With a friend a trip was planned from Brisbane Water to Lake Macquarie. To make the bar at Swansea a few hours before high tide and to allow for a leisurely trip we needed to get out of Brisbane Water by about 0500. Being still winter this meant that it would be dark and although there would be nearly a full moon the forecast was for high level cloud so there was going to be no help from the moon as we crossed the bar. We decided to stay on board for the night to get the best sleep after just a few drinks the night before. The rest of the forecast looked OK - W/SW winds with a moderate S swell. Even though the tide would be on the way down as we left there were no concerns about the bar because of the forecast W/SW winds. Experience had shown that with a runout tide combined with southerly winds ( especially strong ones ) and a big swell would make the bar difficult and even impossible to cross in safety - even when going out. In these conditions entering would be more hazardous.
     For the reader unfamiliar with the Brisbane Water bar and entry a little background is necessary. This entry / exit is one of the most difficult on the NSW coast - especially at night. At the bar the passage width is quite narrow - as little as 20 M or so, often with breaking waves and white water close by on the western side and of course there can be steep waves in the channel in the stated conditions. Once committed there is not enough room to turn a keel boat around - unless the water is really flat and at slack water. Further the area called 'Half Tide Rocks' is quite narrow for a keeled boat where the flow often reaches 4 Knots at the full flood or ebb. To top it off there are at least half a dozen places where local knowledge is necessary at / near low tide to avoid a grounding as shallow water extends even into the channels marked as navigable. These conditions mean that local mariners with keel boats usually exercise much caution in this waterway. For our departure we were intent on exercising caution but we saw no reason to have the wash boards in place or to don life jackets. After all the skipper had made plenty of bar crossings by both day and night in worse conditions than those forecast without any alarm - although on one occasion about 15 minutes was spent outside the bar studying the wave patterns before deciding to enter.
     Coming off the mooring around 0500 the only apparent divergence from the forecast was that the wind seemed to be a bit lighter than forecast - but as the wind in the bays is usually flukey this gave no cause for concern. It was certainly dark although the surrounding street lights gave plenty of illumination while still north of Half Tide Rocks. However, as we proceeded further south there were less lights and the water conditions could not be as easily seen. As we approached the bar there was no noticeable swell but a break could just be seen in the usual place and heard above the engine noise - we were doing 5 Knots. Almost immediately after passing the committal point a big wave was seen coming at an angle of about 30 degrees off the bow and there was almost no room to turn port into it. The wave was very steep and about 4-6 M high - fortunately without any white water. We had just enough speed to get over but we were thrown a further 30 degrees away from the wave line and quite a lot of stuff was shaken loose below. Fortunately with full power and just a little more room to meet the next one head on we were able to stay straight for this one which was just as big and there wasn't much more to shake loose below. The next waves were surprisingly small in comparison and we had escaped unscathed albeit with higher heart rates.
     The actual wind was lighter than forecast and closer to SSW - which had the effect of not flattening the waves as much as expected. Added to this was the higher swell than forecast which coupled with the local large swell effect in Broken Bay gave us the extra big waves. We should have had the wash boards in place & put on life vests: We should also have circled in a place as close to the bar as possible for a while to get the best idea of the actual conditions. If the light was not good enough for that we should have waited until the light was good enough to see the bar area properly. As it turned out there would have been plenty of time to do this as the trip to Swansea was quite fast in the eventual 20 - 25 K SW wind that developed just after daylight. In Sydney that day harbour traffic was severely curtailed because of the large swells entering the harbour.

    The scenario is a 28ft yacht with a skipper, his wife and an elderly aunt visiting from the country who had never been on a boat on Sydney Harbour. The plan was to sail on the harbour then go to Middle Harbour somewhere for the night and back out the following day. The weather was perfect with a cloudless sky and a light 10K southerly wind - the only unknown being the bridge opening times at the Spit. The intention was to sail up near the Spit bridge and see what could be found out from signs or other boats in the area - in mid afternoon to allow for waiting time and for finding a suitable anchorage for the night.
     Approaching the area of the Spit on a rising tide and anticipating a delay of perhaps an hour or so the aunt volunteered to make a brew and the skipper suggested his wife also help to cope with the vagaries of a primus type stove. The sails are still rigged but the outboard engine is left quiet to preserve the peace of the area - and the boat is progressing slowly and under adequate control. With the crew both below the skipper sees what looks to be a sign on one of the bridge pylons and decides to get close enough to read it. The sign is being approached from the south and close to the stone wall when the skipper realises that sail power alone will not be enough to stop the inflowing tide from pushing the boat on to or too close to the wall. He calls for help from below and tries to start the engine. As the wife emerges she is asked to help fend off the wall while the engine refuses to start. Unfortunately in her attempts to fend off the wife manages to get a hand caught between the gunwale and the wall - causing bad crushing and bleeding of her left hand. Abandoning attempts to start the engine the skipper goes to help his wife successfully free her hand. She is sent below for the aunt to administer first aid. Meanwhile further attempts to start the engine fail as the boat comes clear of the wall under the influence of the tide. The skipper manages to quickly drop the foresail to get better visibility but the mast now contacts the bridge.
     As the boat starts to heel the wife senses greater danger and asks should they come on deck and as an afterthought also asks if she should bring the flares. "Yes" to both. By now water is entering the cockpit and the wife asks if she should set off a flare with the skipper agreeing but that it should be done forward. At this point panic has taken hold and the flare is set off pointing downwards towards the sail lying on deck. The crew now has a flood in the cockpit, a fire on the foredeck, a badly injured hand, a very frightened aunt and a harassed skipper also badly frightened. At this stage God says "That's enough!" and breaks the single port stay. The boat pops upright, the fire is quickly extinguished and, as the cockpit drains, the boat drifts lazily under the bridge and the outboard starts. From start to finish took less than 5 minutes. No mention was made in the telling of the tale what anchor capacity was available.
     There are many lessons to this nasty incident but foremost among them is the failure to appreciate the tidal flow in a confined area coupled with a very late decision to start the engine - all down to the skipper. Even the fire is down to the skipper for failing to ensure the crew could use emergency equipment adequately.

