The Boatshed At Woronora

Near New Estuary Kayak For Sale

Just arrived in the ‘shed this week, this 4.65m 22kg kayak must have been stored in cotton wool for the last few years.

Rear view shows mouldings for fitting a rudder, should you require one, although this boat will perform very well in enclosed waters without one.

Seaweed For Sale

Seaweed - timber row boat for sale

Seaweed is a planked timber rowing boat about 11′ 6″ long and 4′ 6″ beam. Evidently professionally built but by unknown builder, she has removable floors, a single pair of hand-made oars (but two rowing positions) and a pair of rowlocks. She has been languishing in a back yard for some time but just needs some minor repairs and a complete rub-down and repaint to be someone’s pride and joy.

Seaweed is offered for sale on behalf of the current owner, who is looking for offers in the region of $550 (trailer is not included).

Seawees - a timber row boat for sale

Engaged?

Unfortunately, anyone trying to call The Boatshed today on 02 9545 2584 will have noticed an endless Engaged Tone. Telstra’s automated incident system tells me that there is a line fault, and that it should be fixed by 7pm this evening. However, should you wish to contact us before that you could always send an email as our adsl link is up. Which uses the same line. Go figure.

Hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow. Oh wait, maybe this is normal service …

Fortunately, our kayaks and canoes do not depend on external services, electronics or even Facebook. Just a hollowed out log and a banana leaf for a paddle. OK, perhaps they’re a little more sophisticated than that but they are the still most basic way of enjoying the river apart from swimming. You don’t even need the phone to book – just turn up between 8:30am and 6pm 7 days a week and we’ll find the best way to get you and your companions afloat.

Titan-ic Boatshed

The Boatshed At Woronora is pleased to announce that we have been selected to represent an exciting new range of outboard motors in the Sutherland Shire.

The TitanOutboards brand was unveiled at the recent Sydney International Boat Show by the Australian representative, Outboard Motors Australia Pty Ltd.

TitanOutboards’ engines are manufactured in China in a plant built to European specifications and share many components with established Japanese motors. The range currently includes 2-stroke motors from 3-90 hp with 4-stroke versions arriving next year. There are short, long and extra-long shaft motors to cover every vessel from small inflatables to yachts. There are “Work” variants of some sizes (at no extra cost) which are engineered for more demanding usage.

Size Weight List Price
3 hp 20 kg $621
5.5 hp 21 kg $894
10 hp 36 kg $1,776
18 hp 38 kg $1,912
28 hp 52 kg $2,732

40 HP prices range from $3,414 for a basic model to $4,159 for one with remote steering/starting.

Prices include GST and an external fuel tank (not 3 or 5.5 hp models which have an integral tank), tool set and initial spares kit + 2yrs Warranty.

If you’ve had enough of paying for high-priced spares or you need to replace/upgrade but are finding it hard to raise the cash, call in soon to pick up a brochure and maybe catch some of the last Boat Show specials! We have 5.5, 10 and 18 models in stock and others are available within a few days.

Stand-Up Paddle Bird

Every so often, and more often than you’d think considering the season, we get an enquiry about hiring out Stand-Up Paddle boards. Like all new investments, one has to weigh up the costs and benefits and we’ve been pondering what sort of board to get, how many, etc when an instructor from the Cronulla Stand-Up Paddle Board School dropped in for a coffee after paddling on the Woronora River.

Within a couple of days Todd was on the phone to see if we had any interest and offered to lend us a couple of his hire boards. One of the things we have to evaluate with any new boat is the logistics – where and how to store it, how to access it when the cafe is busy, what instructions and guidance need to be given to hirers, etc, so this was a great opportunity to see what the usage difficulty and the public interest level would be. A few days later two boards turned up, with paddles and safety straps, so well done Todd for being so proactive.

Anyone can use a stand-up paddle board

We’re offering the boards at a rate between a kayak and a canoe – $13 for the first half hour and $7.00 per half hour after that.  So far our only customer has been this little grey heron and he didn’t have his wallet with him so I just let him practice at bit.

