It was approx a 9 hour motor sail from Shell Harbour to just inside North Head at Quarantine near Manly where we picked up a mooring.

A night of wake from the Manly ferries doing 20 knots had us moving on early the next morning to one of the very few good anchorages in the harbour at Blackwattle Bay, Glebe.

Recommended by many (away from boat traffic) we found space in this tight spot with the Anzac bridge towering behind us and the huge new fish market complex under construction to the city side.

Navigating here had our hearts in our mouths with so much to take in and traffic like we’d never experienced before. At the same time it was totally exhilarating cruising past all these iconic landmarks that had only previously been seen by land.

It was surreal passing the Opera House, Kirrabilly, The Rocks and of course gliding under Sydney Harbour bridge.

Terrified and beaming at the same time I think our achievement took awhile to sink in!

We totally enjoyed the proximity to the city, fish markets, Chinatown, a great Thai place at Glebe and the convenience of a small jetty that we could chain the dinghy to.

We needed time to soak it in and were rewarded with a beautiful clear full moon night mingled with the dazzling city lights as a backdrop followed by fireworks (apparently every Sat night) to top it off.

We can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be on the water in a great city with the world rushing by as we chill and enjoy the sights.

Apart from the collision with the catamaran it’s been an excellent place to park up for awhile.