Escaping Lake Macquarie After Being Stuck for 5 Weeks! On to Newcastle and Nelson Bay, Port Stephens

Episode 374 : Season 12 : Sailing Australia
Hello Friends,
On this episode we finally make a run for it and escape the lake after more than 5 weeks of being stuck with no engine! To say I was nervous would be a great understatement! My heart was in my throat. But all went perfectly and soon we were back out into the Tasman Sea making way for Newcastle and on to Port Stephens where we had a fun snorkel at Nelson Bay.
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Fair Winds,
James
Website:
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Instagram:
/ james.the.sailor.man
/ rhonda.of.triteia
#sailingaustralia #sailingcouple #alberg30 #circumnavigation

[@danielmclellan7762]

I really rarely give a shit about people's personal relationships or any of that, but to see these two people together makes me smile deep in my heart.

[@chopperwitz]

James, you look more relaxed and at peace in the narly waves than on the flat lake :). Ronda is lovely, just so sweet, nice to see you guys out again.

[@SailorJames]

100% more relaxed 😂😂😂

[@jsweet744]

I got romanticized watching your videis, you make everythin look easy and fun so I got a loan and bought an old sailboat and now I can't get it insured and I don't know what to do, not your fault I just am devastated and in a bind.

[@SailorJames]

If your in the states progressive will give you insurance

[@SailorJames]

Also try www.edwardwilliam.com

[@alsauce87]

10:40 You’re absolutely right. I was in the Navy from 05 to 09 and have seen some crazy heavy seas. So glad I found this channel. Makes me want to get back out on the water.

[@KevinBattams-Akast]

Your engine sounds great, a lot better than before.

[@SailorJames]

It sounds amazing now

[@roadboat9216]

Sooooo happy for you two cruising together. Soooo much more enjoyable. My wife and I cruised over 2 decades together. Sailing and diving our passion.

[@alexandramorkin400]

You are a terrific team❤

[@saucey766]

Hey James my dad has been watching your channel and he LOVES sailing and just recently bought a 35 ericson mk2 because you inspired him thank you for making his week when you upload rock on🤟

[@DirkJacobsz]

that is so cool...worth the price admission - love James and Ronda vibe

[@James-ov9rh]

Will watch now but before I do I just want to say how happy I am to see you found someone in Rhonda...your a perfect match indeed.❤😊 Glad to see yah back!

[@loriurban1070]

I’ve sailed on Lake Michigan in Chicago for 25 yrs (30 foot Lippincott) and every spring we would look soooo forward to our flotilla down the Chicago River from where she was stored for the winter ..as we would head back to Lake Michigan for the summer …we would go through multiple synchronized bridge openings ..one after another ..and if the bridge tenders were late, we would jump off along the way and grab a drink at a local outdoor pub ..then haul ass back to the boat hoping we’d make that particular bridge opening near the pub…spilling our drink running back to the boat…so dang fun 😎

[@dsmith5940]

lol so I’m invested in you guys now - the bridge, when it’s up, causes total gridlock throughout Swansea, can back up to Blacksmiths, and represents stopping hundreds of cars - for at most maybe a dozen boats, usually two or three max. So, ‘prompt’ is required lol, I know the bridge engineers! One of the suburbs you just passed is called ‘Pelican’. And the breakwater does its job, in terms of the wave-action 😁

[@nearlynativenursery8638]

superb guys very nice shark sittings. Jim Rodgers

[@SailorJasonTaylor]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! (my best impression of James' hollerin when he first saw Hawaii)

[@SailorJames]

Like a feral man

[@SailorJasonTaylor]

@@SailorJames best way to be sometimes!

[@grosvenorclub]

We have had the same problem with the channel and bridge , lived on the lake for a while but always felt locked in !! Funny you mentioned the engine . On our last trip back up to the Lake we must have sucked in some weed coming down the channel as the engine alarm sounded just as we had past the bridge and heading to the bar ... and then the main sail furling system jammed .

[@bow72au]

So, most of the fish were Bream with the odd Blackfish mixed in. The longish fish at the surface just at the end of the dive were Mullet.

[@vindolanda6974]

Great to see you both enjoying life again. I used to go on holidays to Nelson Bay with my family when I was a kid. You used to be able to see the Great Whites off the surf beach on Google Maps!

