A week on the harbour

The iconic view of Sydney

Sydney Harbour has always been somewhere we aspired to visit and explore, ever since we towed the Haines Signature to Sydney and put it in the Parramatta River. There is so much water to cruise around in and so many places to moor, so we were determined to make the most of the opportunity while we are here in Manookatoo.
After entering through the heads on Sunday morning, we found a handy visitors' mooring just around the corner in Little Manly Cove, tucked in under the coastal park. With ferries and other passenger vessels whizzing by on their way to and from Manly, and many other luxury cruisers and yachts in the vicinity making the most of a (quasi) long weekend, it was a busy location! We took the dinghy across to Manly and tied up just behind the ferry terminal to do some shopping, then returned later for a lovely lunch looking out across the water. Next morning before breakfast we returned for a long walk along the beach foreshore, then set off to find a new location.

Spit Bridge opens for yachts to pass

Middle Harbour was a place neither of us had previously explored, but with recommendations from Alan Lucas* and the cruising helmsman**, we were keen to see this "pocket playground". Passing Balmoral Beach, we rounded the corner and cruised under the Spit Bridge just before it opened to let all the yachts and taller boats through - an amazing sight, with boats jostling for position then racing through the opening. We had arranged to meet the first mate's parents at D'Albora Marina, just beyond the bridge, then we cruised up into the harbour, past mansions perched on the hillside and into the beautiful Garigal National Park, where we pulled up a visitors' mooring at Bantry Bay for lunch. It was so lovely and peaceful there, so we returned after dropping the parents back at the Marina and enjoyed a beautiful night, along with at least 10 other boats!

Beautiful Bantry Bay

Tuesday morning was ANZAC day and as we dropped the mooring the coffee boat cruised by - a quirky offering in this part of the world and one we will try next time - but today we were keen to really "see" Sydney Harbour - the bridge, the opera house, centrepoint tower, Watsons Bay, Darling Harbour,,,, so we cruised back into the fray. The closer you get to the city the more congested the waterway becomes, with ferries, fast cats, sightseers, fishermen, water taxis, yacht races just to name a few activities. It is a lumpy, bumpy trip from the HMAS Sydney monument on Bradleys Head to Cockatoo Island and the entrance to the Lane Cove River, but the views of all the iconic places and the cruise under the Harbour Bridge make it worthwhile - as long as the captain keeps his wits about him! We had booked two nights at D'Albora Marina, Cabarita Point - an interesting area redeveloped from an old Gas works and the Dulux Paint industrial site now filled with luxury waterfront houses and apartments.

Happy Birthday Sue!!

Wednesday - the first mate's birthday - was a lovely family day, with lunch at the Marina's waterfront restaurant with the parents and sister, followed by a rivercat trip into Darling Harbour and The Rocks for drinks and dinner. You'd think river cruising on a passenger ferry would be a bit ho-hum after our adventures, but the opportunity to get so close to the Opera House and another trip under the bridge was not to be missed!

The Opera House at night

After a morning walk around the developments of Cabarita and Breakfast Point, we cast off our lines on Thursday morning and headed back into the Parramatta River, cruising around into Iron Cove to buy fuel for the dinghy at the Marina and food for us at Birkenhead Point. A north easterly wind was forecast for the afternoon, so we headed into the calmer waters of Lane Cove River, dropping anchor near the Marist Sisters School boatshed. We took the dinghy ashore to investigate the Woolwich dock and gaze out across the water to the bridge and centrepoint tower, stopping for a drink at the Woolwich Pier pub before returning to Manookatoo for a delicious roast pork dinner.
A cool and clear night meant that Friday morning was bright and sunny, a beautiful day for a cruise back down the harbour, but first a visit to the Sydney Fish Markets was in order. We dropped anchor in Blackwattle Bay and took the dinghy across to tie up on a small jetty and explore. There is such a variety of seafood on offer, so we bought scallops mornay for lunch, a mix for a marinara for dinner, and prawns for lunch on Saturday! Returning to Manookatoo, we continued our cruise under the bridge and down the harbour, turning left at Middle Head and passing under the Spit Bridge. we pulled up the visitors mooring farthest down Bantry Bay - at that stage we were the only ones there, but many others followed as the afternoon wore on.

A peaceful evening at Bantry Bay

Saturday was another family day - the first mate's sister and brother-in-law were both celebrating their birthdays, and what better way than a cruise on Middle Harbour! We picked them up from near the Roseville Bridge then cruised down under the Spit Bridge as far as Balmoral Beach, returning to pull up a mooring near the bridge for the much-loved prawn lunch and a few celebratory drinks. As we cruised back we visited all the bays along the way, admiring the huge houses and equally huge boats. Dropping them back to their car, we returned to Bantry Bay, where we were lucky to spot an empty mooring for another night of tranquility.

Even the seaplanes visit Rose Bay!

We spent Sunday morning cruising down Middle Harbour again, this time to explore the southern bays of the harbour. We found a free visitors' mooring in Rose Bay, a busy part of the harbour with not only ferries and pleasure craft, but seaplanes to contend with! We took the dinghy to shore and explored the shops, lunching at the local club, then met friends in the afternoon for a cruise to Vaucluse and Watsons Bay, returning to the mooring in time for a stunning sunset behind the bridge.
Tomorrow morning our adventures north continue, as we leave Sydney Harbour bound for Broken Bay.

*Alan Lucas: Sydney to Central Coast Waterways Guide (printed in 1991, but lots of relevant information still)
**mysailing.com.au - Cruising Helmsman: Middle Harbour: Sydney's pocket playground (written in 2008)

A major milestone

Sydney Harbour - we made it!!

Reaching Sydney Harbour has always been a goal we were looking forward to; reaching Sydney Harbour in one week is, for us, an amazing experience! We had waited in Lakes for the right "weather window" to get around from Bass Strait into the Tasman Sea but, as the good weather continued we made the most of it each day.

Beautiful Bittangabee 

Our first port of call was Bittangabee Bay, a small inlet south of Eden surrounded by Ben Boyd National Park. Arriving after a full night of cruising at 10am on Sunday, we had a short nap and then lazed the day away, watching swimmers on the beach enjoying the mild conditions and fishermen cleaning their catch on their boats. In the afternoon another yacht arrived, also overnighting in the safe anchorage.

Bermagui Harbour

After an early night we woke to the alarm at 6am on Monday, keen to reach our next port of call. Bermagui is a small fishing town with an easy and safe harbour. We cruised 49 nautical miles, and arrived just after 2pm and tied up at the main jetty. While the captain refuelled, the first mate paid a visit to friends, Julie and Derek, inviting them onto the boat for an afternoon drink - Derek commented that we were living his dream! We enjoyed a quiet, balmy evening with local fish and chips for dinner as we watched the fishermen return to port.

Manookatoo at Batemans Bay Marina

Cruising out on Tuesday morning was easy again and the sea conditions were like glass. In 45 nautical miles, and 5 hours, we were in Batemans Bay, tying up at the Marina. We enjoyed an afternoon stroll into town and a drink at JJ's bar looking out over the boats in the Marina and admiring ours (of course!).
As the glorious weather conditions continued, we cruised out again on Wednesday morning, bound for Ulladulla but, on reaching the harbour and realising that the choice of moorings was limited and anchoring was not an option, we decided to continue onto Jervis Bay. This made our cruise a lot longer but, again the conditions favoured us - even under the cliffs which surround the bay there was very little swell. We dropped anchor just inside the bay at "Darling Road" just before 3pm, having travelled almost 60 nautical miles that day.

