Narooma: plan for the trip home before going out
You are taking a trailer boat offshore from Narooma with two friends. You have practised this bar with an experienced local skipper. The morning looks manageable, but the forecast suggests more swell and an ebb tide around your planned return.
Before you read the solution: what would you do?
True or false?
Decide each statement before you see the answer.
The bar webcam looked flat for a moment, so I can skip the other checks.
Choose shelter and swing room, avoid hazards and sensitive habitat, and confirm the anchor holds.
I am under sail, so a big ship in a Harbour channel must give way to me.
Open-water boundaries may begin inside an entrance; enclosed water can still hide serious hazards.
Anchoring by the stern keeps the cockpit conveniently near the beach.
Know the buoy category and approach slowly with minimal wash.
If the bar gets rough halfway across, I will turn side-on and head back.
It is inside the entrance, so enclosed-water equipment must be enough.
Keep right, keep well clear of big ships in channels and know the local exclusions.
Going out, control your approach to each wave; coming in, stay on the back of a swell.
Adults can leave their lifejackets beside them for a short bar crossing.
Check both crossings and have a safe alternative if you cannot return over the bar.