DD°M.M′E/W - This is you departure point, etc.
  2. [[Stopover Point1]] DD°M.M′N/S, DD°M.M′E/W - This is a good stop, etc. From here you can possibly stop at:
    1. [[Stopover Point2]] DD°M.M′N/S, DD°M.M′E/W - A good place to visit... or,
    2. [[Stopover Point3]] DD°M.M′N/S, DD°M.M′E/W - A good place to visit... or,
  3. [[Arrival Point 1]] DD°M.M′N/S, DD°M.M′E/W - You can arrive here or, continue to:
  4. [[Arrival Point 2]] DD°M.M′N/S, DD°M.M′E/W - You can arrive here or, continue to:

Possible Arrival Ports

Distance & Duration

Approximate Distances in nM (±5 )
Approximate Duration days + hours (non-stop, assumes an average speed of 6 knots)
[[Departure Point1]] [[Stopover Point1]] [[Stopover Point2]] [[Stopover Point3]] [[Arrival Point 1]] [[Arrival Point2]]
[[Departure Point1]] x1
d+h
x2
d+h
x3
d+h
x4
d+h
x5
d+h
[[Stopover Point1]] x1
d+h
x6
d+h
x7
d+h
x8
d+h
x9
d+h
[[Stopover Point2]] x2
d+h
x6
d+h
x10
d+h
x11
d+h
x12
d+h
[[Stopover Point3]] x3
d+h
x7
d+h
x10
d+h
x13
d+h
x14
d+h
[[Arrival Point 1]] x4
d+h
x8
d+h
x11
d+h
x13
d+h
x15
d+h
[[Arrival Point2]] x5
d+h
x9
d+h
x12
d+h
x14
d+h
x15
d+h

Forum discussions

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

External Links

References

Books, Guides, etc. Use the Reference template or not at your discretion. For example:

{{Reference|Rod HeikelGreek Waters Pilot Imray|Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire (2010)|9780852889718}}, expands to
Rod Heikell, Greek Waters Pilot Imray, Laurie and Wilson, Cambridgeshire (2010), ISBN 9780852889718
  • Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number
  • Author, Title, Publisher, ISBN ISBN number

You may want to remove the above entries and use instead a link to the Country or Region that lists the relevant references. If so enter, after removing {{MagentaText|xx}}, the following:

See [[Country or Region#References_&_Publications|Coutry or Region]].

If you do not use the above link, please remove it.

Personal Notes

Personal experience?


Template:Guide1



SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page [add 3 tildes (~~~) on the name line]

Names: Delatbabel



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