Is it worth crossing the South Passage Bar?

[Darren Edwards]

Hi, I will be holidaying at Straddie from the 24/12/2012 for a week and am considering taking the boat and venturing offshore. I live at the Sunshine Coast and always go out from Mooloolaba as far as the Caloundra 12 mile, therefore no experience with dangerous crossings. I've heard all sorts of stories about the SPB, is it worth taking my boat considering that I have never crossed this bar or are there some easy spots on the beach to launch from? I only have a 4.8m Allycraft Reefraider side console with a 60hp Mercury. Any advice would be appreciated.

[gruntahunta]

Darren, I am going to give the obvious answer...No bar should be crossed without local knowledge as they are consdtantly changing in depth & channel location. I believe the SPB is quite dangerous and unless you know someone who crosses it regularly going with you then don't do it.

Especially in a 4.8m boat with a small motor.

Well thats MHO.

[phantomphisher]

We will be staying at Amity from 22nd september-1st october and will aim to get out when the weather's good. When you're starting out on the bar the best way to get out is to follow someone who looks like they know what they're doing through the northern channel.The southern channel is getting shallower and you should probably only use it on a high tide when the weather's perfect. I certainly believe it's worth it fish-wise but in a smaller boat you do have to pick the right weather or things get hairy. Hope this helps.
Cheers, PP

[cormorant]

Caution with any bars and make sure the boat is set up right and has extra high flow bilge pump , secured battery etc etc. I'm not a person who likes boats that don't self drain and don't have some structure to keep breaking waves out on bars but you see lots do it these days with so much better weather details avaliable. . Not the first wave that you one day will mess up and still be OK but it is the ones after that on a bad/ unlucky day that turn you over, completely swamp you etc . Regardless of getting out remember you always have to come back in sometime and it could be worse.

As for following someone out ( sort of agree but) unless you 100% know they are knowledgable it can be a terrible run as you just don't know their fear and experience level or ability of boat. The usual , watch, check weather , check changes to weather all day, talk with locals, VMR and know your limits and your boats limits. Check out the bloke who does bar crossing courses.

[shauno555]

Darren, the bar at the moment is the calmest i have seen it in years. the sand banks are very noticeable and the chop is easily avoidable. there is however a bit of a bank out further heading towards pt lookout that will take you by surprise as it has with me once lately.
if your going to go through make sure everything is right with your boat, with the weather and your confidence.
swell isnt a huge factor with SPB because it chops up a lot anyways and you will find waves coming from every direction. and the northern end from my experience can be worse for this even in the deep channel that runs out there.
you can easily launch off flinders with the right weather and if you have a 4wd. a lot of pro mack guys launch from flinders as it is only a short ride across to the group or the sevens reef.
also the bay has been producing good fish lately and is always worth a go if the weather is a bit ugly.
hope this helps a bit.

[rosco1974]

not sure what bar you go through shauno but sounds like a different spb than i cross
...northern channel is the best looks shitty till u see the channel then its only really the first 3-5 waves then flattens out..an easterly swell will flog into the bar a north easter swell is prob just as as bad if not worse..looking at the swell this weekend it is ESE going to a NE swell..in either direction i wouldnt cross it your 4.8mtr boat mate without bar knowledge..be a tad uncomfortable and plenty of white stuff coming in

[captain rednut]

we will over there at amity for the school holidays and crossing it every day subject to the swell, my advise is dont go near it if the swell is over 2mtrs and especially if its from the east. launch off the beach up at flinders is my alternative.
cheers jim

[Zippidy]

I cross it in a 14.5ft boat with 70hp on the back. I haven't had any trouble yet and learn a lot each time I go through it. I've done it about 10 times now but still very wary of it.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi
Just reading through this and seems that it is one of the more dangerous bars around this area. I have only been through it once and that was with Bill Corten who would have to be the most knowledgeable when it comes to SPB.
I am a little concerned that anyone would just follow someone out not knowing what experience they have etc. They could have less than you. Would have to agree that having a local with you would be best. Better to err on the side of caution.
Only recently I listened to A yaghty being helped and guided in by John Palermo, who is a local and crosses the bar regularly. The yaghty admitted that without the help of a local he would not have made it in as he didn't have clue where he was supposed to be. JMO but I would be very cautious about this crossing.
Ronnie