     When we bought our boat there was no dinghy in the purchase. Fortunately I had an offer of a small fibreglass dinghy which the owner wanted off his hands. "It's a bit small and needs some work and you can have a few old oars as well". The dinghy was a bit under 1.6M long and a bit under 1M wide. So not looking a gift horse in the mouth I took possession and refurbished the lot. More glass on the dinghy bottom, new seats, rowlocks and towing ring and repaired and painted oars. At the same time I bought a good 2nd hand 2.5 HP Suzuki outboard and figured we were well prepared in the dinghy department to take delivery of the mother vessel. Some details of the outboard are relevant - there is no forward or reverse selection and the whole engine is rotated if reverse is required. There is a steering lever which protrudes about 20 cm in front of the engine body - this lever can be swung vertically through more than 180 degrees for travelling in reverse. Foolishly I did not have a trial run in the dinghy with the engine attached.
     The logistics of the delivery voyage were quite complex but we had the help of a young employee who had a vehicle and the keenness to help. Arriving in our home bay we went to the local jetty so our young crew could get the dinghy from the pre-positioned car and get it to the boat. At this point I made a mistake in not noticing how our crew managed to row the dinghy to the boat - I was below helping pack gear that was to be taken from the jetty to the car. He then returned to shore with the gear to take the car to a different area where the dinghy was to be stored. My wife and I took the boat to our mooring and with one fairly small bag prepared to go ashore in the dinghy. The outboard was taken from the lazarette and as I climbed down into the dinghy for the first time I vividly recall thinking how small it now seemed. Still undaunted I attached the outboard and thought I should really have tried the engine before this. However it fired up on the first pull so the omens looked good. The oars took up quite a lot of space and there was only about 20 cm freeboard before my wife climbed in. She noted this and remarked that it was a good job that we didn't go for a smaller dinghy. When she gets in the freeboard comes down to about 6 or 7 cm and we are ready after the boarding ladder has been folded and stowed with some difficulty. The dinghy is pointed away from the boat and, in the stern, I push the steering handle to the side so I can get at the starter cord and fire her up. Again the engine goes first time and the circus begins.
     The steering being to one side causes the dinghy to start a starboard turn but I can't get the lever to midships and I have to move & lean forward to do this. As I do my wife yells that water is coming in at her end and gives me a firm push rearwards as she moves away from the water entry. The lever stays where it was and we now approach the boat - fortunately looking like we will miss. As the dinghy starts its next orbit I make a further attempt to get the lever to a better position but fail again as my wife knows better than I just how little freeboard we have left and pins me firmly where I should be. It doesn't occur to me to push the steering arm further in the same direction and all the way round so plan 2 is quickly hatched as the boat is approached again - this time not to be missed. I finally got something right and managed to kill the engine on my first attempt and at the right time as we both grabbed at the mother boat's gunwale. At this stage just looks (maybe even glares) and no smiles. There was a little more to come after we emptied the dinghy and stowed the engine back in the lazarette. We climbed back into the dinghy to row to shore - of course with our backs to the front of the dinghy. We then found that our thighs were sitting so high that we could not get the oars in the rowlocks. For anyone looking, the curtain came down as we paddled the thing backwards for about 10 minutes to reach the dinghy area. About half way to shore we both saw the funny side and had a bit of a laugh at our situation. Unfortunately it all happened in daylight and, as we later found out, with a decent audience.
     We kept that dinghy for about six months while we searched for a more suitable alternative. Although the engine was never put back on it we managed to get to and from our boat without ever taking a drenching. It was actually much easier to paddle with two crew sitting in tandem and paddling on opposite sides for the most part. A normal size adult would have found it very difficult to row or paddle on their own.

            LESSONS
            1.    Always closely monitor inexperienced helmsman from the best position for a quick take-over.
            2.    Always log on to a safety service if available.
            3.    Always wear inflatable life jackets when they are available.
            4.    Stow items securely - tied down if they are heavy.  (Anchors, Boat Hooks etc.)
            5.    Have waterproof communications (Hand held) close by and ready to grab in emergency.