Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 18-04-2015, 03:53   #16
Registered User
 
impi's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: From Cape Town now New Caledonia
Boat: Lagoon 440
Posts: 962
Images: 8
Send a message via Skype™ to impi
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Thank you for all the replies so far! Has anyone any info and experience around Lake Macquarie. We really would like to get back to Australia if possible - our dream and birth of IMPI as a lifestyle started when we bare chartered a Seawind Catamaran and cruised around the Whitsunday Islands
__________________
In our own style and our own time ...
www.catamaranimpi.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIy...Uhlfkd34f8FrEg
impi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 04:18   #17
Registered User
 
ozskipper's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NSW Australia
Boat: Traditional 30
Posts: 1,980
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Quote:
Originally Posted by impi View Post
Thank you for all the replies so far! Has anyone any info and experience around Lake Macquarie. We really would like to get back to Australia if possible - our dream and birth of IMPI as a lifestyle started when we bare chartered a Seawind Catamaran and cruised around the Whitsunday Islands
Yes, I know Lake Macquarie quite well. Its a great sailing location with all modern facilities available but plenty of secluded locations to spend the night. Frankly, its a much better "sailing" location than Sydney Harbour or The Hawksbury/Pittwater area.

There is a Bar to cross to get in and an opening bridge at Swansea , then a small channel and your in.
__________________
Cheers
Oz
...............
ozskipper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 04:30   #18
Registered User
 
impi's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: From Cape Town now New Caledonia
Boat: Lagoon 440
Posts: 962
Images: 8
Send a message via Skype™ to impi
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Quote:
Originally Posted by ozskipper View Post
Yes, I know Lake Macquarie quite well. Its a great sailing location with all modern facilities available but plenty of secluded locations to spend the night. Frankly, its a much better "sailing" location than Sydney Harbour or The Hawksbury/Pittwater area.

There is a Bar to cross to get in and an opening bridge at Swansea , then a small channel and your in.
Thanks for that Oz - Is it a place you would consider leaving your boat for an extended period of time and if so - where exactly would be good?
__________________
In our own style and our own time ...
www.catamaranimpi.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIy...Uhlfkd34f8FrEg
impi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 05:15   #19
Registered User
 
S/V Willow's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Working on the new boat getting ready for first shake down cruise. Currently on the east coast of the US.
Boat: Peterson 44.
Posts: 131
Images: 1
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

We had a yacht on the lake for many years and love it. We agree with OZ it is a delightful place to sail and stay. Lake Mac yacht club have moorings (or did when we were last there) BUT it is a very exposed field. Belmont yacht club also had some but again it is a very difficult field if the wind is in the wrong direction.

As OZ said there is a bar, and it is a coal seam, to come over and if you hit it you will know about it so approach at near or high slack tide with no wind over tide - in other words the most favoured conditions. ONce through and into the channel watch the buoys closely and if, like us, you draw a lot then you will want a high tide. There is the Swansea bridge to open which needs one hour and one minutes minimum notice to open. There are courtesy moorings on the sea side however, if you need one, as there isn't a lot of room and the tide rips through.


Plenty of brilliant anchorages and secluded hideaways to be found. In NSW you aren't allowed to live aboard but if you move constantly, obey all rules and keep your head down they leave you alone. Gorgeous place well worth the effort. Hope this helps.
S/V Willow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 05:26   #20
Registered User
 
ozskipper's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: NSW Australia
Boat: Traditional 30
Posts: 1,980
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Quote:
Originally Posted by impi View Post
Thanks for that Oz - Is it a place you would consider leaving your boat for an extended period of time and if so - where exactly would be good?
Yes, its a safe lake and you would be able to get a commercial mooring or marina berth.

If its a very long time, it may be worth researching buying your own mooring as the annual fees with the NSW RMS are quite cheap compared to commercial moorings/marinas.

The location you choose would depend on what facilities you want near by.
If you want the rail line (direct to Sydney/Newcastle) you would be best around Morrisett or Toronto. If you want a more secluded area, Wyee Bay or Mannering park are reasonably quiet and are well protected from most destructive winds. That said there are boats moored in nearly every second bay on the lake.

The biggest marina on the lake is Marmong Point Marina. It has all the usual haul out facilities etc.

The busiest suburb would be Belmont on the eastern side of the lake- with every land based facility you would want.. But you can access Beer, Food and Atms from just about anywhere around the lake.

If its village life you are looking for, Wangi Wangi would be perfect.

