Boating in and around Sydney...
Discussion
ANother newbie question for you...... Obviously there are hazzards unique to boating such as rocks and wrecks under the water that you cant see.
Are there sat-nav type devices to guide you around them? The sea off WA is pretty clear when you look straight down but I imagine if you've got some speed on you stand no chance of seeing anything until it's too late. I know there are some reefs just off shore because you see waves breaking over them at low tide but what about those which are just a few feet below the surface?
Are there sat-nav type devices to guide you around them? The sea off WA is pretty clear when you look straight down but I imagine if you've got some speed on you stand no chance of seeing anything until it's too late. I know there are some reefs just off shore because you see waves breaking over them at low tide but what about those which are just a few feet below the surface?
Do your licence, learn the signs, that should be sufficient to avoid hitting rocks in the harbour! anything like that has some kind of marker ie deeper water to the east/west/north/south.
To answer your question directly I downloaded Navionics Australia and New Zealand maps which was £10 (still linked to uk acc) and an extra £1.49 for the nav module, cannot tell you if any good yet as not really used it. Should help navigate the waterways of Ku-ring-gai though I imagine....
That might help in terms of where you are etc but the best tool for not hitting rocks in a boat as big as we are talking about here are the eyes coupled with the brain!!
To answer your question directly I downloaded Navionics Australia and New Zealand maps which was £10 (still linked to uk acc) and an extra £1.49 for the nav module, cannot tell you if any good yet as not really used it. Should help navigate the waterways of Ku-ring-gai though I imagine....
That might help in terms of where you are etc but the best tool for not hitting rocks in a boat as big as we are talking about here are the eyes coupled with the brain!!
Hasbeen said:
Time for a few Christmas cruise pics here fellers.
With no boats left, except a 14Ft canoe, I need a fix.
No pics but this one..... a very sorry looking and broken waterpump from my boat that meant it was out of action for a couple of weeks. Now purring again! Not too difficult to do either.With no boats left, except a 14Ft canoe, I need a fix.
Went out to Middle harbour at the weekend and dragged the girls around on the donut, had a bit of a swim, bit of a fish and a couple of beers. Most pleasent!
Haven't posted for a while but have recently learnt to wakeboard.
Here I am on Hawksbury river last weekend. We get there via Bayview boat ramp near Mona Vale.
Anyhow my first time up (after many fails mind);
http://youtu.be/oaRkFyjTkig
Went out today and here's some photos of the bush fires that came right down to the water:
Note the fire actually burning in this shot:
(We'd gone wakeboarding too and that's the board on the back)
Robin
Here I am on Hawksbury river last weekend. We get there via Bayview boat ramp near Mona Vale.
Anyhow my first time up (after many fails mind);
http://youtu.be/oaRkFyjTkig
Went out today and here's some photos of the bush fires that came right down to the water:
Note the fire actually burning in this shot:
(We'd gone wakeboarding too and that's the board on the back)
Robin
TAS1981 said:
Hasbeen said:
Time for a few Christmas cruise pics here fellers.
With no boats left, except a 14Ft canoe, I need a fix.
No pics but this one..... a very sorry looking and broken waterpump from my boat that meant it was out of action for a couple of weeks. Now purring again! Not too difficult to do either.With no boats left, except a 14Ft canoe, I need a fix.
Went out to Middle harbour at the weekend and dragged the girls around on the donut, had a bit of a swim, bit of a fish and a couple of beers. Most pleasent!
Rob,
I see that you still use the jetskis quite a bit despite having a decent boat. I was thinking of getting a jetski as a starter thinking that it would test my trailer skills, boating skills and (probably most importantly) let me know how much I'm going to get into it before plumping for a bigger boat.
Am I thinking along the right?
I see that you still use the jetskis quite a bit despite having a decent boat. I was thinking of getting a jetski as a starter thinking that it would test my trailer skills, boating skills and (probably most importantly) let me know how much I'm going to get into it before plumping for a bigger boat.
Am I thinking along the right?
robm3 said:
We were out last Saturday in middle Harbour too.. Was dragging wake boarders up and down behind the Four Winns
Ah cool, I reckon I must have seen you about then! I had a little red biscuit and was towing a couple of girls about. Picking up a wakeboard tonight as well, done it briefly before, got up pretty quick but then it starts to get complicated! If I see a Fourwinns next time I am out I will shout out "RobM3?"!I am in a little Monterey Montura I/O, though you might see it with other people taking it ot I am the baldy one! Prob be out on it a bit this weekend! Esp with wakeboard!
Where do you keep yours? I use Sydney Boat House in Rozelle bay as I can't keep it at home.
Tom
Hitch78 said:
Rob,
I see that you still use the jetskis quite a bit despite having a decent boat. I was thinking of getting a jetski as a starter thinking that it would test my trailer skills, boating skills and (probably most importantly) let me know how much I'm going to get into it before plumping for a bigger boat.
Am I thinking along the right?
