Katherine Staunton•16 Nov 2012

FEATURE

Cruising Jervis Bay

Updated cruising guide to a boating paradise on the NSW South Coast

Boat dealers seem to be going the extra distance these days. Take Steve Batton from his eponymous Maritimo and Mustang dealership in Sydney. According to his dispatch, 24 boat owners were joining in his inaugural Jervis Bay Jam, either taking their own boat or driving down and meeting up.

The cruise in company included cocktails at Q Station at Quarantine Beach, just inside North Head, before it was up at daybreak (November 15), bright eyed and bushy tailed, for the 78 nautical mile run to Jervis Bay at low-to-mid 20 knots.

“The community is all abuzz due to our trip and it’s amazing how much the town has got behind the event,” Batton says, adding “we have the scuba diving teams booked, the fishing guides and even the ski boat. Don’t forget to bring your wig and black tie and Hawaiian shorts for cocktails on the beach Saturday night!”

Meantime, your BoatPoint and Boatsales crew has been smitten by Jervis Bay ever since we made our maiden trip on Boxing Day 2006. We’ve been back several times, usually following the Sydney Hobart fleet south on Boxing Day before spending the best part of a week living aboard in JB.

But for the creeping marine parks, nothing much has changed in more than five years. Trailerboats abound in summer, there is a handful of local bigger boats, and the odd visiting yacht and big cruiser. By and large Sydney’s pleasure boaters seem to prefer the Hawkesbury or ports further north. This particular weekend was the exception.

The thing to remember about Jervis Bay is the lack of accessible amenities, the shallow creek entrance should you need fuel, and the distance of five miles between the two main anchorages on either side of the bay. Weather changes often arrive in the middle of the night. In other words, you need to remain alert and autonomous when you cruising to Jervis Bay. A watermaker is a godsend, too.

But Jervis Bay offers rich rewards. So much so we’ve decided to re-run our popular Bay of Dreams article, updated with some new fresh photos and details from subsequent trips.

In the right weather, Jervis Bay is boating heaven. But its remoteness and lack of facilities will forever consign it to the seasoned cruising buffs, keen sport and game fishers, holidaying trailerboater and handful of locals. A marina would certainly change the status quo forever.

BAY OF DREAMS

- The whitest sand, the clearest water

Have you ever swum in water so clear that the seagrass below looks like shag carpet playing host to hundreds of baby fish? Have you ever become so addicted to floating in cool blue water on a hot summer's day that you just won't get out, even when your skin goes all wrinkly? And have you seen the whitest sand in the world being kissed by gentle, turquoise waves? If you haven't then you really must visit Jervis Bay.

What else can you expect on a weeklong boating trip to JB? How about awe-inspiring sandstone cliffs, deserted anchorages with only dolphins for company, barbecued freshly caught fish, and perhaps being nipped on the finger by a cheeky leatherjacket as you rinse your plate from the swim platform.

But before I reveal too much about this stellar destination, let me tell you about the journey.

HEADING SOUTH

- 78 nautical miles south from Sydney Heads

We'd been planning to voyage from Sydney to Jervis Bay on our 42ft cruiser for more than a year. Our only requirement was favourable weather coinciding with our holidays. The weather gods had not been kind in the past and JB had remained elusive and thus even more desirable. However, it's not somewhere to rush off to without careful planning and preparation.

You see, fuel, fresh water, marinas and boat mechanics aren't available for anything other than shallow draft boats. If something serious goes wrong, there's nowhere to leave your boat. So our mantra was self-sufficiency and we needed a lot of time in case we had to ride out a storm before heading home.

As with every serious passage, we filled the fuel tanks – 1850 litres of diesel, 450 litres of water that we'd have to conserve (we’ve since fitted a desalinator), adding truckloads of gourmet grub and some bootleg, reading and reference material, useless appliances and whatever else we could find that would fit in the lazarette. We stood on the hatch and forced the catch closed. Okay, I jest, but you get the idea. We were a fully-laden ship, even carrying our laptop with BigPond wireless internet service. Will we be able to surf more than just breakers in Jervis Bay?

Plan A was to leave Sydney Heads, turn right, and head due south to JB. Should the weather become unfavourable, Plan B was to turn left and make for Port Stephens. Both destinations are about 80 nautical miles from Sydney and if you like fishing you can swing by the offshore canyons where gamefish reside. Besides being keen anglers, trolling for half the passage would save us a lot of fuel.

We left Sydney Heads at 9.30am and, as luck would have it, the weather gods were smiling, with just 15 knots of wind from the north and a 1.5 metre sea. So we took a deep breath and turned to starboard. Jervis Bay at last! We even had the course plotted from our failed attempt a year ago. First waypoint: Botany Heads. The second: Crocodile Head, just north of Jervis Bay. Easy as that, with some fishing via the FADs, canyons and Sir John Young Banks en route.

We passed the time ticking off the Sydney beaches before noting the landmarks at the Royal National Park, Wollongong and Kiama, where the lures went out. A cold current forced us to reassess our plan and we decided to fish Sir John Young Banks, a famous and fertile underwater reef where all kinds of predatory fish reside. And a good plan it was, too. As soon as we put the rods out, bang, kingfish after kingfish jumped on our lines. Half an hour's trolling saw us release about 12 fish and put two nice ones on ice.

With dinner taken care of, we pulled in the hooks and trained the bow on the lofty lighthouse atop Point Perpendicular. The sandstone cliffs encircling Jervis Bay are spectacular and among the highest you'll see anywhere on the Australian coastline.

Finally, we arrived at the entrance to Jervis Bay, wide-eyed and babbling like two eager kids at the gates to a fun park. It's now 5.10pm. Since leaving Sydney, we clocked up 7.4 engine hours, a good deal of it from trolling at 8 knots after Kiama.

If we were to do it in a straight run at our usual cruise of 19 to 21kts, Jervis Bay would have been just a four-hour passage. But we caught fish along the way. And we used about the same amount of fuel, 422lt, which points to pretty good efficiency from our 480hp Cummins diesel engines.

SPECTACULAR SCENES

- Jervis Bay stirs the senses

As we rounded Point Perpendicular, I was awestruck by the towering cliffs and the broad expanse of water shimmering like quicksilver in the afternoon sun. And for this modern-day explorer there was a profound sense of achievement in completing such an ocean passage. But we were not completely cast adrift nor entirely alone.

Through the haze of a hot summer's day I spied a boat rocking at anchor off a promising white sand beach at what my chart told me was Hole in the Wall. As we approached the anchorage it was apparent the boat was not anchored but on a mooring. In fact, there were four other moorings just waiting for a visiting boat like ours. Not bad considering it was holiday season.

None of our research prepared us for such a pleasant surprise. But then there are lots of pleasant surprises when you spend a week, as we did, gadding about Jervis Bay. We grabbed the mooring closest to shore and, as the motors cooled down, so did we. A celebratory bottle of fizz and a dive overboard in the bay's famously clear waters. Then, a freshwater deck shower and we were recharged after the lengthy passage.

Now, an important part of being a competent sailor is maintaining a weather watch. So, after drip-drying on deck, we checked the weather online. The following day's forecast was for beautifully benign weather with a northerly arriving in the afternoon. We made plans, but before retiring to the cabin there was the small matter of taking in the night sky, which was as replete with as many stars as I've seen before.

I also noticed the boutique expedition cruise ship Orion saunter through the heads and drop anchor. What a coincidence. Would you believe in the last six months I've seen the good ship at Lizard Island, Cowan Creek in the Hawkesbury River, and now here in Jervis Bay? Was she following me?

Like the paying passengers on that ship, we enjoyed a deep sleep with not even a slap of water on the chines. Tied to the mooring, our boat barely moved and we didn't stir until 7am. The greeting back on deck wasn't half-bad, either.

Jervis Bay tosses up postcards at every anchorage. The stirring image out yonder comprised a long, white, sandy beach backed by tall gums from which native birds call out. But it's the water, always the water, that makes you stop and stare. It's like looking into a giant fishbowl, with all manner of species swimming around in crystal clear water over shagpile seagrass meadows dotted with opalescent sand patches.

BOWEN ISLAND TO LONG BEACH

- A cruise of the bay

Navigation in Jervis Bay is easy, but the waterway is a minefield of marine parks, commonwealth waters, naval waters, no anchoring and no fishing zones. Thank heavens we had the internet. Our mission was to circumnavigate the bay at nine knots to conserve fuel. At this speed, the motors use about 20 litres/hour, while under a full load, our generator uses about 3 litres/hour. Thus, we would have plenty of fuel for the return trip even if we were stuck in the bay for two weeks.

We dropped the mooring line and headed to Bowen Island on the southern side of the bay, mindful of the trailerboats drifting for a feed of flathead off our bow. Bowen Island is dotted with dive boat moorings. Apparently, you can join the local dive club and use them for a small fee. But at nearby Murrays Beach there's a mooring available for nix. Or just anchor.

Murrays Beach is beautiful. Black cockatoos fly overhead and kookaburras laugh from their perch in the spotted gums. The place is no secret. People arrive on foot, by kayak and in trailerboats. Beautiful white sand, a natural bush backdrop and brilliant blue water make this a great spot to set up a beach camp. If you're feeling energetic, there are walking tracks that lead south to yet more stunning coastline.

The water was so inviting that we scrambled to don masks and snorkels and flippered our way around the shore. Fish are friendly in Jervis Bay. None more so than the baby stingrays and harmless banjo sharks hugging the bottom.

After another freshwater deck shower, I was given the tough assignment of finding the perfect lunch spot. Back past Hole in the Wall are the shimmering sands and clear water of Captains Beach, where it is mostly okay to anchor. Not so HMAS Creswell, the naval college which stretches around to Hyams Beach and, yes, that dazzling white sand. At the western end of the beach you'll find Jervis Bay's ritziest real estate.

The settlement of Vincentia around the corner is more unassuming. You can anchor and shop ashore and occasionally there may be a mooring available. But we passed up the invitation and made for Huskisson, passing potential anchorages off Nelsons and Collingwood beaches.

There are some serious reefs off Currambene Creek, which ranges into Huskisson. Boats may anchor off the shark net pool on the south side of the creek entrance or grab a courtesy mooring and take their tender into the township. Shoal-draught vessels can enter the creek and fuel is available in Huskisson by prior arrangement (and with a mini tanker in Nowra).

You can anchor off Callalla Beach and take the tender into Huskisson, too. But we continued our search for the perfect lunch venue. Besides, it was 35 degrees in the shade and I was longing to get back into that cool blue water. Next consideration: Hare Bay, where anchoring is permitted within 200m of Red Point. Hare Bay is lovely and well-protected in a northerly. We debated whether this was it. But no, we were being inexplicably drawn to the north side of the bay.

After Green Point and another reef, we found the perfect lunch venue -- a gorgeous little cove between Cabbage Tree and Montague points. Alas, it was occupied by two lucky boats whose crews were tucking into their lunches. No worries, there's always Long Beach. Ah, Long Beach for a long lunch, after which we snorkelled some more. Sheer bliss. We found a sandy spot (no anchoring over seagrass) and dropped anchor in six metres of water. With big winds forecast, we payed out 24m of chain and were not going anywhere. In fact, I never wanted to leave.

At last, lunch was on -- fresh, barbecued kingfish heads the menu. Underwater, the local marine life was searching out its tucker. Our dive on the reef revealed abalone, sea urchin and loads of baby groper. A walk along Long Beach was no less engaging. At the end of the beach is a four-wheel drive boat launching ramp. Signs announced 'Beecroft Peninsula Weapons Range is Open for Public Access'. Thank heavens for that.

With the mercury rising, we spent the rest of the afternoon partially submerged. I discovered a fabulous spot underneath the swim platform. It was floating room only, but was out of the sun and offered a great view of stingrays feeding on fish frames. I dived on the anchor. All secure.

The day-trippers departed as the shadows lengthened, leaving the anchorage to us and two other boats. Now, I've toasted a few sunsets from boats before, but Long Beach is among the best anchorages for sundowners. In the strengthening nor'easter the cockpit faced west towards the magnificent sunset over the bay.

LONG BEACH TO BOAT HARBOUR

- The northern side of Jervis Bay

We were woken at 6am by the whoosh of dolphins off the bow! Once the fog had lifted we continued our circumnavigation. We sashayed passed Honeymoon Bay and the aptly-named Groper Coast before arriving at Boat Harbour. At Target Beach, there's plenty of white sand and a nice little break for body surfing. Dive boats anchor discreetly beneath the craggy cliffs as their crews explore Jervis Bay's famous underwater caves.

Nearby, The Tubes is a unique fishing spot where anglers catch marlin from the rocks. Speaking of fishing, we had the lines rigged and figured it was time to land a fish for the fry pan. Before long a bunch of fat tiger flathead were thrashing in the fish box.

But a roaring northerly wind foreshadowed the big southerly buster that was forecast to arrive in the afternoon. If there's one rule about this waterway, it's don't get caught on the wrong side of the bay. With this in mind, we headed back to Hole in the Wall and, in so doing, our circumnavigation of Jervis Bay was complete.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

- Cirumnavigating the bay

Back at Hole in the Wall, we had time to fire up the barbecue for a feast of flathead, wrapped in foil with onion and finely-sliced potatoes drizzled with lemon-myrtle olive oil.

As the day lengthened, we watched as the boats that were cruising the bay made their way to the anchorage.

We rode out the southerly together and in the distance I saw Orion glide out of the heads, bound for Broughton Island. It was a nice thought, but I thought I'd stay right here for a few more days yet. Postscript: In the last six years we have returned several times to experience Jervis Bay all over again.

ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES

Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens, see http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/booderee/index.html

Dolphin Watch Cruises, phone 1800 246 010, or see www.dolphinwatch.com.au

Jervis Bay Sailing Charters, phone 0402 443 478, or see www.jervisbaysailingcharters.com.au

Jervis Bay Fishing And Sightseeing Charters, phone (02) 4447 8177, or see www.jervisbayfishing.com.au

Sea Kayak Jervis Bay phone (02) 4441 7157, or see www.jervisbaykayaks.com

Pro Dive Husky, phone (02) 4441 5255

Ocean Trek Diving Resort, phone (02) 4441 6232

Paperbark Camp, phone (02) 4441 6066 www.paperbarkcamp.com.au

The Husky Pub Owen Street, Huskisson 2540, Phone (02) 4441 5001 www.thehuskypub.com.au

LADY DENMAN MARITIME MUSEUM

The historic Lady Denman Maritime Museum was inspired by the Lady Denman ferry, built in Huskisson in 1911, and now housed in a purpose-built facility within the Complex. The ferry is listed as an item of NSW State Heritage significance.

The Heritage Complex houses a Surveyor's Gallery with its world-standard collection of surveying instruments, the Jervis Bay Gallery of Science and the Sea which contains many diverse treasures, and the Local History Gallery -- which uses interpretive panels, audio-visual content and a wide range of unique and valuable objects to explore local history, much of it on maritime themes.

There is also a marine environment gallery and a large gallery, which hosts a variety of homegrown and travelling exhibitions from far and wide. Altogether, the Complex occupies a 10-hectare bushland and wetland site on the shores of Jervis Bay and Currambene Creek that includes a number of diverse natural environments.

The Fish Pond is very popular with visitors and is home to a number of species including tailor, snapper, kingfish, bream, mullet, flathead, flounder and stingrays. A must-see! No fishing.

The Mangrove Boardwalk takes visitors through the mangroves on a raised boardwalk out to the margins of Currambene Creek, and seeks to impart an understanding of wetlands, mangrove swamps and the interaction between ocean and land environments. There are other great attractions about this unique local attraction. See www.ladydenman.asn.au

CRUISING INFORMATION

- Fuel deliveries at Huskisson can be made by prior arrangement only. Contact Hill and Co on (02) 4423 4200 to arrange to meet the fuel truck at the wharf at Huskisson. Several days' notice is generally required to arrange a diesel delivery.

- Drums of diesel (and other fuel) can be obtained from Jervis Bay Service Station at 2 Huskisson Road, Huskisson, phone (02) 4441 7111, and transported to the wharf by trolley.

- Before approaching the wharf at Huskisson, access must be arranged through the wharf committee. Phone Mick Saliwon from Ocean Trek dive boat on 0413 759 649.

- Diving expeditions and tours can be arranged through Ocean Trek in Vincentia by phoning 0413 759 649, or through many other operators in Jervis Bay.

MARINE RESCUE – JERVIS BAY UNIT

Established in 1937. Monitors the marine radio bands (VHF and 27MHz) on a 7 seven day/24 hour basis all year from the base in Voyager Park, Huskisson, or one of our three standby stations. Two rescue vessels, the Colin Woods (call-sign Jervis Bay 30) and the Ian E Bates (call-sign Jervis Bay 10).

Marine Rescue provides a Marine Rescue Safety Service (MRSS) to all boaters in the vicinity where they can log in and out with us for the day. Nominated return times are monitored and search and rescue services are provided if necessary. See www.mrnswjb.com.au.

FACTS

Destination: Jervis Bay

Location: About 78 nautical miles south of Sydney

Size: Jervis Bay is 8.1nm long and 5.4nm wide

Townships: Huskisson, Vincentia, Hyams Beach

Cruising Jervis Bay

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