Waterfront dining

There is nothing like waterfront dining at every opportunity - and we make the most of it!
Some of our loveliest breakfasts, favourite lunches and most romantic dinners have been on (and by) the water. We have enjoyed waterfront dining in Australia from the Kimberly Coast in Western Australia to the West Coast of Tasmania. When cruising on the Coral Princess we have even dined on a sandy cay off the coast that disappears with the tide!

Waterfront dining Kimberly style near Montgomery Reef

Meals are often more relaxed when by the water, with shoes often an option and hats sometimes a must.  If a sunset occurs before or during the meal it is always a bonus. It is lovely to look across the water at the setting sun - whether it is setting across Westernport Bay, The Indian Ocean or The Baltic Sea.

Sunset before a delicious seafood dinner at Bintan Island, Indonesia

And the restaurant - over the water, with tanks of fresh-caught fish to choose from!

Seafood is regularly on the menu; sometimes caught that day just before the meal. We have enjoyed Barramundi in Darwin, Sea Bass in Spain and fresh oysters and prawns in Port Douglas. We are not really what you would call fishermen, but we appreciate the efforts of others in bringing our meal to us!

We have the rods....but don't count on us for the fish!

Of course, the waterfront doesn't have to be the ocean - a riverfront is just as special, as is a lake....even a dam will do!! From a steak sandwich on the banks of the Wyangala Dam (Cowra, NSW) to prawn rolls on the Myall Lakes (Port Stephens), roast lamb when camping along the Darling River, spaghetti bolognese camping on the Cooper Creek, kangaroo cruising on the Franklin River and snails while cruising on the Soane River in Lyon, France - every culinary experience has been wonderful.

A dining table with a view of the Baltic Sea

Waterfront dining in our own little dining room on our boat is something special though - knowing that we have planned and cooked a delicious meal in the confines of a small kitchen with just a barbecue or a small oven makes it taste even better - and washing our meal down with a red from our own "cellar" is an extra wonderful experience, one we continue to enjoy.....

Meals are always special on the water!

The boys'own adventure

When we decided that the Gippsland Lakes looked like a nice place for the summer on Manookatoo, there was only one way to get the boat there.....cruise there! The First Mate does not yet have the confidence, competence or time to allow her to do this, so it was up to Captain Martin to find a couple of "likely lads" to accompany him! He started preparing the boat for a big trip and checking out the weather........
Saturday, 30th November was the day when the sun shone and the breeze was light to non-existent. Manookatoo cruised out of Yaringa Marina just after 2pm.

Leaving Yaringa behind.....

After collecting the two likely lads from Hastings, the plan was to cruise down to Cleveland Bight, just off Phillip Island and rest until morning, but with the weather so benign it was decided they would keep going, out into Bass Strait and head east. They enjoyed the afternoon passing all the towns and coastal features along the way and cruised into the evening, taking it in turns to rest on the settee to keep themselves awake and alert. Rounding Wilsons Promontory at about 2am, they continued east, but the wind started to increase. With a rising swell making travel less than pleasant, it was decided that they would take shelter in Refuge Cove until the conditions improved.

A walk up the hill gave a perfect view!!

The next day (Sunday) was spent resting, going ashore for a walk and generally chilling out. Phone reception was non-existent, but fortunately one clever lad has a satellite phone - something Captain Martin will purchase soon!! Contacting family in Melbourne, they were able to establish the weather forecast for the next 12 hours. It was decided that Monday would provide optimum cruising conditions so they had an evening of relaxation with a delicious barbecue (more of Mario's steaks) and a reasonably early night.

Relaxing with steak and red wine at the Prom

At 10am on Monday, with conditions perfect, they left Refuge Cove and continued east, passing to the north of the many oil rigs in Bass Strait and arriving at the Lakes Entrance bar at about 1am on Tuesday. The plan had been to wait about 2km offshore from the entrance until daylight but it was a still, moonlit night so, with engines fired up they powered in with no problems and tied up at Flagstaff Jetty at 1.15. After celebratory beers they went to bed for some well earned sleep. The next day was spent touring some of the beautiful Gippsland Lakes, including lunch at the Metung Pub, before finding Manookatoo's new home and settling her in. We certainly have a summer of adventure to look forward to with many new places to explore!!

Chilling out on the Gippsland Lakes will be our summer pleasure

Family get-togethers

Getting together on a boat is a lovely thing to do when the weather is fine and the sea is sparkling. There is nothing nicer than enjoying time together on the water. When it's family you are getting together with it is even more special and something we try to do regularly.
Recently the Captain enjoyed Father's Day with both his sons, their partners and his grandson. A magical day was had by all as we cruised around the waters of Westernport Bay - the middle generation even took the two inflatables out for a spin and had a bit of a race!

Three generations together - special on Father's Day

Another "Captains Day"was spent last weekend when his family got together to celebrate birthdays - something they try to do every few months every year - a great way to catch up, share stories that only families know and enjoy each others'company. This time we went to Warneet, where the family had owned a holiday house when they were younger - lovely memories were shared over a few drinks, with much laughter as they reminisced!

A great place for a laugh and a drink!

It is also nice when we just get a one or two of the family - it's a more intimate affair when we can enjoy our children, or parents, or siblings while cruising around. We are lucky to have our beautiful boat, and we are even more lucky to have our lovely families.

Isn't this fun?!

Melbourne Cup weekend 2013

The weather forecast was anything but ideal, but after a couple of pleasant Spring days in the week before we were willing to give it a go, the idea being we were always close to home if it turned unpleasant.....
Friday 1st November was a warm day with the promise of a better one tomorrow. The First Mate left work later than hoped so drove straight to Hastings while Captain Martin brought Manookatoo around from Yaringa Marina. With nobody else on the jetty we had our pick of spots and were joined later by Silhouetin', a local yachtie keen for an early sail with friends the following morning.
We enjoyed a drink at the local Mariners' Bar and returned to the boat for delicious fish and chips and a reasonably early night. Many fishing boats were leaving and returning that night as the Westernport fishing comp was on and the carpark at the boat ramp was choc-a-block with cars and trailers.

 The captain arrives at Hastings!

Saturday 2nd November dawned clear and sunny so, after a pleasant walk along Hastings foreshore we headed out of the channel and south. Sandy Point has always been a favourite destination in summer, so we moored offshore and took the brig to the beach for a walk. There is nothing more pleasant than that first trip of the season to Sandy Point - it is a sign that summer is coming. We walked around the headland and were amazed at the piles of seaweed and fallen trees on the shore facing Bass Strait - an indication of the wild winter weather that had come before! Returning to the brig we motored around the shallow bay and marvelled at the many fish swimming beneath us - maybe we needed a rod and some bait!

Coming ashore at Sandy Point

After a delicious barbecue lunch we cruised slowly home, through yachts in full sail on a perfect day, including Cool Change, competing in the local sailing competition. Nothing looks lovelier than a yacht with its spinnaker billowing, but give me the comfort of our clipper any time!!

Cool Change

The evening was spent at Yaringa Marina, as the forecast for Sunday was not good.

Sunday, 3rd November dawned with grey skies and showers. After breakfast we packed up and headed home for a day ashore - we went to the movies and enjoyed dinner at a local "cheap and cheerful" Vietnamese Restaurant.

Monday 4th November saw a return to fine conditions, so we returned to Yaringa optimistic for a couple of pleasant days aboard. We motored over to Tooradin for lunch, buying fish and chips for a second time that weekend and enjoying them offshore in the channel. Later we motored across the top of the bay to Chicory Lane, a small inlet off French Island. As it is within the Marine National Park no fishing is allowed so we were pleasantly alone. We had chosen this as our destination for the night - with no wind and mild temperatures predicted we were confident of a lovely night's sleep. We enjoyed barbecued Rib Eye steaks from Mario, our local Jells Park butcher, with a pleasant bottle of red to wash them down before retiring to bed, the lapping of the waves on the side of the boat lulling us to sleep.

Chicory Lane, French Island - just us and the birds

Tuesday 5th November - Cup Day - we woke to a blue sky day! As the tide rose we motored out of our lovely mooring and headed east along the top of French Island. The water divides into many channels in this part of Westernport Bay and much of it is too shallow for a big boat like ours, but at high tide it is lovely to visit. We cruised along for quite a distance then dropped anchor for a Chicken and Champagne lunch, watching the highlights at Flemington on the TV, alone with the blue sky and a few water birds. Later on we motored back towards Yaringa, enjoying sunset drinks on the front of the boat before making pita bread pizzas for dinner. Tomorrow is a workday for the First Mate, while Captain Martin can continue to enjoy the balmy weather on Manookatoo!!