Yes, the water is a bit chilly but there’s still a few people out on their boards. No, you don’t have to get wet – my first time on the board I stepped off the jetty onto the board, paddled up and down the creek and stepped off again; mind you, I made sure no-one was around with a camera, just in case! Come at low tide if you like and reduce the chances of a full-body immersion and make it easier to get back on.

Do you need lessons? Like most things, you can get on and “have a go” but if you want to get maximum benefit and enjoyment from the sport I recommend at least a familiarisation lesson and assessment of your competence. If nothing else, paddling properly will reduce the ache in your body after a long paddle. Not only will you have the proper technique but the extra confidence will help you relax and less tenseness equals less tired muscles.

We only have two boards at present, so call us on 02 9545 2584 to check they are available. Get in quick before the spring rush! We also do coffee and hot chocolate to warm you up afterwards.

Ups and Downs

Well, it’s certainly been an interesting couple of weeks. We had some extra school sessions booked so we finally bit the bullet and invested in some new PFDs and a couple of new 3 seat Reflection canoes from Finn Kayaks over in Western Australia. They are a touch wider than our existing Bushrangers and should be easier for families to fit everyone in. We bought an extra Reflection in case anyone else likes the look of them and wants to buy one. At $1350 including2 paddles they are pretty good value. We also had a motor mount put on one of them; quite a neat arrangement but even with a little 2hp outboard there is a fair bit of weight at the back and it took some getting used to with just me in it. I’m sure it will be easier to manage with some weight in the nose – just have to find the right volunteer!

Just as the boating side was getting upbeat we have  had to review our Accommodation and Balcony Cafe operations, with the result that only the downstairs kiosk service will continue to be available and we are not taking any more room bookings. Whether or not they will recommence is difficult to say at this stage, but we have tidied up the kiosk area to make it a more attractive place to sit and enjoy a coffee and snacks and we hope our customers will adapt with us.

The Jump On It and Living Social campaigns have helped a few more people to find us; although the weather has been a bit variable everyone has enjoyed discovering the Woronora River and no doubt many will become regular visitors.

Our frequent paddler cards for kayaks and canoes are still available – buy 5 standard-price sessions and get one free – and we do the same deal for coffee too.

If you would like to check out the new canoes it may be a good idea to make a booking as they have been pretty busy since we launched them; you can let us know what you think of the updated kiosk area at the same time.

See you soon.

Discounted Canoe & Kayak Hire

Following on from my last post about direct marketing (as opposed to blanket coverage) we are trying something new this weekend – well, new to us but obviously not to the thousands of people who already benefit from the deals available from the likes of Cudo, Jump On It and Living Social. Basically, an advertiser (that’s us) makes an unresistably good deal available to hundreds of thousands of people who have (and here’s the good bit) already indicated that they are open to receiving such offers (ie they’ve opted in). Obviously they’re looking for good bargains, but they’re also looking for value and are generally prepared to try new things and to travel a bit to get them. On our side, we obviously believe that once someone has discovered us, they will want to come back, so we’re prepared to make that first visit attractive. Win-Win.

But what about our regular paddlers who currently support us? We already have the Frequent Paddler card – buy five sessions and get the next one free – but the deals being offered through Jump On It (go here if you aren’t yet registered) and Living Social are better than that. So here’s the deal for anyone reading this (or who knows someone who paddles here) -

1. Follow the link over on the left sidebar to the on-line booking system
2. Book a 2 hr canoe or kayak session using the Voucher Code  “JonsDeal”
3. Pay just half price (plus usual $20 deposit) when you attend for your hire period .
4. Offer is limited to one 2 hr session per person and does not count towards the frequent paddler card.

Stay tuned for an update on how the campaign turns out.

Free Canoe Hire for New Residents

Because The Boatshed At Woronora has been around since 1946, there is a tendency to assume that most people know it exists. At a recent meeting of the Menai Chamber of Commerce I was explaining to the audience that the format of the business was changing, with the addition of a cafe and accommodation as well as second hand boat sales, when I was met by a sea of hands effectively stopping me in mid-sentence. “What and where is The Boatshed?”, they all wanted to know.

