Marine Rescue volunteers have assisted two vessels stranded in the silted up Swansea Channel today.

They say scenes like these are becoming a daily occurrence, as it's understood the latest round of dredging has been pushed back to next year.

fb.watch/9BANBFz4Mh/

More here:
www.nbnnews.com.au/2021/11/30/swansea-channel-dredging-pushed-back-til-next-year/?fbclid=IwAR3RZ6v6_jeI-7-WMQ_PgdsVeQH5Cj6AAPHODMnbyzL7TWoNhDMhjw48Zd8

Been there 3 weeks a go

we have friends coming into the lake on the 7th dec. they draw 1.8m however it's a big tide on the 7th - 2m - so they should be ok...fingers crossed !

however overall it's a pretty disgusting situation - just highlights the political and bureaucratic incompetence we have to live with in the 'lucky country'

cheers,

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PacificStar said..
we have friends coming into the lake on the 7th dec. they draw 1.8m however it's a big tide on the 7th - 2m - so they should be ok...fingers crossed !

cheers,

Can you let me know how they go please Chris.

I want to get out, & back in, after xmas drawing 2.1 - Early new year looks OK depending on the weather.

They're saying March or April now for dredging!!

Hey Lazzz
Im planning to go out just before xmas, ill let you know if I have any trouble with 1.2 draft

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Craig66 said..
Hey Lazzz
Im planning to go out just before xmas, ill let you know if I have any trouble with 1.2 draft

Thanks mate!!

Might catch up over xmas!! :)

I just have to worry about the narrow sections being about 7m wide

Yes to catching up

I think it's time to talk about training walls right out into the deep water of the lake!
And that will stop this non ending dredging which isn't working.

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nswsailor said..
I think it's time to talk about training walls right out into the deep water of the lake!
And that will stop this non ending dredging which isn't working.

What??? Getting the government to spend money on infrastructure to make life easier for the boating community???

Best of luck with that one!!

Yes it's no fun being trapped in the lake. I have finally got my NS38 in reasonable order to go to sea and perhaps move it to Pittwater but with the vagaries of when I will be allocated a mooring and the requirement to get the boat on the mooring within 4 weeks of being allocated I dare not apply for the mooring yet until I figure out this channel business. To make matters worse I happened to speak to the penultimate owner of my boat today who advises me that it has the optional lead boot which increases the draught even more.

Some one needs to invent a system of air bags similar to how sunken boats are salvaged. Drive in, Strap on, adjust, inflate, lift.

(Oh there is a few one liners there that I'll leave alone)

Yeah the airbag thing could work. As another thought, what about some sort of boat that has a big hose and kind of sucks up the sand and mud from the bottom to make a channel? That could work too!

Fill a bag with water and hoist it on the halyard. The boat will heel and reduce your draft. If it doesn't heel enough add more water.

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MorningBird said..
Fill a bag with water and hoist it on the halyard. The boat will heel and reduce your draft. If it doesn't heel enough add more water.

Not sure that will work on my boat

A mate came in last week, 1.9 draft on a 1.8 high, he only touched once, stopped him dead.

from that point he needed assistance to make to into the lake

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Craig66 said..
A mate came in last week, 1.9 draft on a 1.8 high, he only touched once, stopped him dead.

from that point he needed assistance to make to into the lake

Using those numbers it doesn't look very promising for me with 2.1 draft!!

Was it the dog leg that stopped him??

Did MRLM get him off OK??

Hi Lazzz
Sorry, I only had third had info so cant expand.

Im planning 8am bridge Sunday, and back maybe 1pm, splitting the (not so) high tide.
It is the first run outside on LD for me. She have been up north many times with previous owner, Ill have a few sailor mates along for the ride. just heading east for a few hours and turn for home. Drag a lure or 2.

Plan B is if i get stuck ill have a clean bum in no time

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Craig66 said..
Im planning 8am bridge Sunday, and back maybe 1pm, splitting the (not so) high tide.

If you get out, you'll get back in OK with that tide but I'd say it won't be a worry for you!!

I like fish

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Lazzz said..

Craig66 said..
Im planning 8am bridge Sunday, and back maybe 1pm, splitting the (not so) high tide.

If you get out, you'll get back in OK with that tide but I'd say it won't be a worry for you!!

I like fish

Hi Lazzz
went for a run to channel in mates tinny an hour ago, picked the deep sections and more importantly the shallow sections.
When heading out....There are 2 temporary yellow "shallow water" marks, about which hat size on the west down towards the dog leg. need to stay well east, turn late and hard to starboard, head to port marker, then to port after the starboard marker, give it about 20m width.

Two yachts came in, first a ketch, maybe 35foot then a northshore around 40. The NS was second so watched as the the ketch was being lead / showed the path by power boat (a 20ish foot cat with twin out boards, had its flashing lights on top)

Lets just say, it was clear to myself and mate it was shallow on the western / sand island side of the temporary markers (now known as dunce hats)

1 ketch hard aground.... 1 snapped tow rope, 1 NS doing circles waiting.
Now there might be very good reason for this path, so benefit of doubt to them.

We then run out the southern channel on the south side of sand Island, almost straight off the runway. I most likely would make it into the lake that way, very deep for the main part with a shallow section near the cardinal mark to the south west of the island.

My 2 cents worth....
That is where they should dredge to open that up as main channel. I believe it was once the main entrance years ago?
There is less sand over a wider area to build back up. but what would i know

Leave the current channel alone, leave it as the play ground it has become.


PS photo of fish will be posted tomorrow.

No fish were harmed today.

Made it through channel dog leg at 7.40am with 300mm minimum depth shown under keel (disclaimer, the boat is new to me so not sure how that translates to actual depth, but Id think 1.8m would be close)

Got back for 1pm bridge, so about 1.20 at dog leg, again no prob with min of 500mm on a slightly different track.

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Craig66 said..


No fish were harmed today.

Made it through channel dog leg at 7.40am with 300mm minimum depth shown under keel (disclaimer, the boat is new to me so not sure how that translates to actual depth, but Id think 1.8m would be close)

Got back for 1pm bridge, so about 1.20 at dog leg, again no prob with min of 500mm on a slightly different track.

Thanks for the info Craig - looks like I won't be getting out until after April or so!! :(

newcastleweekly.com.au/swansea-channel-dredging-project-to-start-in-the-new-year/

"Like all big construction, dredging projects must go through legislated planning approvals before proceeding, including carrying out an important Review of Environmental Factors (REF)."A new REF for the Swansea Channel dredging is expected to be completed by February 2022."Once it's completed, we will go out to tender to select a contractor, with this process taking a few months. "We expect dredging can get underway in the first half of 2022. We thank the community for their patience while we deliver the best possible outcome."

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Craig66 said..
We then run out the southern channel on the south side of sand Island, almost straight off the runway. I most likely would make it into the lake that way, very deep for the main part with a shallow section near the cardinal mark to the south west of the island.

My 2 cents worth....
That is where they should dredge to open that up as main channel. I believe it was once the main entrance years ago?
There is less sand over a wider area to build back up. but what would i know

Leave the current channel alone, leave it as the play ground it has become.


PS photo of fish will be posted tomorrow.

This pic taken today - you can see what you are talking about clearly here.

Still sand bar at the end of it!!

We'll be very lucky if dredging starts before July!!

Looks to be just a matter of time before Lake Macquarie is land locked. Might be fighting a losing battle to dredge it continuously.

That section at the end of the runway looks to be the worst I've seen in a while.

Red showing the path I took last Sunday in and out, ill give it another crack in about a week
Blue showing what I think would be an option in the future.
The photo doesnt show quite enough to the west (bottom of pic just past where blue line stops) and Cardinal mark where it gets a bit shallow again.

I was way more scared of going under the bridge for the first time as skipper / owner than bumping the sand in the channel

Poor quality but you get the idea.
That was coming in, kinda just floated though. Going out there was more current and wash from 2 big ass cruisers that created whirlpools.

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Red showing the path I took last Sunday in and out, ill give it another crack in about a week
Blue showing what I think would be an option in the future.
The photo doesnt show quite enough to the west (bottom of pic just past where blue line stops) and Cardinal mark where it gets a bit shallow again.

I was way more scared of going under the bridge for the first time as skipper / owner than bumping the sand in the channel

Can't see any red or blue lines on the picture you posted. The aerial picture that I can see is fantastic however thanks . Is there another picture that I missed?

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Craig66 said..

I was way more scared of going under the bridge for the first time as skipper / owner than bumping the sand in the channel

The more you do it the easier it gets!!

Here's a vid of MRLM towing someone through the dog leg today

fb.watch/a1qqoI7oeZ/

Gday Lazz

In the first 15 seconds it looks like the dredge is there - but off the end of the island and in the "old" channel. Not where it needs to be.

Bugger about the depth - I thought that the marine rescue would pull the mast down. I saw this done with race boats - a kite halyard led to a workboat which steamed off sideways and pulled the boat over to about 45 degrees. Looks highly loaded but was effective.

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Kankama said..

Bugger about the depth - I thought that the marine rescue would pull the mast down. I saw this done with race boats - a kite halyard led to a workboat which steamed off sideways and pulled the boat over to about 45 degrees. Looks highly loaded but was effective.

Yeah, they have done this for me a few times, in previous years, but they may have stopped doing it now!!

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Lazzz said..

Kankama said..

Bugger about the depth - I thought that the marine rescue would pull the mast down. I saw this done with race boats - a kite halyard led to a workboat which steamed off sideways and pulled the boat over to about 45 degrees. Looks highly loaded but was effective.

Yeah, they have done this for me a few times, in previous years, but they may have stopped doing it now!!

few years ago we took Quest (NM 43) out through the channel this way, and she drew 3.6m

a prominent local yotie (who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent...) did it for us for 2 cases of crownies

how times have changed...

(and as for the rig loading up, it's no worse than sailing !)

cheers,

Channel update

Sunday 9th, 1.4m high 2.37am at Swansea heads. Crossed through the channel around 5.30am in the dark for 6am bridge.
Followed same track as a few weeks ago.
A little gem from the previous owner a few days before is that the depth is Port side under keel, fish finder shows depth Starboard hull under keel, so about 6 and a bit meters apart.
This allowed to change direction to which was showing deeper
At 1200mm draft, minimum I saw was 200mm under port and at same time starboard was 300mm - 500mm, (did not touch the sand, breathed sigh of relief)

Sailed to Nelson Bay, so much less complicated entering through the heads