Slaughter wrote:
It's in the diary Tony. Family commitments always rein supreme, but so far things look good for me to attend.
Puget - Put the coffe on.
Slaughter, I caught up with Nick Richards, a NSW Maritime Boating Safety Officer, this morning. He is very familiar with Hobie Islands, and doesn't believe we would have much chance of sailing through the open channel from Smith Lake to the ocean and back.
On the last four occasions of the opening, he estimated that none of them would have presented suitable conditions, due to high tidal flows plus surf on the outside. Given that trip to Seal Rocks would require 2-3 hours at least, there would be little possibility for conditions to be suitable for both exit and return. He added that the sand on either side of the channel would be highly aerated (like the sandbank in the middle of the Forster channel), which acts almost like quicksand (I sank in it up to my knees t the Forster sandbank), making even bailing out rather hazardous.
For all that, he has given me his mobile number, and I suspect that if we gave him sufficient warning, he could be nearby with his fancy twin Honda outboard RIB to keep a watchful eye over us...