Australia - What a Beautiful Place to Cruise

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by jm21

Yes, I was reading some other threads about difficulties living aboard in Perth or Melbourne. Seemed like it might also be difficult to find moorage in Brisbane or Cairns? What about the smaller coastal towns stretched out between the larger cities? I think I read that Wollongong had difficult anchorages or something like that? Maybe there's some smaller towns where it's more acceptable?

I seem to recall reading that Tasmania was more accepting? Anyone know about Darwin?

Anyways, thanks for all the info.

There are pile moorings right in the heart of Brisbane, at pretty good rates. Also some spots you can anchor in the Brisbane river.

North of Brisbane there are plenty of places you could live on the hook. Caboolture river, Pumicestone passage (when you can get over the bar).

Also plenty of marinas in the Brisbane area.

Further north there's no problem living in marinas (except for the fees) and many places you could live on the anchor.

Except maybe at Gladstone. Only hearsay, but I've been told they don't allow liveaboards there for long. Which is weird, as Gladstone is a very high wage/employment area. Businesses there are always looking for workers, and real estate prices and rents are very high.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

There are pile moorings right in the heart of Brisbane, at pretty good rates. Also some spots you can anchor in the Brisbane river.

North of Brisbane there are plenty of places you could live on the hook. Caboolture river, Pumicestone passage (when you can get over the bar).

Also plenty of marinas in the Brisbane area.

Further north there's no problem living in marinas (except for the fees) and many places you could live on the anchor.

Except maybe at Gladstone. Only hearsay, but I've been told they don't allow liveaboards there for long. Which is weird, as Gladstone is a very high wage/employment area. Businesses there are always looking for workers, and real estate prices and rents are very high.

I live in Gladstone, the attitude of the Marina here is to keep it open to cruising boats, essentially if they allowed it to fill with liveaboards working in town then no one would be able to drop in.

Makes sense, the average tradesperson here earns 1500 to 2k clear a week so it's become rather popular to say the least.

Still there is the Calliope river to anchor in, it's free (for now)....

Cheers

[Dulls]

Maryborough is not bad and 22 miles up river, free anchor in the river, good boat yard at Granville not sure about work in the area. Dont anchor opposite the theatre as holding bad and flow strong. If from overseas aus is getting an expensive place and lots of quassy police forces opperate on the water.

[Auzzee]

[QUOTE=jm21;908602]Anyone know about Darwin?QUOTE]
There are three marinas in Darwin. All are accessed trough locks as the tidal movement is up to 8 metres. Cullen Bay Marina officially does not allow live aboards. However yachts in transit are okay as long as they don't make any racket or mess.

Bayview Haven, another modern and well equipped marina, loves live aboards. The 'Duck Pond' is a commercial marina but will take cruising yachts when the big prawn trawlers are out. Live aboards again, are welcomed.

During the dry season (April to September) Fanny Bay is the most popular anchorage. It is free, the holding is good, and the Darwin Sailing Club is a quick trip straight into the beach in the dinghy. In the wet season it presents a lee shore and most boats will go around to Sadgroves creek and tie up to the government fore and aft piles. These are a short dinghy trip to the pontoon wharf outside the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Asscn's club house and hard stand.

Darwin has a full range of professional services easily available to visiting yachties.There are many hard stands and a good range of activities for cruising/racing sailors.

Darwin is a modern, has a strong and booming economy, and is a great capital city.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by Dulls

aus is getting an expensive place and lots of quassy police forces opperate on the water.

In Vic the police have just raised the fine to $280 for not having your life jacket on (for our safety)

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by sctpc

In Vic the police have just raised the fine to $280 for not having your life jacket on (for our safety)

In what circumstances must you wear a life jacket?

[boatman61]

I've only 2 negative things to say about OZ.... Its bludi expensive to live here if your not on an aussie income...
For the price of a pint in a bar I can buy a 12pack in a supermarket or a 6pack in a bar back home... for the price of 50gms of tobacco here I can get 200gms back home... and a breakfast would buy me supper as well..
Favourite spot on the mainland... Port Fairy... but 'Tassie' rocks... blows the big brother away...
Not gonna mention numbers 2's...

