bar crossings

[Jeremy]

I have been over on the Caloundra bar coming in, good conditions, late morning. Had trouble picking the channel and was mucking around waiting for a swell to follow in. I found one and was waiting for it to pass me so I could follow it, but it kept building and building and picked me up rather than passing underneath me, and we rolled.

I have also had a couple of near misses, one in the southport seaway, and one in South Passage.

I learned alot from that.
1. never ever take a bar crossing lightly
2. make sure everything is secured so it doesn't fly around if you get airborne
3. check there is enough fuel in the tank to make it through
4. always take back marks on the bar as you depart, or at least a GPS mark, as it is much harder to pick the channel from outside the bar
5. never muck around in the bar. When you make a decision to go, GO!

Jeremy

[Getout]

Rolled a 4m open tinny on the Noosa Bar 15 yrs ago. It was 4hrs old. We were just careless. Tide too low, missed the channel, wave up the bum, leg hit the sand, over she went. Managed to save everything but a towel(including the car keys).
Righted it on the sand bank, bailed it out, got towed to shore. Removed the spark plugs from the 25 Merc and pulled the starter for a while. Put the plugs in and off we went as if nothing had happened.
I'm more careful these days. although I have been out many times when i probably should have turned around and gone home.

[wadeo]

Gday guys was up noosa bar a few weeks ago to see a salvage of a 6m roughly haines signature being dragged out of the bar. My first thought was is everyone ok. the coast gaurd told me it happened the night before. scary to think this could happen to anyone. Have had plenty of near misses myself in my previous cruise craft. think i'll do bill's bar crossing coarse before getting excited about any more bars as i'm spoilt with moloolaba's deep entry/exit.
wadeo

[Noelm]

gees any crossing on a NSW bar is "intersting" especially if there is any swell at all

[seatime]

Has anyone got first hand details about a recent incident on a bar crossing course on the South Passage Bar where someone had their leg badly broken?
Apparently the incident is under investigation, not sure how long such an investigation takes before the results are released.

[Sea-Dog]

Has anyone got first hand details about a recent incident on a bar crossing course on the South Passage Bar where someone had their leg badly broken?
<snip>

Ever heard of a leg "nicely" broken?

[seatime]

Ever heard of a leg "nicely" broken?

no, never heard of a "nicely" broken term used to describe a fracture. some are worse than others though. maybe in an orthopedic dictionary ?

about 12 yrs ago I broke my leg in 2 places, I reckon 1 place would have been better , it was onboard a boat too, another story tho.
compound fractures aren't as nice as spiral fractures either, imo.

[GBC]

Some scary chat going on about following gps marks through bars in here.

I agree wholeheartedly with Jeremy - take a backsight for the outside entry point, but that's it.

I assume the 'centre' channel is the old trawler channel?

The 'pin bar is a classic for changes in it's nature - you might head out on a 3/4 in tide and follow what you perceive to be a good enough line and drive straight over the outer bank that you probably didn't even notice.

Coming home and the onshore breeze has kicked, the tide is almost out, and that track you laid in the gps this morning to save your arse is now all but worthless because the outer is now a beautiful sucky 5 foot right hander. What do you do now?

[Far side]

Some scary chat going on about following gps marks through bars in here.

I agree wholeheartedly with Jeremy - take a backsight for the outside entry point, but that's it.

I assume the 'centre' channel is the old trawler channel?

The 'pin bar is a classic for changes in it's nature - you might head out on a 3/4 in tide and follow what you perceive to be a good enough line and drive straight over the outer bank that you probably didn't even notice.

Coming home and the onshore breeze has kicked, the tide is almost out, and that track you laid in the gps this morning to save your arse is now all but worthless because the outer is now a beautiful sucky 5 foot right hander. What do you do now?

