Through VMR's eyes

[Scalem]

Spent a great day with my wife down the goldy relaxing in the surf at Burleigh, then hopping from place to place, a coffee here, lunch at Currumbin RSL, a walk along the beach. Who would have guessed planning an outing on a perfect sunshine day didn't involve firing up an outboard and trying to catch anything on a fishing rod

But one boating related thing I did want to do is check out the bar at Currumbin Creek. I have a few people I know that use it, so really wanted to check it all out for myself before any planned trips going out through there.
I have never considered visiting a VMR tower without a pre arranged appointment, but this time, my wife with me, I thought it might be obvious to staff my motives for buzzing the tower were honourable, so I pressed the buzzer at the front door. A womans' voice answered, and after a quick introduction of who and why I was there, she said "Come on Up"
Up one flight of stairs into the main area/ kitchen with some pieces of memorabilia, a TV and DVD player ..... I could not help thinking "Nice" and comforable, what boatie would enjoy a few ales watching training videos or talking fishing stories in this room. I could almost feel past conversations of days gone by. Up another flight of stairs and into the radio room where we were welcomed like we were royalty, and immediately we started into conversation about the bar ( which is not classed as a navicable waterway) and the days activities so far. To think that this day was, by my standards, an eye opener as to what boaties get up to! For VMR staff, it seemed another day doing what they do...but enjoyed doing it. They had one rescue because of a flat battery - apparently very common occurance. But the boat they rescued could not hold anchor very well and were drifting toward the surf. The 4 or 5 phone calls to VMR increased in urgency as they waited for the rescue boat. All turned out well in the end.
The next may result in a charged offense. We all know the rules around vessells and safe travelling distances from swimmers don't we? Apparently a boat came in through the same waves that the surfers were catching, swimmers and board riders were either side of the line this guy took which was SE of where all other boats had been using the bar. Police were called and the owner may be charged.
I asked if the radios were busy during the day. At mid day things were extreemly quiet on the radios, 1st light is always busy with people headed out, but I watched 5 boats come back in and not one of them made radio contact with VMR in any description, not with southport, not with currumbin. Not 27mhz or VHF, nuthin! I am so ashamed! I also observed peoples execution of the bar.... I don't have a tonne of experience, but enough to suggest people go spend some money on a bar crossing course, today was easy work but I would hate to see them cross in challenging seas!!
We left after a while, I was congratulated for taking to time to speak with the team at VMR currumbin, it is very irregular that a boatie educate themselves about a bar by talking to the VMR staff at that location... Go figure!! And they are a great bunch of people, I enjoyed every minute of my chat with them, and will be back to visit soon - with all my expired flares I have collected over the years, they will be doing an authorized igniting of flares on a public open day some time this year.
We have heard it before, use VMR to log on and off, and support them any way you can. I certainly will!!

Scalem

[Matt76]

Great post. Thank you.

[Lucky_Phill]

Thanks Brian,


Always good to visit the local VMR or Coast Guard and say g'day. They are just normal people like the rest of us, but do such an important job.

We can all make their job easier by taking a few simple steps.

And let's not forget these people are volunteers and in most cases spend their own money to be involved in helping others. Government funding for these Squadrons / Stations are pathetic !!!!!

Sounds like a well spent day off the water.


Cheers Phill
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[finga]

Did you take some muffins for them Brian??
They like muffins.

I like visiting the VMR people.
Entertainment for the entire family watching the boat ramp and VMR's normally have a great vantage point of height over those on the ground.

And you are dead right in asking them about the bar. Who else would know better??

[wayno60]

When i did my VHF course the guys at southport VMR took us to the radio room, showed us around ,told us how it all worked and some of the stories they can tell you...but yes very helpfull and friendly folk.
Impressed me so much that i became a member..

[Scalem]

And you are dead right in asking them about the bar. Who else would know better??

Just everyone know your boundaries when conversing with them. NEVER expect "advice" in the truest sense of that word. They will answer in a way that suggests they are not giving you advice but will tell you " based on observations" from what operators and their craft do in order to safely cross the bar.

Isn't the world a crappy place when a volunteer has to think of potential litigation because of their answers when a person can obtain advice from them , then lay the blame on VMR if something went wrong.

