Sailed up the top end of Lake Cootharaba on the wind wanderers weekend and just missed a submerged pole with jagged edges that is approx 120mm dia and only sticking out of the water about 2 inches!
Went up there the next day thinking it's a BIG lake, I would be very unlucky to see that again but was obviously keeping a lookout for it. Gybed and found I only missed it by 10 feet
Just incase you are unlucky as me, the map below has the approximate location.
If any of the locals have time, it would be good to mark this hazard!!!
Lat 26 deg 15"13.33"S Lon 153 deg 1"32.43"E - I think?

PS> May be worth taking a spare fin if going that far from the point.

thanks Phil, just sent the info to Charlie at the LCSC. Maybe they can do something about it. That would not be a pretty thing to hit up that end of the lake.

I thought I saw a vertical pole while I was sailing up there somewhere about 15 months ago (pre GPS) but would only be wild guessing as to it's location but it was around the area you indicate.
I will talk with Charlie & see if he can get me a boat & driver and see what we can do while the wind is down.

Hey jeff!

I was going to come up on Saturday, I have a tinnie up there we could use. If it is an old channel marker, my guess is the thing will be attached to something very large down the bottom!!

cheers

bart

ps I note that the Kinaba rangers hut has been abandoned as well, what are our politicians doing??

Thankls for the warning Phil, and BTW you had some nice down wind runs that day

Sounds like a job for Maritime Safety Queensland!!

Select to expand quote

rww said...
Sounds like a job for Maritime Safety Queensland!!

I informed MSQ about the last submerged item in the lake,even gave them
the co-ordinates.Don't think were too interested because it was left for Jeffro &
LCSC to locate and retrieve the object.

Select to expand quote

ploppy said...

rww said...
Sounds like a job for Maritime Safety Queensland!!

I informed MSQ about the last submerged item in the lake,even gave them
the co-ordinates.Don't think were too interested because it was left for Jeffro &
LCSC to locate and retrieve the object.

In this case, sounds like it might be one of their old beacons. Without going into details, have some high level inside contacts and will see what i can do!!

I think that was where an old Red Mark used to be... Probably broke off in one of the floods that have recently come through??

Select to expand quote

SailCoothara said...
I think that was where an old Red Mark used to be... Probably broke off in one of the floods that have recently come through??

Looks like that's what it could be. Have reported to MSQ's Sunshine Coast office and they will look into.

Well, one less hazard in the lake now. Adam (different Adam to last time) his son (Ethan) & I went out in his tinnie and located the "pole".
It turned out to be a palm trunk that was floating vertically (the bottom was heavier than the top) although it may have been in the mud a little bit (we didn't hop in the water to check the depth). I say that because it was very close (17 metres) from where Phil estimated it to be. Not far enough to be truely floating as if it was, it could've been anywhere in the lake by the time we looked for it after Phil saw it. Thanks Adam for helping out with the tinnie & thanks Phil for sighting it and telling us where it was. Nice to be able to sail the lake with a peace of mind.

Some photos for you all.
About 17m from where Phil estimated it to be
.
There it is after we attached a rope. It was about 100mm above the surface before this photo.

Towing it back to the beach.

It was a heavy "mutha".

Nice work, well done. I don't think you would have managed it without the little fellas help

Great job Jeff and Co.
Hey Jeff, did you check for that snag reported near the first red beacon as well?

No. It was too windy when we finished to see anything.
It was time to get on the water!

Hey Jeff,

great work, sorry I missed you did not get up till a bit later and by then it was blowing. Time to sail!

ps. I would like to hear from Phil if this is what he saw?? I am pretty sure I saw a broken pole like what Phil discribed??

Well done Jeffro! I could only see the end but that looks like the Jagged Piece on top of the water. That would make a real MESS of my fin and board if I hit that and the fact it was moving would be even harder to avoid.
The best part about sailing at the lake is no turtles/rocks/weed to hit, so I really glad to have the safety restored.
Thanks again for everyone who helped

Ta Jeffro great mate

Select to expand quote

Philnott said...
Well done Jeffro! I could only see the end but that looks like the Jagged Piece on top of the water. That would make a real MESS of my fin and board if I hit that and the fact it was moving would be even harder to avoid.
The best part about sailing at the lake is no turtles/rocks/weed to hit, so I really glad to have the safety restored.
Thanks again for everyone who helped

There are rocks there! I find them then after hitting them! Then I look up and see the yellow signs that warn about the rocks!

Well done Jeffro and thanks Phil for pointing this out. I certainly wouldn't liked to have hit that!