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PostPosted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 8:11 am 
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Location: Wantirna South VIC Australia
Who's interested in breaking in the New Year with a get together in Port Stephens on either the 4th or 5th of January 2014.
My wife and I will be driving up from Melbourne and staying near by.
Slaughter and TonyStott are planning to be there.

Depending on weather we'll probably launch at Shoal Bay Boat Ramp (-32.719706,152.179602).
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I have also created a Google Map with place markers showing the other potential launching sites on the southern side of the bay. We checked out most of these last January.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=200917166277224184349.0004e13d0bada2753be54

Very much depending on the weather, I would love to take the opportunity to sail in company with others out of the heads and perhaps round into Fingal Bay. (I marked this out as a rough guide on the map and it's about 15nm.)
However, the tide on this weekend is not in our favour. There's a large variation and it will be going out in the afternoon on these days and there is also usually a NE sea breeze that strengthens later in the afternoon. This means a wind against tide situation which may make the entrance unsafe for the return journey (at a minimum the current will slow us down).
Tide Data (for Nelson Bay): 4/1/14: High 1146 1.98m Low 1808 0.12m 5/1/14: High 1238 1.86m Low 1857 0.19m.

Ian

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 2:29 pm 
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
I will certainly aim to be there, and will relentlessly canvas the 14 members of the Mid North Coast Hobie Island Club to join us. This could be big!

BTW, the tidal conditions start to sound conducive for a course heading into Nelson Bay rather than outside, so we certainly have lots of options.

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 13, 2013 5:30 pm 
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Yep, I'm in. If the tides are unfavourable we could do the trip in reverse order ie: Fingal Bay to Shoal and return. Fingal beach is a good launch site as well if you have a 4WD. But whatever, I'm in.

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:59 pm 
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Guys,

I may join you too
what camp site are you staying at.

Brian


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:18 pm 
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Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Just remember than Port Stephens is a major holiday destination, but I found unpowered camp sites at Island Leisure Village, Fenninghams Island Road, Anna Bay for $30 a day (for 4 & 5th January 2014), but I reckon you would need to book pretty quickly. They have at least 3 unpowered sites left as of right now.

BTW a 15nm trp is further than from Shoal Bay to Broughton Island (one way, I'll admit... food for thought)

The ramp at Shoal Bay (for those with trailers) is too short, so that at low tide, the trailer is sitting tyre deep on flat sand. No big deal if you have to lift a TI onto the back of the trailer...

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:35 am 
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Fenninghams Island is also where we are staying. :D
I have visited it a couple of times while out windsurfing and it looks quite good.
We have stayed the last 12 years at Koala Shores in Lemon Tree Passage.

Tony,
Did Fenninghams let you book the unpowered camp site? When I asked they said it was only possible to book the powered sites and I did not want to take the chance of driving all the way from Melbourne to find no sites available.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:45 am 
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I called Port Stephens tourist mob, and they in turn spoke with the park people, so I can't answer your question directly. However, I will check it out tomorrow and see what can be done.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 7:44 pm 
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I doubt I'll be sleep'n over as I live pretty close. But if I do I'll probably sleep on board in a quiet little cove somewhere and meet you at the launch site.
( like at the southern end of the beach at Fingal Bay ).

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:43 pm 
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I just had another look at the Island Leisure village website, and while an unpowered site is $50 per day (2 people included), during the peak period, minimum booking period is 7 days, so it will cost $350 at least. I am looking at other alternatives myself (it could even be possible to drive home 90+ miles each night)

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:56 pm 
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Correction: a subsequent phone call has confirmed that you CAN book an unpowered site for just a few nights rather than the 7 day minimum shown on the website.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 12:20 am 
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Hi folks, my wife and I have arrived at Port Stephens and went out yesterday for a shakedown cruise - awesome. Who's still interested in the final bay to shoal bay trip on the 4th or 5th?
regards Ian

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 3:58 am 
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Hi Ian. If you check out our other Port Stephens thread, you'll see our plans. Hope we can work something out. We hadn't heard from you so didn't know if you were still planning a trip up this way. Glad you are here and I'm sure we can catch up. I've just emailed you my mobile no. Give us a ring at anytime to discuss our outing. Cheers.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 29, 2013 4:33 am 
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Thanks slaughter,
got it. Will probably call tomorrow.
We are going to be down near you, as we want to visit hunter water sports to buy a couple of things.
my wife is finding she is getting cold and wet in her old weather gear - particularly with the fresh 20 kt winds and 0.5m Waves that we had yesterday.

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