Illustration standing in for Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek: wooded banks closing in on either side over blue-green water in afternoon light

4 days · Bareboat

Four days on the Hawkesbury and Cowan Creek

A four-day holiday idea exploring the Hawkesbury and Cowan Creek at a relaxed pace.

Home · Itineraries · Four days on the Hawkesbury and Cowan Creek

Length4days aboard

Legs4anchorage to anchorage

Charter typeBareboatYou are the skipper

Workable seasonSeptember to Mayoutside it, expect to be weather-bound

Leg by leg

The route

Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek

Your trip at a glance

Sequence of suggested stops; not a chart or a navigational route.

1
Bobbin Head → Smiths Creek4 to 7 nautical miles · indicative
2
Smiths Creek → Jerusalem Bay5 to 8 nautical miles · indicative
3
Jerusalem Bay → Refuge Bay7 to 11 nautical miles · indicative
4
Refuge Bay → Bobbin Head8 to 12 nautical miles · indicative

Day	From	To	Distance	Note
1	Bobbin Head	Smiths Creek	4 to 7 nm	Confirm boarding, briefing time and a suitable first stop.
2	Smiths Creek	Jerusalem Bay	5 to 8 nm	Ask whether Jerusalem Bay suits the actual boat, conditions and planned activities.
3	Jerusalem Bay	Refuge Bay	7 to 11 nm	Ask whether Refuge Bay suits the actual boat, conditions and planned activities.
4	Refuge Bay	Bobbin Head	8 to 12 nm	Agree the return plan and allow time for disembarkation.

A four-day holiday idea exploring the Hawkesbury and Cowan Creek at a relaxed pace.

Shape the holiday around your group

This is an editorial outline, not a bookable package or a confirmed passage plan. Tell the operator your dates, guest numbers, preferred pace and experience. Ask whether these places fit the time available and which alternatives they would suggest.

For a bareboat trip, have your nominated skipper’s experience assessed before choosing the boat. Discuss the permitted cruising area and all proposed stops during the briefing.

Places in this outline

Smiths Creek
Jerusalem Bay
Refuge Bay
Bobbin Head

Use the sequence above to start a conversation. A stop may need to change because of conditions, access restrictions, the boat or your group’s needs. Swimming, landing and overnight anchoring each need their own confirmation.

Make time for being aboard

Allow time for boarding, the briefing and settling into the boat. Decide which days you would like to be active and where you would prefer a slower pace. Confirm meals, guest beds and any shore transfers before booking.

Before choosing dates

Read the weather guide and ask about current operations in this region. The listed season and distances are broad planning information, not forecasts or measured navigation tracks. The skipper must plan the actual route using current information.

Questions for the operator

Which parts of this outline can you offer for our dates?
What is the realistic sailing time between the proposed stops?
Which access permissions, transfers or local restrictions need arranging?
What is the alternative if a stop or return route changes?
Which meals, equipment and guest services are included?

Use the inclusions guide, packing guide and booking checklist to finish the plan.

No operator in the directory publishes this format hereThis outline has no matched operator for the format and area. Confirm feasibility and a suitable charter before planning around it. See Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek for what is published.

Ask before you commit to this route

What recent experience will you accept from the nominated skipper?
Is a sail guide available, and at what daily rate?
What bond, insurance excess and damage waiver apply?
What is included in the handover briefing, and how long does it take?
Does the vessel's certificate cover every leg of this route, or does one leg cross into a different operating area?

Full booking checklist

Where this itinerary came fromBuilt from the gateways, anchorages and indicative passages published on the Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek page, plus the hazards that page records. Distances are rounded estimates, not measured tracks, and no operator was contacted for comment.Methodology

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This is an editorial suggestion compiled from public sources, not navigational, safety or weather advice, and it can be wrong. Passage planning is the skipper's responsibility. Checked 11 September 2026. See the disclaimer.