Lakes Entrance - Our First Bar Crossing

Being at the end of a long and sometimes rowdy overnight passage across Bass Strait from Flinders Island, our dawn arrival at the Lakes Entrance ocean bar was a test to be reckoned with.

The Lakes Entrance bar is notorious and has claimed 150 lives and not to be messed with. We were certainly paying attention; no risk of nodding off.

Prior to leaving Hobart and in anticipation of this moment we had made multiple enquiries of people with experience of the bar. Indeed our new Club - the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania (RYCT) has a super resource document on the subject. We poured over the contents. Andy Fullard who we'd met at the Tamar YC at Beauty Point had also sent some important links from Gippsland Ports. From him we learned that the bar is extensively dredged these days and does not represent quite the hazard of former times. 

We also phoned the Paynesville Coast Guard a few days before departure from Flinders Island both to advise them of our trip plan and to glean any extra information. The Coast Guard would not commit to a 'best time' as such and advised that the ocean bar is subject to not only the tide state but also the wind and sea state (swell) and recent rainfall so it wasn't quite as simple as the state of the tides. Besides, they asked, did we prefer to come in on an ebb or flood tide? Never having crossed one before, how could we have preference?  The 'most safe time' was our preference thank you very much!  It was agreed that we'd contact them again for advice when nearing the entry.  

If the bar entrance channel is unknown the Flagstaff LED's are unlit. If it is closed, the green light is changed to a yellow one.  Then you do not pass GO; do not collect $200; and are in a 'hell in a handbag' situation because there is NOWHERE to go for near 100nm in either direction; only Port Welshpool to the West or Eden around Gabo Island to the NE.

We had deliberately allowed our boat speed to drop some hours out when it was apparent that continuing at 5knots or better, would have our arrival coincide both pre-dawn and low tide.

Arriving 15 minutes ahead of us, Easy Rider made the first contact for the day with the Coast Guard and were informed that the conditions at the bar were calm and there was 6 knots of breeze. We had already looked at the webcam plus the winds tide and weather pages. They were also advised to consult with Gippsland Ports. That's a neat way to dodge a bullet. We could imagine the pre-dawn conversation with a public servant that would in all probability continue the formation of a circle that would then be closed with the rider that Mariners should exert extreme caution and judge for themselves.

We watched the feint outline of Easy Rider's stern view dance through the heads and in no time at all their mast could be seen turning sharply to starboard as they proceeded towards a jetty somewhere up a welcoming and sheltered waterway.

OK, our turn. They'd got through. Hoping that 15 minutes didn't make a difference, we called in, had the same non committal conversation and proceeded.

The blue triangle (flagstaff) was lit and the dredged channel alignment indicated by the vertical blue line. No indication of a yellow light. Officially, it was open. We were already clipped in with our life jackets on, as we had been all the trip. Nothing for it but creep towards the target. Getting the camera out was unthinkable - the Bloke was already so tense he could almost deform the helm with his fingers. We surfed this way and that as the small swell pushed us slightly off course first one way and then that. Those blue markers just had to align!

We don't remember breathing until the smooth water was all around us and it was time to turn off up the channel.

 A most welcome sight - calm, calm, still water.

Looking back at the data, we should have waited until around 10:00 if focusing only on the tide. We had transited the bar with a 3.1kn ebb tide at around 08:40. With the expectation of poor weather on our heels, we didn't really want to hang about. The wind was very light (6 knots) and the swell under 1m. We got through just fine, even if our knuckles were white and we could smell the rubber of that new V belt burning - the Bloke had just revved the motor right off the dial!

Actual and predicted Tide and Current measurements.

A great general article of the subject of bar crossings is to be found at http://www.mysailing.com.au/news/getting-over-river-bars-safely