You have heaps of choice for yacht charter in Australia.
Around Sydney we are incredibly lucky to have two world class harbours within a few miles of each other.
Sydney harbour or Port Jackson is the most famous.
And certainly sailing a yacht past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge is a great feeling.
However Sydney Harbour is very busy and probably not the best option if you are looking for a quiet sailing holiday in Australia.
Pittwater is a stunning cruising ground just 45 minutes by car from Sydney's CBD.
It's a similar size to Sydney Harbour but offers a totally different sailing experience.
Pittwater is surrounded by miles and miles of unspoiled National Park and offers much less crowded sailing waters.
Pittwater is a great choice for your yacht charter in Australia.
From SmartBoating's base at Bayview Anchorage marina you can have a wonderful sail up Pittwater... we often get perfect days with 15 knots of breeze and flat sailing water.
If there's a Northerly blowing, tacking up Pittwater towards Lion Island is a good test of your sailing skills. You'll find the wind will lift and head you at times especially as you pass Scotland Island and Longnose Point.
And of course if the there's a Southerly blowing you'll enjoy a fabulous downwind blast up the bay.
At the top of Pittwater you enter Broken Bay and you turn left into more great uncrowded sailing waters.
Many people head to the world class anchorage of America and Refuge Bays and on to Smith's Creek.
Even in the creeks, Pittwater is pretty deep close to most shores - so it's no problem to charter a monohull with a deep keel.
All our charter yachts have fully battened mains, lazy jacks and furling headsails so it's easy for you to take the sails up and down.
Here's more about how to charter a yacht in Australia including what experience you need.
To get the mainsail up, have the motor on slow forwards and steer your yacht so the bow is pointing into the wind.
Check the main halyard is clear and not caught around the lazy jacks.
Put a few turns of the main halyard round the cockpit winch and pull the halyard up by hand - you'll have to grind the last bit.
Note on a number of our Platinum Fleet charter yachts there is an electric winch for the main halyard.
If you've got a spare crew member they can stand by the mast and pull the halyard to help hoist the sail more quickly. In this case the person in the cockpit just takes up the slack.
It's important to keep checking the sail is not caught on anything as you hoist it. Hoist the sail to the mark near the top of the mast and cleat it. Then simply ease the mainsheet and head onto your chosen course.
Setting the headsail is simply a case of uncleating the furler and pulling on the relevant jib sheet.
When you want to furl the headsail, head downwind so the jib is in the shadow of the main. This takes the weight out of the sail and lets you furl it more easily.
As you pull on the furler, ask a crew member to slowly release the jib sheet.
To drop the main, go head to wind again and let the halyard go slowly using a few turns on the winch as a brake.
Here's some hints on tacking and gybing on your yacht charter holiday.
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