How to live your best life on a yacht—on a budget

Posted on 14 October, 2019

Standing on the back of the yacht I was surprised. Surprised the emerald green water didn’t look more inviting and surprised I was hesitating for so long.

Minutes passed, each time I went to jump the thought of the cold murky depths enveloping me made me recoil.

I love to swim. But the dark depths of the Hawkesbury hides secrets—secrets I didn’t want to sneak up on me alone out there in the cool green waters.

I am too old for the saying YOLO but as I stood out there, the early morning sun barely warm enough to heat the skin I thought to myself…’you only live once’ and with that, I dived.

It was as cold as I expected—rivers aren’t places to be in early September. I moved my arms and legs as fast I could, not for buoyancy but in the hopes of generating body heat from within.

My initial thought was that I wasn’t going to be able to stay in, my ankles ached, my wrists ached but I could hear the waterfall behind me, beckoning me to the deserted shores of Refuge Bay so I turned and swam away from the boat.

The distance looked manageable–we were on the closest mooring to the shore–but I had never swum for the need to actually get somewhere. After all, I’m normally in a pool where if you give up you can just jump out at the nearest exit.

Halfway through the swim my body temperature adjusted to the cold water and I was comfortable again. I pushed aside any thoughts of reported Bull Sharks in the river and I pushed on, the distance to the sandstone cliffs getting ever shorter.

Closing in on the shore the rocky, mottled cliffs appeared to rise out of the ground, higher and higher the closer I got. Vibrant green ferns clung to the undersides of red craggy overhangs.

High above me the waterfall tumbled over the bush-covered ledge and bounced off the rocks below. The sight made my breath catch in my throat. Despite the fact that there were three yachts moored in the bay I felt alone, their inhabitants still below decks having their morning coffee.

It was high tide so the sand on shore was submerged in four inches of warm water that tickled my toes as I came ashore. It reminded me of pictures I used to draw as a child of people on deserted beaches, surrounded by nothing but wilderness.

I made a beeline for the waterfall, climbing over the boulders that had fallen from the cliffs over what I imagine to be thousands of years, their surfaces now smooth from the lapping waters of the river. I reached the sheer rock face and the falling water fell heavy on my head, fresh and cold but more violent than I expected.

I turned to face the yacht and my husband waiting for my return watched as I raised my arms under the waterfall. The feeling was like nothing I had experienced. I was elated to be so surrounded by nature. So close to Sydney yet not a hint of the city in sight. Just the Australian bush and the mighty Hawkesbury.

This may sound like the musings of the elite few who own a yacht. Those who get to experience the world from the privileged decks of private boats, but I am neither rich nor own a yacht—we gained access to this incredible location via a yacht charter with Sail Central Coast—Hardy’s Bay Yacht Charters.

The managing director Bruce is the man who can make this happen for you and he is also the man who will pick you up, take you sailing, moor you in the bay and leave you overnight with a seafood platter and breakfast for two.

For us, the experience filled a number of desires. Not only was it a birthday treat for me, but my husband had been wanting to learn a little more about sailing for some time and this experience ticked all the boxes.

Bruce showed us the ropes (we actually learned that ropes are not called ropes on boats) so to be more accurate he showed us the sheets and halyards and he entrusted us with the wheel teaching us to set sail and tack, making our way upriver towards the ocean and back again to our mooring in Refuge Bay.

He also trusted us with his yacht for the night, leaving us alone in the bay with the light of the full moon for company.

From a travellers perspective, I came away realising firstly how important it is to take those breaks, even mini ones to refresh your mind and body.

It also impressed on me that you don’t need to go far to experience something completely new and exhilarating. You may be busy, you may be low on funds, family situations may not allow you to head overseas often if ever.

But in less than four hours drive from Canberra, you can find yourself in one of the most stunning landscapes in the world, on a yacht, with a man named Bruce.