This afternoon several windsurfers struck the output pipe from the dredge in Safety Bay resulting in damaged and lost fins. I also heard off one of the windsurfers that a kiter also struck the pipe with his rail.
If you are coming to sail the pond be aware that this dredge pipe is unmarked and the color blends in with the weedbeds it runs across so it is difficult to see.
Apparently the pond is now completely out of bounds whilst they are dredging owing to complaints from the work team of kiters/windsurfers sailing straight through the buoyed zone whilst they are dredging. (It was posted on the windsurfing wa site on Facebook)
I'm surprised no ones posted on here about it already. As I understand it we can sail there whilst they are not dredging though, definitely no sailing through the exclusion zone though, I would imagine there to be some sort of sign posting to that effect at the pond by now.....
Windsurfing and kiting don't appear to really be on the local councils agenda at all with regards to the area, despite the input the local windsurfers and kiters have been giving them.....
Wouldn't think too much longer Anita. The channel is done and the markers are in place. The barge is now sitting just inside of the bank so the speed run is still accessible. At the moment the dredging pipe runs parallel with the speed bank but the tides are making it less of an obstacle than 3 weeks ago. Should be good tomorrow.
Wouldn't think too much longer Anita. The channel is done and the markers are in place. The barge is now sitting just inside of the bank so the speed run is still accessible. At the moment the dredging pipe runs parallel with the speed bank but the tides are making it less of an obstacle than 3 weeks ago. Should be good tomorrow.
Thanks for that. Is the pipe down the middle of the speed bank?
Probably should have posted this earlier but one of my mates spotted a massive shark about 5 metres west of the dredge last Thursday afternoon at around 5.30pm. Was sailing along the sandbar in the SE when he saw it. At first he thought the fin was one of the markers so it can only be assumed to be a very large fish. Apparently it was just cruising by heading in a NW direction towards Penguin Island.
Yes Barge is still at top of speed run with its exclusion zone buoys well spread out. The pipe is mostly in deeper water and will not be a problem unless you are sailing at low tide and you can't see it until too late. Sharks are always there, it's just a matter of if anyone sees them. Decapitation by kite is still the biggest danger to sailing at safety bay.
