Todd Kelly completes 720km return crossing of Bass Strait by Jet Ski

It’s taken months’ of planning, but only three-and-half days and 19 hours in the saddle or seat for the carsales Supercar driver Todd Kelly and his mates Robbie O’Brien and Bryan Hands to cross Bass Strait by Kawasaki Jet Ski.

The adventurous trio didn’t just complete the infamous sea passage, they reached Tasmania and then turned back for their departure point of Port Welshpool on the mainland to complete a 720km return trip.

Perfectly prepared and picking a good weather window, the riders set-off on the morning of Friday May 12 on their Kawasaki Jet Skis wearing their bright yellow Musto dry suits, with a stack of safety gear aboard, right down to a toilet roll in a ziplock bag.

From Port Welshpool, they stopped at Flinders Island for the night, then changed tack due to the wind and instead of the Tamar River they stayed at Musselroe Bay on Tasmania’s northeastern tip.

There was no rest for the wicked as they embarked on their return journey across Bass Strait and to Port Welshpool with a layover on an island that night.

All told, the epic adventure amounted to a 720km return trip. Evidently, it wasn’t all beer and skittles, even despite the benign forecast.

Todd says some of the going was perfect, including some wonderful dolphin encounters, but other parts were challenging, with footage from the GoPros showing the Jet Skis punching through the waves and the bodies bucking as the gloved digits gripped the handlebars.

The desire to raise $10k for MS and a steely determination saw them complete their mission on the morning of Monday May 15. Todd said the spectacular scenery was a highlight.

"Made it! I enjoyed every minute of it with my mates Robbie O’Brien and Bryan Hands. Thanks to everyone that has made a donation to a great cause," Todd said, perhaps a little stiff from the long days at sea and 19 hours in total in the saddle.

THE JET SKIS
For the Bass Strait crossing, the trio were riding stock Kawasaki Ultra LX Jet Skis with some custom modifications to improve range and safety.

Foremost, was a custom 60-litre fuel tank on a rear rack to boost the standard 78-litre supply. The roto-moulded poly fuel tank sits tight in a stainless-steel frame off which hangs a safety kit.

In addition to the ski’s existing 220-litres of inbuilt storage, the crew added a custom waterproof case to the rear rack for essential gear he needs to keep dry. This includes an array of spares. They also fitted a bilge pump in the hull with float and dash switch.

A fully waterproof Lowrance VHF radio with AIS (the automatic identification system used to track ships) is mounted on a custom aluminium-billet dash panel. There is a Lowrance Hook 4 chirp sounder and GPS plotter, which has IPX7 waterproof rating and includes Australian charts.

Of course, there will be EPIRBS onboard and each rider will have a personal beacon, plus a satellite phone, and various action cameras.

There was new and upgraded nav gear including a full tracking system so that we could all see and follow the three jet skis no matter where they were.

By the sounds of it, they jubilant trio still hadn’t quite come down to earth on Monday after their arrival back on the Mainland. For Todd Kelly, the focus was back on Supercar driving and getting the job done at Winton this weekend.

FACT FILE
Mission: Port Welshpool, Victoria, to Tasmania and return by Jet Ski
Distance Travelled: 720km return trip via Flinders Island
Time to Ride: 19 hours in the saddle
Time: 3.5 days
Water Craft: 2017 Kawasaki Ultra LX
Engine: 1.5lt fuel-injected four stroke
Horsepower: About 150 or 160ps
Length: 3.3m
Width: 1.2m
Weight: 423kg
More on Kawasaki Jet Skis.

Read our previous articles:
Todd Kelly will ride a jet ski to Tasmania.

Todd Kelly crossing Bass Strait on a jet ski.