The Destructive winds on Lake Mac are usually southerly or westerly. In summer a N/E sea breeze will kick in at 25ish knots. It whips up a chop, but thats the worst of it.
__________________
Cheers
Oz
...............
ozskipper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 05:32   #21
Registered User
 
impi's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: From Cape Town now New Caledonia
Boat: Lagoon 440
Posts: 962
Images: 8
Send a message via Skype™ to impi
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Thank You SV Willow and Ozskipper - this is really great information.

I wonder if it would be better to haul out there - we intend to be in SA for 3 months? I believe moorings are very reasonable and our insurance company immediately said they were happy with the location

Any idea of cyclone risks?
__________________
In our own style and our own time ...
www.catamaranimpi.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIy...Uhlfkd34f8FrEg
impi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 07:21   #22
Registered User
 
Wanderlust's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NSW Central Coast
Boat: Lagoon 410 (now sold)
Posts: 514
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

No risk of cyclones as it is well south or their path.

If you are thinking about haulout, maybe you should consider Port Stephens, which is a few hours further north. Oyster Cove marina (not to be confused with Oyster Cove in Tasmanai) has hardstand and work areas that are quite reasonably priced and you can live aboard as well. They use a trailer under the bridgedeck to lift cats.

The marina itself is not the greatest and you would need transport as the closest shops are about 10km away, but it may suit your purposes for a while. If you didn't want hardstand, I would choose Lake Macquarie or Sydney.
__________________
Steve
Wanderlust is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18-04-2015, 07:49   #23
Registered User
 
impi's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: From Cape Town now New Caledonia
Boat: Lagoon 440
Posts: 962
Images: 8
Send a message via Skype™ to impi
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wanderlust View Post
No risk of cyclones as it is well south or their path.

If you are thinking about haulout, maybe you should consider Port Stephens, which is a few hours further north. Oyster Cove marina (not to be confused with Oyster Cove in Tasmanai) has hardstand and work areas that are quite reasonably priced and you can live aboard as well. They use a trailer under the bridgedeck to lift cats.

The marina itself is not the greatest and you would need transport as the closest shops are about 10km away, but it may suit your purposes for a while. If you didn't want hardstand, I would choose Lake Macquarie or Sydney.
Thank you Wanderlust - good info. I will look into all these options. We have heard that for a similar amount to the monthly mooring fee, one can get attendance to the boat daily too! That could be nice to have or even a full time 'Impi sitter' Thanks again guys - folks have told us we are crazy to be headed for Oz as the country is expensive, but, we feel attracted to its shores and as said before, it is where we first sailed a catamaran on the Whitsundays - returned to SA immediately ordered Impi, closed the business and the rest is history.

We really want to do Australia again !
__________________
In our own style and our own time ...
www.catamaranimpi.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIy...Uhlfkd34f8FrEg
impi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 06:58   #24
Registered User

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Narragansett Bay
Boat: Able 50
Posts: 3,139
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Here are three places to think about and all have moorings.
Moorings at Sydney's The Spit | d'Albora Marinas
A slip at D'Albora will cost you a bomb but moorings are cheap at $375 pm or $300 for the cheap seats out the back. Buses go past there to all kinds of places - surf, bars, hundreds of restaurants, grocery shopping, downtown Sydney.
Belmont Bay - Lake Macquarie NSW - Marks Point Marina
Marks Point is roughly half way between Belmont and Swansea and quieter than the yacht club. There is a lot of shallow water nearby which could suit a cat. Buses go right by or, if you have a bicycle, the ride to both Swansea and Belmont is dead flat.
LMYC - Lake Macquarie Yacht Club, Functions, Sailing, Dining
The yacht club is at the south end of Belmont and an easy walk to both chandlery and shopping. It can get noisy at weekends.
savoir is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 17:54   #25
Moderator
 
JPA Cate's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,432
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Hi, Impi,

We left Insatiable II at Marmong Point Marina for 7 months when we had to go back to the US one time. They do have a website so that you can check the prices. At the time, it was the most expensive place we'd ever left the boat. An aircraft shuttle bus picked us up and took us to the airport in Newcastle. The airport in Sydney is the most expensive anywhere we've been. It is not a place where we would choose to haul out.

The hardstand area in Oyster Cove in Pt. Stephens does not allow you to live aboard, but again, there should be a website and prices. I don't know about airport transport from here.

Oyster Bay Cove Marina in Kettering, TAS, also has hardstand storage.

Prince of Wales Bay Marina in Hobart, TAS, was quite reasonable, the time we left the boat there, but it is awkward for transportation. One could easily taxi to and from the airport from there [we were fortunate to have a friend kindly take us there and pick us up].

Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
JPA Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 18:25   #26
Registered User
 
Wanderlust's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: NSW Central Coast
Boat: Lagoon 410 (now sold)
Posts: 514
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate View Post
The hardstand area in Oyster Cove in Pt. Stephens does not allow you to live aboard
Yes it does, both hardstand and work area.

