Greetings from Sydney, Australia

[Mouette]

Hi,

I have just signed up on the forum and doing the obligatory introduction of myself.

My name is Andrew and along with my partner Deb, we hail from Sydney Australia. Our boat, a 1976 Compass 28 is currently moored at Booker Bay on the Central Coast of New South Wales. La Mouette is a 1976 GRP full keel production yacht, mainly built as a "family cruiser". We have had the boat for almost 2 years and whilst not exactly a project boat, it has kept us busy.

Our ultimate goals are to prepare La Mouette for the cruising lifestyle. The work has pretty much just begun and currently the engine is out of the boat and up in Newcastle getting rebuilt and fingers crossed, it will be back in the engine bay and chugging away before Christmas. Unfortunately, a solid, reliable engine is pretty much requisite due to the currents and tides of the channel we are moored in.

I have been following the forum for a while and now that I am a member, I hope to engage in discussions, learn lots of stuff and meet some like minded people.
cheers

[JPA Cate]

Welcome aboard Andrew & Deb,

I hope they finish your motor in time for the holidays, that would be really good.

By the way, where, exactly, is Booker Bay. We've cruised a lot along the NSW coast, and I don't recall seeing it on Open CPN.

Ann

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Welcome aboard Andrew & Deb,

I hope they finish your motor in time for the holidays, that would be really good.

By the way, where, exactly, is Booker Bay. We've cruised a lot along the NSW coast, and I don't recall seeing it on Open CPN.

Ann

Its' a bay in the Brisbane Water, on the north side of the Hawkesbury River. Opposite the Barrenjoey Light.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Andrew & Deb.

[boden36]

Hi Andrew,

Good to see you on the forum. Compass 28 is a great boat.We are down at Pretty Beach.
Ann - Booker Bay is just near the Rip Bridge.

Regards,
Richard.

[boatman61]

Welcome to CF folks...

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

By the way, where, exactly, is Booker Bay. We've cruised a lot along the NSW coast, and I don't recall seeing it on Open CPN.

Ann

Directly downstream from the Rip bridge, in Brisbane water.

[brianlara 3]

G'day Andrew, good to see you join the forum. I saw a C28 about 6 months ago when I was coming off the hard stand at Machans Marina and seeing your attached photo I think the one I saw was yours.The colours are a pleasant change from blue.
I often anchor in the basin at Gosford, Bunnings being only a short dinghy trip up Narara Creek.
With there being only two of you the Compass, having such a stellar reputation & without the weather helm of the C29, can take you anywhere in the world. But probably you know that already. I know it isn't my boat but I hope yours has tiller steering.
Cheers Man.
Brian.

[Mouette]

Thanks for the welcome!


Yes, Booker Bay is in the middle of the Brisbane Water Channel and La Mouette is berthed at the Central Coast Marina (formerly Machin's Marina). The suburb of Booker Bay is pretty much half way between Woy Woy and Ettalong.

[Mouette]

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

G'day Andrew, good to see you join the forum. I saw a C28 about 6 months ago when I was coming off the hard stand at Machans Marina and seeing your attached photo I think the one I saw was yours.The colours are a pleasant change from blue.
I often anchor in the basin at Gosford, Bunnings being only a short dinghy trip up Narara Creek.
With there being only two of you the Compass, having such a stellar reputation & without the weather helm of the C29, can take you anywhere in the world. But probably you know that already. I know it isn't my boat but I hope yours has tiller steering.
Cheers Man.
Brian.

Hi Brian
If you had your boat up on the slip at Machin's Marina (now renamed Central Coast Marina), you would most likely would have seen my boat in one of the pens. The more I have to do with the Compasses, the more I am appreciating their qualities. The fact that they are a full keel boat and really seaworthy, more than outweighs their negative characteristics, such as not being able to go in reverse - mine does indeed have a tiller and I think I much prefer them to a wheel.
cheers
Andrew

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by Mouette

Hi Brian
If you had your boat up on the slip at Machin's Marina (now renamed Central Coast Marina), you would most likely would have seen my boat in one of the pens. The more I have to do with the Compasses, the more I am appreciating their qualities. The fact that they are a full keel boat and really seaworthy, more than outweighs their negative characteristics, such as not being able to go in reverse - mine does indeed have a tiller and I think I much prefer them to a wheel.
cheers
Andrew

Hey Andrew. You mean that reverse gear doesn't even select?. If you mean that reverse gear performance is mediocre then there plenty of boats with that problem. If you mean gearbox failure then come Xmas all that should be remedied. I go to Machans for fuel occasionally, maybe I saw it then. A C28 with burgundy covers and lee cloths is an attention grabbing thing.
I'm on the water 24x7 x 7 years and at 70 years whatever grey cells existed are getting slooo.
Reading between the lines, casting off is more a matter of years rather than decades. Where do you see the boat in 5 years? I'm off to Tassie in Jan, God willing.

Cheers
Brian.

[Mouette]

Brian,

Actually, I had the opposite problem - reverse gear was good but the clutch was slipping in forward. The engine is currently up at Minards in Newie getting a rebuild as there were a few more things wrong with it than just the clutch.

I was referring to the characteristics of full keel yachts not going astern very well - they tell me you have to get it up to about 5 knots in reverse before you can actually steer the thing - not game to do that in the marina!

As for the casting off - I don't have decades as I am currently in my '50s!

cheers

Andrew

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

Hey Andrew. You mean that reverse gear doesn't even select?. If you mean that reverse gear performance is mediocre then there plenty of boats with that problem. If you mean gearbox failure then come Xmas all that should be remedied. I go to Machans for fuel occasionally, maybe I saw it then. A C28 with burgundy covers and lee cloths is an attention grabbing thing.
I'm on the water 24x7 x 7 years and at 70 years whatever grey cells existed are getting slooo.
Reading between the lines, casting off is more a matter of years rather than decades. Where do you see the boat in 5 years? I'm off to Tassie in Jan, God willing.

Cheers
Brian.

[brianlara 3]

You know Andrew, most single screw boats reverse down to port. And usually by 'kicking', meaning a good bootful in reverse ( with some appropriate rudder ) for just a few seconds (3 or 4, every boat's different) will not only give you some aft way but will also send you one way or the other, depending on the prop being either a leftie or a rightie. I'm guessing that you've not yet enjoyed an obedient gearbox and if that's the case, when you get her running again, in no time you'll perfect the skill of doing 360's within about 35ft.
Maybe you're already adept at "kicking". If so then forgive the ramble.
Cheers.

[Diesel.]

Welcome aboard Mouette, and good luck with outfitting La Moulette, I'm interested to see how it goes for you here on the forum.

[Djarraluda]

Originally Posted by Mouette

Brian,

Actually, I had the opposite problem - reverse gear was good but the clutch was slipping in forward. The engine is currently up at Minards in Newie getting a rebuild as there were a few more things wrong with it than just the clutch.

I was referring to the characteristics of full keel yachts not going astern very well - they tell me you have to get it up to about 5 knots in reverse before you can actually steer the thing - not game to do that in the marina!

As for the casting off - I don't have decades as I am currently in my '50s!

cheers

Andrew

Mere youngster at that tender age - or am I just an Old .... Some of us can barely remember our 50s - except that was the time we bought our C28.
Will we see you at Vaucluse for the regatta? 3rd and 4th February ?
Roger