[@kilroy776]

Shes turning into an excellent first mate James , You guys will make alot of awesome memories together ...Fair Winds and Following Seas

[@seanmolony-redstickastro238]

Congratulations Man. Enjoy

[@ptrckqnln]

Rhonda's a natural with the camera - it's impressive how quickly she's taken to vlogging (or has she done it before)? Wishing you both the best, and will be following your travels!

[@paulcollins4932]

Loved this episode, great to see James annoyed and Rhonda happy! Hope that rebuild holds out looked like a great job done well

[@dannyfisher9223]

G'day guy's thanks for another great episode 👍

[@Patty-kf4rv]

It's a shame about you stay in lake mac ,that tide in the channel can be strong at times . Great to see you enjoyed your stay at nelsons Bay it a great little spot there we love going there of the day to just enjoying it for what it is.

[@californiakayaker]

FINALLY you have good swimming and snorkeling to enjoy. I've seen a little more clear water BUT WOW, thats a lot of fish ! Great guys, you needed this !

[@lazzj4995]

OMG that was like watching the Great Escape. That swell looked plenty g army on camera so can only imagine e the reality. Well done to R for keeping a smile on her face when you hit that ocean and well done engine…it sounded like it was working hard. Can u give is an idea of time of year you are in these places. I know your video run way behind time.

[@SailorJames]

This was filmed the last week of April

[@kelliemyers4878]

I have driven over that bridge hundreds of times,that is the first time i have seen it from underneath.

[@SailorJames]

It’s spooky from underneath 😂

[@nolanmailhos1470]

Here in New Orleans. We bribe are bridge tenders with big cans of coffee. And sometimes frozen steaks. Yep got a grease those Wheels. The bridges work really good when you have a happy tender.

[@SailorJames]

Yeah, No.

[@stevev5510]

😮James, I never noticed Rhondas eyes before. You never stood a chance!❤

[@erikjalefors9377]

Good to hear that old girl purr❤ great video as usual, so lookin forward to the barrier reef🎉

[@jaysummers9396]

Cool episode, thank you both 😊 glad to see the engine is behaving well, I can tell you this, there's no snorkeling in the Newcastle in England, unless you fall in a puddle on a Saturday night 😂😂 🤘👍

[@SailorJames]

😂😂😂

[@damiencooper1050]

That current looked so strong on the way out

[@KevatStocko]

Spot you snorkelled at is "Fly Point" Fantastic on a clear day. Glad you enjoyed Nelson Bay.

[@DavidSchoen-uf8nu]

Rhonda is doing a phenomenal job and now that she appears to be more comfortable with filming and talking to the camera, this channel has really gone to the next level. No offense James, love ya buddy but with Rhonda on board, the visual aspect has greatly improved. 👍

[@RustyBaban]

good to see the team up ... your a lucky pair ... I'm still looking

[@korbstudio]

ahoy! most relaxed and honest vlog. godspeed triteia!

[@clarencebirdashaw8117]

I enjoy your channel more than any other. You are truly real life. you always make me laugh. Thanks to the both of you.

[@danwilliams8695]

Sign of PTSD going on the way out . Finger 🤞🤞 this last repair is the one.

[@SailorJames]

😬😬😬

[@samuraile6625]

Ohh beautiful... I silently jealous😁 Here in Scotland I can dream about this weather and sea😁

[@James-ov9rh]

Awesome footage on snorkeling!

[@claverton]

I really enjoyed this vid, nicely put together. At 3:54 if looks could kill lol. I'm so pleased the engine is sorted and you found a very good guy to help sort it. Swells off that Newcastle region can stack up. Sailing south past Newcastle, midnight some years ago in a 30++ northerly, large breaking seas in a small boat for me very memorable. The lights from Newcastle meant you could see the big ones coming from several hundred yards, angry menacing foam atop. On the helm looking back in wide eyed amazement, I was surprised how much noise they made, like a big freight train. Good luck to you both.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

When you film through a framed gap or a port you can quickly gauge the state of the waves... 👍🏼 Definitely pushing the old girl around. Impressive size of those fish ... I almost missed the Wobbygong shark ... Sometimes called carpet sharks...flattened bodies masters of camouflage with disruptive frilled edges to the body. Sort of nature's equivalent of a sniper with a natural gilli suit.

