Apr 233 min read

Choosing the right Sydney Marina for your boat - Tips on what to look for in a marina

Updated: Nov 17

Where you keep your boat in Sydney, at which Sydney Marina it lives, can make a big difference to your boating lifestyle and your hip pocket. Here are our hot tips:

There are many things to consider when choosing a marina in Sydney and a Sydney marina berth - don’t just pick the one nearest to your home, you should actually pick the one where you want to go BOATING and that provides as much service/peace of mind for you as possible.

When you enquire about a marina here are some great things to consider:

Marina Berth in Sydney — Empire Marina Bobbin Head Sydney's Boating Paradise

🛥️ What locations and waterways does the marina you are looking at have access to? Are these busy or relaxed? Will you have to avoid much larger vessels, is it a working port or is it purely a recreational boating area?

Sydney Harbour marinas for example are on a very busy harbour and have few public moorings and lots of wash so if you live in Sydney it’s worth investigating waterways like Broken Bay (Bobbin Head) , Pittwater and Lake Macquarie for their quiet bays and abundant moorings.

Other things to consider when choosing a marina, especially a Sydney marina.

🛥️ How easy is it to park your car there? And what costs are there which will add to your overall expenses of being at that marina?

Full service marina in Sydney — Antifoul Specialists at Empire Marina Bobbin Head

🛥️ Is there a cafe or restaurant on site at the marina you can grab a coffee from or maybe catering for your day out?

🛥️ What’s the security like? Do they just have cameras or manned security too?

🛥️ Do they have experience marina staff on site that can catch a line for you when you return to your berth and give you advice on where to go boating/how to care for your boat etc

🛥️ Are there services and a hardstand on site to get your boat maintained/fixed/lift your boat if she’s taking on water? If not you’ll be up for extra charges for contractors for travel time and they will prioritise boats at their own marina over yours so you could expect delays and therefore lose precious boating time. So look for a full service marina.

Does your marina berth have parking and hardstand facilities to repair and maintain your boat?

Berth my boat in Sydney — Waterside Bistro - best coffee on a marina in Sydney!

🛥️ Is the marina in a tidal area that will restrict what time you can come and go from the marina? This can really hamper your boating enjoyment and berthing your boat comfortably.

🛥️ Is there lots of passing water traffic so your boat will be constantly rocking and rolling when at the marina? This may increase maintenance costs.

🛥️ How sheltered is the location of the marina? The more exposed it is the harder berthing will be but also you’ll worry about it more when the wind comes up. Berthing your boat at the end of the day in a sheltered marina is far easier.

🛥️ How generous are the fairways between the marina berths? Is there tight access into the marina? Are there fingers between the marina berths to allow easy tying up and access?

🛥️ Is the marina floating or fixed (fixed can restrict access in low or high tides) and are there plenty of tie up points at each berth? Check the marina berth for it's number of cleats and also what condition the marina is in - poorly maintained berths can be dangerous.

🛥️ Is there power and water available at each marina berth?

The marina you pick to store your boat can make a big difference to the level of enjoyment in your boating. So in other words look at different options and what they bring to your boating lifestyle. Don’t just call them and ask for their berth rates, visit the marina, see what condition it is, get a feel for how well they look after their berth customers. We welcome you to tour Empire Marina Bobbin Head or Empire Marina Lake Macquarie anytime, simply contact us to arrange.