Similarly, now that the cafe is operating upstairs rather than from within the boat garage and many regular customers are bringing family and friends, we frequently hear the comment “Wow, I didn’t even know this place existed”.

To raise awareness without resorting to blanket advertising, we have launched a campaign to ensure that every new resident in the immediate area is given an opportunity to discover The Boatshed At Woronora by issuing gift vouchers for free canoe or kayak hire. If you’re more a “sit on the balcony and watch others get wet” person then we will consider exchanging the voucher for a coffee or two.

The vouchers are only being issued by organisations involved in the moving process, such as real estate agents, mortgage lenders/brokers, removalists, etc, so if you qualify for a voucher and your service providers do not have any, get them to contact us. As the campaign progresses we will be widening the catchment area, but we’d be more than happy to be approached by businesses rather than us discovering them. Also, ask them to stamp the card so we know where it came from, as all cards presented will be entered in our monthly draw to win accommodation, cafe and canoe vouchers for the issuers.

The card issuers benefit by having a free gift to give their clients.
The recipients benefit by having a free gift.
The Boatshed At Woronora benefits by widening its potential customer base.
How good is that?

Tarpon 140 is Sold

Shake, Shake, the old sauce bottle

First none’ll come and then a lottle!

Is it a coincidence that the Tarpon is tomato sauce red? After being on the market for over six months, with several people expressing interest but not actually committing, we had no less than three firm offers on the one day! Naturally, the most complicated sale was the first to commit – an interstate buyer involving packaging and freight – but in my view a deal is a deal and the others were pipped at the post.

With this sale and a couple of others completed recently, we have a little more space in the racks and on the walls. Any more second hand boats looking for keen new owners? What about buying a new one at the upcoming Kayak Open Day on January 29th here at The Boatshed At Woronora from 9am. Buy one on the day and we’ll throw in a month’s free storage.

Australia Day tomorrow – typically our biggest day with lots of drive-by customers who come to the park for a picnic and think a canoe might be fun for an hour or two. Last year such fun resulted in a broken paddle and a camera and phone at the bottom of the river – let us hope for better things this year. Motor Boats are already booked out for the morning – when the tide is at its lowest, of course, as always seems to happen, but a few slots are still available for the afternoon.

Have a Great Day, whatever you choose to do.

Try A Kayak Day

What a Pity! Santa Claus didn’t bring you that shiny new kayak you’ve been yearning for, and the chances of Julia Gillard giving you one for Australia Day are pretty slim, so why not come down to The Boatshed At Woronora on Saturday 29th January (yes, the weekend after Australia Day just in case Julia comes good!) and check out our distributor’s demo range of Azul and Ocean River kayaks.

Wouldn't you like to own this?

Scott of Seafarer Marine will be on hand from 9am to explain what sort of kayak would suit you best, plus you get a chance to try out his recommendation (and any others) before you commit. We will also have a range of paddles and pfds and will be putting together attractive packages for anyone just starting out or looking to upgrade.

So bring your boardshorts and your wallet and do something about that New Year’s Resolution. We have some rack spaces left to rent if you haven’t yet worked out the logistics of getting to and from the river, you still need to clean out the garage (that other New Year’s Resolution, right?) or it’s a surprise for your better half (or it will be when he/she finds out!!).

Listed below are some extracts from the Seafarer catalogue in pdf format. Apologies for the copy quality but I certainly don’t need to apologize for the quality of the real things – come and check them out on Saturday January 29th from 9am to 1pm.

azul range

azul range 2

ocean river range

You can also get more details from the Seafarer website

Don’t forget we have a kiosk full of ice cream, milk shakes, lollies and expresso coffee, and our Balcony Cafe will be open for all day brunch between 9 and 4. Normal boat hire will operate as best we can, although space on the jetty will be limited.