Quote:
Originally Posted by delatbabel
I've been considering a summer time trip to Melbourne for a few years. It seems that facilities for most of us "drop the hook and stay for a few days" sailors are fairly limited, however possible. The other option is Western Port I guess. Thanks for the updates anyway, I'll probably make it down in a year or two.
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If you're only planning to stay a few days it's a long way to come. But I think you meant "stay a few days here and there." Western Port is a fantastic fishing area, but it's blustery compared to Port Phillip Bay. I think you'll find that you can do just that in PPB, except that you might have to check into a marina here and there to do washing and so on. I do agree though, this place isn't really set up for cruising the same way that Queensland is at all.
There are ways to do it but you'd need local knowledge, which is what the "Cruiser's Friend" thang is all about. For instance, I can tell you that if you anchored off Mordialloc you could row — or putter, if you have a tender with an outboard — to the local jetty (which is controlled by Parks Victoria, and legal for small boats to tie up to) and replenish supplies at a Woolworths Supermarket within a 500 metre walk. :-) There are also a few really good pubs right at the creek entrance next to the jetty, and lots of take-away shops on the main road.
Hell, if I were you I'd do it just to see the far south coast of NSW, places like Shoalhaven Heads, Batemans Bay and Eden are fabulous.
With my little local knowledge of Sydney, from having lived there in the 70s, I also know that a yacht could easily drop anchor off Watson's Bay pub next to Doyle's and paddle in for a steak BBQ on a warm Sunday afternoon, if they still do those. Such small details make the voyage way more fun.
I went down to Mordialloc Pier today and stood looking out at the choppy wintery bay, getting blown around by westerlies, dreaming of cruising out through the heads to see the world. Some day, maybe.
Lighthouse: Just finished the Australian 'Immigration & Visas' section, comprehensive and informative even if I do say so myself.
Rob