#80 NOW December 10, 2005, 1150—UTC +11 hours (New South Wales, Australia) Tied to a buoy in America Bay, (S33’35.6 E151’14.6). Temperature 89 Greetings from America, Well, that is America Bay, which is just off Cowan Creek (big creek) near Broken Bay. This is a big cruising area about 16 miles North of Sydney. Last Wednesday I departed lovely Fame Cove and headed over to Nelson Bay Boat Harbour. I was planning to spend just a few hours there getting some supplies and then anchor out for the night. However, a fellow was standing by his empty dock and told me I could use his for the night, as his boat was being hauled. I offered to pay him, but he would have none of it. I thanked him profusely and enjoyed the day and night there. The town had some nice shops and I picked up a hose so I could fill my water tanks. Unfortunately, Australia uses a 25 mm hose fitting and so none of our American hoses will fit their faucets down here. I looked for an adapter, but no luck. I also found an internet café and took care of some business. Every town seems to have at least one such place. I left very early the next morning thinking I might try to go the 77 miles to Broken Bay. Coming around Port Stephens Head, I ran into 15 knots of headwind and head seas. It was soon apparent I would not arrive before dark. So, I changed course a little and went into Newcastle. Newcastle has a brand new marina that was not even in my cruising guide. This bustling city of around 300,000, with its deep harbor and good facilities, is the largest export harbor in Australia. The next morning I wound my way around a couple of dozen ships (mainly tankers) anchored just off the coast waiting to load or off-load. The run down to Broken Bay was uneventful. The winds had died down some and I had a nice ride. While it is not compulsory, Coast Control will keep a close watch on your progress. You give them all the info about you and your boat and then check in with them every couple of hours. It's much like filing a flight plan and making position reports. It is a great idea although it reminded me too much of my previous life as a pilot. As I approached Broken Bay, I could see the skyline of Sydney in the distance. I proceeded up Cowan Creek and entered America Bay. This place has 100 or so buoys with individual names on them. Since this was Friday afternoon, the Bay soon started to fill up. This morning I had to move off the buoy that I was tied to as, the owner arrived. Being so close to Sydney, you can imagine how busy it gets on weekends. I plan to stay in this lovely area for as much as a week. There are plenty of areas to explore and I always have plenty of things to keep me busy. Besides, I think that Sydney is going to be even more crowded and expensive. Life is a Cruise, Larry -- Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm