Looking for experienced crew to take a well found comfortable 33ft yacht to Lake Macquarie on 27 Dec. and/or the return leg to Pitwater on the 30 Dec.
Hi Pete,
Sometimes it is better to tell us a bit about yourself and boat! But I can do that.
Hey guys, Peter is soon to be my brother-in-law as he is marrying my sister 
(no he is not deaf & blind)
About 12 months ago they bought a share in a nice Arrends 33 with furler, moored in Kareel Bay Pittwater. The boat is in good condition, lightly used and well maintained.
Pete asked me if I knew anyone to help him get it up to the Lake on about the 27th December.
I suggested the forum, or go down to one of the clubs, rpayc, or rmyc. They are members of the coastal cruising club.
They live near the nth shore train line, so they could pick someone upfrom a train station if needed, or PM Peter direct for any transport arrangements.
Cheers
Rick
Thanks Rick I'll be sure to tell Suz about your post!
This is not the first boat that I have owned and I have been in and out of Lake Macquarie before. I will talking with others at the club who are going up at the same time to get local knowledge.
Arends were known to be good coastal boats and well suited for the Lake. They have a long shallow keel.
Peter
Sounds like a nice trip, but I'll be out of town. I've done the trip a couple of times in my Top Hat solo, so it's not a difficult run. 40 odd nm and easily done in a day.
Why not do the trip solo yourself?
I agree it should be a comfortable straight forward trip that time of year. I did think of doing it myself but why not share the pleasure.
It's all coming together very nicely. Does anyone know where I can get tide tables specific to Swansea Channel.
Your best entry or exit time for the Swansea Channel is three hours after the Fort Denison high tide.
Select to expand quoteSailorPete said..
I agree it should be a comfortable straight forward trip that time of year. I did think of doing it myself but why not share the pleasure.
It's all coming together very nicely. Does anyone know where I can get tide tables specific to Swansea Channel.
Best thing is to contact Marine Rescue Lake Macqarie by phone, they have been more than helpful and accommodating when I've done the trip. They'll even book the bridge for you, or change the bridge booking if you're early or late, with enough notice.
Select to expand quotecisco said..
Your best entry or exit time for the Swansea Channel is three hours after the Fort Denison high tide.
Pete,
my my boat is based on Lake Macquarie, it is a great sailing spot. 3 days is not enough time!
The channel is quite shallow at present, but a dredging project has just started. Definatley talk to Marine Rescure before you leave To confirm conditions.
The depth at the bar is 1.5 m plus the tide.
The channel into the lake is fairly long, and the minimum depth points are west of the Swansea bridge, near the entrance to Swan bay. If you have significant draft you need to be in this area around 2 to 3 hours after the Sydney High tides, the closer to the 3 hour mark the better. The Swansea bridge opens on the hour, you need to book through marine rescue. There are moorings on the western side so you can pick up one of these and wait until the outgoing current is nearly stopped and head up the channel.
Thanks LMY
Draft is 1.4 m so it's getting caught in the ebb and flow that I will be looking out for. Based in your info I would need to be in the channel by 15:13. More likely I'll be there by 18:00 or so. It will be on a bit of an outgoing tide I think. I have heard it can be slack water 6hr after syd eg high
Pete,
at 1.4 m draft you will be fine. My boat draws 2m, so the channel is always a challenge.
My notes from my last trip through the channel were.
date 10/10/14
high tide, 1.86m @ 10:20
crossed the bar at 11:30, minimum depth 1.7m under the keel, so 3.7m total.
left mooring on western side of bridge at 13:00, no tidal flow. So slack water was around 2 hours, 40 m after high tide. There may have been flow in the main channel.
I suspect that you could have significant outflow 6 hours after high tide. Regardless, it is easy to check near the bridge and if flow is high, pick up a mooring and wait. There are three moorings on the eastern side and two in the western side.
Hi LMY
How deep is the boat jetty at Wangi RSL. Is it suitable for a 33ft yacht. Actually what I am looking for is some suggestions for a club to tie up to for lunch/dinner.
jettys at wangi rsl and the wangi workers club have plenty of water
depth for deep keel yachts ,but are both in bad condition cheers ray
With a 1.4 metre draft you will be ok at both Wangi Workers and Wangi RSL jetties.
Actually what I am looking for is some suggestions for a club to tie up to for lunch/dinner.
Select to expand quoteSailorPete said..
Actually what I am looking for is some suggestions for a club to tie up to for lunch/dinner.
Lake Macquarie Yacht Club is good for that on the eastern side as is the Royal Motor Yacht Club at Toronto on the western side. You may get stuck with a $20 to $30 overnight berthing fee in which case it is worth making a big meal out of it with beer wine and/or spirits.
LMYC is quite the social scene at Belmont and the Gunyah Hotel just up the hill has a great bistro as well.
Cisco is right, both LMYC and RMYC Toronto have good bistros and easy to tie up to, Wangi Workers also has a bistro as does Wangi Rsl. The Gunyah is easy walk from LMYC, there are heaps of cafes close to either RMYC and the public wharf at Toronto and Vita Cafe is walkable from Wangi RSL wharf. The Lakeside cafe at Murrays Beach wharf would also be fine for you to tie up to.
Is Wangi the closest public whalf to a train station? I am looking to pick up a traveller from Sydney.
Pete,
the rail way is a fair distance from the lake. It might be best to plan to use a taxi. The other option would be the public jetty at Toronto. All these might be a bit busy at that time of the year, so be prepared to anchor and come in to the jetty when space available.
if you are coming all the way up to the lake then there are some wonderfull anchorages in the southern end of the lake. Good anchoring and spots protected from all wind directions.
dora creek jetty is 100 meters from the train station you will be able to motor
down the creek with a 1.4 meter draft with no problems there is a workers /
bowling club 200 meters from the wharf aswell as a small shoping centre
just google earth dora creek and check it out
Thanks Radar. I want to end up closer to Swansea channel. I'm thinking overnight at LMYC and my mate gets a taxi from Cardiff station or overnight at Wangi and my mate gets a taxi from Dora creek
There is a bus from Fassifern station to Toronto which would be a good option or he could walk from Booragul station to Marmong Point Marina.
Do anyone know the condition of the wharf at the end of Kilaben Bay park near Jarrett st. Also is it deep at the end point.
I'm at Kilaben Bay now. The jetty at Rathmines near the old Catalina haulout ramp is in reasonable condition and the concrete jetty just around the point where I am is in good condition. Both jetties are within walking distance of Rathmines Bowling Cub where you will bet a nice lunch or dinner.
The concrete Jetty has has a pump out facility and water at the jetty and there are rubbish bins at both jetties.
There is a courtesy mooring close to both jetties.
Rick.
