NSW South Coast - Coastal Cruising

[Mozzie]

Hi everyone,

I'm a teacher, and so is my partner, and we are looking to buy a boat for family coastal cruises based out of Bateman's bay. Being teachers we would fit in maybe two one week and a fortnight cruise every year.

We would be looking at something like a Compass 27 or Clansman 30, and would do some cruises up and down the coast to the likes of Eden, Jarvis Bay, Nowra, Sydney/Hawkesbury and maybe even Tassie, NZ or Lord Howe.

Any comments/advice/tips/warnings given that these plans are still in their embryonic stages?

[Glenn C]

Well buy Allan Lucas cruising the NSW coast and start from there

[Seaslug Caravan]

Have you considered a trailer sailor?

NZ is along way to go for a week or two.

[Mozzie]

Originally Posted by Glenn C

Well buy Allan Lucas cruising the NSW coast and start from there

Will do, but any advice would still be appreciated.

Originally Posted by Seaslug Caravan

Have you considered a trailer sailor?

NZ is along way to go for a week or two.

Haha, I understand it would take at least a week to get there. Maybe New Zealand for a summer holidays and a term of long service leave.

We have thought of a trailer sailor. Our thinking is that we could get a boat in the 20ft range which would be too tight a fit for extended holidays. A larger boat needs bigger and more expensive car. Plus we would need to find somewhere to park the boat, which means a new house... At the end of the day it seems comparable in ease and cost to a simple keel boat with annual haul outs.

Maybe we should just get a Hartley TS16 and camp in our tent

[ZULU40]

Originally Posted by Mozzie

Hi everyone,

I'm a teacher, and so is my partner, and we are looking to buy a boat for family coastal cruises based out of Bateman's bay. Being teachers we would fit in maybe two one week and a fortnight cruise every year.

We would be looking at something like a Compass 27 or Clansman 30, and would do some cruises up and down the coast to the likes of Eden, Jarvis Bay, Nowra, Sydney/Hawkesbury and maybe even Tassie, NZ or Lord Howe.

Any comments/advice/tips/warnings given that these plans are still in their embryonic stages?

A lot of cheap boats around in that bracket, that is cheap to buy but the outgoings are more or less the same. These entry level boats tend to have run a course of neglect before the owner trades out of them to get out of mooring or marina dock fees and upkeep.

Beware too that some are more capable than others. I think NZ with a family might be a bit of an ask for a lot of them though. The rest seems feasible.

Is it a plan without a budget?

[Djarraluda]

C28 is a great boat, I had mine for almost 16 years.
They are cosy below deck for more than a couple C29 has an extra 300 mm beam and this a lot more volume
Clansman have length but check you are ok below deck as a family, very similar to the Compass
Cruising grounds are good near B.B. so you will enjoy but make Shute you have a good anchor in Jervis Bay
Alan Lucas is excellent advice
Roger

Originally Posted by Mozzie

Hi everyone,

I'm a teacher, and so is my partner, and we are looking to buy a boat for family coastal cruises based out of Bateman's bay. Being teachers we would fit in maybe two one week and a fortnight cruise every year.

We would be looking at something like a Compass 27 or Clansman 30, and would do some cruises up and down the coast to the likes of Eden, Jarvis Bay, Nowra, Sydney/Hawkesbury and maybe even Tassie, NZ or Lord Howe.

Any comments/advice/tips/warnings given that these plans are still in their embryonic stages?

[JPA Cate]

This is written with a wink and a gentle smile: beware, you may be fostering a sailing addiction, and this is the first step on the slippery slope.

Welcome aboard!

Ann

On Edit: I agree with the recommendations for Lucas' book. He has done each and every one of those soundings himself. A grand old man of Australian sailing, and a most pleasant one.

[Robert Tilbury]

I would love to know the law on NSW sailing as we cant do any live aboard ?
I was told by a guy at the msb years back we cant even camp on out boats in NSW ,
Our laws are so restrictive in NSW we must even tell the waterways if we are leaving our mooring for more than 14 days and then they want to know where we will be sailing ?
When did we become a communist state .

[PETERHAM]

I have sailed from Sydney for more than 40 years. Things I've learned while cruising the NSW coast are that you 1. need protection from sun and adverse weather; 2. need to feel secure moving around the yacht; 3. need a stiff and sea-kindly vessel that is reasonably speedy and holds her course well.

