I'm looking at taking a crew to mud for a overnighter and have never been so looking for any pointers that might help with a safe trip
hi mate - not too many dramas can happen to you at Mud that can't happen anywhere.
I usually stick to the eastern & sthn side, as north of Mud is the shipping lane (although a fair bit north of the island itself).
what info in particular are you after?
Once there, try not to navigate around at full sound at night, occasionally large swells move through from big ships coming into port of Brisbane. Not often, but not worth the risk either. Other than that, its pretty safe, can't run into anything unless you get too close to the rocky groin on the NE side. I don't suppose you would be tempted to go swimming at this time of year?? I wouldn't, have seen some pretty BIG grey suits swimming around those parts.
Scalem
Do you have a gps? If yes, when you get their during the daylight, do a circuit of the Island, and at each cardinal punch in the spots into your gps and set them with one of the buoy symbols. You need this because half the cardinals are not lit at night. One of the south east cardinals (that marks a nasty set of rocks) has been unlit for about 5 years. I nearly hit it once. Before I had a gps.
The north and the 2 east cardinals are the only ones you can travel at speed on the inside of. All the rest you need to go around (though some you can slowly travel inside to the shallows, don't do it at speed)
There are safe sheltered little bays on all sides, so if the wind picks up, just work your way to the calm side to anchor up for the night. Most places you can slowly work your way in to pretty close to the island. It is mostly the bottom half of the island that has shallow rocks that come out a fair way and are hidden at high tide. If you can get their at half to low tide during the day, that will be a good thing to give you a visual of what I mean.
Where are you leaving from? Make sure you punch in your return marks in case you end up coming back during the night. If coming from the river, when you clear the rock wall, punch in a return mark as it is not easy to traverse back without it.
Most of the fishing is either in the reefy areas directly east. Easy to find, as it is where the other boats are. On the west. most fish in the 10m area in between the 2 west cardinals. Also in the deeper area just north and west of the north cardinal. Easy to find the dropoff. Should find bream in close to the island if that is your target.
Just make sure you have your appropriate lights on as there are usually other boats zapping around at night.
Cheech
This will help
I'm heading from Runaway Bay, so there will be no going home Cheech, I'm in a 32' Mustang so should be fine in most conditions.
Thanks guy's it's always good to get some local knowledge, this has helped alot!
Now that's what I call a boat! With that draft, I would probably not cut too close on the north east side where webby has the yellow mark, because if you do, there are a couple of bits where it comes up to about 1m deep at low tide. I had not mentioned it earlier as it is not normally a concern with us smaller boats.
Lots of tinnies around Mud. A lot of them are very careless and don't show an anchor light at night.
Please be careful with that wake of yours.
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should be right even at 1m ...should need about 0.85m to run a boat like that but still better to be in a bit deeper.
I was a tinnie once too, so I make a point to take care around small boatsOriginally Posted by charleville
Please be careful with that wake of yours.
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