At home in Albany

Albany is much more than a bolt-hole from the Southern Ocean, writes Judith Thomson, who likes it so much she has made it her home.

Sail into a well-protected anchorage after a boisterous passage and the sudden peace is sublime. Albany’s King George Sound welcomes yachts in from the Southern Ocean, then beckons further — come in, it’s snug inside.

Charts of latitudes south of 35 degrees S show long miles between few anchorages and even fewer major harbours offering refuge from the inexorable low-pressure weather systems. Albany is one of the most accessible for ocean cruisers, and an unexploited delight for trailer-sailer owners.

Southern Ocean’s biggest harbour

King George Sound and its inner harbours, Princess Royal and Oyster, can probably claim to be the world’s biggest and best haven from the Southern Ocean. And the sound, encompassing 110 sqkm, is twice as big as Sydney Harbour. Its east-facing entrance is guarded by Michaelmas and Breaksea islands, with the Flinders Peninsula curving protectively around the southern perimeter, a natural shield against the stormy south-westerlies. The granite pate of Bald Head stands proud at the end of the peninsula and presents an unmistakable landmark on approach.

Explorers in sailing ships, sealers, whalers, fishing fleets, solo circumnavigators and countless cruising yachts have taken their vessels on the route south of Cape Leeuwin and across to Tasmania. The first Europeans to visit Albany were Dutch sailors in the Gulden Zeepaert in 1626.

At the outbreak of World War I, a convoy of 38 Australian and New Zealand ships assembled in the sound, with four major warships to protect them on their way to Europe.

Bulk-carriers moor here now, waiting their turn to load grain and wood chips from the hinterland farms. The approach to the wharves is through Ataturk Entrance, named in honour of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the commander of the Turkish troops at Gallipolli and later founder and first president of the modern Turkish Republic. His statue watches over the passage, his words on a plaque beside him: “Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives . . . you are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and Mehamets to us where they lie side by side. You, the mothers who sent their sons from far-away countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives they are now our sons as well.”

On the track past the memorial, we pause and wipe away our own tears.

Yachts tack or motorsail through the passage, keeping a lookout for the tugs emerging from their pens at the western end of the wharf. There is a well enforced exclusion zone for all non-commercial vessels alongside the wharves.

Secluded inner harbours

Inside this keyhole passage and away from the port area, Princess Royal Harbour is generally rather shallow with the chart showing the drying banks to the south and west. As if desperately calling for help, the wooden ribs of three ships emerge at low tide. They are sobering reminders of the dangers of lee shores for sailing ships — even in a harbour.

On the northeast corner of the sound, past the long white curve of Middleton Beach, another narrow but well marked channel leads into Oyster Harbour, home of the local fishing fleet, the site of two anchorages and the major service facilities.

An inviting country

The Menang Aborigines fished here — freshwater shellfish from the rivers, molluscs from the rocks and fish caught in traps still visible in Oyster Harbour.

This corner of Australia revels in the downpours resulting from the weather systems colliding with unforgiving coastal cliffs. Behind the granites, the landscape is invitingly green almost all year round — extensive national parks conserve an incredibly rich botanic diversity and for sailors, the hush of majestic karri forests is a serene contrast to a lively ocean passage. This is a countryside to be savoured leisurely.

Albany is a friendly, pretty town, draped over the saddle between Mounts Clarence and Melville. In summer it is crowded with families escaping the heat further north and retirees roaming Australia in their caravans.

Provisions and services

Behind the old grey Anglican church, about halfway up the hill from the harbour, the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market is one of Albany’s major attractions. It has won the accolade of best farmers’ market in Australia. Each stallholder must sell only their own produce and the vegetables glisten with the overnight rainshower. Because everything is picked that morning or no more than the day before, it is worth stocking up here with whatever is in season.

Orchard-ripened avocados, tomatoes, cherries and luscious strawberries nestle in my basket next to crisp, perfect lettuces, organically grown without a grub in sight. I choose yoghurt from a particular cow whose photograph decorates the stall. The smoked fish, fresh mussels and lamb are delicacies. The buskers might be an à cappella group, singing energetically while I debate the merits of jarrah or banksia honey and which chutney to heap onto my chewy sourdough. We’ve learned to relish the seasonal specialties.

All the services for general provisioning are around town —  supermarkets, chandleries, hardware stores — but none are really conveniently located for yachts, so unless you can jag a lift with an obliging local, you’ll probably need to grab a taxi. They are usually readily available.

Taking a break from the galley is often not just a luxury for cruising sailors but a form of holiday. Good espresso coffee becomes the stuff of onboard dreams. Above the Town Jetty, the choice of cafés starts with Dylans on Stirling Terrace, side by side with others offering a selection of vegetarian and sea food. The eating options stretch up the main street, around to Middleton Beach and out to the Squid Shack at the Emu Point boat pens. Albany’s foodies are spoilt.

Out of town, but well serviced by tour operators or easily reached by hire car, the wineries and olive farms produce superb vintages, especially the flavourful cool-climate rieslings and EVOO (extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil). Several offer sumptuous tasting plates.

The visitors centre in the old railway station opposite the town jetty is energetically enthusiastic about this beautiful region. It is also the departure point for a daily bus to Perth, six hours away. An air service operates from the airport, 15km northwest of the city.

In winter, the city returns to its normal population of around 32,000. They draw their coats tightly around themselves and scurry through their business as the south-westerlies chill the main street. Then it’s time to take in slow food, the reds, a rich glass of port and a cheese from the Sunday Boatshed Markets.

