Time to leave lovely Patonga Beach for a while and venture into Brisbane Water which is another huge waterway that leads off to the north from Broken Bay up to Gosford. We motored between Lion Island and the mainland and headed to the east to Little Box Head where the channel into Brisbane Water begins. This is a narrow winding channel that Alan Lucas (Cruising The NSW Coast) recommended to navigate on a rising tide, 2 hours before high tide. Wagstaff Point was our first interesting experience as the channel takes you to the far western side around shallow ground jutting out from the point over which the tide was racing and swirling. The channel is well marked so it was not difficult to navigate, but care and a little research is needed to ensure a safe passage. Next came the Rip and Rip Bridge. The bridge at 17.4m left plenty of room for us to go under, but on approach it looks like the mast will hit the bridge and there is always a tense moment as it goes under. Our mast at 15m meant we had a couple of metres to spare.
The Rip is interesting as generally the channel has a depth of between 3-4m, but on either side of the bridge are two deep holes of up to 33m deep. Under the bridge itself the depth is only 3-4m. On the chart we had observed the symbols for whirlpools so we were keeping a good lookout for them. Certainly the currents in this area were exceptionally strong and as we motored through we could feel the water pulling the boat around. There wasn't any whirlpools, but you could see that it was possible that they would form at times. We continued on through the mangrove channels and around the sandbanks, low islands and oyster farms and at last found ourselves in the open area of Brisbane Water. Gosford City is in the northern end of Brisbane Water and we motored there and picked up a courtesy mooring for the night outside the Gosford Sailing Club. A totally windless evening meant that it was hard to believe we were on the water when we went below.
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Walk to Warrah Trig 28th July
In the gullies here we are beginning to see the thicker growth of rainforest that is found north of here, a little taste of things to come. The ridges and hills are covered with more open forest and bushland with a hint of spring and early wildflowers starting to bloom. The dominant flower at the moment is Crowea of which there are several varieties. In a few places the bush is covered in the bright pink star shaped flowers. On the long walk that follows the fire trail down to Pearl Beach we passed a high sandstone cliff under which was a huge cave dripping with water and ferns. Quite spectacular. There was a trendy restaurant at Pearl Beach where we decided a meal out was justified since we had expended a serious amount of energy to get there. We were not disappointed. The Fisherman's Platter (Peter) and Feta and Caramelised Onion Tart (Liz) made a perfect lunch in a beautiful setting overlooking the beach. Great Day!
Broken Bay NSW
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Woy Woy by Bus 27th July
Our shop in Manley was such a hurried affair that we forgot some important supplies and as we came across a bus stop on one of our walks around the community of Patonga we decided to catch the bus to Woy Woy. The bus climbed the steep hill out of Patonga and then quickly plunged again down to the little settlement of Pearl Bay. What a pearler of a bay. Imagine your absolute ideal heaven and this is it. We spotted a very inviting looking coffee shop so a walk here tomorrow was a decision that was confirmed then and there.
We have found that people who drive and ride on the buses are creatures of habit. The bus driver obviously knows who everyone is and a stranger is usually well looked after as he/she makes sure you don't get lost. A senior lady caught the bus in Pearl Bay and came to an abrupt halt as she spied us on one of the high seats towards the back. 'Have I seen you before?' she enquires. 'No.' Then she says, 'I've never seen this many people on the bus.' As the other seven people were locals an extra two were an attention grabber.Woy Woy is on Brisbane Water south of Gosford and surrounded with mangroves. Not the sort of place that ones aspires to holiday in but served it's purpose for us.
We have found that people who drive and ride on the buses are creatures of habit. The bus driver obviously knows who everyone is and a stranger is usually well looked after as he/she makes sure you don't get lost. A senior lady caught the bus in Pearl Bay and came to an abrupt halt as she spied us on one of the high seats towards the back. 'Have I seen you before?' she enquires. 'No.' Then she says, 'I've never seen this many people on the bus.' As the other seven people were locals an extra two were an attention grabber.Woy Woy is on Brisbane Water south of Gosford and surrounded with mangroves. Not the sort of place that ones aspires to holiday in but served it's purpose for us.