[Scalem]

Here are some interesting observations for this Sat when I am planning a trip through the northern channel. All of these sites predict a small swell of around 1 mtr and coastalwatch 1.6 feet
http://www.coastalwatch.com/swell/fo...ts&location=10
http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/qld.asp
http://swell.willyweather.com.au/qld...h-passage.html
But the variable if you are crossing during outgoing tide is the amount of water moving through as there is a high of over 2 mtrs and a low of .53mtr which is a fair volume of water to move around.
To be on the safe side I am going to wait until after the low tide and cross at the 1st of the incoming tide rather than cross during the last of the outgoing tide at 1st light. Incoming tide is more predictable and you don't have the pressure waves whipped up by tide against swell.
Based on this weather map, checking the wind, there will be very little additional sea on top of swell to deal with.
http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/wind.shtml
Other than that, invest in your welfare and do a bar crossing course, it will take a lot of the guess work out of it. Your boat should only be used at this bar in good conditions so follow these websites and don't attempt it if you are not 100% sure you know what you are doing.
Scalem

[wags on the water]

Darren, you ask is it worth crossing the SPB? Yep I think it is - but be cautious. Be confident in your ability and know the limits of your boat. Pick your days and the conditions. If in doubt - don't go out. I've been blasted in the past from members who don't share my opinion about any bar crossing course - so I won't go on about it - each to their own. There are plenty of other options in the bay if the weather doesn't play the game - snapper, sweeties, tuskies, flathead, whiting and mackeral.

All the best with it. Cheers,

Wags

[nigelr]

sorry double post

[nigelr]

With the greatest of respect to others who have commented.......Darren get yourself to picture and play out in your mind the the events of a worst-case scenario ie being caught inside by breaking waves etc and imagine how your craft, your crew and yourself would/could react. Are you all strong swimmers with a lot of surf experience? Also do you have a wife, kids, family etc? Do your crew? Being properly prepared mentally for unexpected occurences can be a huge advantage..........as for following someone else, to me this is far from being a guarantee of safety.
I'm a bit of a gut-feeling guy....if I feel at all uneasy I don't cross, simple as that. Sure I stand to be rightly accused of being over-cautious, but to me a feed of fish is only a feed of fish............
Cheers.

[Darren Edwards]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I am a strong swimmer but I'm more worried about losing the boat and will not risk it if it looks dangerous. The Flinders Beach launch sounds tempting, I have a Toyota Prado 4WD but not an extension bar for the trailer, Is this option feasible?

[cormorant]

One more thing - I learnt a lot of boat skills from more experienced mates when younger in small boats where we would go play around the side of a known bombora , breaking point swell rather than a bar. Not as confused a sea , still unpredictable but not several hundred meters of pain if you get it wrong and you learn the way your boat handles on the back and face of waves. In reasonable safety you can repeat going in and out but as it isn't a bar with a channel , rock walls you have a lot better exit options when you screw it up, push too hard etc. Gave me a lot of knowledge and all my new boats over the years get a similar workout so I am not as surprised if I get it wrong as I have some idea of my boats limitations what trim to use and just what isn't tied down well enough.

One thing never ceases to amaze me ( and I used to do it as well) is just how tough bars are on passengers and CC can be terrible.. Usually on the helm you forget that you have a wheel, good wedging spot, usually a better seat etc and when I go out with mates who seem sensible as a passanger you get thrown about a bit more and a few extra bruises if you know what I mean. I used to think I did a better job than my mates in big swell but on the helm you have one focus and see every bump but as a passenger even with a chicken rail infront of you to hang on to it feels sloppy and you get caught out - hence bruises. In hindsight my mates do it as well if not better and more considerate than me as so lesson learnt to take it easy at the helm and keep an eye on how passengers are travelling. If you haven't ever seen it there is a classic utube clip of a bloke on the front of a CC getting absolutelty creamed as they jump some waves going out a bar and the recent clip of the boat with the crew getting nailed as they cross a wake and swell- ouch.