Turn tail and come home by the seaway better to be safe than sorry

[bastard]

I nearly hit the rufus king when i was about 15 years old i allways told my parents i was crabing beetween amity and one mile but most of the time we would stop and catch squid up in front of letherlands at amity and go around to shag for a fish and come back ,we only had 10 foot tinies with little outboards but we didnt no any better,that was back in the good old days ,we didnt even use crab pots back then.

[Ian1]

Few years back I was trying to get into yellow patch at Cape Capricorn in my 7m Caribbean. It was flat weather but there was a big swell rolling in from a cyclone somewhere offshore. The swell wasn't really causing us a problem but the water was too shallow as we got there a bit late on the tide.
We were just noseing up to the bar checking out the water depth and I was thinking 'na thats way to shallow'. Next thing the back of the boat comes up and we're starting to surf down a wave and the boat is going to broach.
Two choices - 1. Shit myself and roll the boat.
2. Slam it into gear, gun it and hope like hell the water is deep enough.
Well, we must have 2mm under the leg when we went over that bar but it was just enough. I still remember the rediculous urge I had to lift my feet to clear the bar. Fortunatly we were there for a few days so I had some spare jocks.
Was my own fault for not paying attention and it was pure luck that got us through. I'm not one to blame the old 'freak wave'. I think thats just an excuse for people that won't admit they stuffed up.

Cheers

Ian

[bastard]

Some scary chat going on about following gps marks through bars in here.

I agree wholeheartedly with Jeremy - take a backsight for the outside entry point, but that's it.

I assume the 'centre' channel is the old trawler channel?

The 'pin bar is a classic for changes in it's nature - you might head out on a 3/4 in tide and follow what you perceive to be a good enough line and drive straight over the outer bank that you probably didn't even notice.

Coming home and the onshore breeze has kicked, the tide is almost out, and that track you laid in the gps this morning to save your arse is now all but worthless because the outer is now a beautiful sucky 5 foot right hander. What do you do now?

I reckon your best bet in this situation is more throttle,you can never have enough horsepower.

[Spaniard_King]

I Was Heading out of the Tweed bar a few years back in my trusty old V-sea with 70 johno.. Had heaths old man as decky. Was crossing just on daybreak not a real lot of light. got through what is normally the dodgy part of the bar which I used to cross at a slow speed but just planing. Well we began to relax when I looked up and I mean up! and saw a big greeny just about to peel, I just pushed the throttle down hard as we rode up the wave.. came out the other side with a nice soft landing to look up at another... motored into it at a reasonable pace but I have a vivid memory of the shimmering light of dawn coming through the top of the wave, got through again and went hard left and punched the throttle to get way out of there into deep water. I just looked ad heaths old man and never said a word.. He new tho.... we were lucky!

[GBC]

I would have thought the best bet would have been to go another 100 mtrs south and find the 'real' bar mouth that wasn't apparent on a 3/4 tide?

Not trying to be a smartarse, just trying to point out that there's people here talking about doing dangerous stuff, and probably other inexperienced boaties reading this thinking - "If I can just get the marks for South Passage I can fish outside" - and I'd hate to think we'll be watching them on the news one day.

[Far side]

I would have thought the best bet would have been to go another 100 mtrs south and find the 'real' bar mouth that wasn't apparent on a 3/4 tide?

Not trying to be a smartarse, just trying to point out that there's people here talking about doing dangerous stuff, and probably other inexperienced boaties reading this thinking - "If I can just get the marks for South Passage I can fish outside" - and I'd hate to think we'll be watching them on the news one day.

Your right about this the gps marks are and indication only the rest is wind tide swell local knowelge going with someone experienced reading the waves watching and planning before you make a choice. The right boat engine reliability fuel all of these to get you out of trouble even the most experienced bar crosser will be in trouble if if their boat is mechanically unsound. Anyone who thinks they are going to go through on a few marks in a gps deserves the darwin award. Things happen fast on the water and caution and planning are prudent.
And just because you can get through the bar dosent mean you are going to catch fish outside.