I would like to thank all tassie, hobart locals,lauderdale lads, chicks, arm end boys,And houston, for their help, on this saturdays removal of steal posts At dorans rd lauderdale.We have talked about this problem for a long time, this saturday after 4.00pm low tide -0.18 metre. Generator, grinder, And spades shovels?Generator air tools compressor,battery grinders. Please show you care about your own safety And others, by replying to this post, so more than two people are there to give a hand or provide relevent tools for job (no joke) let's see who comes up with the goods (Mast wont) And have been given full rights to remove posts.
(Budget cuts lara).reply now, or be impalled for life.who is in( ? ) before the Friday or at commitee meeting. You know you should help.

I reckon I'll be around to help, would be good to get those bastards out of there!
I reckon we dig them out a bit, then hacksaw them off.
If you bring some beers, I'll drink them while you do it
Might even find FoS's I-Phone while we're out there, and get the reward (a keg of beer I think he mentioned)

EDIT: Hang on Dopey, low tide's at 8.00 PM, I can't make it then.

Um, I like the larger post with the cross, it's a really good reference point for doing off-the wind runs and also for knowing how deep it is (when it's getting a little too shallow for doing off the wind runs)!!

OMG, about to get flamed for sure, but I also like the smaller post as it's good to keep upwind of that one as it's usually too shallow to go below it!!

Could we perhaps just make them more obvious rather than remove them?

If they go, that's fine, but I think they help rather than hinder!

Ditto to Dave! They make an excellent refernce and a guide to knowing where you are, however, I can see how they get in the way as its a very small bay and they take up most of it

What about sticking a witches hat on them or those big orange plastic bollard things. I found both the big one and small one handy the other week when Dave and I were doing the 1hrs. I was sailing between them on the way in and out for the 1 hr.
Anyway happy to go with the flow on this one

Some good points looks like Im doing it on my own.

They may help the experts at times maybe, but certainly not the intermediates/novice. when they impale themselves.,
perhaps we should re think. ..
either cut them out or just make them so bloody obvious no one would run into them.

i think they can not stay there the way they are. Houston still has the gouge in his
wet suit were here landed on one, lucky he did not do serious injury.

any one prepared to come along and make them more obvious? i.e materials etc could be reimbursed i am sure

two days to decide or they may be gone.....from what i have heard.

Maybe a a big plastic float on them.
Neon or yellow would be good, however the newbie Houston probably still won't see them.

The cross is only held up by a piece of aluminium that I bent around it a year ago.

I like having the posts there too. The big one is fine now, it has the big cross on it. I find it helps with direction and how deep/shallow it is in there and also when I go paddling in there it helps me find the not so deep channel back to the canal.
I found the ones in the lagoon more deadly, stuck the bloody big hole in my board which could have gone up to my foot, and now they are well marked (who fixed those up....MAST??).

Applejuice I find all things in the water are magnets but one day someone will hit one of these posts hard - maybe a learner. I have some of that orange plastic webbing that builders use - I'll wrap a bit of that around the cross next couple of days and see if it makes it stand out a bit more from the side on.
The little post needs a plurry big fluoro ball on it (not his unless he's volunteering) - see what I can find.

Question 1) How many windsurfers does it take to remove a post?

Question 2) How much do windsurfers need to discuss something before someone just does it?

Just to add to the discussion (which I'm sure appleman is finding increasingly frustrating!)

I've sailed at Dorans from a complete beginner through to not quite a beginner anymore. I've never been bothered by the posts. As a beginner I found them useful as a reference point to stay in the right depth water (waist-chest deep).

I thought they were easy enough to keep track of in most conditions (and I sail without prescription glasses). Maybe a big fishing float impaled on the top of them would aid visibility and reduce the risk of human/gear impalement?

If they are cut off, the risk of stepping on the remaining sharp ends should be considered. Maybe covering them with a bag of rapid set concrete?

Anyway my 2 cents worth, feel free to ignore as the mumblings of a beginner :-)

I don't normally ride there as most would know but just a question, is it better to have a navigation aid there or have someone do a serious injury. Even if the posts are marked there is still a chance of hitting them especially a beginner. If it was me I'd get rid of them, I think they are dangerous and not worth the risk.

Maybe Obama and Romley should debate this and the winner is the next US President.

Select to expand quote

xarvia said...
Just to add to the discussion (which I'm sure appleman is finding increasingly frustrating!)

I've sailed at Dorans from a complete beginner through to not quite a beginner anymore. I've never been bothered by the posts. As a beginner I found them useful as a reference point to stay in the right depth water (waist-chest deep).

I thought they were easy enough to keep track of in most conditions (and I sail without prescription glasses). Maybe a big fishing float impaled on the top of them would aid visibility and reduce the risk of human/gear impalement?

If they are cut off, the risk of stepping on the remaining sharp ends should be considered. Maybe covering them with a bag of rapid set concrete?

Anyway my 2 cents worth, feel free to ignore as the mumblings of a beginner :-)

Actually come to think of it Dorans was one of my learning places too, I think the posts back then all had little crosses on them.

A very worthwhile discussion.
I don't know your local situation but there are two steel posts at my local which are very helpful.
They mark the shallowest part of the sand bar and were deliberately placed by an enterprising windsurfer.
I don't know of any one who has run into the posts but there were plenty of catapults prior to their installation through people running aground at low tide. They now serve as orientation for the location of the rest of the sandbar which is also useful for catapult prevention and speed runs.
Initially the posts had that orange webbing around them which made them very visible. The webbing is gone now and they can be hard to see from a distance in low light or late afternoon, but no one has run into the posts that I know of.
Increased visibility would be an advantage. An orange witch's hat over the top or a colourful float impaled on the top would be very useful for finding them from a distance.

My points - a post which marks shallow water is useful and less harmful than not knowing where the shallows are - hence navigation markers on waterways.

The more visible that post is the more useful it will be.

I hope that helps

Ok, after looking at the viewpoints I've changed my mind, I'll vote for Barack I mean make them obviously obvious. (perhaps with padding on top).

I dont think Applebobbing was after a debate, theres no stopping his dictatoral ways. I actually like the markers and would be happy for them to stay. Unfortunately the marker with the cross on it is rusted through and poses a risk to our safety when it does fall apart again like last year. FOS did a make shift repair on it last time. If we, as a group decide that it is benificial to have a marker out there as a reference, then it will have to be a whole new structure not the current one that is past its used by date.

The only reason someone will run into them is if they don't see them, so make them easier to see. Although Fluro plastic is easy to see while it is new, it will soon fade to nearly white and be difficult to see especialy when there are white caps across the bay. Cray fishermen use Black flags to mark there pots. you can see them on the horizon from miles away. May bee wen can stick a piece of black polly pipe over the posts and some deliniater tape around the top. I will have a look at work for the materials. " If thats the way you decide to go. "

Yeah I think I'm the only dick that has hit the little post, the light was bad and the cross had fallen off the larger post so while dodging that I jibed straight into the small one, then I am an old blind dumb bastard.
Still I like this debate Appleman, well done cock you've got everyone's attention.
Being a true greenie I hate to see things being chopped down and would like to see these posts conserved and made more visible

I've got access to any diameter, wall thickness or length of black pipe we need. Appleblight is going to run his campaign under the cover of a Friday Dorans Road committee meeting. I'll check out the integrity of the post that is there. If it is capable of holding a new black pipe on it then it will come down to the decision of those with the shovels on the day. You just cant stand in the way of a German with a shovel!
Surely noone would run into a 3m high black pipe!

Apple scab.
We all voted nooooo to having them removed 3 years ago,
whats the change of mind now....
OH thats right, a developement was thrown in as a bonus.

Applepie has certainly got some neurons firing here.

If the pipes do stay and fall apart below water line then that will be a bigger problem to safety. If the buzz checks them out and ok then pipe on top good.
Toffee apple, Fos mentioned his tractor (if we can get a trailer ) to yank the pricks out next low tide in daylight hours.

I think we should continue this debate, the next super low tide is coming and it will be saturday/sunday morning with heaps of hands on deck.
Over to you Apple cider.

Heaps of passion over posts

I live on the Western Shore (so no voting rights) I will have to be Sweeden on this one

Russ

I'm tied of this debate, so lets talk about apples then......

This could be the biggest commitee meeting ever in dorans rd Friday night tea totlers missions. The small post is going. the one with the cross on it, (my head), will have its structural integrety sussed out. Talk is cheap, all considerations will be brought to the table, bring all materials ,fluro paint, spades, poly pipe, foam, you no what I mean. Friday low tide 4.30 pm. Action speaks louder than words, hope to see you there ,over and out .The fruit fly.

now who thinks we should build a descent ramp of stone and concrete and a wind shelter.
this could be a mass debate

& a hot shower please.

Hey appleslice - if we think laterally and put in more posts across the bay we would have a ready made slalom race course for all wind directions and it might even keep the kiters away. Friday evening is it then!

A bright yellow floating noodle would fit perfect on the post tapped or glued on

I think the existing posts should go, they a dangerous when the suns in the wrong spot or when its raining and gloomy.

New safer ones should go in if people really want them!

Applestreudle sounds like you're chairing the meeting at Dorans Friday night...........tea and bicky's will be served