G'day Team,
While mucking around with the kids at Primbee on the SUP yesterday, I came across this submerged beasty. Looks like a VERY large and solid sleeper. It is mostly buried and probably doesn't protrude above the lake bed much (?!?) but it does sit in a very high traffic area, and if you are dragging your fin through the mud at all.....!
I got some GPS coordinates on it as per the pics. You can also approximate it's position by lining up the middle of the IYC boat ramp with the westernmost tip of the Primbee Jetty, as show on the map.
Anybody got a spare marker buoy?
PS - saw 5 stingrays as well, 2 of a reasonably size - I hope they don't have a tendency to hang around when the speed sailing westerleys kick in.
Cheers...Eckers.
Whoa! Just confirms my instinct to adhere to the WSSRC regulations, ( even if I currently don't have a working GPS.)
Here's Sailquick's "do as I say not as I do" wisdom from the recent LG thread.
"
The WSSRC specify a minimum depth of 50cm for their records. Thus the Luderitz Canal was supposed to be that minimum depth and was certified as such by their 'observer'. "
Of course there could be larger obstacles in 500mm of water we don't know about, but not as many of them, and more of a buffer if you do hit them.
I try not to think about it
If we knew how much crap is laying out there none of us would be game to sail out there. I've been thinking we should do a SUP mission one weekend soon to mark any new hazards. Some plastic containers and rope would do as marker buoys.
Never fear, your friendly, local Speedsters OH&S sub-committee of Eckers and Jetlag have remedied the situation (with the help of some other kind soul who had already tied a float to the sleeper and moved it about 2m. Bring on Saturday's southerly!
Top stuff guys!
Yeah the strip is probably due for a scan again before the westerlies start again (fingers crossed). You can normally find a collection of crab pots and other debris after the summer season .
After removing that little obstacle, Eckers & I paddled in search formation most of the way to Windang and then returned on a wider path. There are two larger tree trunks that are already marked with buoys, no moving these guys. Just picked up some small garbage on the way but looks sweet apart from that. Based on MT's little mishap I will plan to do the same at Mt Warrigal one day.
Great job Eckas and Jetlag, thanks very much, its amazing how much rubbish has been pulled out of the lake over the last few years
I actually thought about that sleeper when i was out there today but didn't realise you had removed it. Great work!
I remember back in the early 80's as a kid growing up in the local area, Wollongong City Council used to have Front End Loaders cleaning all the weed build up and crap left from the fisherman/patrons that was washed up on the foreshore, then loaded and taken away with trucks.
Hay Old Silver Fox remember thoses days all so long ago, Stu do you remember the old beer can boat race at the IYC. The fun as kids was no limits.
Well done for the removal of the sleeper ??
good work - now all you need to do is pull on yer hulu skirts and do a wind dance for a big westerly!.
Hit something yesterday, an almighty jar up through the fin box, first run, still a little tender in the body parts above the back footstrap. Looked back and saw a black Nessie-shaped log rolling in the chop. Near those couple of cray pot drink bottle things ~ 800 metres south of the launch 2-300 metres from shore. Went back to find it, one more sighting and it disappeared! Loch Ness monster style. Maybe it's slowly rolling towards shore, or maybe I disturbed it and it has resettled.
Anyway my own fault. Even though I was only doing 45kph, ( is that the correct unit to use if you hit bottom? It's hardly a nautical thing) , I was flaunting my self- imposed minimum water depth of 500 mm. You could still hit something in 500 mm I suppose, but there's some sort of size distribution of things lying on the bottom so I'd say the chances are lower. Watch out! Live to sail another day.