Friday, 26 July 2013
Broken Bay & Pittwater 25th & 26th July
Patonga Beach
We did not manage to get all of our jobs done on Wednesday because of a strong wind from the south west. Bringing Rene alongside at Clontarf Marina for water and fuel would have been problematic in the wind with the small amount of space over there. Also food shopping at Manly was out of the question as the wind was blowing straight up the bay there. Instead we took up a courtesy mooring in Shell Cove in Middle Harbour near The Spit and waited for the wind to abate as the forecast predicted. By mid afternoon it was obvious that the wind was dying so Peter and I rowed ashore and left Lily outside the Dinghy Sailing Club on the grass and caught the bus to Greg and Leisha's.
Thursday dawned fine and light northwest winds ruffled our hair as we poked our heads out of the companionway. Firstly we motored over to Clontarf to fill up with fuel and water, then it was off to Manly to stock up with stores. At midday all jobs had been completed, so as we still had time to get to Pittwater before dark (22nm from Manly to our Pittwater anchorage), we set off. The light north westerly helped us motor sail the whole way. The trip was scenic as we watched the northern beach suburbs, steep rocky headlands and golden beaches slowly pass by. Once around Barrenjoey Head we started to look for an anchorage for the night. It took a while as most of Pittwater is packed with moored craft or it is too deep. Eventually we found a sheltered spot in the eastern part of Careel Bay just outside the shoaling ground.
Looking for a spot to anchor
Our Careel Bay anchorage was very still and quiet and after breakfast we decided to take a turn around Pittwater to see what was there. There are thousands of boats. Every type of pleasure craft must be represented here and even some you would not have thought of. The place is choked with moorings. However we did manage to find several possibilities for anchoring.
As the weather forecast was for light northerlies and variable light winds we thought it would be a good idea to motor over to Patonga. This is the perfect conditions for this anchorage being in Broken Bay and open to the east and south. At the moment it is perfectly still here - not a sound. The bay is so pretty. Patonga is a small community with a hotel, general store, fish and chip shop, jetty and a ferry to Palm Beach. The hotel is a great spot for a pre dinner drink as it overlooks the bay and in fact has won 'NSW Best Country Pub' and 'Pub with the Best View, NSW.' Nice place!
We intend to spend a few days here, weather permitting, and then venture up the Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek.
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Bantry Bay Middle Harbour 22nd & 23rd July
Poor Peter! He has finally decided that it is time to change the authors name on this blog. The 'Brrrr' for the cold weather was the final straw. He did not want anyone to be under the illusion that he wrote stuff like that - definitely female.
Beautiful Bantry Bay! The wind has been sweeping across the hills here, but has had little impact upon us down here at water level in this picturesque spot. Approaching this bay from the south the buildings of the old munitions depot dominate the left bank. Some of these buildings have new roofs so it appears that they are to be renovated. This is an off limits area for landing. Opposite, and close to us on our courtesy mooring is a small public jetty and picnic area. I doubt many picnickers use it as access involves a very energetic walk down the hundreds of rocky steps and steep bush tracks, which takes about 30 minutes to climb down from the car park. The trek up had us both puffing and panting. We had tied Lily up to the jetty and checked that the wind was blowing her off and away from the oyster encrusted piles and rocks and that she would not get stuck under the jetty as the tide ebbed. The tide was not due in for a few hours so we decided she was safe for the time being. On arrival back at the jetty a couple of hours later - no sign of the dinghy. She was skulking right under the jetty out of sight and Peter had to scramble under the slippery, slimy, oyster covered piles to retrieve her. The wind direction indicated that the dinghy should still be blown off, but I guess eddies and tide were causing our recalcitrant dinghy to misbehave.
Today we piled in the dinghy, with our lunch, and motored around to Roseville Chase to a small beach where we could lift the dinghy out and not have to worry about oyster covered rocks. From here we followed tracks west in the Garigal National Park. The terrain was as usual very steep and sandstone cliffs dropped off from the walk track at dizzying heights. Mostly the track was about half way up the hill and the cliffs also rose vertically beside us sometimes thickly covered with ferns and gum trees and at other times the bush was more open affording panoramic views across Middle Harbour. We continued on under the Roseville Bridge and along the Lyre Bird track for a few kms where we sat on a rock and ate lunch overlooking Middle Harbour Creek.
Tomorrow is to be a jobs day. The Spit Bridge opens at 10.15am and we will go to the fuel jetty at Clontarf Marina and fill up with fuel and water. Then it is off to Manly to food shop ready for our trip to Broken Bay and Pittwater some 16nm north of Sydney Harbour. Greg and Leisha have invited us to dinner so we will do the washing and have the big clean up.
Beautiful Bantry Bay! The wind has been sweeping across the hills here, but has had little impact upon us down here at water level in this picturesque spot. Approaching this bay from the south the buildings of the old munitions depot dominate the left bank. Some of these buildings have new roofs so it appears that they are to be renovated. This is an off limits area for landing. Opposite, and close to us on our courtesy mooring is a small public jetty and picnic area. I doubt many picnickers use it as access involves a very energetic walk down the hundreds of rocky steps and steep bush tracks, which takes about 30 minutes to climb down from the car park. The trek up had us both puffing and panting. We had tied Lily up to the jetty and checked that the wind was blowing her off and away from the oyster encrusted piles and rocks and that she would not get stuck under the jetty as the tide ebbed. The tide was not due in for a few hours so we decided she was safe for the time being. On arrival back at the jetty a couple of hours later - no sign of the dinghy. She was skulking right under the jetty out of sight and Peter had to scramble under the slippery, slimy, oyster covered piles to retrieve her. The wind direction indicated that the dinghy should still be blown off, but I guess eddies and tide were causing our recalcitrant dinghy to misbehave.
Today we piled in the dinghy, with our lunch, and motored around to Roseville Chase to a small beach where we could lift the dinghy out and not have to worry about oyster covered rocks. From here we followed tracks west in the Garigal National Park. The terrain was as usual very steep and sandstone cliffs dropped off from the walk track at dizzying heights. Mostly the track was about half way up the hill and the cliffs also rose vertically beside us sometimes thickly covered with ferns and gum trees and at other times the bush was more open affording panoramic views across Middle Harbour. We continued on under the Roseville Bridge and along the Lyre Bird track for a few kms where we sat on a rock and ate lunch overlooking Middle Harbour Creek.
Tomorrow is to be a jobs day. The Spit Bridge opens at 10.15am and we will go to the fuel jetty at Clontarf Marina and fill up with fuel and water. Then it is off to Manly to food shop ready for our trip to Broken Bay and Pittwater some 16nm north of Sydney Harbour. Greg and Leisha have invited us to dinner so we will do the washing and have the big clean up.
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Middle Harbour 20th & 21st July
We spent all Saturday and Sunday morning appreciating the beauty of Sugarloaf Bay and the two small coves leading into it, Crag Cove and Castle Cove. Both coves were lined with tall mangroves as they grew narrower and we continued up, in the dinghy, until we could go no further. In places rocky cliffs lined the banks and flowering wattles tumbled over the edge. There were six or seven other yachts and motor boats around us and Peter made friends with Megan and Andrew (lawyers) who had a sleek looking 41' Bavaria next to us.
Alan Lucas (book) advised us that there were shops up the hill from the old derelict stone jetty on the north side of the bay. We were able to land the dinghy on the shore near the wall and lifted it across the sand up onto the grass, safe from the incoming tide and started out to find the shops for a few supplies. In the end it took us about 45 minutes to walk to them, so we decided we deserved a morning coffee for our efforts. The walk took us up a very steep hill and into some expensive suburban streets and houses overlooking Middle Harbour.
Greg and Leisha met us on the way to the 11.30am opening of Spit Bridge. We managed to be early this time. We didn't think we'd try our luck by being late again. As the courtesy moorings in Shell Cove were free we stopped there and they came over to us for a lunch of toasted cheese and asparagus sandwiches. Yum! Today has been very windy, and although Middle Harbour is calm and sheltered, it was still a cold brisk wind that blew across the deck. This is the reason for my trendy flannel jacket. It's a tad small for Peter so I have inherited it.
Late this afternoon, after Greg and Leisha left, we decided to spend the next two days in Bantry Bay in the north end of Middle Harbour. We are surrounded by national park, high hills covered in thick bush and trees and completely sheltered from the worst of the wind. During the next two days we plan to take long bush walks on the park tracks here.
Alan Lucas (book) advised us that there were shops up the hill from the old derelict stone jetty on the north side of the bay. We were able to land the dinghy on the shore near the wall and lifted it across the sand up onto the grass, safe from the incoming tide and started out to find the shops for a few supplies. In the end it took us about 45 minutes to walk to them, so we decided we deserved a morning coffee for our efforts. The walk took us up a very steep hill and into some expensive suburban streets and houses overlooking Middle Harbour.
Just a small pad in Castlecrag
Greg and Leisha met us on the way to the 11.30am opening of Spit Bridge. We managed to be early this time. We didn't think we'd try our luck by being late again. As the courtesy moorings in Shell Cove were free we stopped there and they came over to us for a lunch of toasted cheese and asparagus sandwiches. Yum! Today has been very windy, and although Middle Harbour is calm and sheltered, it was still a cold brisk wind that blew across the deck. This is the reason for my trendy flannel jacket. It's a tad small for Peter so I have inherited it.
Flannel coat and ugg boots - Brrrrrr!
Late this afternoon, after Greg and Leisha left, we decided to spend the next two days in Bantry Bay in the north end of Middle Harbour. We are surrounded by national park, high hills covered in thick bush and trees and completely sheltered from the worst of the wind. During the next two days we plan to take long bush walks on the park tracks here.
Our view of Bantry Bay landing from our mooring.
Friday, 19 July 2013
Night Lights 18th & 19th July
Fuel jetty at Cabarita Marina - look out for the rocks and the ferry wake!
Going through Old Glebe Island Bridge, Anzac Bridge behind.
A decision was made to relocate to Athol Bay, near Taronga Park Zoo, and put up with the ferry wash rocking and rolling us about in order to get a good view of the city lights for a night. This morning we were awoken by the "Whoop! Whoop!" of apes and monkeys as they greeted the new day. There are five courtesy moorings in Athol Bay and they were all taken for the night. This morning Peter and I decided to take the beautiful bush walk to Chowder Bay for a coffee before we headed to Middle Harbour for the weekend. We had just climbed back on Rene when the rain that had been threatening all morning arrived with a gusty bluster that had us diving for shelter. Lucky us!
Once the weather settled a bit and we had lunch we made the break for Middle Harbour and Spit Bridge. We knew we were cutting things fine, as the last bridge opening for the day was at 2.15pm, but had decided to take one of the courtesy moorings near Shell Cove if we missed it and wait for tomorrow's 10am opening. However we did make it and the man operating the bridge waved us through, so here we are in Sugarloaf Bay on one of the courtesy moorings along with three other boats. We are surrounded by steep bushy hills and reserves. It hardly seems possible that Australia's largest city centre is only a few kilometres away.
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Cabarita Marina 17th June
Today we decided it was time to move on up the Parramatta River. As we slowly chugged west past many small bays chocked full with moored craft and acres of suburbia, we decided to look into the possibility of securing a marina berth for the night. After more than two weeks out on the anchor we had used most of our water and were at the stage where a soak in the shower would be a good idea. There is a lot to be said for the old bucket bath and we have practised it down to a fine art, but eventually the yearning for a shower cannot be denied. Greg had told us about Cabarita Marina and we contacted them to find they had room for us, showers, laundry, kiosk etc.
Cabarita Marina is located on Cabarita Point and near the entrance to Hen and Chickens Bay. We were instructed to tie up at the fuel jetty next to the marina while paper work was completed. This is an interesting experience as there are some unforgiving looking rocks just to the north and front of this jetty. Luckily for us there was no ferry steaming past at the time we berthed as we didn't realise the effect the bow waves had on this area. We do now, after observing one of the fast ferries travelling upstream at a rate of knots, leaving us bouncing about like drunks staggering and stumbling up the pontoon. Our pen is on the inner most pontoon and is quite protected from the surge. Unfortunately the cost is $70 per night, but we are after all in Sydney Harbour and the facilities here are new and clean and the staff very friendly and helpful.
Our trip up the beautiful Parramatta River from Balls Head Bay was most enjoyable. The weather was superb, sunny, warm and the river sparkling in the sunshine. This afternoon we walked for about 8 kms up river and back around Breakfast Point and the newish housing development there. This is high density living, but well planned with attractive apartments and acres of open space and native gardens lining the river. The water bags are full, laundry is done, Peter and I are showered (hair washed, oh bliss!!) and we are looking forward to another couple of weeks out on the water.
