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Swansea Channel a deterrent for boaters, says Marine Rescue volunteer

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The Swansea Channel in Lake Macquarie is “restricting the amount of deepwater boats that could come in here and enjoy the lake”.

That’s according to Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie’s Lee Baines, who says the area “needs consistent attention and some research”. 

“There’s a localised point in the channel that silts up with sand,” the volunteer said.

“There’s usually a dredging program in place where they dredge this particular location to make sure boats with a deep keel can get through the lake safely.

“But, at the moment, it is silting up and becoming a problem.

“Deep keel boats like a larger yacht with a draft of anything above 1.5 metres could hit the sand bank.

“It’s known widely in local circles as the dog leg because the channel turns sharply at this location to direct boats across this area, so it is just a quirk of the tidal flow that takes sand and deposits it in this location.”

If a vessel cannot get across the channel they need to seek assistance from a contractor who can help pull the boat across. 

“Local contractors have to be engaged to pull the yacht over using halyards off the mast so they heel it over at an angle and then they drive it through this particular area,” Mr Baines said.

“Marine Rescue crew are often engaged by these boat owners to do what we call a channel assist so we will steer them through the channel, the contractor may heel them over and, if they get stuck, we will be on standby to pull them through.

“It can involve damage and pulling a boat over from the halyard using another boat is expensive and it can also sustain damage so it is a risky operation.”

It’s a problem Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie encounters on a regular basis.

In the past week, four vessels have been impacted by the depth of the channel and needed assistance.

Mr Baines adds it’s a deterrent for many boaters. 

“It is restricting the amount of deepwater boats that could come in here and enjoy the lake,” he told Newcastle Weekly

“Once they get through this part of the channel and they’re out into the deeper water they cruise around and have a great time but it definitely turns people off.”

According to Mr Baines, the best solution is consistent dredging. 

“Obviously the ideal situation is when the location is dredged and there is enough water for these boats to pass through,” he said.

“That’s what we would like to see happen and there is a dredging program afoot with a budget of $6.2 million but that involves dredging a number of locations up the NSW coast.

“Dredging is the solution but also if they did a hydrographic survey maybe there is another channel that could be used as a back up.

“There is something that is referred to as the airforce channel and if that was researched and approved as an alternate channel maybe there could be two options to get vessels safely into the lake but it will need consistent dredging, that is the only thing that can happen.

“It is just a natural event that occurs through the tidal effects.”

As we come into the busy holiday period, Mr Baines says Marine Rescue expects that more boats will need help to get through the channel. 

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