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by hoppy

In what circumstances must you wear a life jacket?

In the circumstances of wanting to keep the $280 in yer pocket .

Seriously - good question and one I would also like to know the answer to.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by hoppy

In what circumstances must you wear a life jacket?

Personal flotation devices

Victoria has requirements for wearing PFDs at certain times on recreational vessels. All occupants of the following vessels are required to wear a specified personal flotation device (PFD) when in an open area of the vessel that is underway:

powerboat up to and including 4.8 metres in length
off-the-beach sailing yachts
personal watercraft
canoes, kayaks, rowing boats and rafts
pedal boats, fun boats and stand up paddle boards
kite boards and sail boards
recreational tenders.
All occupants of the following vessels are required to wear a specified PFD at times of heightened risk when in an open area of the vessel that is underway:

yachts (including monohull, trailerable and multihull yachts, excluding off-the-beach sailing yachts)
powerboats greater than 4.8 m up to and including 12 m in length.

Also they can steal your boat Hoon Boating Laws - Transport Safety Victoria

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by sctpc

.............
All occupants of the following vessels are required to wear a specified PFD at times of heightened risk when in an open area of the vessel that is underway:

yachts (including monohull, trailerable and multihull yachts, excluding off-the-beach sailing yachts)
powerboats greater than 4.8 m up to and including 12 m in length.

Also they can steal your boat Hoon Boating Laws - Transport Safety Victoria

Presumably this is deliberately vague so as to make it easier to pry the $280 off you or is this defined in detail somewhere?

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Presumably this is deliberately vague so as to make it easier to pry the $280 off you or is this defined in detail somewhere?

The last time I sailed in in Melbourne it was from mornington to Melbourne in a 20 to 30 knot southerly. We got reasonable speed out of my fathers 40 ft motor sailor. Not sure which side of 12m it falls. I guess they might have tried to collect 4 x $280 if it was 11.99m

When I moved to Sweden I moaned that it is a nanny state. I also laughed at the "safety Sven's"in their life jackets on largish yachts.

The reality is that compared to Aus it is not a nanny state. Life jackets are not even mandatory on smaller boats and wearing them is certainly optional. Even on bicycles wearing a helmet is not mandatory (or if it is it is certainly not enforced)

When I used to windsurf off st Kilda beach I used to wear a buoyancy vest because I would go crashing down. But wtf a jacket on a SUP board, even just a few meters of the beach I bet....

Do surfers have to wear jacket?

The nanny/police state Aus has become really puts me off ever returning. That makes me sad.

Thankfully my boat is 12.2m in case I do return and bring it with me, but I will probably get done taking the dinghy 50m to shore.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I've only 2 negative things to say about OZ.... Its bludi expensive to live here if your not on an aussie income...
For the price of a pint in a bar I can buy a 12pack in a supermarket or a 6pack in a bar back home... for the price of 50gms of tobacco here I can get 200gms back home... and a breakfast would buy me supper as well..
Favourite spot on the mainland... Port Fairy... but 'Tassie' rocks... blows the big brother away...
Not gonna mention numbers 2's...

There was a time when the AUD was 44p ( currently 65p ) and there were drunken British backpackers absolutely everywhere in Australia. What goes around . . . .

I can remember visiting USA when AUD was 52c.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by savoir

There was a time when the AUD was 44p ( currently 65p ) and there were drunken British backpackers absolutely everywhere in Australia. What goes around . . . .

I can remember visiting USA when AUD was 52c.

And I well remember buying Insatiable II when the AUD was 0.56 USD... could never have afforded her otherwise! With the AUD hovering around 1.04 +/- .03 now, I'm in the odd position that if I chose to sell her (after nearly 10 years usage) I might well turn a USD profit. Not sure that I want to do that, though!

Cheers,

Jim

[savoir]

Now THAT'S a great deal !

[Budawang]

I'm sitting at anchor off beautiful Congwong Beach just inside Botany Bay, the sun has just dipped below the horizon in a blaze of orange and yellow. A few miles from the centre Australia's biggest city, yet not another cruising boat in sight. Yes, this is a great place to have a boat.