An oil tanker leaves Gore Bay as we arrived in Balls Head Bay
Cabarita Marina is located on Cabarita Point and near the entrance to Hen and Chickens Bay. We were instructed to tie up at the fuel jetty next to the marina while paper work was completed. This is an interesting experience as there are some unforgiving looking rocks just to the north and front of this jetty. Luckily for us there was no ferry steaming past at the time we berthed as we didn't realise the effect the bow waves had on this area. We do now, after observing one of the fast ferries travelling upstream at a rate of knots, leaving us bouncing about like drunks staggering and stumbling up the pontoon. Our pen is on the inner most pontoon and is quite protected from the surge. Unfortunately the cost is $70 per night, but we are after all in Sydney Harbour and the facilities here are new and clean and the staff very friendly and helpful.
Our trip up the beautiful Parramatta River from Balls Head Bay was most enjoyable. The weather was superb, sunny, warm and the river sparkling in the sunshine. This afternoon we walked for about 8 kms up river and back around Breakfast Point and the newish housing development there. This is high density living, but well planned with attractive apartments and acres of open space and native gardens lining the river. The water bags are full, laundry is done, Peter and I are showered (hair washed, oh bliss!!) and we are looking forward to another couple of weeks out on the water.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Sydney 10th to 16th July 2013
The Battery World people at Brookvale were very good and delivered the new alternator/regulator to us at Balmoral on Wednesday. We spent the morning hovering about waiting for them to contact us and explored the Balmoral Beach area from end to end. There must be an active group of people regenerating the bush reserves behind the beach as the new plantings of native flora are flourishing and beautifying the area. Quite impressive. At midday we decided to buy lunch and of course that was when the Battery World man arrived.
In the afternoon Peter fitted the new alternator and we motored around the outer harbour towards Rose Bay and back along the northern shores. The problem was obviously solved.
On Thursday we moved to the courtesy moorings near Middle Harbour Yacht Club. Greg thought it would be better to leave the dinghy on the lawn near the Dinghy Sailing Club when we caught the bus up to Neutral Bay for dinner with him and Leisha. While we were waiting for the bus at Spit Bridge we started talking to a man who informed us that we were supposed to have pre-purchased our tickets. Of course there was no place to buy them there, so we were in a bit of a quandary. After some more discussion we found we were bound for exactly the same place so our man hailed a taxi and we rode in comfort to Wycombe Road. He insisted on paying for the taxi as he said his company would pick up the tab as he had been at a PD day. People are very helpful and friendly - even in the city. Our meal with Greg and Leisha at Ta Ta Thai was, as usual, scrumptious. It is such a delightful place to eat out and only a short walk from Greg and Leisha's apartment. Luckily when we arrived back at the dinghy the area was reasonably well lit and in the dark we were able to see Rene clearly.
By Friday we were low on stores so we decided to motor over to Manly to stock up for the weekend at Quarantine Bay with Greg and Leisha. Coles is close to the water front where we anchored, just to the north of the swimming baths. The ferries arrive at the jetty close by, which made interesting viewing while we ate lunch. Just as we were leaving Coles Peter noticed that a fellow had walked his cat down to the shops. It was sitting next to his bag at the front of Coles and did not seem perturbed by the multitudes walking past. What a cat!
Peter and I anchored in Quarantine Bay just under North Head for the night. On Saturday morning we walked up to the old hospital area and watched for Greg and Leisha. They anchored next to us and we spent the weekend exploring the North Head/Manly area. The weather was superb, so we had a relaxing break with them.
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This week we have decided to take Rene up the harbour to the west and explore beyond The Bridge. As this was probably one of the least busy times, after lunch on Monday, we set off along the northern shores. Things still became busy off Circular Quay and at one time we had six ferries heading towards us. It turned out to be interesting rather that scary and we enjoyed the trip. At present we are anchored in Balls Head Bay which is a dedicated anchoring area for small boats. This bay is surrounded by bushland areas. Nearby is HMAS Waterhen which is alive with Navy business. On the other side is a deep bay which houses large oil storage tanks and so far we have seen two ships coming and going from there. We watched the tugs manoeuvre a huge oil tanker out from this small bay when we walked around Berry Island. This bushy little area is not actually an island but is joined to the mainland by a low parkland lawn area at the end of our bay.
