Sydney to Pittwater - Monday 3/5 to Thursday 6/5.

Sydney to Pittwater Waterways Monday 3/5 to Thursday 6/5


Anchored at Halletts Beach, Cowan Creek

Our departure out of Sydney Harbour on Monday morning was comfortable and uneventful, and soon we had rounded North Head and under full sail enjoyed a different view of Sydney's famed northern beaches from Manly in the south to Palm Beach next to Barrenjoey Head in the north. After the overwhelming experience that is Sydney Harbour we were seeking some natural peace in the Pittwater area, and especially in the glorious tree-lined bays and anchorages to be found in Kuring-Gai Chase National Park. When we glided into the expansive Cowan Creek, a branch of the Hawkesbury River system it was hard to comprehend that literally, just over the hill was the metropolis of Sydney, whereas here in Halletts Beach where we picked up a mooring, was solitude and wilderness. A place little changed in human time. In Halletts beach we re-connected with Ann and Cran McLean on their 50'catamaran Lettin' Go, a couple we had first met by chance on the Australia Day long weekend in Januray when they had called into Antechamber Bay, Kangaroo Island on their anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Australia from their home port near Brisbane. We were keen to hear more about their travels, especially their recent experiences in Tasmania. Next day we moved with Lettin' Go to Refuge and American Bays where you can swim, bushwalk and even shower in a beachside waterfall in this pristine marine-bush setting. It was a great interlude and now we know why cruising sailors regard the area so highly.

A swim in the warm water (23 degrees) and then a rinse under the waterfall shower.


In the new day Lettin' Go headed north whilst we bore to starboard to enter the Pittwater sound, a mecca for boating in NSW. Our new Yanmar 40 had given yeoman service since leaving home waters, and having clocked up more than 250 hrs of operation it was due for attention. Given the importance of our power plant to our journey we wanted a service undertaken by a Yanmar dealership, in this case Lucas Marine at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, one of Australia's most credentialed sailking institutions. entering Pittwater, bound for its southern reaches, was, for us another of those eye-opening experiences on our journey. With a level of disbelief we took in the myriad of floating craft on show around us and amongst a forest of masts, one belonging to famous Sydney Hobart maxi Wild Oats, we slid into to the works area of the RPAYC. Our noble 36' craft seemed to us reduced to dinghy status until a local yacht owner appeared out of his companionway and called out, "hi guys, nice yacht!" It was reassuring to us and set a tone that we found common to all of those we met at the RPAYC. A noble institution without quite the hoi and the polloi, we found the RPAYC welcoming, accommodating and altogether a fine place to visit.


A sea of masts in Pittwater.

In no time, it seemed, Cameron, from Lucas Marine, and Phill, from Riggtech were checking out the things that needed doing, and that were giving us concern. Cameron soon emerged from the bowels of the engine bay with the disturbing news that the exhaust fitting that has fractured in January at Port Lincoln on our motor shakedown cruise, had again cracked and needed urgent attention. As it was, such a fissure would let dangerous gases into the cabin and there was a risk that an off-watch member of our crew in the lee-cloth berth at night might succumb to asphyxiation(!). Cameron's diagnosis led to a remedy plan that saw him disappear to his workshop to re-weld the fitting and to fabricate a stainless brace that hopefully would put an end to the problem, and not the end to one of us! Meanwhile, Phill, up on deck was concerned at the age of the turnbuckles that held up the sidestays, and hence the mast. Whilst appearing sound, they were original fittings (Calista was launched in 1990) and he was concerned about their reliability on the journey that, for us, lay ahead. Stainless fittings can become brittle in time and in one of our first passages to Kangaroo Island on Calista we had the experience of a fitting holding up our genoa (headsail) giving way with a bang and the huge sail ending up alongside us in the sea. In the end we decided it wise to replace the turnbuckles, even if this meant a delay in heading north, and more expense. What is the price of safety?

Wild Oats.... Sydney Hobart race boat at RPAYC

The delay in sailing gave us a chance to refuel, reprovision and to check out the exclusive northern beach and bay suburb of Newport where retail tags read like moblie phone numbers. By Friday morning all had been remedied and we were off on the near 60 mile haul to Newcastle. A fine pattern of weather was emerging and this would give us a chance to make some distance up the north coast of NSW. Ann and Cran were planning to attend the Sanctury Cove Boat Show from the 21st of May and suggested that we might join them. We had heard a lot about this amazing marine event, and thought that if we if we could get there it would a really good thing to do. For the moment, for us, we hoped to reach the Newcastle ship channel before nightfall. From Newcastle, an overnight passage at sea would see us at Coffs Harbor, and within a sniff of the tropics. Bring on the palms!