G'day all from Downunder

[James P]

Hello all, My wife and I own a 36' Island Gypsy aft cabin that was launched in 1979 and purchased by us in December 2015. We live in Sydney and are using winter to get some work done to get us ready for the summer. The flybridge had the chart plotter, UHF radio and an old depth sounder. The main deck had the auto pilot and the radar. Nothing talked to each other! As a result, we are having it all replaced with new Simrad gear. The main helm will have all the gear. We'll have a local Wi-Fi network that will enable us to drive from the flybridge using a tablet so nothing is left out for the weather or the thieves!
Our aim is to go coastal hopping as we head to retirement.

I'm glad to have found this forum and look forward to sharing with like minded people.

 

[BruceK]

Welcome aboard James P! We had our Europa on the harbour but, tiring of the 40ft speedboat brigade, relocated to Brooklyn last year.
There are 3 IG36s on TF that come to mind. Issues you encounter have likely been seen before, feel free to ask questions. Boat pics are welcome.

 

[Brisyboy]

G`day to you too James and welcome - we are not a proud group so are happy to have Sydney siders amongst our number

As Bruce says, lots of info in these pages/posts and an equal number of people willing to share their knowledge.

Cheers

George

 

[James P]

Thanks Bruce and George.

You'll be pleased to know Bruce that we sold a 27' sports cruiser to join the trawler fleet and it went to Gosford, so there is at least one less speed boat on the harbour!
Ah George, we've spent many happy hours afloat north of the border and it is on our cruising plans.

We use Gypsy Belle as our weekender, although at the moment it is being used more as a bank with the amount of money going in lol.

 

[Steve]

Welcome!

 

[Rebel]

Hi James P.
We too are on Sydney Harbour and unlike Bruce still put up with the large wakes.
Welcome to the forum. Its great fun and also in my experience knowledgeble once you sift out the replies to queries to fit with your questions. Where on the harbour are you based?
John

 

[James P]

Location

Hi James P.
We too are on Sydney Harbour and unlike Bruce still put up with the large wakes.
Welcome to the forum. Its great fun and also in my experience knowledgeble once you sift out the replies to queries to fit with your questions. Where on the harbour are you based?
John

Hi John,
We are in a marina under development at Cockatoo Island in conjunction with the dry stack at the Drumoyne end. Works well and if we have weather that means we don't want to let the ropes go there is still plenty to do! James

 

[BruceK]

James, is the marina actually on Cockatoo Island, if so do you need to take a ferry across? Cockatoo is an amazing place, so much history associated with it. We used to moor at Tambourine Bay on the Lane Cove river, so were familiar with the upper harbour.
Congrats on moving from the sports boat to a trawler. slower, but a whole new world opens. If trips to the Hawkesbury are too far, Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour is an excellent alternative, as I expect John/Rebel well knows.

 

[James P]

Hi Bruce, there are two ways to get to Cockatoo - one is the ferry (two choices - The Cockatoo Island loop or the Parramatta/Sydney Olympic Park ferry) OR the tender service offered by the Marina from Balmain, Birchgrove, Drummoyne, Woolwich and Greenwich Point. Cockatoo Island fees are similar to Brooklyn. Middle Harbour is a place we know well too - even with the 27 footer! We have been up to the Hawkesbury for lunch already but are going to try further afield - including down to Jervis Bay during this next summer. James

 

[Rebel]

As Bruce says Sugarloaf or indeed Bantry Bay are great spots either to take a mooring or Sugarloaf in particular has good anchoring depending on the wind direction. These two areas are just 15min from our mooring in Cammeray so very handy.
We also enjoy the Hawkesbury and generally get up there for 3weeks or so a couple of times a year. When are you planning on the trip South next summer?