Manooka - the original

After previous adventures on the Mason Bay and in the Streaker and, after looking around at a variety of boats for a couple of years, we found what we wanted in April 2011. She was "Manooka", a 36 foot Blue Seas cruiser, built in 1986, with a Ford Lees 80hp engine, a lovely saloon, a flybridge and a single cabin - big enough for us to enjoy together and with family and friends, small enough for Captain Martin to cruise alone.

Manooka - our pride and joy

When we bought her, she was at Sandringham Yacht Club, and we left her there for a few weeks so that Captain Martin could get used to owning and managing a larger boat and while we got used to the idea of having a floating "holiday house". We made the most of our lovely location too, with day trips to Point Ormond, weekend trips to Docklands and evening drinks at the Yacht Club (particularly pleasant on a Friday night!).

Enjoying a night aboard our new boat at Docklands

Next mooring was at Blairgowrie Yacht Club - another nice location, if slightly further away. By then  it was June and we made many Friday afternoon trips down, in varied weather conditions, once staying at the Marina as the wind howled over the sea wall, another time enjoying a cruise to Queenscliff for the weekend. We made the most of the  close proximity to Sorrento and Portsea with lunchtime cruises down the bay, loving the fact we had an enclosed helm and saloon while the breeze was chilly.
Eventually, in July, it was time to move to Yaringa Marina, on Westernport Bay. Captain Martin and the Marina's owner, Stefan, brought the boat around in benign conditions - the journey took 8 hours and the Captain loved his first venture into Bass Strait but was glad to have an experienced sailor aboard. Mooring the boat at Yaringa also made it so much easier to drive to, and we enjoyed many nights aboard over the rest of winter, safe and cosy as we got to know our boat.

Entering the safe waters of Yaringa Marina

Summer aboard was even better; with longer and warmer days giving us more boating hours to enjoy. We made friends with the locals - other Mariners plus the local wildlife - including a very friendly seal who frequents the bay and the Marina and keeps us all entertained!

Sammy the friendly local seal

Manooka gave us over two years of boating pleasure and the whole family and many friends enjoyed time aboard, with many social occasions including New Years Eve, birthday celebrations and pleasant nights at a variety of locations. She taught us a lot about cruising and owning a larger boat, and she certainly taught Captain Martin a lot about owning and maintaining an older boat! 

Mariners' Club Cruise 1, Season 2013-14

Saturday, 12th October
The day dawned clear and sunny with a stiff breeze and, after consultation with Mariners'Club members, three boats departed from Hastings at 11:00 - Manookatoo, Patience and Morning Magic. Cruising down Westernport Bay, Patience and Morning Magic enjoyed the breeze and unfurled their sails while Manookatoo enjoyed the tide in the journey south. Rounding Tortoise Head there was a stiff breeze blowing, which continued throughout the cruise.

We took a small channel on the south side of French Island and anchored not far off the shore. Geoff ferried Col and Peter to Manookatoo, where all enjoyed lunch on the flybridge, out of the wind but warmed by the sun. After a lovely convivial meal, washed down by a couple of drinks, we departed to our various destinations, buoyed by the pleasant conditions and looking forward to a lovely summer of boating and socialising!

September 2013 holidays

Sunday 22nd September - farewell Patch dog

We started the day with our farewell walk for Patch, scattering her ashes along the Dandenong Creek track she had loved to run, then we packed the car and headed to Yaringa for some time aboard Manookatoo. 
We had no real plans, other than to spend some time on the water. Hastings Marina was full, so we took the eastern channel down Westernport Bay, mooring in the shallows off the ruins of Fairhaven Jetty for a leisurely lunch. We continued south towards Phillip Island and picked up a public mooring just off Cowes. We lowered the dinghy and motored ashore to walk along the shop fronts, then returned to Manookatoo for a quiet night aboard. Checking the BOM site, we started to talk options. With 10-15 knot winds tomorrow, a trip to Port Phillip Bay was on the cards, but we would investigate further in the morning.

Monday 23rd September - we're off!!

There had been a few rolling swells during the night but nothing too worrisome and, with a favourable forecast we decided a trip along to PP Bay would be fun. We left just before 6am and made our way down the bay with the tide, doing up to 10 knots in the benign conditions and rounding West Head just before 7am. The sun  was shining and the cliffs along the way shone bright green from the lush grass cover. We entered the heads at 10:35 and, after notifying the Coastguard, waiting for a large container ship to pass, we made our way towards Queenscliff, where we had booked a berth for tonight. By late morning we were tied up at our berth, where we had lunch then walked into town. A quiet afternoon, fish and chips for dinner and early to bed, ready for our cruise up the bay in the morning.

