We own a Boomaroo 22 (swing keel and outboard) and are thinking of heading south to Nowra and the Shoalhaven River and doing a little sailing/motoring on the western side of the Road Bridge.
I am keen to see if any one has some local knowledge they may wish to share with me. Such as:
1. where there is a good ramp and safe vehicle parking
2. are there public moorings where i can overnight on the boat
3. are there any spots which are good anchorages
4. how far up the river can we travel under sail and/or motor.
Many thanks in advance for your feedback and contributions.
Ian
G'day Ian,
My father [ Ramona ] & I used to race at the Nowra Sailing Club.
1.There is a large boat ramp on the western side of the bridge used mainly for ski boats. Is it safe ? I would say no.
2. As far as I know there isn't any public moorings on the western side of the bridge. There are temporary moorings at Greenwell Point & maybe Shoalhaven Heads [ 15 k's east of the bridge ] .
3. Ramona may offer better anchorage suggestions but I'd say anywhere in the river.
4. The main problem with the Shoalhaven River is silt. You can almost walk across the river on the eastern side of the bridge. There used to be a scenic cruise boat going both ways up & down the river, but maybe it can't get up the river anymore..
What I'd do is put in at Greenwell Point. Motor up river past the bridge as far as you can go [ for a look ] then sail around on the eastern side then leave the river sail up to Gerroa / Gerringong or down to Jervis Bay...
Hope this helps.
Damien
West of the bridge sailing is limited. You can motor 10 miles at least. Plenty of places to anchor. Good boat ramps but not so sure about car/trailer security.
Check the MSB webpages for pdf charts of the area, there are charts that go up West of the bridge.
Ian,
you can get as far as Gradys campgrounds by boat, after that you need a kayak. Then you can paddle as far as Shoalhaven dam, its well worth it, nice country, although I have never paddled past Coolendel camp grounds but lots do. The river gets shallow in places but with care and a bit of sense you should not have any issues. There is an old cattle river crossing just before Gradys, I've never had any issues getting a 14ft power boat across it but each year it grabs a few ski boat props (see 3rd sentence). The owners of Gradys are nice people, they have a concrete boat ramp there in good condition but it is very steep, if you had a 4wd with low range I doubt you would have any issues. I've seen a lot of large ski boats get pulled out of there. I dont know how much water you need to launch the boat, talk to them. You could park there, very secure, and use their amenities.
Hope this helps, Mike
