My Annual Boat Check-Up at Cove Marine

Sydney is one of the toughest places for boat owners. Why? Barnacles. For some reason, every time we spend time in Sydney, our boat gets covered in barnacles, making anti-fouling an annual ritual.

As usual, we headed to Cove Marine at Oyster Cove, near Nelson Bay, for this year’s maintenance.

This time, we decided to switch up the color of our anti-fouling paint to blue. I know many people swear by black as the best choice, but we couldn’t resist adding a touch of our own style.

One of the best things about Cove Marine is that they allow you to work on your boat while it’s out of the water. We stayed for about two weeks and got heaps of jobs done.

We replaced the sail drive anodes—now they’re nice and shiny!

This year, we also upgraded the through-hull fittings. A dock master we know recommended the New Zealand brand True Design. These fittings are made from some kind of ultra-strong plastic that doesn’t corrode. How great is that? Even better, these products are insurance-approved, and barnacles won’t grow on them. That means less diving and cleaning for me—yay!

Here’s a tip for anyone visiting Cove Marine: if your boat is on the larger side, aim to arrive during high tide. The staff at Cove Marine are incredibly friendly and helpful, so don’t hesitate to give them a call if you need assistance.

Written by Sienna, on a very hot day in late January!