As you need to pass under a bridge on the way into the canals, please ensure your boat has a height above water of 3.25m or less, obviously you could bring a larger boat if not at high tide, but to be guaranteed access you need to fit under the Sunderland Drive Bridge at High Tide your boat needs to be able to pack down to 3.25m or less.
The easiest way to get a trailerable boat to the house is to launch from the VMR Bribie Island boat ramp located here. There’s plenty of room on the front lawn for the largest of boat trailers (next to the side gate on the right).
Once you launch, simply follow the coastline North (allowing for safe navigation of course) and enter Skippers Canal here. From there take the first left, pass under Sunderland Drive Bridge and then take your 4th right. Dugong Crescent looks like this (link to come) from the water side. If coming in for the first time it’s quite handy to have someone waving to you from the pontoon so as you don’t inadvertently tie up at the neighbour’s. 😀
The whole trip in from the boat ramp is about 5km, and due to the 6 knot speed limit in the canals, takes around 10 minutes from the canal entrance to the pontoon.
As I discovered on New Year’s Eve 2015 the ramp at VMR can get quite deeply covered in sand after some persistent, strong Southerlies. It required a locker, low range and some serious maneuvering to recover my 2 tonne boat on my own that day. If this happens to you, please use the sheltered ramp on the other side of the main bridge, if you DO get stuck or run into issues, please give me a call and I’ll do my best to assist with my Hilux and winch. In fact, if I’m on that side of town, I’m happy to come and help with your boat transfer if you (for example) don’t have another driver to help get the trailer to/from the ramp during the process.
Once your boat is docked, you may want to raise and flush the engine if possible and hose her down, or connect shore power to your batteries. You will need to have mooring ropes on board, and preferably some fenders, we will have a nice pontoon edging added when funds permit in 2016. If you’re concerned about theft, please store any portable valuables in the house overnight, and consider bringing a chain and padlocks for the pontoon. There is a 3m chain and basic padlock for your use stored in the garden shed, the key should be in the lock. If you leave the light on the pontoon burning, and have requested access to the CCTV system, you will be able to see your boat in the camera labeled “Rear Patio”.