Messing About In Boats - A Guide To Summer Afloat

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday January 7, 1988

By THERESE MURRAY

ABON BON SCHOONER

CRUISES, CLONTARF: 946254

Business and social groups or clubs can join this 20-metre yacht at Lavender Bay to cruise Sydney Harbour. Up to 30 people can enjoy lunchtime, afternoon or romantic evening cruises. A four-hour trip costs $450 and meals are $15 a head. There is no liquor licence, so it's BYO. On lunchtime cruises the yacht moors in bays and inlets and passengers may swim.

ANDERSON'S NEWPORT YACHT

CHARTER, NEWPORT:

991170 or 9971191

This summer, Anderson's have luxurious Beneteau yachts ranging from 26 feet(8.6 metres) to 39 feet (13 metres) long. Each one is cleaned to hotel standards, sailing equipment is checked before each yacht goes out and if anything goes wrong, you can call back to base on the yacht's radio and Anderson's staff will rush out in a speedboat to fix it. Inexperienced hirers can take a couple of days' sailing lessons at no extra charge before setting out. The 35-foot (11.6-metre) yacht is the most popular. For this, the weekly rate (Monday to Friday) is $1,945, the weekend rate (Friday to Sunday) $700.

BEROWRA WATERS BOATSHED,

BEROWRA WATERS: 4561025

Hire a rowing boat from the Berowra Waters Boatshed and row around Cowan Creek. Each boat takes four people, but is ideal for two people and a picnic lunch. The cost is $10 an hour or $20 for half a day (four hours).

BROOKY BOB'S FUN BOATS,

BROOKVALE: 9183536

The name says it all. From catamarans and Aqua bikes to sailboards, canoes and skis, Brooky Bob has everything to make fun on the water. Hourly rates are $15 for a catamaran, $9 a sailboard, $10 an Aqua bike, $6 for skis and canoes.

JOHN CADMAN CRUISING

RESTAURANT, NEUTRAL BAY:

9221922

For a wedding reception, business function or just a pleasant summer evening cruise, the John Cadman Cruising Restaurant cruises around the inner Harbour. From 50 to 150 people can enjoy 3 1/2-hour trips which leave from Circular Quay. The cost is about $50 a head. The company has dinner cruises only with banquet or buffet menus.

CANOE SPECIALISTS,

BEECROFT: 4843934

Some intrepid northsiders think sailing is for sissies and prefer to use a bit more muscle. The Canoe Specialists say that five-metre plastic canoes are most popular. They carry two adults and enough camping equipment for one week and cost $60 for a weekend (Thursday to Monday) or $80 a week. The cost includes three paddles, crash hats and buoyancy vests if required. Many prefer to hire a canoe for a day ($30) and take it to the Hawkesbury River.

DOLPHIN BOATSHED YACHT

HIRE, BROOKLYN: 4551307

Ply the waters of the Hawkesbury, Pittwater and Broken Bay aboard luxury Compass 29s (9.6 metres) which are fully equipped with sails and trusty diesel motors. Each one sleeps six people and the yachts are available daily, weekly or at weekends. Sailing experience is required before you go. The rates are from $390 to $760 a week or $165 a day.

FENWICK'S HAWKESBURY

RIVER HOUSEBOATS,

BROOKLYN: 4551333

One of the best ways to explore the Hawkesbury River is by houseboat. Fenwick's has 12. Each is 10.7 metres long, carries six people and is capable of 10 knots. Maps, driving instructions, linen and blankets, hot shower, toilet, sink, kitchenware, crockery, cutlery, radio/cassette, gas stove, oven and electric light are provided. The boats are simple to operate and very quiet. It is not necessary to have a licence or previous experience. The company director, Mr Doug Fenwick, said they could be easily handled by one couple. Hire rates are $1,200 a week in January, $795 a week between February 2 and February 28, $750 between February 29 and May 11, $420 for a weekend between February 2 and February 28 and $395 a weekend between February 29 and May 11.

LADY HAWKESBURY, CAPTAIN

COOK CRUISES: 274416

Passengers compare her to the QE2. The 68-metre cruise ship, Lady Hawkesbury, plies the Hawkesbury River from Brooklyn to Windsor with 136 passengers. Cruises leave from Kangaroo Point, Brooklyn. Travellers can choose a two-day Weekend Escape, which leaves at 7pm on Friday and cruises to Wisemans Ferry, Cowan and Berowra Waters, or the four-day Windsor Heritage cruise, which leaves at 11am on Mondays. The minimum cost is $265 for two days, including meals.

MANLY AND HARBOUR

FERRIES, UTA HARBOUR

FERRIES: 2413734

Take a few friends on an afternoon Harbour cruise from Jetty 4, Circular Quay. The UTA has large ferries for charter for parties or conventions. Each vessel has a skipper and a crew and goes wherever you want it to. The cost is $3,500 for four hours.

NARRABEEN BOATSHED,

NARRABEEN: 9132636

Sailboards, row boats, fishing boats, catamarans, skis and canoes can be hired at the Narrabeen Boatshed, which also has one Aqua bike and one trimaran. The boatshed has a rescue system if you are in trouble. Hourly rates are $15 for the catamarans and the trimaran (with two sails), $9 for sailboards, $7 for two-man canoes and aluminium boats, $6 for skis and $10 for the Aqua bike.

SAIL AUSTRALIA, NORTH

SYDNEY: 9572577

Sail Australia has a fleet of 15 charter yachts ranging from 24-footers (eight metres) to 67-footers (22.3 metres) which can be hired for a day, a half day, weekend or week. There is a sailing school but skippers are also available on request ($15 an hour, $120 a day). Two popular yachts are the Marauder 27(nine metres), which takes six people, and the Spacesailer 36 (12 metres), which takes 12. The hire rates for the Marauder are $240 at weekends, $180 midweek. For the Spacesailer, the rates are $450 at weekends, $360 midweek.

PADDLEWHEELER SHOWBOAT

TURRUMBURRA, KILLARA:

465907

The paddleboat cruises the Lane Cove River through the Lane Cove River Park. One-hour cruises leave at 11am, noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm in school holidays, at other times there are one-hour cruises from Tuesday to Thursday at 10.30am and 11.30am. Join the Turrumburra near the Lady Game Drive entrance to the park. The cost: Adults $3, pensioners $2.50, children $1. The paddleboat can also be chartered during the day for groups of up to 40 people.

SKIPPER A CLIPPER,

CLIPPER'S ANCHORAGE,

AKUNA BAY: 4501888

Akuna Bay is a protected anchorage in Coal and Candle Creek. Clipper's Anchorage has three styles of luxury, self-drive clippers and you don't need a licence to drive one. Staff give you a video briefing and on-board familiarisation before you cast off. There are hot and cold showers, a galley with sink, stove, refrigerator and utensils, crockery, fresh linen, towels, pillows, blankets, fresh water, dinghy and fuel. Before you go, stock up on food and drinks at the supermarket and liquor store at Akuna Bay. Hire rates from February 1 to April 17: the 34-foot (11-metre) Diplomat, the pride of the fleet, which sleeps eight and carries 10 people, costs $790 for one weekday, $1,990 for one week or $1,390 a weekend; the VIP 34, which also sleeps eight and carries 10, $610 for one weekday, $1,750 one week, $1,180 a weekend; the Sundecker 30, which sleeps six and carries 10, $470 for one weekday, $1,490 one week, $890 a weekend.