Gday All

[Waltzingmatilda]

Hello to all from down under (east coast)...just obtained a 40 foot steel boat (aussie designed and built Bollard) which im refitting on the inside with aim to move onboard towards the end of year...right now my challenge is to find a reasonably priced hard stand around Sydney which is proving challenging lol

[Jim Cate]

Welcome aboard, Matilda. Hope that you enjoy your boat and your time here on CF.

Re your quest: my challenge has been to find a reasonably priced ANYTHING around Sydney, so good luck to you! Should you actually find your reasonable hard stand, please let everyone know about it.

Cheers,

Jim

[HopCar]

Welcome aboard! Tell us a little about your self, your boat and your cruising.

[Waltzingmatilda]

Were Tom and Sammie in our mid/late 30s..whilst ive been sailing and traveling on and off for last 15 years my girl has only sailed a couple of times but our recent stint in the Whitsundays on a bareboat confirmed that we need to get back on the water...we both greatly enjoy anything to do with water but circumstances have seen us having to live in a country town...we now have a way out (so to speak) so seizing this opportunity and moving on...we also have a keen drive to not live and rely on the 9-5 system, become self sufficient in many/most ways and explore our neighbouring countries and regions, meeting like minded people and learning skills we thought we never had

[Pelagic]

Welcome aboard mate… Yours has to be the most proudly Australian meet and greet we have ever had… Love it!

[ozskipper]

Hi mate.. welcome along. Yeh things can be exe on the harbour. Have you considered checking the prices at Brooklyn? No guarantees, but having the boat on the hawksbury might save you a few bucks. and its a nicer cruising area when you are done too

It sounds like you bought a project boat. The big tip is to make sure you use the boat as much as possible while you work on her. Then you get pleasure as well as the work. Doing a total refit on a hardstand can become a burden. So to repeat myself, try to sail or motor around as often as you can.

[Ocean Diamond 2]

G'Day Waltzingmatilda,

It sounds like you got that jumbuck tied up in your tucker bag.

Try further away from the big smoke if you can, maybe some were up here or a river or even Port Stephens. These places are much cheaper and still have some transport links.

Really nice to se you giving it a go, got my respect.

Derek

[sec906]

Welcome aboard!

[Waltzingmatilda]

Yep thinking about Brooklyn or central coast...managed to find a place near blue mountains at a very reasonable cost but lift and transport come into play so more research needed shes very sailable at the moment but given our plans to move onboard i need to completely redo the interior so will need good power access and space to cut wood which is hard in a marina...

[Boracay]

There's a hard stand DIY yard at Taren Point that is always 'sposed to be closing down but never seems to. It wasn't that cheap when I last asked.

I found the most cost effective way to rebuild a boat in Sydney was to do it in the water. The below the waterline stuff can be redone every year or so when you haul. I used a Honda 2000 generator for power.

Noakes was the best for hauling. I'd advise nailing every detail of your agreement down especially price, when you come out, when you go in and what work they are going to do. The best prices were over an extended weekend and they were doing times to the nearest hour when I came out. If there's a delay then make sure they know it's not on your account.

The big problem with keeping a boat in the water in Sydney is dinghy access. I found that paying for a commercial mooring with good access was worth the extra compared with cheaper maritime Authority moorings.

As with all marine work these days it may be a good idea to get a few small jobs done before committing to any service provider, and even then I'd still be careful.

There are a few places in Sydney that I'd never go back to so do ask around before making a major commitment.

If you can run a good line of BS Blackwattle Bay seems to be full of boats these days.

[Waltzingmatilda]

Thank you for all the information I will leave her on a mooring for the time being to at least get some enjoyment straight up whilst working out a plan of attack and fixing things that I can do myself

[timjf]

Welcome aboard here ...I cant recomend any cheap places for your refit but many "cruisers" use Cameray Marina in Middle harbour for working on your project ...I,m just a little futher down the bay in Quaker,s Hat Bay on a swing mooring I have a Beneteau Oceanis 390 and always interested in chatting with like minded sailing people ...Good luck with your project
Cheers Tim

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
It's good to have you posting here.