All i think about at work is fishing and crossing the bar to get there i have been fishing all my life as far as i can remember and the last 15 years crossing bars reguarly,i have only crossed 4 bars brunswick heads,ballina ,evans head and wooli.About 6 months ago ballina bar was the worst bar by far even if wooli breaks well up into the river on a good run-out.
It would be interesting to hear other opinions on nastey bars and some experiences.
1) Tidal flow over sand bar.
2) Depth of water over bar
3) Wind direction
4) pressure systems
Some of the indicators that can make the bar nice or really bad.
5) Horseshoe Bars, like the one at Lakes Entrance Vic
See here: http://www.gippslandports.vic.gov.au...ion%20Port.pdf
Darren
Lycium hotel in Longreach always good for mayhem on a friday night...... oh you mean bar crossing
I've been over the Wide Bay bar twice. Well, more through it than over it.
The first time and the last time.
TOL
6) How wide the bar is eg. Soth Passage is very wide, Tweed is narrow
7) How long the bar crossing is eg. Wide Bay bar goes on forever, Caloundra is short and sweet
The gold coast seaway is designated as a bar and requires donning life jackets.
Nobody much seems to do that.... Is it ever a dangerous bar? What about the shallow area out a bit with different coloured water (5mtrs) . Is that ever dangerous?
Obviously in bad weather it's all dangerous, but I mean on days it looks ok, is any of it ever dangerous?
I was flattened by some upstanding thug in the back bar of the Rex hotel in Longreach when I was about 19. He reckoned that he was upholding the moral standing of the young ladies of the town.Originally Posted by Feral
Lycium hotel in Longreach always good for mayhem on a friday night...... oh you mean bar crossing
I had been drinking with the aboriginals at one end of the room and crossed the room to approach a young lady who was with all of the whites at the other end of the room.
That was my worst bar crossing by far.
Of course, in those days the drinking age minimum was 21 so I should not have been in there anyway.
I was flattened by some upstanding thug in the back bar of the Rex hotel in Longreach when I was about 19. He reckoned that he was upholding the moral standing of the young ladies of the town.
I had been drinking with the aboriginals at one end of the room and crossed the room to approach a young lady who was with all of the whites at the other end of the room.
That was my worst bar crossing by far.
Of course, in those days the drinking age minimum was 21 so I should not have been in there anyway.
Ah yes, that may be so Charlie, but you must admit to the thrill, the nervous tension, the excitement of drinking near a pre planned escape route from the public bar if need be before you turned 21.
TOL
Well, TOL, I did have those sorts of sensations about some of the risky activities that I undertook in my youth but underage drinking never gave me that thrill.
At least not in the same way that having intimate relations with a girlfriend on her parents' lounge room floor after they had gone to bed might have.(If such a thing were ever to have happened.
)
If caught, that might have resulted in another crossing with a bar. Perhaps an iron bar.
.
Hi WalrusLike,
The gold coast seaway needs to be treated with respect. Before it was officially opened, a trawler broached and turned over with loss of life on the northern bank. This sand bank is still there, and proceeds a mile or more out to sea, curving gradually south. I have a marker on my GPS clear of the outer reach of this bank, which I refer to regularly on leaving and approaching the seaway. No matter what the sea and swell conditions are, i am never tempted to go inside this mark. I regularly check the depth at this mark to ensure the sand has not moved. All of this is most important, especially if you are going north, or coming from the north. Crossing over the shallows leaves you gambling with one of those "Freak waves'.
Other considerations for the unwary are---Swell height. The wind may have dropped, and it may appear as flat as a s#@$Tcarters hat, but if the swell is large, especially against an outgoing tide, it can lead to interesting moments.
In that situation, if I really want to go,---or come home, I hug the southern wall, watch carefully, and duck around the southern point into the deep water. If there has been a s/easter for a couple of days, you will head directly into the swell. Take it slow and easy--don't throw anyone out of the boat, and within a short time you will be in comfortable conditions.
Same coming back in--especially with an outgoing tide. Stay out of the current, go south, get the swell behind you, get on the back of one, dont go over it, and duck around the southern point into smooth water.
If you are coming back from the north and there is a strong northerly, it can be interesting, especially with an outgoing tide.
Haven't worked out anything simple yet,except to take it easy, go with the swells, and use the northern wall for protection, as waves can break well into the seaway towards the southern wall.
Know the limitations of your boat, and your own skills, and work within them.
Keep your crew quiet and concentrate.
Cav(J.C.)
Excellent reply Cav.... Most helpful.
I have been looking at Nearmap photos to get a sense of the shallow areas... Your info is most helpful.
Have Crossed the following bars in my time
Swansea
Forster
Port Macquarie
South West Rocks (back creek)
Yamba
Wooli
Evans Head
Ballina
Gold Coast Seaway
Pin Bar
South Passage Bar
Round Hill
Every single one of these makes my heartbeat rise a little. But the worst experience I have had has been the South Passage. Not saying others aren't worse but that's where I have been the most scared. A lot of the others are short sprints by comparison.
Brunswick is one I have sat and watched on a run out tide and it looked pretty bloody scary to me but am yet to cross it. Wide Bay is another that looks pretty scary. Dare say will have to do that one day as I want to fish double island soon.
Each bar has its own character. The closest I have come to going for a swim was on the Noosa Bar. Its shallow and the waves lift sharply. A couple of nasty long runs across SPB have left finger imprints in my steering wheel. The old Southport Bar (before the seaway) was a shocker at times. It protected the local offshore reefs better than a Green Zone
A Proud Member of
"The Rebel Alliance"
Currumbin Bar is very unique
shallow water most of the time
swimers, surfers, kite surfers, surf boat crews and any swell will keep you on ya toes
Garry
Retired Honda Master Tech
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