We are planning on being on our boat for a month 21st Sept to 20th Oct so maybe we could catch up?
John

 

[James P]

I'd like that John. I'm champing at the bit to get back out on the water! The shipwrights are aboard again today and probably will be all week. I'm hoping that the thru hull sounder gets done soon so we can sea trial the new gear, set the compass and the rudder indicator. We had a new freezer installed but it's letting out some condensation. The installer is back on board again tomorrow to fix that little issue. I'm keen to get some sea time in before it comes out for the bow thruster and forward sonar to go in. You have a nice looking boat - is it two or three cabins?
James

 

[Rebel]

Hi James. Looks like some nice upgrades going into your boat. Hope the refridgeration issue is fixed so the beverages can be cooled down We have a v berth in the bow, a galley down with a toilet opposite then up two steps to the salon then down two steps to an aft stateroom with a walk around bed with ensuite. A lot fitted into a 35ft boat but it suits our style of boating. The enclosed flybridge also gives us another all weather room as well as the aft deck for entertaining.
Will talk more about the possibility of meeting up closer to September.
John

 

[BruceK]

James, I`m impressed you are considering a trip to Jervis Bay. Stunning area, spent lots of time there as a kid, learnt to row surfing a wooden 12 ft rowboat onto the beach north of Vincentia, and rowing back out. I seem to remember a lack of facilities for cruising boats even recently, has that improved?
I confess I`ve had some rough scary times offshore in the IG. My first boat after returning to boating was a Masters 34, I was much more comfortable offshore in it than the IG, but not nearly as comfortable moored in a nice bay in the IG.

 

[James P]

Hi Bruce, funny you mention the off shore behaviour! We transfered the boat from Brooklyn to Sydney last December and I reckon we tested the angle of vanishing stability a few times - very glad we had 1200l of fuel and 1000l of water down low! Our problem was we were top heavy with 5 adults and 3 children all on the flybridge. It was also our first time with two swells running. We've been back up to the Hawkesbury on a day trip with no problems.
While there are no real facilities in Jervis Bay, I think we now have the range to get from Shell Harbour and return for fuel. We'll be getting a portable watermaker 'Rainman' before we go.

 

[BruceK]

James we were spoilt with the Masters 34, which although lacking creature comforts, is regarded as near foolproof in a seaway.
I think I remember your boat being advertised. Were Mainsales the broker?
We have 1000 L of water too. 4 tanks, original side tanks outboard of the engines, plus one in the aft lazarette and one under the fwd berth. Our design has just one sleeping cabin,fwd. I call it "the selfish couple`s fit out", but we can make a big double in the main cabin.
We have 2x 550L fuel tanks, original, not located outside the engines, which one day may help facilitate replacement.

 

[James P]

Bruce, yes Mainsales were the broker. We are lucky in that we are into 'pleasure boating' so if the weather isn't pleasurable, we're not going to sea! We are enjoying Gypsy Belle as our weekender at the moment, with a view to extended time aboard in the not too distant future.

 

[Peter B]

Hi Bruce, funny you mention the off shore behaviour! We transfered the boat from Brooklyn to Sydney last December and I reckon we tested the angle of vanishing stability a few times - very glad we had 1200l of fuel and 1000l of water down low! Our problem was we were top heavy with 5 adults and 3 children all on the flybridge. It was also our first time with two swells running. We've been back up to the Hawkesbury on a day trip with no problems.

James, not wishing to sound pedantic, but I think you'd find even on a boat the size of yours, you should not have more than 4 people on the flybridge, (my Clipper 34 is limited to 3), and that in reasonably flat water. Once the weather gets up it should be "everyone below please", and that should probably include the pilot, because the movement is much less dramatic down at the lower helm. Just sayin'

 

[James P]

Hi Peter, yes we figured that one out pretty quickly! Any burley created also tends to hit the water rather than the side decks if created from the lower deck.

 

[Peter B]

Hi Peter, yes we figured that one out pretty quickly! Any burley created also tends to hit the water rather than the side decks if created from the lower deck.

There is also, that...

 

[James P]

As Bruce says Sugarloaf or indeed Bantry Bay are great spots either to take a mooring or Sugarloaf in particular has good anchoring depending on the wind direction. These two areas are just 15min from our mooring in Cammeray so very handy.
We also enjoy the Hawkesbury and generally get up there for 3weeks or so a couple of times a year. When are you planning on the trip South next summer?

We are planning on being on our boat for a month 21st Sept to 20th Oct so maybe we could catch up?
John

Hi John,
We are having an 'open boat' relaunching of Gypsy Belle. It is Saturday 24th September at Darling Harbour Marina. We are coming in at the 3pm Pyrmont Bridge opening and will be staying overnight. If you're in the area drop by, or bring in your boat next to us for the night! We'll have nibbles, BYOG and family!
Regards
James