Yacht runs aground at Noosa

[iggybr]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Noosa not only is not an entry port, but no one in his right mind would attempt that bar with that deep a keel anyway!

There are some cats up there, but that's all. No deep keel boats.

Anyhow, somethings are very wrong about this story. Sad pic of the boat, in any event.

Ann

Almost correct! We do have keel boats inside. No one in his right mind would attempt crossing the bar in anything less than a full tide and certainly not without contacting the ever so helpful Noosa coastguard. In addition to strange, the boat hails from Mooloolaba, a scant 20 miles south with a deep water entry protected by a jetty. Local (including myself) theories are running rampant.

[Boardshorts]

We know Noosa well and the problem with crossing is that the sand bars shift almost monthly. Local knowledge, high tides and.a phone call to the great Volunteer Marine Rescue team are crucial. I believe you can get them to guide you in for a donation. The river is very shallow at present (sand build up after dry winter) so they would have probably run aground trying to get to the deeper holes inside The Woods area even if they got through the river mouth. Shame !

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by iggybr

Almost correct! We do have keel boats inside. No one in his right mind would attempt crossing the bar in anything less than a full tide and certainly not without contacting the ever so helpful Noosa coastguard. In addition to strange, the boat hails from Mooloolaba, a scant 20 miles south with a deep water entry protected by a jetty. Local (including myself) theories are running rampant.

I bow to your more intimate knowledge of the area, sir.

Welcome aboard.

Ann

[Sardean]

I have been crossing Noosa bar for over 15 years in power boats and have found the coast gaurd having to change their approach due to red tape. You used to be able to phone them up and they would give you current depth and sandbar conditions. Now due to insurance restrictions the only help I have been able to obtain is an escort accross the bar. The lovely volunteers must be quite frustrated as their advice on bar conditions would save so many rescues and disasters. According to their Facebook page, the Coast guard was in contact with the yacht prior to the failed crossing, if their hands weren't tied up in red tape they could have mentioned current bar conditions and the yacht may have diverted to mooloolabah. I am of the opinion that Coast Guards should be exempt from litigation for giving out current bar condition reports. This would reduce bar crossing tragedies

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[mawtty]

Not the first yacht, coming in from the east, to bust up on our beaches.
Sailing is like flying. Don't take off if you don't know how to land!

[Twilight 2]

Thanks for this chat. I was thinking of visiting there when I travel from NZ.
Now I know to forget it from the ocean side. Last time was in a car, maybe motorbike next. I wonder if I would have found this Info when I arrived. A bit scary to pick up critical information by a lucky browse on this post.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Sardean

I have been crossing Noosa bar for over 15 years in power boats and have found the coast gaurd having to change their approach due to red tape. You used to be able to phone them up and they would give you current depth and sandbar conditions. Now due to insurance restrictions the only help I have been able to obtain is an escort accross the bar. The lovely volunteers must be quite frustrated as their advice on bar conditions would save so many rescues and disasters. According to their Facebook page, the Coast guard was in contact with the yacht prior to the failed crossing, if their hands weren't tied up in red tape they could have mentioned current bar conditions and the yacht may have diverted to mooloolabah. I am of the opinion that Coast Guards should be exempt from litigation for giving out current bar condition reports. This would reduce bar crossing tragedies

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Would you be able to post the law about that, please?

The reason I ask is that I thought they could report bar conditions, "it is breaking all the way across," but not give judgments : "it is safe or unsafe to cross the bar at this time." Is this incorrect?

Are the rules for Qld different from NSW ? Perhaps so, because I heard a VMR ask a sailboat skipper, "do you see any fishing boats leaving?" This was followed by, "Why do you think that might be?" This was on a day when I would have said (if asked) "the bar's unsafe," but I think (don't know for sure) they are prohibited from such judgment calls in NSW.

Ann

[donradcliffe]

The Bene looks like an Oceanis 343, draft about 1.9M. That bar is tricky in a powerboat.

[Sardean]

Hi Ann
I have contacted the Noosa coastguard by phone and in person on many occasions to try and get local knowledge of the current bar conditions and have had no success. In my 7.9m powerboat I have given up on getting bar condition report and just make my own assessment. I have been crossing bars on the east coast of NSW and QLD for 30 years and would love to get local knowledge of the noosa bar but cant... Now I have a Yacht and it is far less forgiving in a bar than a powerboat so once again I tried every Avenue to get local knowledge of Noosa Bar but could not. So I got an escort in . The coastguard is excellent but the policy of not giving out local knowledge in my opinion is dreadfull. Tin can Bay Coast guard did give the recommended current course through wide Bay bar last time I went through. So maybe its only Noosa??

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[kbmanufacturing]

Gday All
Now I did read here that the boat called the coast guard before crossing. But I had a little sigh when I saw the sign on the coast guard tower for boats heading out to see but none for boats coming in.

[Sardean]

Even the charts state seek local knowledge but thats hard to find especially when coastguard Noosa tells you they cant give out current depth or the recommended latest channel. In my opinion this information may have saved the yacht as they could have made an informed decision.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Would you be able to post the law about that, please?

The reason I ask is that I thought they could report bar conditions, "it is breaking all the way across," but not give judgments : "it is safe or unsafe to cross the bar at this time." Is this incorrect?

Are the rules for Qld different from NSW ? Perhaps so, because I heard a VMR ask a sailboat skipper, "do you see any fishing boats leaving?" This was followed by, "Why do you think that might be?" This was on a day when I would have said (if asked) "the bar's unsafe," but I think (don't know for sure) they are prohibited from such judgment calls in NSW.

Ann

My suspicion is that there would be no law about it. It would be a policy decision based around a false idea of liability. And Liability is easily overcome by simply emphasising that the advice on current conditions is advice only and the skipper must make his/her own determination. As long as they don't make a recommendation of what the skipper should do, then there is no liability.

Port Phillip Head, in Victoria and St Helen's in Tasmania are two such places where the local coast guard will give such advice and it's recommended people ask for it. A friend of mine recently sailed to St Helen's and on approaching called them and their advice was to turn back as it was too dangerous to enter. He did so. That's the sort of local knowledge that is welcome by most sailors I suspect.

[Cheechako]

Well..... they didn't say he had just arrived from Mexico.

[olaf hart]

Originally Posted by iggybr

Almost correct! We do have keel boats inside. No one in his right mind would attempt crossing the bar in anything less than a full tide and certainly not without contacting the ever so helpful Noosa coastguard. In addition to strange, the boat hails from Mooloolaba, a scant 20 miles south with a deep water entry protected by a jetty. Local (including myself) theories are running rampant.

Friends with a centerboard shoal draft keel boat who live at Noosa, are keeping their boat at Moloolaba at the moment, getting out is as big a problem as getting in.

They draw less than 4', say the bar is shallow at the moment because of the drought.

[Sardean]

I have attached a response from Noosa coastguard to a question asked on their Facebook page " what did the coastguard tell them".

My opinion is that as a result of Noosa coastguards policy to not give out any information many unnecessary boating accidents including this one occur on Noosa bar.

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