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DrRog said...
By the way, I haven't yet tested motoring this 31-footer (with a 25hp and about 6 kts max) in a blow. How many knots do you think I should wait for it to drop to before I attempt to motor upwind to the Spit Bridge then through the lifting bridge in a cross wind, then back through the harbour?
Keensailor said... It's lucky we were in close to the shore at black wattle bay (between the yellow bouys). Even then we were getting seriously buffered around in a 27 foot 2200kg boat. I was really surprised we didn't drag, although I had a lot of anchor out. We are in castle cove Middle harbour tonight after an 8:30pm bridge. Are you heading back to the harbour the fireworks.
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I'm back home now. Wind dropped off a bit. I'm not surprised, KS, there were some very big boats being moved around, covers pulling off, etc. Maritime came by, said they'd pulled some boats off the rocks- mostly broken moorings.
Anyway, yes, first NYE on boat this year. We have guests from UK. Might avoid main harbour and view from upriver a bit. What about you?
Any recommendations for a newbie first-timer? Considering Clark's Point Reserve area near Cockatoo Is. with pickup from a Balmain wharf. Rose Bay / Neilson Park looks promising but further away for me.
In a north-easterly breeze, can't do much better than Athol Bay and it provides the best views down the harbour to the bridge. Nielson Park is too exposed you can't see down past Bradleys Head. Rose Bay is where charter and super yachts hang out. Last year, a giant cruiser liner moored off Rose Bay blocking a big chunk of view from the bay.
If you choose Athol Bay, you can pick up friends from the zoo wharf, lots of people do this in their tenders. The exclusion zone has a ferry channel into the wharf.
Get out there early to get a good spot (closer to Bradley's Head is best for viewing but worst for boat wash) and enjoy the day, take the tender over to the beach for while etc. It becomes very social with all the boats around. Anchoring depth is around 6-7m for most of the bay. Don't put too much rode out, it's not needed in mud and changing tides will see you wallowing about very close to other boats.
Remember the exclusion zone from about 8pm to 12:45am will mean you can't go up or down the harbour from Cockatoo Is to Clark Is.
I don't know much about spots west of the bridge, I wouldn't go anywhere else than Athol Bay unless it was a strong southerly.
This was from Athol Bay during the Naval Fleet Review, October Long Weekend. We arrived about 8am and there was plenty of space. We anchored about half way between the shore and the exclusion markers. I guess about 90% of boats are out just for the day so getting out early will ensure a good spot easily. By lunchtime it was getting busy and new arrivals spent much longer finding sufficient space and lots of stuffing around resetting anchors.
Mid afternoon was too late and there was a little bit of angst about the bay with too little space for new arrivals or big cruisers arriving and blocking views. Be prepared to defend your turf and view late in the day.
If you go out early, don't find a spot with too much space around you as you don't know what kind of monster cruiser will plonk nearby. We deliberately anchored in behind some low rise boats to ensure our view would be maintained for the fireworks.
Would like to second the Athol bay advice. We did that a couple of years ago and had a great night and left the next morning.
I would suggest that an arrival around lunch time would get a good spot not too exposed. The only downside is that the party boats (barges) ply thier trade ALL night, up and down the harbour. Have a good one!!
Rob
Thanks for all the advice!
We might try Athol bay then. Staying up in middle harbour tonight, so will head down in morning, should be good !
Thanks for the great advice guys!
Anchored at Athol, near to zoo wharf. Had to reset anchor after wind shifted and, being next to a cat and a powerboat, kept coming close. Most people friendly, just a powerboat of bogans a bit aggro. Weather fab. UK visitors happy.
A good night at the west side of Shark Island, followed by a return north toward Manly.
Idiots in motor boats with massive spot lights shining their way by blinding everyone's
night vision to enable them to motor at maximum speed. My eyes were actually sore
from these fools flashing onto our yacht, its was like being flashbulbed hundreds of times.
These morons need to realise that boats are not cars, should not be driven at maximum
speed at night with blazing lights forward. If you need illumination constantly in a boat
you are simply going too fast for the conditions. Wonderful fireworks better than any
I have seen overseas, will never move again until the next day, morons per square mile
off the scale, not worth the risk of being run down by fools.
Happy New Year folks!
Yes, great tip about Athol Bay
We anchored just off the Bradley's Head amphitheatre at about 10 in the morning. We were only about 30 metres from the exclusion zone. The view of the fireworks was mind blowing!
We teased the anchor in a little too much at midday and dragged, but reset and sat happily there for rest of the night. People were friendly and generally very careful.
It was a study in anchoring, watching people try to drop their anchor in the right spot but finding they did'nt sit well with the other boats.