Over a long weekend, 31 January to 3 February, Whitehaven owners and friends experienced all the wonders and delights of three days on Sydney’s sublime Hawkesbury River.
14 boats and around 34 people took part, starting out from the Royal Motor Yacht Club, Broken Bay, where we gathered for dinner ahead of what was an incredible weekend of fun and camaraderie.
In convoy, the vessels headed to Peats Bite, a boating institution and waterfront oasis at Sunny Bay on Berowra Creek. Ravaged by fire in 2021, this iconic family business has been fully restored and was a sensational place to safely berth all boats and enjoy their hospitality, entertainment and delectable cuisine.
Tony Derham, owner of the Whitehaven 7000, Hells Bells, said the experience surpassed his expectations.
“We are so delighted to reunite with the Whitehaven family, especially at Peats Bite which is a fantastic location. We are so glad to be involved. The renovated Peats Bite is fantastic – we are enjoying the lifestyle we have with our boats, and the atmosphere. We love the brand, and we love the people, and we are enjoying it!
“As part of the Whitehaven family, we are up here for a fantastic weekend at an amazing venue,” Tony continued. “We love being part of this boating community. Everybody is so welcoming. We all have a common interest in boating. We love our Whitehaven and we can’t wait to be involved in more events and get our friends involved as well.”
After an overnight stay berthed at Peats Bite Marina, on Sunday morning after breakfast, leaving the Whitehaven fleet safely berthed at Peats Bite, everyone jumped on board a 50-foot Naiad RIB provide by Marine Riley for a 35+ knot rip up-river to Spencer for lunch at The Anchor – yet another hidden gem and boaties’ treasure.
On the menu was a range of mouth-watering burgers and fresh local prawns, huge mud crabs and oysters, paired with farm-fresh produce.
Bruce Scott, managing director of Whitehaven Group, said the visit to The Anchor was his first, and an extremely significant one. “We were so fortunate with the weather, after several days of grey skies and rain. This was my first visit to Spencer, and it was very special to be in the company of owners and their family and friends.”
After lunch, everyone boarded the Naiad super-RIB for the express run back to their vessels at Peats Bite Marina, and then headed off to Refuge Bay in the heart of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park for the final night and to recuperate!
As the sun set, we all reflected on what was a fantastic weekend. On the following Monday, some chose to return to Sydney, while others stayed put, opting to linger longer in the serenity of the picturesque Hawkesbury River and Pittwater.
