ENTERING LAKE MACQUARIE

[brendan.lyon]

All - I am planning a sail from Sydney to Lake Macquarie sometime in the next 6 months with a few friends. My question is really about the difficulty of entering the channel through Swansea. Have any other tophatters done this sail - and have you got any tips?

I am planning Botany - Pittwater on the first day, then Pittwater to Lake Mac -

Any advice appreciated.

[Dolphin]

G'Day Brendan,
I am planning a similar one way trip in the next few weeks. I am moving my boat Felicite to the lake from Pt Hacking.
I spoke to Coastal Patrol who look over the upper part of the channel and they suggest doing it at the top of a spring tide. There is about 1.2 to 1.5m at the drop off I/m told and this is the shallowest part of the lake. Coast Guard look over the bar and there are now leads on the approach. Stay at least 300m east of Moon Islet.
The tides are different to the open sea. The lake changes only about 200mm.
I did the trip before about 7 years ago and it was no worse than Pt Hacking. There is another Top Hatter in the lake on the website, he might have more info.
It is a good cruising ground with heaps of shore facilities. Just remember that it is a no discharge zone so use the shore facilities. There is a map, yes its not a chart, from waterways that is very helpful to show shore facilities and regulated areas. That's about $6 and its water proof. There are some reefs south of Pulbah island to be aware of.
A trip up to the lake by road to see what is here and to speak to the locals I found was of huge benefit. Check out RMYC Toronto, and Lake Macquarie Yacht Club (LMYC) as these can be used for a short time stay and are near shopping centres. Belmont 16 footers is a great club, a short walk from LMYC but is only used by off the beach boats. You can tie up at Wangi workers wharf but there is practically no shopping there.
The bridge needs one hours notice to open in the day and 6 hours at night, book it through Coast Guard or Coastal Patrol on your way up. There are wharves at either side of the bridge and courtesy moorings to wait on. The tide can be fairly strong with a Beneteau (Psyco) reporting that it had its rudder damaged by the tide when it changed while tied up to the wharf.
There are sharks in the lake, numerous blue ringed octopus in the northern part and Razor fish (look them up) in the southern part. Never go in the water without shoes on.
I suppose as I'm now a local of 6 weeks I should tell you that its a terrible place and to keep going, but it is good cruising.
if i remember I'll let you know how I go.
Greg.

[Dolphin]

G'Day Brendan,
I also found this in my trawling around. It shows the tide levels along the channel.
http://www.livinglakemacquarie.org/file ... hannel.pdf

There is also a page on the BOM site that has the lake levels on it, to wit;
http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDN60233/IDN6 ... .plt.shtml

If you compare the tide heights in the lake with Newcastle tides at Nobbys Head you will find that there is a 2 to 2 1/2 hour lag. That was confirmed by the Coastal Patrol who said "the tide changes 2 hours along the channel". If you arrive at the Swansea Bar 2 hours after high tide you should be on slack water I guess.
Greg
Felicite Mk III

[brendan.lyon]

That's great - many thanks for the guide.

I have no experience crossing bars so will read extensively before I give it a go, but looks like a good sail. I know the lake well, just not the entry.

Brendan.

[Dolphin]

G"Day Brendan,
At the risk of appearing to be an expert, which I am far from, crossing bars is not to be taken lightly but it is fairly easy.
Read Alan Lucas's Cruising the NSW Coast it gives a good amount of information.
He usually recommends that you enter on a half tide to a fulltide as this is the time of an inflowing tide and if you get stuck it is usually a short time before you can refloat.
In 92 My wife and I cruised to Gt Keppel Is. We used to do the following;
Get the copy of the guide for that port and note where the bar, leads etc are.
Tell the local volunteer boat organisation that you are coming in and ask for the current conditions on the bar. Some have a standard set of instructions that they will read to you.
Put on life jackets, that is mandatory in NSW when crossing bars.
Close the boat up,ie put in the storm boards. Start the engine, usually no sails set.
Sit off the bar for, at the very least, 10 minutes to see the set of 3 big waves go through. They're usually every 10 minutes.
Once you're sure they are the big set and they have passed go in. NEVER turn around on a bar. If you have mistimed the entry and there is a big set behind, you must keep going or you will broach.
We are lucky leaving Sydney and going north as the bars get gradually more difficult.
Port Hacking has an internal bar at Burraneer Point and its never usually dangerous.
Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour and Broken Bay don't have bars.
Swansea is protected by Moon Island, Don't enter after an established Nor Easter. It can be entered on the top half of the tide. The bottom half of the tide is a run out. The Swansea Bar is actually a coal seam that has been dug out so it doesn' move. The water will get dark as you go over it.
Ballina bar is one of the worst on the coast as it doesn't have any protection and the bar is out at sea. I'd avoid it at all costs. If you do get in, you may have to wait some time (days) to get out.

Hope it helps.
Greg

[Dolphin]

G'Day again Brendan,
I was talking to the mooring contractor and he said the level of the lake more depends on the barometric pressure than anything else. When there is a low over the area the lake level rises. He said that in the june storms (2009) that the low pressure combined with high rainfall caused the level of the lake to come up to just below the level of the 16 footers, flooded his street and has been known to rise up to 1m above the average level. He also said that they regularly take an Adams 10 through the channel without any problems.
The Maritime NSW tide tables at http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDN60233/IDN6 ... .plt.shtml show the times of high and low in the lake as being a high lag of 2h 50mins and the low a lag of 30mins. According to the mooring contractor it is a lag of 2:30 for both High and Low tides. However the lake doesn't change much unless there is a significant weather event happening.
All the best.
Greg.

[Phillip]

Morning All,

Try this tide chart site.

http://tide-times.com.au/localtime_NSW/ ... _lake.html

Phillip
SEAKA

[robf]

Hi all

Sailed a Cavalier 28 from Pittwater overnight a few months back and arrived at Swansea about 8am. Take the leads in past Moon Island and then there's a sharp turn to starboard to follow the channel in to the bridge. We had no problems on the high tide. Took Isabella II out of the lake about 10 years back (bought her from Lake Mac yacht Club) and touched the sand in the channel west of the bridge, but there's been dredging since. Heed the advice about avoiding a NE swell. Moon Island protects the bar from SE and southerly weather though. Good luck - my sister's Cavalier 28 gets out every weekend on the lake and they love it! Marks Point marina and slipway is good for advice and possible casual mooring - and a shower!

Cheers

Rob
Isabella II

[Dolphin]

G'Day, here is a statement from the local state member regarding dredging dated 16th June 2009. Work was expected to start in late July. Lets see what happens.
http://www.lands.nsw.gov.au/_media/land ... edging.pdf

Greg. Felicite.

[Dolphin]

And yet more useless rubbish from Greg.
I just found the soundings on the channel from the Swansea Bridge to Marks Pt that were done in May 2009.
That should take the guesswork out of the trip. Local knowledge from Coastal Patrol will still be handy.

http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/publications/hydro.html

All the best, Greg.