Cat Berthing in Australia

[Teeto]

Hi all, my husband & I are new to the cat cruising scene and plan to spend most of our time on the Queensland coast of Oz. Our question is: If we plan to sail 8 months of the year, then find a marina berth for 4 months for the Summer, how difficult will this be?
We are 13.5 metres by 7.6 so need a fair size berth.
Do we really need to limit ourselves to buying a berth in one place and returning there each year for the sake of security & peace of mind?
Are berths an investment or a millstone?
Many thanks, Teeto

[Factor]

Okay - there are many answers to this question. If you just want to park the boat for 4 months in a safe and relatively cheap place - Try Horizon Shores half way between Brisbane and Southport.

In Brisbane - Manly was once very difficult but there has been many more berths developed and Moreton Bay Trailer Boat club may be able to assist as well as Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, my club(wynnum manly yacht club may have something but is the least likely.

Tin Can bay Marina (up inside Fraser island) is also an option that might be cheaper than some.

Once upon a time berths were a great capital growth investment - not as much in this part of the world at the moment cause we are in a supply greater than demand phase.

If you are an australian taxpayer though, because you purchase a lease you can write down 10% of the full lease purchase cost each year which might be helpful (of course when you sell after say five years your CGT will be correspondingly higher - but you may be able to use the tax advantage and sell in an era where your income is lower - or not sell at all **** please get your own tax advice))

[tuskie]

I agree with Factor's synopsis.

Give Christine a call or email, last week they had suitable berths available at Manly.
The Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club » MBTBC Marina

The clubs at Manly (a Bayside suburb of Brisbane) have great facilities and it's only 5 mins walk to the shops, chandlers and train station.

IMHO marina berths are a much better investment than boats, but that's not saying much! Like boats, the marina berth market in Australia is a bit depressed at the moment, so it probably is a good time to buy.

[44'cruisingcat]

Largely agree too, except that Tin Can Bay marina was chock full when we were there about a week ago.

[Teeto]

Thanks for the replies so far, very helpful. I guess that leaving it to just renting a berth for the summer is a bit risky with a 44 footer. No security. However I would be interested to know if this would be more feasible if we left the boat say at Mackay instead of Brisbane. Perhaps berths are more available up there on a short term basis. Cyclone risk???
Any advice warmly appreciated.

[pulyajibon]

Mackay marina is very expensive, and people and boats are leaving in droves when there leases run out, six left in the last 2 months, more are leaving in the new year.
You wont have a problem getting a berth in Mackay,
If you are thinking of comming up this way try Rosslyn Bay Marina Yeppoon its great.
Martin.

[beau]

Brisbane is far cheaper to rent and safer than further north.
Two years ago it was difficult, not any more.
There are SO many empty berths

Do not buy, everyone who bought, has lost money and received little or no return. Management fees take it all, or most of it.

[tuskie]

Originally Posted by beau

Brisbane is far cheaper to rent and safer than further north.
Do not buy, everyone who bought, has lost money and received little or no return. Management fees take it all, or most of it.

Not quite true, Beau. Many new berths at Manly and at Meridian, Horizon Shores were released just as the GFC was hitting. New prices at Manly were dropped in order to meet the market. (Unlike new boat prices!).
The returns on a marina berth investment are quite competitive, especially factoring in the 10% of purchase price per year Australian tax deduction, which Factor mentioned. IMHO marina berths, especially multihull berths are going to get scarce in the future. We are making a heap more boats than we are marina berths. Mooring are also disappearing, further squeezing the supply/demand equation.
BTW Teeto, if you paid a deposit I'm sure that you could pre-book a berth for the cyclone in Southern Queensland

[jglauds]

We have a FP Orana 44 spending cyclone season in Cairns, since we have family here and plan to continue our circumnavigation in April. Here's what we've found:

Marinas in Cairns, Port Douglas, and in between charge about $800/month for a cat slip -- sometimes at 150% of mono, but sometimes discounted. You can get a solid mooring with some research up the Trinity Inlet in Cairns for about $250/month. I have been able to find reliable well-recommended folk to move the boat into the mangroves in a cyclone alert.

Marinas here (and elsewhere in Oz) seem to require $10M public liability insurance -- in addition to standard hull/equip insurance, and that additional rider cost us $700/year. We've settled on a mooring, and such insurance is not required.

Weather here to date has been rainy and breezy, but no real damaging winds yet ... we've read of hail and thunderstorms in Brisbane, along with floods, but not sure how it relates to marina locations.

Marinas here include Marlin Marina, owned by state government, in Cairns, BlueWater Marina, privately-owned, and located well up a river and virtually cyclone proof (limited openings), Yorkeys Knob, seawall enclosed but rather exposed even if it's exempt from mandatory relocation in a cyclone, and Marina Mirage, in Port Douglas. The first and last marinas listed require that you move your boats in a cyclone alert.

Happy to elaborate ....

/jon
s/v ile de Grace

[Teeto]

To all who have replied: i am so impressed by this forum and the replies I have received. My husband & I are very grateful and shall make quite a few enquiries along the lines of your suggestions. Particularly around insurance cover if you happen to be in a cyclone area over Summer.
Since we are just starting, we don't really know if we will want to sail all the way back to Brisbane each Summer, however it may be the prudent thing to do. We don't have a house in Brisbane so there is no particular need to be here - just that's where the berths are!
Anyway - thanks heaps all.

[Poozer]

We are at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Brisbane (strange name, but nice, friendly place). Been there 3 weeks now. We are paying $1100/mo. for a 16m berth for our Catana. There is a two week notice period when you want to leave, so it's pretty flexible. There are a handful of multi-hull berths available.

The other place you may want to consider is Coffs Harbour. It's further south, but quite safe and a lot less expensive.