[@SailorJames]

Trust me there is no filming "Trick" that shows the true sea state. I have been filming sea states for almost a decade.

[@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665]

@@SailorJames Lol I don't doubt it mate ... by trick I mean simply about the best way of capturing it on film.. I noticed it on a couple of cats when they look aft especially when they start having to surf down following waves 🌊 The brown pelicans in the US have been having a real hard time of late ...they've been starving ... because the waters around Florida and up the coast have got so warm it's forced the fish further offshore and deeper ... As they are largely surface feeders and cannot plunge feed very far compared to boobies, cormorants etc they haven't been able to catch enough so they have been getting into a pretty sad state.

[@Dazzerdt1885]

Looking at the clods looks like a low front coming in your going to get some rain coming soon

[@stevereid4838]

Safe journeys

[@debragregory3045]

You guys are adorable. Love watching you.

[@johnnyliminal8032]

Always nice to see your adventures, James and Rhonda. Much beauty in this vid. I especially love how you two get along. I once wrote to a friend who was a sailor, “fair winds and following seas”, something I had read or heard. He told me how “following seas” can be trouble, even dangerous. I only sailed a styrofoam Sea Snark and a sailboard, on freshwater, but I’ve long been a fan and student of sailing craft, big and small. And I never knew that, lol. Fair winds and pleasant anchorages. ~8)

[@DaleShirley-o1u]

I see how big those waves are been there!

[@mark95b77]

Awesome..James you got a keeper there, with a beautiful smile & a temperament to match as well I imagine. Be safe, enjoy yourselves and take it all in.. we only get one shot at this thing. Thanks again, appreciate your work and the invaluable information you put out with your stories. Thank you

[@deanmead7135]

Really love you too together! Keep up the great adventures! 😁🙏❤

[@bryanbadger6841]

Thanks for sharing guys. Great episode. Cheers from NZ.

[@julianbatcheler9970]

Hey guys, the camera did show how big the sea was… when James was steering one second he was up in the sky with no sea behind him… then a few seconds later it was all sea behind him. Looked mad… like a rollercoaster. There was an advert in the UK for an Australian beer… when you mention sharks… it reminded me of it: one character swimming out to retrieve the beers… ‘there aren’t any sharks are there?’. The reply: ‘no mate’ under his breath ‘the crocs ate them all’.

[@SailorJames]

😂😂😂 yeah no crocs down that far south but I am for sure far more worried about crocs than sharks 😬

[@julianbatcheler9970]

@@SailorJames Totally. The island off Belize: Ambergris Caye has an ocean side and a lagoon side… you have a choice… crocs in the lagoon or sharks the ocean. The sharks are plentiful but pretty calm… the crocs are rare… but not calm. But yeah I’ll take sharks any day over salt water crocs… a legit thing to be careful and respectful of.

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks

[@DaleShirley-o1u]

We had 5 meter swells 25 knot tail wind around Pt Sur Ca!

[@josephreis2274]

Great video Guys the music 😮

[@leonasimmons162]

Enjoy your time together. Have fun and always remember you both are building a wonderful friendship with each other , love matters respect each other and you will succeed.

[@outofbounds218]

Love you both and your amazing content

[@394824]

Pelicans were waiting for fish cleaning/filetting activities at the launching ramp

[@SailorJames]

We love Pelicans

[@robertsteag2539]

Congrats on getting past your DOOM spot. Sounds alot like ride of life that we're all on. Fair winds all.

[@JCGible]

Thanks!

[@andresinnett4319]

You forgot to play wagner , ride of the valkyries, as you's were leaving the lake 😨👍✌

[@SC-uf5bc]

❤❤Hello from Texas❤❤

[@voilierboubou]

I was bend in two looking at you when you did not make it for the bridge ! Lol , that my life in winter in florida icw , lukely you have somebody to film you !!! 😅

[@SailorJames]

Yeah it was super annoying, sailboats move at their own pace

[@HHO....]