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Today we decided to walk around the bush reserve, that flanks Gore Bay, to Greenwich. We had read that there was a row of small shops up on the hill which included coffee shops. Peter likes his coffee. Surprisingly the walk was through wet, shady rainforest type vegetation. Huge Tree Ferns, Bird's Nest Ferns and various others grew thickly amongst the stately gum trees. We continued on to the Ball's Head Reserve and came across the derelict Coal Wharf. This area has had a lot of money spent on it as a community park. There are community gardens there and also the Centre for Sustainability. It was a most interesting area to explore.
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In the afternoon Peter fitted the new alternator and we motored around the outer harbour towards Rose Bay and back along the northern shores. The problem was obviously solved.
On Thursday we moved to the courtesy moorings near Middle Harbour Yacht Club. Greg thought it would be better to leave the dinghy on the lawn near the Dinghy Sailing Club when we caught the bus up to Neutral Bay for dinner with him and Leisha. While we were waiting for the bus at Spit Bridge we started talking to a man who informed us that we were supposed to have pre-purchased our tickets. Of course there was no place to buy them there, so we were in a bit of a quandary. After some more discussion we found we were bound for exactly the same place so our man hailed a taxi and we rode in comfort to Wycombe Road. He insisted on paying for the taxi as he said his company would pick up the tab as he had been at a PD day. People are very helpful and friendly - even in the city. Our meal with Greg and Leisha at Ta Ta Thai was, as usual, scrumptious. It is such a delightful place to eat out and only a short walk from Greg and Leisha's apartment. Luckily when we arrived back at the dinghy the area was reasonably well lit and in the dark we were able to see Rene clearly.
By Friday we were low on stores so we decided to motor over to Manly to stock up for the weekend at Quarantine Bay with Greg and Leisha. Coles is close to the water front where we anchored, just to the north of the swimming baths. The ferries arrive at the jetty close by, which made interesting viewing while we ate lunch. Just as we were leaving Coles Peter noticed that a fellow had walked his cat down to the shops. It was sitting next to his bag at the front of Coles and did not seem perturbed by the multitudes walking past. What a cat!
Peter and I anchored in Quarantine Bay just under North Head for the night. On Saturday morning we walked up to the old hospital area and watched for Greg and Leisha. They anchored next to us and we spent the weekend exploring the North Head/Manly area. The weather was superb, so we had a relaxing break with them.
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This week we have decided to take Rene up the harbour to the west and explore beyond The Bridge. As this was probably one of the least busy times, after lunch on Monday, we set off along the northern shores. Things still became busy off Circular Quay and at one time we had six ferries heading towards us. It turned out to be interesting rather that scary and we enjoyed the trip. At present we are anchored in Balls Head Bay which is a dedicated anchoring area for small boats. This bay is surrounded by bushland areas. Nearby is HMAS Waterhen which is alive with Navy business. On the other side is a deep bay which houses large oil storage tanks and so far we have seen two ships coming and going from there. We watched the tugs manoeuvre a huge oil tanker out from this small bay when we walked around Berry Island. This bushy little area is not actually an island but is joined to the mainland by a low parkland lawn area at the end of our bay.
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Today we decided to walk around the bush reserve, that flanks Gore Bay, to Greenwich. We had read that there was a row of small shops up on the hill which included coffee shops. Peter likes his coffee. Surprisingly the walk was through wet, shady rainforest type vegetation. Huge Tree Ferns, Bird's Nest Ferns and various others grew thickly amongst the stately gum trees. We continued on to the Ball's Head Reserve and came across the derelict Coal Wharf. This area has had a lot of money spent on it as a community park. There are community gardens there and also the Centre for Sustainability. It was a most interesting area to explore.
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Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Sydney 7th to 9th July
We are in Sydney!!! Yay!!! We have just done 2 159nm from Albany. Greg and Leisha phoned us to say they were coming through Spit Bridge on the 10am opening and would see us soon after.
The bridge opens at about 2 hourly intervals on the weekend to let boats in and out of Middle Harbour. It opens during the week as well, but not quite so frequently I think. It was wonderful to see them and have both yachts anchored together at Balmoral. We all went ashore and had brunch and then walked up the steep steps to Middle Head for a view of the main harbour. Great day!