Of the various yachts I have owned (including Bluebird, Compass 28, a 32' huon pine A.C.Barber design, a Peter Cole Bounty 35, and now a Joe Adams Traditional 36') the latter is by far the best: it has a fixed dodger that covers half of the very big cockpit; it has raised caps on the gunwhales; her sail plan, long keel and skeg-protected rudder mean she is stiff, sea-kindly and speedy and steers well.

It just happens that I am selling my Adams 36 "Waimota" (which is beautifully set up for single-handed sailing) . . .

Best wishes
Peter H

[Gypsy23]

Originally Posted by Robert Tilbury

I would love to know the law on NSW sailing as we cant do any live aboard ?
I was told by a guy at the msb years back we cant even camp on out boats in NSW ,
Our laws are so restrictive in NSW we must even tell the waterways if we are leaving our mooring for more than 14 days and then they want to know where we will be sailing ?
When did we become a communist state .

While I share your outrage at the restrictions, I need to correct some of your points.
The notification of being away from a mooring is 28 days, not 14. Still absurdly restrictive. One gets the feeling they would prefer to see the bays as permanent parking lots.

I am not sure what you mean by 'camping' on your boat being banned. There are probably laws limiting the period you can stay anchored in one place but there are thousands of boats around NSW being used for overnight/weekend/holidays in which the crews sleep aboard - not to mention the longterm cruisers, without hassle.

I do know the intent of the laws against liveaboard are to avoid pollution and creating aqua-suburbs (which land neighbours object to) but I totally agree that the attitude of the lawmakers is over-the-top when applied to normal recreational boating.

If the Roads & Maritime were more flexible about allowing moorings to be shared or loaned when a user wants to make a long?? cruise, I expect it would put less pressure on mooring availability in the larger cities.

In practical terms I have never been approached by Roads & Maritime (or anyone) to ask me to move on even after I have been anchored in a bay for 4 or 5 days. Public moorings have a 24hr limit but even then it is often easy to move to another mooring in other than peak times.

In any case, enjoy the cruising options available, be a good neighbour to other boaters and the people on shore and I am sure you will not be bothered by anyone.

But as for the 28 day away limit, it is a real pain for those of us who want to go on an extended cruise. Last time I did that I had to buy another boat to keep on the mooring and pay a transfer fee. Of course one can never have 'too many' boats - and the smaller one was in good working order, but there should be a more practical way.

End of rant in reply to a rant.

[KiwiKen]

Have a look at the Cole 35 for sale on BoatSales in Sydney,
This one for $A29,000 is a lot of boat for the money - they are a highly thought of boat - designed by Peter Cole.

If you are interested , factoring in a Professional Survey is a must,
It is a boat that sails very well, and good sea keeping qualities, several Cole 35s have completed the Sydney to Hobart race .

https://www.boatsales.com.au/boats-f...14913/COLE-35/

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Robert Tilbury

I would love to know the law on NSW sailing as we cant do any live aboard ?
I was told by a guy at the msb years back we cant even camp on out boats in NSW ,
Our laws are so restrictive in NSW we must even tell the waterways if we are leaving our mooring for more than 14 days and then they want to know where we will be sailing ?
When did we become a communist state .

Here are the relevant rules, as recently posted:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...es-191186.html

As mentioned, these rules are pretty restrictive as written. For instance, if a yottie from one of the Pittwater marinas who went out and anchored somewhere in the area every other weekend for friday and saturday would be in violation beginning in August, having "used up" his 28 days per calendar year allotment.

Ridiculous!

Jim

[Fore and Aft]

You might want to check out more modern designs. The Clansman and Compass are pretty narrow by todays standards. Marinas and slipways charge by the length for a mono, so a short fat boat is pretty good value.
Only a few weeks cruising a year? Teachers work 40 weeks a year on average? At our last parent teacher interview our daughters teacher was complaining that next year she has to work 41 weeks! LOL
Cheers

[ColR]

There was a 27ft mono 'deceased estate' advertised on Gumtree at Jervis Bay. Why not take a drive north and check it out. May not be up to the more adventurous voages you're talking about, but the ad sounded as if it was reasonably equipped to test the water before you sunk too much money and emotiones into it. I think it was $13K

Good luck.

[Kempaster]

Hi Mozzie,

I started my ocean sailing in a Clansman and it was a great sea boat. The owners had sailed it to NZ at least once and cruised to New Guinea as well as numerios trips to Lord Howe.

You might also like to look at Nicholson 32's. Excellent sea boats with more room than the others mentioned. $20-25K should get you one of these.

Most of these boats are old now and few of them will have any useful instruments that you may find useful on extended/overseas (sic) cruises.

Good luck.