Seemingly hovering above the waters of Lake Macquarie, the Lake Macquarie Yacht Club is ideally positioned for boat owners to enjoy the extensive, sheltered waterways of Lake Macquarie. Positioned on the northern shores of the lake at Belmont, Lake Macquarie is north of Pittwater and south of Port Stephens. Almost the entire lake is navigable, and is accessed from the Tasman Sea at the Swansea Channel.

The Pacific Highway crosses the Swansea Channel at the Swansea Bridge, an opening bridge controlled by Swansea Coast Guard (ph 02 4971 3498), allowing vessels of unlimited height access to Lake Macquarie. Mariners wanting to transit the Swansea Channel should contact Swansea Coast Guard at least one hour prior to ETA at the bridge, which is opened on the hour by pre-arrangement between 0600 – 1800 7 days per week (outside these hours 6 hours notice should be given for the bridge to be opened). Mariners should also be aware that the bridge will not be opened during peak traffic times of 0800 and 1600 Monday to Friday.

The Lake Macquarie Yacht Club has an active social and sailing programme that encourages members and visitors to enjoy the facilities of their club, complete with a modern marina. Live music on Sunday afternoons attracts a large crowd onto the deck at the Saltwater Grill, which is open for lunch and dinner daily for both a la carte and bistro styles. Visitors are always welcome to soak up the casual ambience at this family friendly club, which also hosts popular music festivals and themed events such as Melbourne Cup lunches.

Cruising vessels and their crews are well catered for. Modern, convenient facilities combined with competitive rates for berths and memberships ensure the vibrant club is well patronised by members and visitors. There's a slipway for small vessels up to 10 tonnes, ample room on the dock for visiting vessels as well as swing moorings. Nearby, the Belmont Shopping Centre is just ten minutes walk from the club, providing all provisioning requirements.

Why not plan a few days to explore this fascinating inland lake, and stopover at Lake Macquarie Yacht Club on your next cruise along the New South Wales coast?