Natural and cultural attractions

The shallow parts of the inner harbours and sandbanks drying at low tide provide resting and foraging sites for thousands of resident and migrant birds flying south for summer. The southwest corner of Princess Royal Harbour is an Australian hotspot for these little marathon fliers, which arrive around November and depart again by March, taking the East-Asian-Australasian Flyway back to the northern summer, a round trip of about 13,000 miles through 22 countries.

Sea eagles and pelicans patrol the Oyster Harbour anchorages. And from July to October, the humpbacks and southern rights arrive, the word spreads through the town and crowds rush to the lookouts to watch. It is 30 years since the last whale was slaughtered in these waters –  the Whaling Station and whale-watching are now tourist drawcards  The Last Whale written by Chris Pash, describes the Greenpeace campaign against whaling and the whalers’ bemused reactions. The protestors took to the ocean in a Zodiac with a shonky walking compass and had to rely on the whalechasers to lead them back to shore. At the book launch, aging campaigners and former whaling skippers stood side by side.

Perhaps the wintry months encourage cultural activity. Albany nurtures its musicians, artists and authors. For artistic nourishment after a long stint of listening to VHF and HF radios and looking at chartplotters, drop into the old stone Town Hall in the centre of York Street for a friendly run-down on the frequent events around town.

For international yachts

Albany is a designated Customs, Immigration and Quarantine port of arrival. It is also the southwestern point of contact for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The duty customs officer is enthusiastic about welcoming international yachts and, in the capacity of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, has been involved in the rescue of those coming to grief hundreds of miles south of Australia during round-the-world races. The staff are anticipating an upsurge in activity as a result of the Round Antarctica Yacht Race being developed to start from Albany.

Yachts seeking clearance into Australia at Albany should notify Customs of their intended arrival date not less than 96 hours prior to arrival and call again on VHF 16 when in range. The town jetty was closed at the time of writing and Customs inspections were being carried out at a designated berth in the new marina. Yachts could request inspection at Emu Point inside Oyster Harbour or at the sailing club. Quarantine laws are very strictly applied and no one may go ashore until pratique has been obtained.

It is possible to anchor off the jetty, but with the prevailing winds from the SW and SE, this anchorage usually presents a lee shore. The holding can be difficult in extremely hard sand.

Australian visitors and circumnavigators

The Western Australian Cruising Guide, researched and published by members of the Fremantle Sailing Club, provides useful pointers to anchorages. The cautionary note about setting anchors in the hard sandy bottom should be taken seriously, especially on a potential lee shore. Locals use specially sharpened admiralty anchors to dig in along this coast and if you are intending to spend some time cruising here, the purchase of a suitably sized anchor from a chandlery such as Westerbergs (near the Boatshed to the east of the Town Jetty) would be worthwhile insurance against sudden strong blows.

Keep a sharp lookout for aquaculture areas within Oyster Harbour and in Frenchman Bay in King George Sound. The boundaries are marked by yellow cans and

flashing lights.

The Princess Royal Sailing Club is celebrating its centenary in 2009 with numerous events, including a resurrection of the Fremantle to Albany Race. The crew of the line honours yacht, Knee Deep Wines, said that it was a race in the class of the Sydney to Hobart, with the run down the west coast, the unpredictability of rounding Cape Leeuwin, a beat across to Bald Head and the light conditions inside the sound.

The club welcomes visiting yachts to compete in its fleet on Saturday afternoons. With one of the best views across the harbour, it offers pens inside the north arm at attractive rates, bar and buffet on Friday evenings. The club has a slipway for monohulls up to 1.7m draught.

Generally, Albany has a small diurnal tide and at low tide, yachts drawing more than 1.6m should watch for shallows on the approaches to the club.

The channel into the Emu Point Boat Harbour is convoluted but clearly marked. For short time while loading, yachts may tie up alongside the fishing boat wharf. Be prepared to move if the fishing boats need a berth. A $4.12 per metre fee applies.

Emu Point Slipway Services operates a 30-tonne shiplifter. It has a maximum beam of six metres and can accommodate yachts with a draft of around two metres, although this may be increased slightly at extra-high tides. Darren Russell, the shipwright and lifter operator, is a wooden boat enthusiast who is preparing his yacht Anika to sail to the Mediterranean and through the European canals. He will provide contacts for mechanical services in town and despite his very busy yard, is a generous source of information.

And for trailerables

Apart from several beach launching spots which generally require some local knowledge, Albany has six formed boat ramps, allowing a good choice to make best use of shelter from the wind on the day. The ramps have clear access and some parking available.

Future developments for cruising yachts

The Albany foreshore at the western end of the port area is currently undergoing major construction, which will result in a new marina, entertainment centre, accommodation and commercial premises. The marina will offer 74 floating pens for yachts up to 25m with a draught of 6m within a breakwall. There will be two boat ramps sheltered by the breakwall with plenty of parking and no overhead obstructions. Power and water, ablution and laundry facilities will be provided. Services will include fuel and pumpout facilities.

This development is planned for completion in 2010 and no fee structure has been released yet. The marina will be operated by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.

Plan your stopover

Albany’s splendid harbour is blissfully uncrowded and the Great Southern region lying along this coast rates some time ashore. We have chosen the southern shore of Princess Royal Harbour as our place to retire, where we can watch the ships and yachts and the rhythm of the tides. Part of the attraction is in living between the bucolic landscape and the awesome Southern Ocean.

• any chance of an article about south coast 25TS yachts ? I have one
  keith mc Neil on 18-Feb-10 08:35 AM