Hobie Cat Forums

I have seen a few of the Sydney trips on the forum. I am going up to Sydney in the next few weeks and I have decided that I will take my TI. I would like to take the family for a sail to see the bridge and opera house. Can anyone suggest a launch place; I have notices that someone used Wollahra YC.

Is there anything I should be careful of while I am sailing the harbour?

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Paul, Rebecca & Stephanie

Woollahra YC is the ideal launch site if you want to sail down to the Opera House and the bridge. The main thing to be careful of is the heavy traffic, particularly the ferries, who have right of way and don't mind reminding you of the fact. It's easier to navigate outside business hours, when the commuter traffic is less. Evening sails are particularly nice in summer, especially when followed by a nice meal by the water at Rose Bay or Watsons Bay. If you post details of when you intend to sail, you may well find a local or two to join you.

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Paul
where are you staying in Sydney as that will decide where the best launching site is?
For a first trip out on the harbor I would avoid Sat between 2pm - 5pm other than that it's OK.

thanks for the advice.

I have not planned where we are staying. I was planning to stay somewhere close to my launch place so I am pretty free

Davew, is the 2 - 5pm peek 'day trippers'?

I am a keen sailer and have been on the harbour a few times (on the ferries ), I have noticed that they to use their horns a lot

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Paul, Rebecca & Stephanie

I've launched a number of times from WYC. Bit of a steep ramp. TI might need 2 people to get it back up. An AI is fine. Water can be a little deep just off the ramp too. For me it was best to insert wheels before landing.

Oh, as I've found out, mid week the carpark also caters for the ferry passangers and can be chocas during a week day. Of an evening it empties right out.

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Paul, most of the recreational sailing takes place up at the Eastern end of the harbour. The boat traffic is quite manageable, though you do get fleets of racing yachts, particularly on Saturday afternoon, as Dave mentions. If you specifically want to visit the iconic sites around the CBD, there are a lot fewer sailing boats and a much higher concentration of commercial boats and ferries. You can certainly sail up under the Harbour Bridge with an AI/TI (I've done it). The main obstacle is crossing the mouth of Circular Quay, where the ferry traffic is almost continuous on week days. It's OK travelling from East to West, as you can stay on the starboard side of the channel (as required) and be on the opposite side to the Quay, but on the way back, travelling from West to East, you have to cross straight across the mouth of the Quay or travel on the wrong side of the channel, in which case you can find yourself playing chicken with a whole heap of power boats. If you're happy just to sail as far as the Opera House, it's no problem at all.

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I reckon that west of the Bridge has a lot of attraction as well. there is a great ramp in Five Dock Bay (bottom end of Bayswater Street) just around the corner from Gladesville Bridge. From there you can choose to go upstream towards the Olympics site, or east past Drummoyne etc to the Bridge. I very pleasant part of the Harbour, much less hectic than east of the Bridge (I used to have a small yacht moored there)