Tuesday 24th September - the Western channel

After a windy night we woke to sunny skies this morning, so we cast off and headed up the western channel  towards the city, enjoying breakfast as we cruised along. This channel isn't used by the big container ships, so our passage was quiet and very pleasant, with views across to Portarlington and further to the You Yangs. 
We reached Sandringham Yacht Club marina mid morning and tied up against the walkway - home for the next three nights. In the mid afternoon we walked up to the shops where we bought lamb for a BBQ dinner - after a drink at the magnificent Yacht Club with views across the bay as the sun set.

Wednesday 25th September - Sandringham Yacht Club

Another windy night, with a promise of thunderstorms tonight and bigger winds tomorrow, we took a lovely walk to Hampton then came home for breakfast and a morning of "pottering". After hamburgers for lunch we packed up and caught a taxi home to Wheelers Hill to do a few chores, have a nice dinner at Fedeles and bring back more supplies tomorrow in the car.

Thursday 26th September

The thunderstorms were fierce overnight so it was nice to be ashore! We both hit the gym this morning and after a bit of errand-running we returned to Manookatoo, where gales were lashing the coast but we only rocked in the Marina. We whiled away the afternoon, had a drink at the Yacht Club to admire the waves against the sea-wall, while our lamb shanks cooked steadily in the oven. A delicious dinner!! The winds died down after sunset, promising a smooth cruise tomorrow.

Friday 27th September - exploring the city and socialising on the water

This morning was breezy so, after our morning walk along the cliff tops, we cast off and headed up towards the city, having breakfast as we travelled. The winds had obviously put everyone off water travel as it was very quiet cruising up the Yarra, under Westgate Bridge and Bolte Bridge to Docklands, our home for the next few days. A lovely relaxing day was topped off with a delicious Middle Eastern dinner with Yvonne and Martin, which made for a very pleasant experience. 

Saturday 28th September

A land based day; Captain Martin spent Grand Final Day at the MCG, Sue went shopping!

Sunday 29th September 

With Glenda and Peter aboard, we cruised around the rivers - up the Marybinong as far as the first bridge, down the Yarra to Williamstown and back to Docklands for a relaxing lunch. The wind picked up as the day went on, it's lovely to be staying in a sheltered marina.

Monday 30th September - Williamstown

Strong winds are forecast for the next few days, so we made our way back down the Yarra and only as far as Williamstown, where we tied up at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria. It is lovely to have no real commitments and to be able to go where the whim and the weather allows! We spent the day wandering the streets, getting a feel for the lovely old town and planning a roast dinner. The Sea Shepherd ships make this their base while they are not saving whales in Antarctica, so we feel safe among friends!

Tuesday 1st October

The winds, with gusts of up to 142kmh on Port Phillip Bay, made for a bouncy night. It was a little calmer this morning, but there was the prospect of more wind for the next two days, so we cast off at about 10am. Martha Cove or anywhere down the bay was out of the question with the gusty weather so our next choice was Sandringham, but after leaving the protection of port it rapidly became clear that it would be a rough trip, so we quickly turned into the relative calm of the Yarra River, choosing to stay at Marina YE, near Southbank, for at least two nights.

Wednesday 2nd October - city living

We walked along both banks of the Yarra this morning; up the north side to Flinders Street Station, across the Princes Bridge and down along Southbank - a lovely morning for a stroll but, with winds picking up, not a day for boating. Sue headed down to Mornington for lunch with friends, Martin went to Hastings to catch up with the "Mariners". We headed home to Wheelers Hill that afternoon for a nice meal and a peaceful night "ashore".

Thursday 3rd October

After a few chores, we took a walk and then the train and tram back to the boat to continue our city "holiday". The weather looks promising tomorrow so we made the most of our last city night, with drinks in a few different city watering holes and dinner at The Wharf Hotel.