We have had no problems until the last part of our trip when Peter noticed that the alternator was sporadically overcharging the batteries. He contacted Battery World and was advised to get a new alternator. The old one was 28 years old, so I guess that was a good innings. At the moment we are waiting for the Battery World man to advise us when he will deliver the new alternator to us here.
The bridge opens at about 2 hourly intervals on the weekend to let boats in and out of Middle Harbour. It opens during the week as well, but not quite so frequently I think. It was wonderful to see them and have both yachts anchored together at Balmoral. We all went ashore and had brunch and then walked up the steep steps to Middle Head for a view of the main harbour. Great day!
We have had no problems until the last part of our trip when Peter noticed that the alternator was sporadically overcharging the batteries. He contacted Battery World and was advised to get a new alternator. The old one was 28 years old, so I guess that was a good innings. At the moment we are waiting for the Battery World man to advise us when he will deliver the new alternator to us here.
Trip To Sydney 5th & 6th July
The morning was cold, clear and still as we pulled the anchor and motored out of Chain Bay. The forecast was for NW going W up to 20-25kn of wind later in the day. This would be on the nose as usual at the start, but sounded OK. For the first 4 hours the wind was very light, but as we headed north it grew in strength, so that by midday we were just south of Jervis Bay in strong winds. Both north and south of Jervis Bay the cliffs are huge, reputed to be highest in Australia. They are certainly impressive. At this stage the wind was coming directly out of the entrance to Jervis Bay and the sea was very lumpy. As we had to motor right across the bay to find any relief from the wind and the anchorages there are still exposed, we decided to go on to Crookhaven River.
Sailing along the cliffs we noticed two whale watching boats sheltering beneath, watching whales. One whale came very close to us. So much for keeping 100m off them. What if they don't keep 100m away from you - lawmakers? Yachts don't travel that fast. We had a false sense of security behind the cliffs and once we left them behind the true strength of the wind became apparent. By now it was gusting well up to 35kn and settled in at 30kn from the west. Of course this made a quick trip, but it was very uncomfortable in short choppy seas. Peter decided to shorten the sails and this meant getting very wet and cold. Once this was done we realised Crookhaven was not an option as the entrance would be untenable. We decided to go on to Sydney.
After we phoned Greg, who told us that the wind there was light, our decision was confirmed. As we got closer to Sydney the wind eased and we coasted through the Heads at 4am. A ship was sailing out at the same time and as we couldn't see it amongst the background lights, the AIS proved its worth. Eventually we could see it against South Head as we cruised past Middle Head into Balmoral Beach. Dropped the anchor at 4.45am and fell into bed at 5am.
Sailing along the cliffs we noticed two whale watching boats sheltering beneath, watching whales. One whale came very close to us. So much for keeping 100m off them. What if they don't keep 100m away from you - lawmakers? Yachts don't travel that fast. We had a false sense of security behind the cliffs and once we left them behind the true strength of the wind became apparent. By now it was gusting well up to 35kn and settled in at 30kn from the west. Of course this made a quick trip, but it was very uncomfortable in short choppy seas. Peter decided to shorten the sails and this meant getting very wet and cold. Once this was done we realised Crookhaven was not an option as the entrance would be untenable. We decided to go on to Sydney.
After we phoned Greg, who told us that the wind there was light, our decision was confirmed. As we got closer to Sydney the wind eased and we coasted through the Heads at 4am. A ship was sailing out at the same time and as we couldn't see it amongst the background lights, the AIS proved its worth. Eventually we could see it against South Head as we cruised past Middle Head into Balmoral Beach. Dropped the anchor at 4.45am and fell into bed at 5am.
Cook's Pigeon House (Cook must have been politically correct here. Doesn't look like a pigeon house to me!)
Chain Bay 4th & 5th July
As the weather forecast for the next few days was N/NW winds and strong wind warnings, we decided to relocate to Chain Bay, on the north side of Batemans Bay. This is a lovely bay that has good holding in sand and is reputed to be calm in these winds. It was. We spent a couple of comfortable days there with beautiful views of Maloney Beach and surrounds. The only small problem was landing the dinghy, usual problem of surge up the beach and not getting soaked on landing.
