Hi guys. I want to tell you all about a week end that us FangNSW guys do each year.
It is a week end on a houseboat in the Hawkesbury river ( Cowan creek ).
There are 10 of us and we hire a 45 foot houseboat . Pick it up around 1.30 pm
on the Friday afternoon and drive it to, usually Waratah bay in Cowan creek .
We do try and fish for Hairtail but that is a secondary reason for the trip .
We have different members go each year, although some of us are regulars
and wouldn't miss it for the world .
We already have our 10 members booked in for this year, and there may be a few extra that
would like to do it but unfortunately 10 is as many as we are allowed on the boat (sleeping wise ) .
I thought a few members here might like to get together and hire a 2nd boat
and join us :gathering: . The week end is a lot of fun with one boat so how great would
it be if 2 lots of no hopers got together to share the week end :waffen093: .
A few of the guys take their own boats up as well, Me being one of them
and we use these boats for fishing during the daylight hours + some fish from
them at night as well.
This year we have planned it for Sat 14th and Sunday 15th June and picking the boat up on the
Friday 13th, ( hope that don't mean anything ) sort of puts me in the frame of mind
about " CAPE FEAR " ( houseboat, friday 13th ). Anyhow.
OK this is how we do it.
10 of us each pool in $ 170 and this covers everything except personal fluids :pepsi: .
Boat hire and fuel, and plenty of tucker, and we don't go hungry .
There has to be a deposit of $ 1000 left as a security bond, this is apart from the hire fees
and it is not returned for about a week after returning the boat. So someone would have to front
and be able to lay the $ 1000 on the table for security, ( this is part of hireing the boat ).
We have never had any trouble with getting the full deposit back.
It may ( for some ) sound expensive @ $170 each, but 2 nights on the boat + the company of some mates
and great times. Believe me it is well worth the money, and most that do it once
cue's up to get a spot the next year, It took us 2 days to get the 10 people this year.
First year it was just an idea of mine after seeing houseboat people having a great
time while I was sitting in a small trailer boat freezing my you know what's off.
It took a while to cotton on but once we got the initial 10 guys, we have never looked back.
Any more details can be discussed here.
I have shared some laughts with a lot of you guys now and I believe we can get a crew together
and share a great week end with mates.
And who knows there may even be a chance to catch a fish or two.

Think the last time I attended one of those was a decade ago back when I had the big boat motored around to Broken Bay stayed aboard my tub with a mate & used it to go fushing with.

I dont sleep well on boats & came home stuffed

Well I didn't expect everyone to bash the door down to try and get in , but I did at least expect someone to show some sort of interest in the week end.

It sounds like a great weekend mate...

Just a long way away for me and i dont get enough weekend off n the year.. a mid week one down south, on the clyde would suit me better.. Maybe even have 2 house boats...

One for people who drink all night and make lotsa noise and oone for the people who wanna sleep!!!

Sounds good Frank. The good thing about these sites is that you can find blokes who are into doing this kind of stuff, and then they become mates.
I just wish some of my long time mates were into this kind of stuff so i could do it more often.
Il keep you posted, if i cant stay the weekend i should be sweet to come spend the day with my boat. I dont live to far away from that waterway.

That sound great Frank.
But i think my wife would kill me is i spend a weekend away from her... But i'll try...

I have spent time on houseboats in the past and I must say that they are a lot of fun. The first time was not good and when I hit land I produced the lunch that I had. This was in front of a raised Restaurant and the windows could see me throw up.

I do not think that I will be able to make it this time as I have much to do during that time. Have fun guys.

bump, that would be a great weekend for the boys