Summary
CAIRNS
SUMMARY
The Port of Cairns is not a tropical cyclone haven. The port is vulnerable to wind and storm surge. Also, Trinity Inlet, on which the port is situated, is subject to flooding whenever the area experiences heavy rainfall such as would be expected during a tropical cyclone passage. The Cairns Port Authority will order all ships at the port to put to sea whenever Cairns is threatened by a tropical cyclone and an ORANGE alert (destructive winds are forecast to affect the area within 16 hours) is declared.
The Port of Cairns has 11 wharves. Since most are not suitable for accommodating U.S. Navy ships, the ships would likely be assigned to General Cargo Wharves 7 or 8, or Wharf 2, the Cruise Line Terminal. There is no anchorage for large vessels at the Port of Cairns. Ships can anchor for short periods in the swing basin in Trinity Inlet adjacent to HMAS Cairns as long as they don't block traffic.
The 6 nmi long, 295 ft (90 m) wide Entrance Channel for the Port of Cairns is maintained at a depth of 27.2 ft (8.3 m). The beacons that mark the channel through mud flats are 623 ft (190 m) apart, but the channel itself is only 295 ft (90 m) wide. Consequently, the outer edge of the channel is approximately 164 ft (50 m) inside the beacon positions.
It is the recommendation of this evaluation that all U.S. Navy ships sortie from the Port at the first indication that Cairns is threatened by a tropical cyclone, and not wait to be ordered by the Port Authorities to put to sea.
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This hurricane haven evaluation was prepared by
R. Gilmore and R.E. Englebretson of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Monterey, CA. and S. Brand of Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, CA.
Source: http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/port_studies/thh-nc/australi/cairns/text/summary.htm