Cool Folks 🐬🐬🙏👍🏻

[@kaine10gabriel]

⛵ ❤

[@Dan-t6h2s]

I have travelled half way around the planet and I cannot escape from a lake???!!!! 🤣 Watching your videos brings me a lot of joy. Thanks for making them. Remember we like your videos because things are not perfect. As the saying goes…”it might not all be Shakespeare but it is real…” I am a home distiller.. one day I hope to give you a bottle of my whisky. It can never be bought for any price, but for friends it is always free. Hope to pour you a glass one day. My brand is Modern Alchemy if you ever see it on one of the forums..

[@bodystomp5302]

James- While sailing, have you ever observed anything in the sky you couldn’t identify? I just found your channel, super interesting content.

[@SailorJames]

No I haven’t

[@ericd1084]

Getting past the bar is my problem as well. 😂

[@SailorJames]

😂😂😂

[@rootbox]

The camera mellows out the gnarliness but I was getting seasick!

[@kenegan7649]

It's a lovely spot to be stuck James.. but I had trouble getting a mechanic to..I got hopelessly burnt by a local idiot from summer land bay...who I've since learnt has ripped off a lot of people...but found a brilliant one since....hunter marine and deissl ...he was worth waiting a month for...good luck on your voyage

[@shainhaggadone9943]

I want to meet up when you get here to the phillipines

[@sionefifita5891]

Question James: out of all your adventures, which are your top 3 destinations?

[@SailorJames]

Of all my sailing adventures; Top Three Best spots 3. Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii 2. Tuamotus, French Polynesia 1. Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand

[@sionefifita5891]

@@SailorJames awesome

[@916medic]

Its not my business but are you guys a couple. You guys make great videos about sailing. Makes me and my family want ti do it. Wonder if my wife would be as helpful.

[@SailorJames]

Yes we are a couple.

[@arcrotaryengineering7156]

How long are you in Newcastle for James

[@cliffol4529]

👍

[@paranormalchef5211]

Hey James I'm about to leave the lake Mac myself with a 1.8 m draught. Did you have any depth issues crossing the bar,? Great content Dan

[@SailorJames]

The bar isn’t the issue it’s the channel to the bridge , go at high tide and you still might bump the bottom

[@fipty801]

Where are you IRL? I'm in Mackay if you're heading this far north.

[@SailorJames]

We are currently in the Keppel islands heading to the Percy’s and Whitsundays

[@Coleen-Love]

Hi James, got a bit of a strange question -- Just rewatched your video "What kind of Boat do you Need". Regarding sea kindness and comfort, does a larger fin keel boat like the older 50" Jeanneau used by Capt Rick Sophisticated Lady (on youtube) ride better than a smaller full keel sailboat like an Alberg etc. Does "bigness" overcome the bad sailing characteristics of flat bottomed fin keeled sailboats? Assuming that you are doing ocean sailing like what you guys are doing - would a bigger but flatter sailboat be as comfortable as your sailboat or does size have nothing to do with it?

[@SailorJames]

A flat bottom boat will never be as comfortable on the ocean as a full keel boat. Yes bigger boats are more stable but I have sailed up wind in my boat and I have sailed up wind on a 65ft Farr and it was far more stressful and nerve wrenching on the Farr

[@Coleen-Love]

@@SailorJames ...good! Glad to confirm that as it is an issue that came up. Final pestering question - assuming the same length boat: if there a reason to prefer Alberg vs Cape Dory? To our eyes they look very similar although each has its fans. I think the Dory is a bit wider in parts. Would you expect them to be equally sea worthy for your style of sailing? The models are Alberg 30, 37 and Dory 28 33 or 36? Like for like comparison.

[@AtomEcho]

😁

[@rickycraig6387]

Do you need any licenses or certifications to do what you do like? Sailing the boat around the world

[@SailorJames]

Nope

[@rickycraig6387]

@@SailorJames Would you recommend a new or used? When it comes to buying a boat

[@yvesbouchardmoiaussi9717]

What type of engine do you have?

[@SailorJames]

Yanmar 2GM20F

[@yvesbouchardmoiaussi9717]

Merci

[@MizzAugust7]

A Booking -- to use a damn Bridge ?? Why do they THINK they put the 😡 thing IN, in the First Place ? I hope you gave them a salute on your way out.

[@SailorJames]

Yeah it was absurd

[@swedishkev]

You've got a lovely lady there James. Rhonda seems to be so loving towards you. Your channel should grow even quicker now. I'm glad you found a new girlfriend . Shes great.

