When you are skippering a charter yacht in the Whitsundays there are two types of common inclement weather situations to plan for... rain and strong wind.

Apart from making things a little damp your major cause for concern with rain is the loss of visibility... Sudden rain squalls can quickly blot out visibility while at the same time you experience a rapid rise in wind strength.

You can avert an uncomfortable position by thinking ahead and having a contingency plan in place. Take a conservative approach to sail setting at all times, in line with your charter yacht and bareboat experience and the level of experience of the crew. Observe approaching rain, note your compass course and sight the nearest land in plenty of time. Depending on the conditions heave to, to reduce forward movement. Reefing in anticipation... 'its better to be safe than sorry'

• The vessel can feel out of control if too much sail is being used


• The crew may feel insecure due to rough conditions experienced in wind against tide or head seas.

Practice will make you comfortable with the reefing process and you'll realise that in most cases the initial reduction in sail area must be from the mainsail... Often the headsail is furled first which has the effect of reducing heel but not weather helm.

How you choose to approach rough sea conditions is very much a personal decision, but you need to take into consideration the comfort of the crew, keeping in mind that an enjoyable holiday is the aim of your Whitsundays yacht charter and not a masochistic plunge to windward. Easing a course by ten degrees often has a dramatic effect on the general comfort level when pushing into a head sea.

Other tactics that can be employed include motor sailing under reduced mainsail, or seeking an alternative Whitsundays anchorage then waiting for a break in conditions and a change of tide.

The march of the weather systems over Australia results in periodic bursts of trade wind activity throughout the season, which lasts from March or April through September. Winds can spring up from a southerly direction on the spur of the moment, even in the middle of the night.

For this reason, local Whitsunday skippers strongly advise against the overnight use of south-exposed anchorages from April through September. Exceptions are Nara and Macona Inlets, which are deeply embayed and are not as exposed, for example, as are the anchorages on the southern side of Whitsunday Island - Turtle Bay, Chance Bay... see Whitsunday maps - Whitsunday anchorages

The Whitsundays Summer season (October to March)

As summer approaches the wind strength will lessen and lighter north easterly winds will predominate from October to March... during this period it is possible to get into some of the south-exposed anchorages which can be particularly rewarding as these anchorages are not visited as frequently.