Do be careful Hitch, boating is probably as bad a disease to catch as motor sport.I see that you still use the jetskis quite a bit despite having a decent boat. I was thinking of getting a jetski as a starter thinking that it would test my trailer skills, boating skills and (probably most importantly) let me know how much I'm going to get into it before plumping for a bigger boat.
Am I thinking along the right?
I bought a 30Ft cruising yacht to do a bit of social sailing, & holiday cruising. Next thing I had a 40 ft serious racing yacht. A couple of years later I was off sailing around the islands for 6 years.
My eldest daughter, who had done 4000 nautical miles by her first birthday, & her husband bought a small jet ski, then a larger one, then a larger one. They now have a 350BHP wake board boat, & are looking a bit twitchy again.
Of course you only live once, so go buy one, before you get too old.
Ha - sounds like my kind of affliction!
We're planning the move now and I'm thinking a cheap hot hatch, a motorbike and a jetski might be better spend than a plush car at ridiculous Aussie prices.
I already have a kayak and can't wait to get out on Middle Harbour on that and I would dearly love to get back into sailing at some point too (used to windsurf and sail dinghys weekly as a teenager and loved it) - any excuse to be outside on stuff that moves really.
Finding a house with a triple garage might be the issue...
We're planning the move now and I'm thinking a cheap hot hatch, a motorbike and a jetski might be better spend than a plush car at ridiculous Aussie prices.
I already have a kayak and can't wait to get out on Middle Harbour on that and I would dearly love to get back into sailing at some point too (used to windsurf and sail dinghys weekly as a teenager and loved it) - any excuse to be outside on stuff that moves really.
Finding a house with a triple garage might be the issue...
Hitch78 said:
Rob,
I see that you still use the jetskis quite a bit despite having a decent boat. I was thinking of getting a jetski as a starter thinking that it would test my trailer skills, boating skills and (probably most importantly) let me know how much I'm going to get into it before plumping for a bigger boat.
Am I thinking along the right?
Ah...they seem to polarise people due to some young uns' giving them a bad name back in the day BUT they are great fun!I see that you still use the jetskis quite a bit despite having a decent boat. I was thinking of getting a jetski as a starter thinking that it would test my trailer skills, boating skills and (probably most importantly) let me know how much I'm going to get into it before plumping for a bigger boat.
Am I thinking along the right?
Positives:
Super easy and quick to launch
Outstanding fun to ride
Great for training people to wakeboard (minimal wake, slower take off speed, less intimidating)
Good off shore irrespective of conditions
Great for taking with you when on vacation for example I took ours up to Nambucca Heads and then onto Surfers at Christmas
Easy to run up onto beaches
Negatives:
Poor public opinion (although I've not encountered that as yet)
Cant use in the Harbour!
Limited to 3 people per ski
Conversation is hard on two skis (I now have water proof 2ways)
BUT I couldn't live without my boat!
I'll post in Australia Day too but this Saturday I've got all the toys out (boat and jet skis) and will be at Patonga Beach so if you're a boaty and fancy doing the Pittwater thing pop over and say hi
There'll be about 3 boats as well, great for rafting up.
Just got some more inflatables for towing too, now have a two seater, wakeslider and wing rider. Will post pictures and review after the weekend.
Oh, we're doing a big day on Sunday as well on the Hawkesbury, probably just up the river from Wisemans Ferry (putting in at Bayview/Mona Vale though). Teaching a load of kids and dads to wakeboard and waterski (note I'm an 'expert' now I've just learned to stand up haha), again join up if you want.
There'll be about 3 boats as well, great for rafting up.
Just got some more inflatables for towing too, now have a two seater, wakeslider and wing rider. Will post pictures and review after the weekend.
Oh, we're doing a big day on Sunday as well on the Hawkesbury, probably just up the river from Wisemans Ferry (putting in at Bayview/Mona Vale though). Teaching a load of kids and dads to wakeboard and waterski (note I'm an 'expert' now I've just learned to stand up haha), again join up if you want.
Hitch don't bother looking for a house with a garage, double or triple, I have never seen any garage, where the person has owned the house for more than a couple of years, that has room for anything but the junk that fills it.
Look for a house with plenty of space, & access to the back yard. At least out there you have less chance of your toys being stolen.
Even with 4 spare bedrooms, my 2 car & workshop shed beside the house, has just enough room to squeeze in one car.
My 4 car shed is about 75 meters from the house, & fairly safe. The ladies don't like to walk that far.
Look for a house with plenty of space, & access to the back yard. At least out there you have less chance of your toys being stolen.
Even with 4 spare bedrooms, my 2 car & workshop shed beside the house, has just enough room to squeeze in one car.
My 4 car shed is about 75 meters from the house, & fairly safe. The ladies don't like to walk that far.
Well took a houseboat out on the Hawkesbury last weekend with some freinds and had an absolute blast! Weather held out and was gorgeous on Sunday after a very errie looking morning on the river. We took our little Monty boat along and what a difference it made on flat water without the usual chop of the harbour! Lots of knee boarding and do-nut riding the whole weekend. Fab!
I highly recommend doing this with a group of friends!
I highly recommend doing this with a group of friends!
Gassing Station | Australia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff