Sailing up the East Coast

Hi All,

I have just bought a H28 and I'm planning to sail it from Lakes Entrance to Sydney!
I wanted to get some ideas on Ports to stop at as I want to do most of it during day light hours. Also when is the best time of year to go?
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Have you got the Alan Lucas book, Cruising the NSW Coast... it's really good.

www.chartandmapshop.com.au/cruising-the-new-south-wales-coast-6th-edition-by-alan-lucas-2010

Morning Hugh Grant

Hi madmission
Just viewed some of your photos, nice little wind generator on the cabin top. Didn't see it in later photos, do you still have it?
Also noticed your Boomerang has 2 small forward facing windows on the cabin, what a nifty way to get more light down below, pity more designers didn't incorporate this sort of thing in their designs.
Greg

eden. bermy. avoid narooma. moruya is ok. batemans bay. jb of course. ulladulla. wollongong. kiama very small. port hacking. i have a TS and have done many of these. batemans bay and moruya might be too shallow for a keeler.
Bittangabee bay just south of eden .been past but not in. too much swell that day.

As MM said, avoid Narooma. Moruya has a narrow entrance but is OK (or so I understand, I've looked at the bar but not crossed it yet but many friends do it regularly).
The northern side of Broulee "island" is nicely protected from a southerly and is OK from a north-easter. Batemans Bay is a lot more protected than it looks unless it's a southerly, in which case the only real spot to go without local knowledge is behind Snapper Island or just near it, behind Observation Head and in front of Corrigans Beach. If you get stuck there for a few days you can go over the bar and into the river, but there is significant scope wind against tide in the river and even the best spot (on the southern shore near the bridge) can get a bit roll-y at times. You may want to go into the marina. Alternatively, the bridge lifts twice a day and you can go underneath it and up the river for a change of scenery. It's quite attractive, with high bush-covered hills.

BB in a north easter is the best cruising and sailing spot I have found but I'm biased. The Tollgates have a surprisingly good (although not perfect) anchorage in moderate conditions - make sure you don't anchor over the seagrass but the water is so clear it's easy to see the sand patches. The north end of Durras beach is a very good NE spot.

Ulladulla has a bit of a surge but is OK. Beware of mooring near the floating jetty's outward end as it is shallower than the bit closer to the shore and you may ground at low tide. There is a reef directly off the entrance.

Kiama is tiny and swelly but secure. Getting on and off could be a bit difficult if you are not nimble. The boats never seem to be still there, apart from when it has been westerly for days in winter.

For replenishing stores in that area, you'll find easy access to supermarkets at BB. There are three big ones and all other shops in the town centre if you go up the river near the bridge. If you are at Corrigans or Snapper there is a small shopping centre with supermarket, servo, hardware, chemist etc just behind Corrigans. There is a cafe/general store at Maloney's Beach/Chain Bay.

There isn't much in the way of easy access to stores at Moruya. Ulladulla and Kiama are both within a few hundred metres of the town centres; it's about 2 km to a big supermarket in Kiama, less in Ulladulla. Fuel may be an issue at Kiama.

Wollongong has a bit of surge, like Ulladulla. It's a few ks to shops, I think.

Port Hacking's Jibbon Beach is an OK anchorage in a medium NE and a good anchorage in a southerly.