[@margarita8442]

she is cute darlinks

[@kenwebster5053]

You guys realise that Port Stephens is really close to the continental shelf & as a result is one of the biggest shark risk places on the east coast. A great white shark was responsible for mauling Lisa Mondy in the calm waters of Jimmys Beach at Port Stephens in 2011 & there have been numerous other attacks on people & dogs around the port over the years. I used to holiday there regularly, one time I was walking near Yacaaba Head & came across a set of shark jaws large enough to easily swallow both me & my 13 for kayak. I decided to give up any notion of paddling around the headland right then and there. One time I as I cross the dunes just north of Yacaaba, I saw a large shark in a rising swell just behind the break zone right where we & the kids often swam. Another time I had a large shark take my fishing bait just off the Yacaaba rocks, before the marine protection zones were introduced. The place is a hotspot for all kinds of marine life, including very large rays & sharks.

[@SailorJames]

far more people die in car wrecks than shark attacks

[@kenwebster5053]

@@SailorJames Yes they do, but I am reacting to a comment made in the video about going to Port Stephens to avoid sharks. It's actually a shark hot spot, especially for Great Whites, not just the usual Bull Sharks that infest most coastal estuaries & become much more aggressive in turbid waters. It's one of the least safe locations along the coast.

[@victorimmature]

LOL , NO NO NO we cant hold the bridge open for another 5 mins . you book the opening thats where it makes our Jobs Worth it . LOL

[@SailorJames]

Insanity

[@andresinnett4319]

There is road traffic

[@stevenfogerty2110]

All bars in NSW have a 2 to 3 hour over run, Lake Mac has 3 and rips the current right up until the slack. That bridge is on the main highway, the one that pretty much circles Oz. No chance they going to hold up peak hour traffic because you didn't get the tides right. And fair enough mate​@SailorJames. Pity we didn't catch up whilst you were here, enjoy QLD. 2m seas are standard right up the east coast with a the East Coast Current banging against you. Always fun running up hill 😂😂

[@victorimmature]

@@stevenfogerty2110 Spot the car on that Bridge on Google maps :)

[@victorimmature]

@@andresinnett4319 if you look on Google maps you can play spot the car on that bridge :)

[@lawrencea274]

Absolutely ridiculous to have an appointment for a bridge lift, for two reasons. 1, If the bridge is already open, why not let whoever go through that are waiting. Absolutely crazy. 2. Especially a sail boat one can never set ETA from a distance, unless all conditions are perfect. Unless you can make an appointment an hour before lift. Yes a sailor for 40 years in every condition. Not only water conditions. It's impossible to understand the exact feelings of weather conditions on a sailboat, watching on a tube. No matter how good the imagination is.lol Brother you forget real stress. How does the swing go, "A BAD DAY SAILING,IS BETTER THAN A GOOD DAY ON THE JOB". Just like being retired is the best job in the world.

[@SailorJames]

Yeah that bridge stuff was super absurd and made me 😡 I hate drawbridges , the current always wants to try and dismast you 😂

[@davidmacfarlane9943]

when that bridge is open for boats all traffic flowing north and south on a major highway has to stop. You have to be at the bridge when it opens, not a few minutes away…and if you get there early - or dont get there on time there are courtesy moorings you can tie to while you wait for the next opening. Buses and trains and planes dont wait for you if youre late and neither do bridges. It wasnt the Bridges fault they didnt get there on time….

[@annedelahay857]

Tough situation, the bridge is one of the main Highways for the East Coast of Australia. It’s a significant arterial road for all movement of people, emergency vehicles and semi trucks loaded with goods and produce.

[@johnryan2193]

I hope you're OK with your new lady pirating your sailing blog , I think it can only be good.

[@Fwdking]

I'm disappointed that you weren't told or reminded by rescue volunteers on entering Lake Macquarie that bookings are required, especially as you are a foreigner. 🦘🇭🇲👍

[@SailorJames]

All the info online makes it appear you don’t need a booking unless it’s a weekend or holiday

[@Fwdking]

Obviously there's some ambiguity in various communication , online and maybe out dated signage at entry to Lake.

[@samparker2828]

Thanks!

[@SailorJames]

Thank you 🙏🏻