Haul out/bottom paint in Australia?

[efrank]

Good Choice.
Please contact me on your arrival.
I'm very happy to help out a fellow HR'er
I have good accomodation in Sydney if you need as well.
Eric

[BoomBrake]

P.S. I see from Shiptrak you're currently in Coffs Harbour. Why not go for dinner to the Yacht Club restaurant (called Yknot Bistro!). Treat yourselves to a Surf n' Turf and Yknot Salad with Prawns. Best in the world!

And also stop off in Port Stephens on the way down South for a few days. It is a lovely little bay. That's where I'll be sailing to in Feb/March for a week or so.

(OK yes, I'm a little home sick!)

[44'cruisingcat]

Port Stephens is nice, we're there now. Another pleasant stop a daysail from Coffs, is Camden Haven. You can tie up (free) at the wharf next to the Laureton United Services Club, ( Laurieton United Services Club-About LUSC ) fill up your water tanks and have a nice dinner there.

[44'cruisingcat]

Just looked at Seabreeze : Seabreeze.com.au: Mid Northern New South Wales Weather Forecast (Swell, Wind, Tide, Rain & Temperature)

I'd be trying to get to Camden Haven or Port Macquarie today or tomorrow. Some big seas coming, and Coffs can be pretty uncomfortable, even in the marina. By Saturday afternoon bar crossings may not be viable, and Sunday/Monday near 6 metre seas could be breaking over the seawall at Coffs.

[44'cruisingcat]

Now seabreeze is forecasting 7 metre seas at Coffs for monday night. 8 metres at Port Macquarie.

Might be worth watching here: Coastalwatch :: surfcams :: surf reports :: swell forecasts :: news

Good site for anyone crossing bars in NSW - most can be viewed here.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Just looked at Seabreeze : Seabreeze.com.au: Mid Northern New South Wales Weather Forecast (Swell, Wind, Tide, Rain & Temperature)

I'd be trying to get to Camden Haven or Port Macquarie today or tomorrow. Some big seas coming, and Coffs can be pretty uncomfortable, even in the marina. By Saturday afternoon bar crossings may not be viable, and Sunday/Monday near 6 metre seas could be breaking over the seawall at Coffs.

Passed Mackay last night. Recorded 130 knots at Hay Point. Great rain for us farmers and cooled temps down.

[jim_thomsen]

Thanks for the warning....I had not been looking at weather or the computer today. I knew it was wrong to try to do boat projects.
Anyway, getting to Maquarie during a daylight high tide would require us leaving tomorrow afternoon and that seems to be pushing it.
So, I guess we will see how the sea wall handles 7meter swell. We will run a couple extra lines and hope to at least get some fun pictures.

[charliehows]

Oyster cove up the west end of port stephens is good - fer chrissakes dont go to anyone up on Pittwater - the only thing they know how to do properly up there is charge...

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by jim_thomsen

Thanks for the warning....I had not been looking at weather or the computer today. I knew it was wrong to try to do boat projects.
Anyway, getting to Maquarie during a daylight high tide would require us leaving tomorrow afternoon and that seems to be pushing it.
So, I guess we will see how the sea wall handles 7meter swell. We will run a couple extra lines and hope to at least get some fun pictures.

Jim, don't trust any of the cleats there. As you can probably tell, the whole place is decrepit and every time there is serious wx the marina breaks up a bit more. Val Crawley the chap who used to run the place (in the good old days!) had some really scary photos of waves overtopping the causeway between the mainland and Muttonbird I.

Good luck... this one sounds nasty as hell!

Cheers,

Jim

[jim_thomsen]

Thanks Jim,
Well, I guess we will see how it goes. It doesn't seem right that after sailing 35,000 miles and around the South Island of New Zealand that one of our worst experiences could be in a marina during the summer! Wow!

[savoir]

I call ******** on that forecast.

Expect winds 30 - 35 knots and waves 3 - 4m. The harbour will be a little choppy but otherwise OK.

Wait and see.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by jim_thomsen

Thanks for the warning....I had not been looking at weather or the computer today. I knew it was wrong to try to do boat projects.
Anyway, getting to Maquarie during a daylight high tide would require us leaving tomorrow afternoon and that seems to be pushing it.
So, I guess we will see how the sea wall handles 7meter swell. We will run a couple extra lines and hope to at least get some fun pictures.

Could have targeted an arrival at around 6-7pm today, had a flooding tide and still daylight. Still, the forecast has improved a bit, so hopefully it will be OK in there.

We were there after some heavy weather about 12 years ago, and were told stories of waves and big rocks coming over the breakwall, and the marina coming apart, basically boat owners holding it all together using their engines. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Best of luck!

[BoomBrake]

Hmm, I tend to agree with savior. Check with BOM, they're reasonably more accurate than any other source:

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/coffscoast.shtml

I test sailed my yacht there out of the breakwater in 3+ M swell. Not a ripple in that lovely marina. Though there was some crazy trying to save a few dollars anchored out off the old pier. I don't think they got much sleep bouncing off their anchor!

Chat with the boys in the bar at the yacht club, local knowledge is always best.

[D&D]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Now seabreeze is forecasting 7 metre seas at Coffs for monday night. 8 metres at Port Macquarie.

Might be worth watching here: Coastalwatch :: surfcams :: surf reports :: swell forecasts :: news

Good site for anyone crossing bars in NSW - most can be viewed here.

Great site that...thanks 44'cruisingcat!

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

...don't trust any of the cleats there. As you can probably tell, the whole place is decrepit and every time there is serious wx the marina breaks up a bit more.

Agree with Jim on the cleats being well past their use-by dates and the whole marina in serious need of re-fit, but a whole new marina is in the works now.

For the moment, however, it should still hold up OK. We certainly sat out soome big blows there, but the bigger the blow, we'd be thinking more lines (to more cleats!)...