Scalem

[Hagar]

Yep

very helpful folks up at VMR Currumbin . Been up quite a few times . The guy coming thru the Alley must have been a non local surely . Cuts both ways though - would not be the first time a boardie has dropped in on the wave I am sitting behind and then wiped out in front of the boat . Sitting in neutral until you can find him with another wave coming up your bum is not a good look .

Chris

[Whiley_Whiting]

I actually saw the boat you are talking about come through the surf in between all of the surfers and swimmers. Funny thing is that there isnt a channel where they went through! A number of other boats also followed the lead but turned around and came parallel to the waves and hugged the left hand rocks to come back through the bar. very interesting watching them

[Scalem]

Yep

very helpful folks up at VMR Currumbin . Been up quite a few times . The guy coming thru the Alley must have been a non local surely . Cuts both ways though - would not be the first time a boardie has dropped in on the wave I am sitting behind and then wiped out in front of the boat . Sitting in neutral until you can find him with another wave coming up your bum is not a good look .

Chris

Chis this is a very dangerous circumstance to be in. Unfortunately while I empathize with you, it only cuts one way, the way of the swimmer or surfer, end of story. In a navicable waterway such as the seaway, VMR constantly warn boaters to watch for board riders as they often paddle across to south straddie. Currumbin .... if you collide with one, I'm sorry, you are in the wrong in the eyes of the law. I stand corrected on this, but 99% sure that is the case. If you see a surfer in front of you, you should be able to easily run the boat parrallel between the wave in front and the wave behind for a few meters to get away from him.

I actually saw the boat you are talking about come through the surf in between all of the surfers and swimmers. Funny thing is that there isnt a channel where they went through! A number of other boats also followed the lead but turned around and came parallel to the waves and hugged the left hand rocks to come back through the bar. very interesting watching them

That's because there is no channel as such, but to my understanding the measures the other boats took when you say "and hugged the left hand rocks to come back through the bar" appears the best way, as the bar presented on the weekend.

Scalem

[Raesen]

What a great thread to read. Thoughtful, insightive, informative and very interesting.

Thank you to all of you guys who have participated.

Well done
Cheers
Pete

[Hagar]

Scalem

no problem with that - it's common sense . But is the surfer going to keep going right or cut back out of the wave to the left ? . You had to be there .

Chris

[Scalem]

Scalem

no problem with that - it's common sense . But is the surfer going to keep going right or cut back out of the wave to the left ? . You had to be there .

Chris

Hi Chris, you're right, you have to be in that exact circumstance to know how to react, so trying to imagine having a board rider in front of me, you will see board riders on your left, because that is normally how the waves move,so they catch a wave, moving from left to right, correct? So if you cut left, you are likely to turn back into where he started, which is likely to be where other riders and swimmers are. You are better not to be anywhere near them in the 1st place, and appoach your crossing from the other side (Right side if you are coming in). I had started you give an opinion as to how I would approach this, but hey, it can only be an opinion because I was not there, and as you know from the original intent of this thread, I have never crossed this bar, so I don't have the credibility to make comment,
Maybe others who have had a board rider in front of them can give their experience?

Scalem

[Hagar]

I wasn't looking for advice or to complicate this thread . I was relating an experience . Game over .

[Scalem]

I wasn't looking for advice or to complicate this thread . I was relating an experience . Game over .

Fair 'nuf,

I thought you had a question, I answered it the best way I could.

Scalem

[Spot82]

Scalem,

At no time should you turn parellel to waves on a bar! That is the easiest way to have your boat rolled over!! And it will happen quick! That is definitely not good advice...

Should always cross a bar perpendicular to the waves as possible, ie head on or riding the back of waves in, and be very aware of the waves in front of you and always have someone keeping an eye out for waves building behind.

Better advice is to spend some time assessing the bar before crossing including where boats, surfers swimmers are and make a plan of crossing based on this information to ensure you can cross as mentioned above.

There is also an issues of many swimmers and surfers not being aware that they are in a boating channel, or thinking they own the waterway.

Trust me going through the seaway in very low light it is very hard to see a surfer in a black wetsuit paddling across the water, they should take some interest in their own saftey and attach a flashing light to the zip of their suit or similar, least that would help boaties see them! It is afterall a major channel for movement of marine vessels, should be treated much like crossing a road in all reality!

Anthony