Point Perpendicular, Jervis Bay

Thursday was a very short 24 nautical mile cruise, out of Jervis Bay and around the cliff face into the Crookhaven River. Sea conditions past the cliffs were "lumpy" so we were glad we had everything stowed safely. Once they were passed, the rest of the journey was smooth and we cruised up the river to Greenwell Point. The Marine Rescue volunteers kindly directed us to a mooring near town and after tying up the captain lowered the brig into the water so that we could go into town for a much-needed walk! Lunch at the Sporting Club, right on the waterfront, was a lovely experience as well - seafood, of course, followed by a late afternoon journey along Berry's Canal into the Shoalhaven River, which is closed by a large sandbar at the ocean.

Greenwell Point, Crookhaven River

Having seen everything that Greenwell Point had to offer, and with good conditions forecast again for Friday, the brig was returned to its position on the flybridge and the alarm was set for 6am again. With 64 nautical miles to travel, we were keen to make the most of the day. Following the coast along we passed Kiama and Wollongong, spying the Grand Pacific Drive hanging out over the ocean as we cruised along, turning into Port Hacking just on 3pm. We cruised through the narrow channel into the Hacking River, picking up a visitor's mooring adjacent to the Royal National Park, opposite Yowie Bay. Small fishing boats and ski-boats zoomed around the wide waterway, but as day turned into night all was quiet and we enjoyed the serenity.

Walking in Royal National Park

Saturday morning is a great time for fishermen - the first boat zoomed past before 5am! We had decided that today would be a "rest" day, so we put the brig back in the water and zoomed off to explore the Hacking River, cruising almost as far as Audley Weir and into the bays at Gymea and Yowie Bay. The houses surrounding the bays are enormous, sitting high on the hill with steep stairways or small furniculars to get down to boathouses set into the cliffs. It was certainly a glimpse into "how the other half lives". Returning to Manookatoo, we cruised across to refuel, then headed downstream, picking up another visitor's mooring at Jibbon Beach, in the Royal National Park. A walk was in order, around the clifftops overlooking the Tasman Sea and past the aboriginal rock carvings thought to be tens of thousands of years old. We enjoyed evening drinks on the flybridge in very mild conditions - as winter approaches in Melbourne it is nice to be experiencing balmy Sydney!

South Head, about to enter Sydney Harbour

Another 6am start on Sunday - even though we had under 20 nautical miles left to cruise, we wanted to experience all that was on offer as soon as possible! It was lovely cruising so close to all the iconic southern beaches of Sydney - Coogee, Bronte and Bondi to name a few - and, passing by The Gap we turned left, entering Sydney Harbour just before 9am and cruising into Little Manly Cove to pick up another visitor's mooring for the night. With a long weekend for many, and a glorious day on offer, there are boats aplenty on the water. We look forward to many days exploring these beautiful waterways - and catching up with friends and family as well.

Moored at Little Manly Cove

The Captain's Log
Distance travelled: Lakes Entrance to Sydney Harbour - 393.8 nautical miles
Cruising time: 63 hours
Fuel: 520.8 litres

Night passage

Farewell Lakes Entrance!

Into Bass Strait

The weather window we had been waiting for finally presented itself! We always knew, once we left Lakes, that the first journey east would be overnight – there are few entrances between Lakes and Eden and most are subject to the seasonal water flows of spring and a high tide (Marlo, on the Snowy River and Malacoota) so a long journey is the norm. In order to reach the tricky “corner” and Gabo Island in daylight, we left Flagstaff Jetty and crossed the Lakes Entrance at 4:00 in the afternoon when the winds were still and the swell was minimal. Many jetskis were “playing” in the channel, roaring around in the waves as we cruised out. Friends Robyn and Richard from “Kool Sid” waved us away from the entrance.

A beautiful moon for visibility

As we turned left, we settled in on the rolling waves for the afternoon and evening ahead. We took off our life jackets and the captain headed for the flybridge to enjoy the last of the warmth as the coast passed by. We prepared beds in the main cabin – the lounge is the “sleeping” bed and the dining table becomes the “watch” bed. After sunset, dinner was prepared – steak and salad, to give us energy for the night. We took compass readings each hour to plot our course on the chart and each of us found our entertainment for our turn on watch – the captain watched some footy on the mobile phone and read a book, the first mate listened to podcasts and an ebook. The moon rose just after 8:00 so visibility was excellent.

