Good Day from Australia

[auscruisertom]

Decided to say hello again after being AWOL for two years.
Once again I am getting ready to sail down to Hobart for the Wooden Boat Festival. Planning to leave from the Gold Coast aboard my Wee Barkie with the first Northerly just after Christmas. Anyone else heading down that way?

[brianlara 3]

Actually Tom, I'm hoping to leave Sydney on or about 3rd Jan with a view to a Feb BS crossing. Would love to be in time for the festival but only time will tell.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by auscruisertom

Decided to say hello again after being AWOL for two years.
Once again I am getting ready to sail down to Hobart for the Wooden Boat Festival. Planning to leave from the Gold Coast aboard my Wee Barkie with the first Northerly just after Christmas. Anyone else heading down that way?

Welcome back, Tom, and have a good passage south. We will be leaving Manly today, starting our migration to Tassie. Hope to be there for Xmas, but reality is that it is likely to be a while later... too many friends to visit on the way! But we will be volunteering at the WBF once again, and if you see us there, say G'Day.

Jim

[auscruisertom]

Great hearing from you Brian good luck with your trip hopefully will meet you
down the line

Kate and Jim wonderfull to hear you guys are still living the dream.
I wish I was in a position to leave now with the right conditions.
Unfortunately there are work commitments , besdes still getting WB ready and searching for crew.
Today I managed to squeeze in a trip to Yatla where my Jabsco water pump">raw water pump is getting some well deserved attention

[RaymondR]

I am in the process of changing boats and the replacement vessel is in Western Australia. I could have done another over-the-top voyage to get the replacement back to the east coast but have decided to voyage east across the Bight during the new year and cruise a bit of Tasmania on the way.


Since I have had an ambition to cruise Tasmania for a few decades now I would like to do a thorough job of it and schedule two summers without the long voyage up and down the NSW coast.


Having discovered the incredible amount of stuff one can fit into a 40' boat, not wanting to just recklessly toss most of it away, and wishing to savour the remorse one always feels when recognising one should not have bought the damned things in the first place I have bought a van to do the transfer from Queensland to WA with.


Consequent to all the above I would like to stop in Tassie and give it a good going over this summer then find a place to leave the boat for the winter whilst I go back to WA to get the van and flee in it to warmer places for the winter, then go back and pick up the boat next summer to finish the cruise before sailing it north to avoid the 2018 winter.


Anyone have any suggestions re a secure, fairly economic place to leave a boat in Tasmania for the winter?

[brianlara 3]

RaymondR. Mersey River is only a stones sthow from the Ferry at Devonport. Very small marina but possibly a mooring is available.
The other place comes to mind is a mooring or berth at Kettering, (safer than Mersey R which was devestated by floods recently) far enough off the beaten track to be not too pricey. I spoke to the marina people re haulout and it was very cheap compared to other places eg on the Derwent.
Think there are buses from Kettering to Hobart too, check of course.

[gregmccombie]

New Year's Eve in Sydney
Hi all, I know it is a bit late, but is there anyone who has a mooring or marina berth for hire say from 30th December for up to a week? I have tried all the commercial operators to no avail. I want to bring my 30ft yacht up from Botany Bay to show visitors from overseas our fantastic fireworks, and not too certain of spending that time on the anchor....

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by gregmccombie

New Year's Eve in Sydney
Hi all, I know it is a bit late, but is there anyone who has a mooring or marina berth for hire say from 30th December for up to a week? I have tried all the commercial operators to no avail. I want to bring my 30ft yacht up from Botany Bay to show visitors from overseas our fantastic fireworks, and not too certain of spending that time on the anchor....

Why not at anchor? Thousands of quiet places, handy places too.

[gregmccombie]

Haven't done much and not a good time or place for a novice to practise methinks:-)

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by gregmccombie

Haven't done much and not a good time or place for a novice to practise methinks:-)

Understand.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

RaymondR. Mersey River is only a stones sthow from the Ferry at Devonport. Very small marina but possibly a mooring is available.
The other place comes to mind is a mooring or berth at Kettering, (safer than Mersey R which was devestated by floods recently) far enough off the beaten track to be not too pricey. I spoke to the marina people re haulout and it was very cheap compared to other places eg on the Derwent.
Think there are buses from Kettering to Hobart too, check of course.

Thanks Mate.