Friday 4th October - Martha Cove

Brett came to visit us this morning on his way to work, then, with a mild day forecast we cast off from the Marina and made our way down the Yarra. As we passed Williamstown and Hobsons Bay we enjoyed our breakfast on calm waters, heading down the bay towards tonight's resting place, Martha Cove. We were joined in our journey by two playful dolphins, who kept us enthralled by diving in front of the bow, leaving and rejoining us many times during our journey. Just before midday we entered the channel at Safety Beach and cruised up past many lovely houses to our destination, Martha Cove Marina. The water here is wide and calm, just perfect for Manookatoo, which will stay here until Captain Martin can find a travelling companion for the journey back to Yaringa. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon catching up with family, walking the boardwalk, cooking a delicious dinner before our last night aboard - the holidays are over and it's time to return to "normal" life....!

This boating life

Captain Martin has spent practically his whole life in and around boats, but my experiences on the water had been limited in comparison. The first boat Captain Martin and I enjoyed together was a 17.5 foot Haines Signature bow rider, more suitable for skiing behind than sleeping on, not that it's small size or lack of a bed stopped us making full holiday use of it!
We towed the boat to Port Stephens, the Gippsland Lakes and the Murray River, carried a tent and slept nearby, even took the seats out and blew up a mattress for a bed onboard on a couple of occasions! We never let an opportunity go by where we could use it to its full potential...and then some!

Fun at Bunga Arm, Gippsland Lakes

A slightly larger, 21 foot Streaker followed, with a small cabin which could be converted to a bed and also a chemical toilet - what luxury for us! The boat was still towable, so holidays on the water in a variety of locations were enjoyed - mostly only for a few nights before we would return to something more "luxurious". It was also still possible to ski behind it but, as the kids got older, the times they spent with us decreased, so this requirement was becoming less important.

A boat with a bed - what a luxury!!

But as the kids left home and our opportunities for totally indulgent boating increased, we started looking around for that perfect holiday boat, something we could use all day and all night, whatever the weather - a floating "holiday house" for two.......

Why do we love cruisers?

Mason Bay

Our first cruising experience together was in 2004 -  September school holidays. Neither of our teams    were playing good enough footy for the finals to be interesting, the Bulls' Cruisers Hire company at Metung on the Gippsland Lakes had some good specials - so why not head away for a few days on the water?

We hired the Mason Bay, a 30 foot clipper, loaded it up with supplies and headed out for adventures. In five days we did a lot of  cruising; from Nungurnah to Paynesville to Johnsonville, Bunga Arm to Sperm Whale Head to Boxers Creek, staying where the whim took us - a night each at Rotamah Island, Tambo River, Bunga Arm and Ocean Grange. We were really enjoying the relaxing ambience that time on the water provides and learning about all the joys of Clipper Cruising. 

The boat was old and tired, chugging across the water with little flair but affording us a level of comfort we hadn't experienced before - the opportunity to take "home" with you as you travelled. We were hooked on the idea of our own  house on the water!!

PS: we listened to the AFL grand final via a neighbouring yacht's radio - no idea who won!!

Our Cup weekend adventures 2012

Captain Martin's Log
Friday, 2nd November: a pleasant night at Yaringa Marina.
Saturday, 3rd November: we left Yaringa at 9am, heading for Hastings, where we stocked up with supplies and hove to just after low tide, heading east to Fairhaven (French Island) for lunch and a walk along the sand, before weighing anchor and cruising to Observation Point where we moored for the night.

Off for a walk

Sunday, 4th November: a pleasant walk along the beach before we headed across to Corinella where we dropped anchor offshore, a short walk up the hill revealed not much so we motored across to Elizabeth Bluff for lunch and another small walk, then we cruised around to San Remo jetty, dining at the local pub that night.
Monday, 5th November: after a walk across the bridge and around Newhaven Marina, we set sail after breakfast to Rhyll, where we took another look around, then headed across the bay, dropping anchor off Tortoise Head for lunch. We climbed the hill to admire views across to Cowes and Sandy Point. With inclement weather predicted that night we motored up the eastern channel of Westernport Bay to spend another night at Yaringa.

Welcome to our blog!

Captain Martin and I love boats. He's owned a few; from tiny sailboats to ski boats to cruisers, and since I've been with him we have had many good times on the water together. A couple of years ago we got "Manooka", a 36 foot flybridge cruiser big enough to call our "floating holiday house" and recently we updated to "Manookatoo" - same size but a lot newer.
With a new boat comes new adventures......I'm starting this blog so that we can record our fun (or otherwise) along the way.
I'll add some stories from the first Manooka and hopefully some photos from various adventures too - hope you enjoy reading about our fun!!