Challenging Channel

Escorted along channel by marine rescue.

May 7th 2022 Nauti Time 062

Todays adventure is to tackle the channel and the bridge from the Lake to Swansea with out getting stuck again!

I have taken precautions and been in touch with marine rescue Lack Macquarie to ask the best timing and route through and they have actually offered an escort to show us the track to take. We are meeting them at the drop off (this is the name they have for the end of the channel where it enters the lake as it drops from 2-3 meters to 15 meters deep) at 2.45 which should give us maximum depth with the tide. If we do get stuck they can immediately pull us off. What a fantastic service. Here we go!

Wow! It was very nerve wracking and at the shallow part where we grounded last time we certainly touched a few times but fortunately managed to keep going through. The rescue guys were powering a bit but I slowed as I was concerned if we did hit I didn’t want it to be to hard a hit. In hind sight maybe with some speed we’d be more likely to push through. Anyway it wasn’t a problem as we came through ok and an added bonus was we got to the bridge as it was opening for another vessel coming in the marine rescue guys got the ok for us to go straight through rather than having to wait another hour for our scheduled opening. It made it so much easier just progressing through as we were well lined up and moving in right direction already. To our surprise there were divers in the water right in the passage through although close to the port wall so no chance of hitting them thank goodness. So here we are on a courtesy mooring ball outside the Swansea bridge ready for an early morning departure for Port Stephens tomorrow and we have the most magnificent sunset to end a great day.