Crossing Wide Bay Bar

26^th April 2012 - 0515hr

25’56.042 E – 153’10.247 S

Surise at Double island Point

A cold dark night.

Waking really refreshed (not!), the Skipper and the Decky get underway. There seems to be a problem with the STB gears; there will not go into reverse and so ALANA ROSE goes round in circles as we execute the anchor lift. There is no time to sort this out, time to get going, time to get over the Wide bay Bar while condition are just ok. The wind is still from the W at 15 and there is a small 1/1.5mt ESE swell causing a bit of a washing machine effect. We get to the outside waypoint of the Bar at 0815 (high tide would be at 1047hr). It is an interesting crossing with mixed sloppy seas, heaps of small white waves breaking due to the wind against tide; mildly uncomfortable but doable. The Bar would not have been passable with a bigger swell running or higher wind strength.

Water across the southern sandbar

Wide Bay Bar crossing

Boats follow us across the Wide Bay Bar