We found a very nice little coffee shop come deli where we indulged ourselves both days. The small suburb of Maloneys Beach is neat, surrounded by forest and on the east side by Murramarang National Park. We noticed that there were mobs of kangaroos relaxing on the beach reserves. Later in the evening they migrated to the gardens and were doing a wonderful job of mowing the lawns. One disadvantage of this was that my ability at advertising myself as a mobile restaurant for small critters meant I ended up with a hungry hitchhiker, a roo tick! Soon sorted it out! An early meal and we were in bed ready for a 4am rise for the trip to Jervis Bay.
Coffee shop at Chain Bay
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Batemans Bay 30th June to 3rd July 35" 42.9'S 150" 11.4'E
That insane music of the mobile alarm rang out at 2.00am. The trouble is if you don't answer it the thing continues on indefinitely - no sleeping in! Helen and Brian heard us making preparations to leave and came out to wish us a safe trip and help us let go the lines. Thank you. Hope we catch up soon. The Bermagui Bar was behaving beautifully and we were underway, motoring to Batemans Bay. Actually we spent about two thirds of the time sailing today which was a change and as our route took us close to the coast the scenery was stunning. We sailed past many cliffy headlands interspersed with golden beaches. Again there was more forested land than cultivated.
We made good time and at 11.30am we approached Batemans Bay Bar. The weather was superb and the bar calm, the only ripples on the water being on the sandbanks to the north of the channel. The bar was crossed gingerly at 2 knots and at one stage there was 0.2m under the keel. The water was murky and muddy so no seeing the bottom. Luckily it is sand and as planned the tide was rising, so if we got stuck it was a matter of waiting for a bit more water to continue our journey. Peter had organised a marina pen for us for two days and we docked at midday after and incident free trip.
The facilities here are good with toilets and hot showers not far away. The town of Batemans Bay is a little over 1km walk along the rock walls retaining the river. Once in town coffee shops and eating places line the banks and we found a very nice place to sit and observe the activities on the river and walkway.
I have had a continuing blocked ear problem since leaving Port Fairy so we decided to bite the bullet and do something about it. We were advised to front up to the local hospital emergency department for treatment. Anyone who has done this before knows that you should not be in a hurry. Three hours later, after a syringing the problem was solved and I can now hear perfectly for the first time in a couple of months. Yay!!!!
Today is the 3rd of July and we are going to do a small shop and pay our marina fees. Peter is now filling the water bags and then we will motor over to Chain Bay on the north side of Batemans Bay. We may be there for a couple of days as there is a strong wind warning N/NW, of course exactly where we plan to go. Our research tells us that Chain Bay is a secure, comfortable anchorage in northerly weather and the holding is good in sand. Sounds good to me. Murramarang National Park extends into Chain Bay so there should be some exploring to do to keep us occupied over there for a couple of days.
We made good time and at 11.30am we approached Batemans Bay Bar. The weather was superb and the bar calm, the only ripples on the water being on the sandbanks to the north of the channel. The bar was crossed gingerly at 2 knots and at one stage there was 0.2m under the keel. The water was murky and muddy so no seeing the bottom. Luckily it is sand and as planned the tide was rising, so if we got stuck it was a matter of waiting for a bit more water to continue our journey. Peter had organised a marina pen for us for two days and we docked at midday after and incident free trip.
The facilities here are good with toilets and hot showers not far away. The town of Batemans Bay is a little over 1km walk along the rock walls retaining the river. Once in town coffee shops and eating places line the banks and we found a very nice place to sit and observe the activities on the river and walkway.
I have had a continuing blocked ear problem since leaving Port Fairy so we decided to bite the bullet and do something about it. We were advised to front up to the local hospital emergency department for treatment. Anyone who has done this before knows that you should not be in a hurry. Three hours later, after a syringing the problem was solved and I can now hear perfectly for the first time in a couple of months. Yay!!!!
Today is the 3rd of July and we are going to do a small shop and pay our marina fees. Peter is now filling the water bags and then we will motor over to Chain Bay on the north side of Batemans Bay. We may be there for a couple of days as there is a strong wind warning N/NW, of course exactly where we plan to go. Our research tells us that Chain Bay is a secure, comfortable anchorage in northerly weather and the holding is good in sand. Sounds good to me. Murramarang National Park extends into Chain Bay so there should be some exploring to do to keep us occupied over there for a couple of days.
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