Hi all

I was planning on getting a Soling for club racing on Pittwater for the start of next summer and put myself down on the mooring wait list as it was supposed to take 6 to 9 months. Well, 3 weeks later and they've issued my mooring licence and this has accelerated my plans a little

Where I live there are at least 20 Solings in a small area and I reckon every bay on Pittwater has half a dozen, but none seem to be for sale. I've only found 2 in the whole of the Sydney area so far.

I don't want a mooring minder that hasn't been sailed for years but I also need it to be cheap enough to get past the minister for finance.

So who can help me out here? There must be heaps available if you just know where to contact them.

Geoff

Always the way with moorings, huh? When you need em, Waterways drags their feet, when you don't, they make you scramble!

I take it the two you've seen for sale are http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/church-point/sail-boats/soling-one-design-racing-sailing-yacht/1096252879 & www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/seaforth/sail-boats/soling-fibreglass-twighlight-racing-sailing-yacht/1096013830? Yup, they're the only ones I know are for sale - but I think it's the whole mooring minder thing that keep a lot of them from being sailed. There is one on the south side of Iron Cove Bridge that hasn't moved for ages, maybe ask around at either Drummoyne Sailing Club or Dobroyd Point?

Mine was an eBay rescue for much the same reason ($356 was just cheap enough to scrape by!) and was in a bit of a state when I got her - running rigging needed replacing, bottom was desperate for a scrub. There's still a heap I need to do to really get her flying, but I've been sailing twilights out of Balmain this season and am sitting about halfway on the series ladder (I'd blame the skipper, rather than the boat for that!). So I guess even crappy mooring minders can have their day!

Incidently, if anyone has a line on any parts or old sails (I'd really love a spinnaker to play with), I'd love to hear about it

There is one in terrible condition at Drummoyne SC. Next to the Swanson 25 near Boxer.
I could ask around when l am back to racing there?
I think it is a Soling, one could not see the deck from the guano.

The mooring people were ok when l bought my yacht in Qld. and booked a mooring in Sydney. I got the mooring in two months, while l was still up there and l told them, l will not be able to obey the 45 days rule. They said, do your best, when l told them l am sailing back south with the freshly purchased yacht.
I pulled in at Newcastle and done the rego transfer there. They bent over backwards to help me doing that and she said - l am going to ring them now... - and ten minutes later she came back telling me not to worry. "The mooring is yours, go as slow as you like, the 45 days got just extended another 45 days, all good."
It was a real service! Great!

This was in the days when MSB got killed and RMS just created.

It would be worthwhile calling in to the RMS (Waterways) office at Bayview in the Quays Marina and speaking personally to the Boating Services Officer for Pittwater who is stationed there. They are open on Fridays and Saturday mornings. https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/service-centre/bayview-maritime-service-centre

You may be surprised to find that there is still some of the old fashioned customer service attitude left and it may give you the flexibility you need to source the correct boat in sufficient time.

I'm sure you will find a Soling eventually but another class that is showing up in twilight racing is the 5.5 metre. Probably a different price bracket though. For value for money, it is hard to beat a Soling, Etchells or J24. Good luck!

Gravy7 said..


There has certainly been a resurgence of the Soling class in the twilight fleet at Woody Point YC on Pittwater. This season there are five regular starters and Solings are matching the Jubilees and nearly up to Etchells numbers for the biggest one-design class in the fleet of nearly 80 boats. http://www.wpyc.com.au/assets/wpycss_race17_start2.pdf

It's great to see such an awesome fleet at WPYC. It just goes to show that if you give people affordable sailing they will still do it.

PS Etchells = more comfortable, but perhaps not more fun. It's all personal.

Nice one PlaneRay, looks like a sweet ride!

Maybe once we get a bit of momentum going we can do an interdominion type Harbour V's Pittwater challenge for wet-sailed OD keelboats.

I picked mt Etchells up for less than $5k, near new (to me) main for $250!!!

If you can borrow a trailer

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/lara/sail-boats/etchells-pamcraft/1101481938

And this one says make an offer!!

www.boatsales.com.au/boats-for-sale/private/used/SSE-AD-3568825/1985-ETCHELLS-ETCHELLS?cr=6&psq=%28%28Make%3DETCHELLS%26%28%28%28SiloType%3DDealer%20used%20boats%7CSiloType%3DDealer%20new%20boats%29%7CSiloType%3DPrivate%20used%20boats%29%7CSiloType%3DDemo%20and%20near%20new%20boats%29%29%26Service%3DBoatsales%29&pso=0&pss=Premium

Or ask if you can use the trailer for delivery!!

www.boatsales.com.au/boats-for-sale/dealer/used/OAG-AD-10482189/1990-ETCHELLS-ETCHELLS?cr=5&psq=%28%28Make%3DETCHELLS%26%28%28%28SiloType%3DDealer%20used%20boats%7CSiloType%3DDealer%20new%20boats%29%7CSiloType%3DPrivate%20used%20boats%29%7CSiloType%3DDemo%20and%20near%20new%20boats%29%29%26Service%3DBoatsales%29&pso=0&pss=Premium

Yep that one on Gumtree, no need for a trailer, it's only one bay from me and yes, we've already spoken