Soldiers Point Indulgence

We’ve raved before about Soldiers Point Marina in Port Stephens. Recommended to us by our sailing mentors, Carolyn and Andrew Bellamy, we’ve been passing on our recommendations too. By and large we’ve become quite good at avoiding marinas but this one is the Gold Standard and although on the expensive side, could we pass up a chance to visit again? Hell no, and we quickly reconsidered a proposed 3 night stay and took 7.

http://www.soldiersptmarina.com.au/

This time we were visiting ‘off-peak’ and out of season, so flower baskets were not yet in place and the morning coffee with paper and afternoon cocktail deliveries weren’t on offer but we still got to enjoy the many other treats and at a lower tariff. 

As West Aussies, we particularly enjoyed the America’s Cup themed cruisers lounge. In addition to a monster flat screen TV playing a documentary of the Western Australian Alan Bond Syndicate - Australia II,  1983 America’s Cup victory, there is a lot of interesting Ben Lexcen memorabilia on display. Ben Lexcen being the boat designer who conceived of the revolutionary ‘winged’ keel. Since the weather was cool, we used this facility each evening for our 5ers and enjoyed a complimentary wine and beer or two.

We’ve said it before but you never really appreciate the level of underlying tension that the cruisers life entails until you have an opportunity to tie up to something solid and have a little time’off watch’. A bit of pampering is the icing on the cake. 

Being alongside provided some social opportunities too. After near on 5 years afloat there are by now a few regulars we enjoy catching up with. Some are based in Port Stephens and only spend the winter aboard their boats on a cruise to Queensland. They are aquatic versions of grey nomads - no 4WD or caravan just a yacht instead. Melbourne Cup day meant a luncheon needed arranging too. Locally cultivated oysters were purchased from Holberts just upstream. The Lexus courtesy car came in handy for that bit of hunting and gathering. 

It wasn’t all play though. Poor Marilyn, our dinghy, is getting a bit world weary and unstuck; in need of some TLC. Re-gluing some seams on the underside was made possible on the wide jetty alongside us. For good measure, The Bloke decided that some 2-pack paint he had lurking in the lazerette (with the addition of some black tint) could be put to good use. We’re unsure how long we can keep rescuing Marilyn but she’s looking cute for now.

All in all, a devine week taking ‘time-out’ for a battery recharge. 

Coffee on the jetty.