However, as I said in my earlier post, it is a long way from anywhere so your own transport is a necessity. It is also rather basic. I would only choose to go there for their storage option or to live aboard while you do your own work (although they do have a small chandlery and the usual services as well).
__________________
Steve
Wanderlust is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 19:10   #27
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Hervey Bay Qld Australia
Boat: currently boatless
Posts: 695
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Hi Impi,
We live at Lake Macquarie and have our 12 metre Lagoon Cat moored in a bay just around the corner from us on the lake. Just to give you some idea of the size of the Lake it is roughly 160 KM in circumference with many bays. The entrance does required crossing an ocean bar but following all the precautions it is quite safe. As stated there is a coal seam (lots of coal in this area) when crossing the bar but it is not an issue for cat provided you have you dagger boards up if you have them. We draw 1.4 met with mini keels and navigating the channel is quite straight forward as it is well buoyed.
There is a opening bridge that has to be negotiated and while it appears daunting that first time there is plenty of room. There are 50 foot cats on the lake and we all go through the bridge with comfort. Best time is to cross the bar on the last third of the rising tide so that the tide run is not great.
Lake Macquarie Yacht club has just extended its marina and it has several multi hull berths. We were going to put our boat in there but are going cruising instead. We were quoted $880 a month to leave the boat at the marina. Cheap by ozzie standards but you have to become a member for that rate which is not expensive. As stated previously the club also has long term moorings available with public transport and shops being only a short walk.
I would also give a big tick to Cammeray Marina in Sydney. Well known in the international cruising scene for friendliness and good service at a reasonable cost. Depending on what you want and how close you want to be to civilisation there are some excellent marinas on the east coast of Australia. Yamba Marina is a little village on the Clarence river. Excellent facilities and can be halted out for extended period. Buses run to major centres only a few hours away. Very good weekly rates. I would not recomend Pt Stephens as a long stay venue. Great spot for visiting but Dalbora Marina at Nelson Bay was the dearest one we came across on the whole east coast of Australia.



Greg, Sue and bella the sea dog
SV Sunshine
Lagoon 410
ozsailer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19-04-2015, 22:26   #28
Registered User
 
impi's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: From Cape Town now New Caledonia
Boat: Lagoon 440
Posts: 962
Images: 8
Send a message via Skype™ to impi
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Thanks for the valued replies - Ann, a bit concerning it was the most expensive spot in your travels ...

Savior - looking into all those links you gave - thanks

Wanderlust - thanks again

Oz sailor - such valuable info from someone who actually lives there - thanks for that. Our friends have just let us know they left their boat there for several months recently at a cost of 200 per month. That sounds good to me ... Waiting for details


http://cat-impi.blogspot.com

In our own time and our own style
__________________
In our own style and our own time ...
www.catamaranimpi.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIy...Uhlfkd34f8FrEg
impi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-04-2015, 00:41   #29
Registered User
 
Olorin's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: On the Boat
Boat: Fortuna, Island Spirit 400, 40ft. Catamaran - S/V One White Tree
Posts: 179
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

Hi Impi,
Check out Mark's Point Marina on Lake MacQuarrie. Friends with a 57' mono have it on a mooring for $215/month. Best deal we've head of.
Ross
__________________
"And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over."
John Masefield
Olorin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-04-2015, 02:55   #30
Moderator
 
JPA Cate's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: aboard, cruising in Australia
Boat: Sayer 46' Solent rig sloop
Posts: 28,432
Re: Moorings, Sydney, Australia - and haul outs

impi,

All good.

We did leave our first Insatiable at Cammaray a long time ago. It was mostly good. It's 129 steps to the top, where the roads are. However, the people were friendly. If you are good walkers, there's both groceries and a chandlery in walking distance, and, of course, Sydney, at your fingertips....or at least in train reach. Taxi to airport, but expensive.

Ann
__________________
Who scorns the calm has forgotten the storm.
JPA Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
Australia, haul out, mooring, sydney

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Summer Haul outs in Northern Coast of Dominican Republic Arthurs2 Anchoring & Mooring 1 28-01-2013 16:43
Haul Outs Fort Myers Area pmp21183 Multihull Sailboats 4 19-06-2012 12:46
There Are Haul-Outs, and then There Are Haul-Outs Starbuck Cruising News & Events 7 05-06-2010 23:08
Haul-Outs & Storage in the Southern US (Excluding FL) Kokomo36 Multihull Sailboats 0 28-11-2009 04:17
To haul out, or not to haul out? Ocean Roads Construction, Maintenance & Refit 3 30-04-2009 00:26

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 06:52.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.