The Tamar is the tidal river that gives northern Tasmania its sailing. Launceston sits at its head, 40 miles from the sea; Beauty Point, Beaconsfield and George Town cluster near the mouth; and Low Head's lighthouse and pilot station mark the entrance across a bar that is crossed on the flood. The range is about 3 m and the streams run at 3 to 4 knots in the narrows, making every passage on the river a tidal exercise. Outside, the north coast runs west to Devonport and Burnie (working ports exposed to Bass Strait) and east to the Furneaux Group, Flinders Island and the passage to Victoria. The Launceston to Hobart race each December takes the fleet down the east coast, and Bass Strait crossings to Wilsons Promontory and Port Phillip depart from here.
The waters
The upper Tamar and Launceston
A winding tidal river with mud banks, a marked channel and the Seaport marina in the city. Streams and drying banks; strictly tide-dependent.
Beauty Point and George Town
The yacht clubs and marina near the mouth; the base for most sailing. Sheltered water with strong streams.
Low Head and the bar
The river entrance, with leads, a pilot station and a bar that breaks in a northerly swell on the ebb. Crossed on the flood in modest conditions.
The north coast and the Furneaux Group
Devonport and Burnie to the west; Flinders Island, Lady Barron and the Banks Strait to the east, with fierce tidal streams.
Training here
The Tamar teaches tidal river pilotage, bar crossing and stream planning; Bass Strait passages from Low Head to Flinders Island or the mainland are used for offshore experience. Courses run from Beauty Point.
What an exam here looks like
Passages for the logbook
| Passage | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beauty Point to Lady Barron (Flinders Island) | 100 | Across the Banks Strait with its tidal streams; qualifying passage. |
| Low Head to Refuge Cove (Wilsons Promontory) | 130 | The Bass Strait crossing to Victoria; overnight. |
| Launceston to Hobart | 285 | Down the east coast; the December race route. |
Conditions
| Tides | Semi-diurnal, range about 3 m. Streams of 3 to 4 knots in the narrows and at the mouth; 5 knots or more in the Banks Strait. |
|---|---|
| Weather | Westerlies and fronts off Bass Strait; northerly swell at the bar; summer sea breezes on the river. Bass Strait crossings wait for windows. |
| Facilities and rescue | Tamar Yacht Club and the marina at Beauty Point, Port Dalrymple Yacht Club at George Town, Seaport Marina at Launceston, Mersey Yacht Club at Devonport; Coast Guard and volunteer rescue at George Town and Devonport. |
Boat licence
Questions about Launceston, the Tamar and the north coast
Can I take a yacht up to Launceston?
Yes, on the tide, with attention to the drying banks and the marked channel. The river is navigable for keel yachts to the city; plan for the streams.