With radar and the chart plotter to keep us on course, the night passed relatively easily. Several lighthouses guided our journey and, as the sun rose, Gabo Island appeared. We passed by Green Cape and started watching for the small entrance to Bittangabee Creek, our first stop, in the Ben Boyd National Park. We cruised in and dropped anchor at 10:00, pleased with our successful night passage and looking forward to a day of rest.

Entering Bittangabee Bay

Passing Green Cape

Distance travelled: 124 nautical miles

Trip length: 18 hours

Fuel used: 160 litres

Getting "ship shape" and ready to move!

Approaching the Gippsland Ports jetty

The Captain keeps everything in and on Manookatoo as ship-shape as possible all the time. He is forever checking the electricals, filling tanks, lubricating parts and cleaning from top to water line. Engine maintenance and replacement of any worn parts is done regularly too.
Once a year, Manookatoo needs a more thorough going over, which involves taking her out of the water in order to inspect and repair anything under the water line. Doing this is easy when Manookatoo is at Yaringa Marina - all the Captain's trusted service people are there and he (and they) know all about the boat. At Gippsland Ports it is a new experience, but there are good service people to be found everywhere, it is just a matter of getting to know who they are! Our experiences here have proved positive so far as well.....

In the travel lift

Washing the bottom

Cruising up to the jetty at the Gippsland Ports ship yard, a travel lift attached belts under the boat and she was hoisted up into the air and moved onto dry land. This whole process takes just over 2 minutes! Her bottom was then pressure washed so that slime and barnacles are removed. Once that job was completed, she was moved to a cradle while everything dried.

Ready for the Captain to work

Then the Captain inspected underneath closely, chiselling off any hard-to-move barnacles and checking that there are no scrapes where she has touched the bottom, applying antifoul where it was required and replacing the sacrificial anodes, which prevent the boat being corroded by electrodes in the water. He worked hard and fast, as the longer the boat is out of the water the more it costs in storage, and, as it is currently our home, we have to find somewhere else to stay if the job is not complete before the yard closes at night. By 4pm Manookatoo was hoisted onto the travel lift and lowered back into the water, clean and almost ready for her next adventures.

It's easy to see the engine with the floor up!

Engine maintenance is also undertaken annually, by a qualified mechanic, of course. After consulting with Gary, Manookatoo's regular mechanic, and on the advice of boating friends, Jim, a long standing local, was appointed to check on the servicing of the engine and generator. All the floor panels were lifted out, to make it easier for Jim to check all the vital organs and give the all-clear; as a big service had been done last winter he was satisfied that nothing needed replacing and everything was working perfectly.
Power generation is another important component of life aboard Manookatoo. When we are in the Marina, we plug into shore power, but at other times we must make our own. A series of batteries supplies power for starting the engine and for small energy requirements such as boiling the (low voltage) kettle, while bigger jobs are handled by a generator which, along with solar panels, replenishes energy into the batteries.

Checking we are maintaining power

A panel relays all information about power generation so that the Captain can be aware of capacity and load at all times - he checks this regularly, as well as testing the batteries with a hydrometer and ensuring there is pleny of distilled water to cover the battery plates. Batteries are expensive items to replace and, as they are a vital part of running the boat, they need careful management. With a long trip about to be undertaken, it was time for some new batteries to be fitted and, at 54 kilograms each this is an undertaking much more laborious than a trip to the local garage!

Leaving Paynesville....almost on our way

So now everything that had been done or checked has been done, it is a matter of watching the weather and the sea state for the next opportunity to go. Manookatoo has been moved from Paynesville to Lakes Entrance, and we wait for that opportunity.......