Crossing a bar can be the most dangerous boating we do, watch this video on timing a bar crossing.
This is the bar at Bermagui. You can see at the beginning the bar looks nice and calm. But then watch as it grows. Sometimes the lulls aren’t as long as this.
You must standoff and really watch and learn the sets. If the bar isn’t too bad you can pick a lull to steam across. Of course there are days when a bar should be left for another day (we’ve stood off all night waiting for a calm bar during the day).
Remember bars can be the most dangerous boating we do – there are lots of other aspects to consider as well, keep following us for more tips and advice.
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About Jackie and Noel
We are a husband and wife team. All our watery-life has been together, except for a few years (pre-wife), where Noel built boats and sailed a few oceans!
Now we combine our years of international recreational and commercial experience to demystify all things boating in a fun and logical way.
After all – a boat is a simple thing.
We share our experiences; in Navigation we turn paper-chart work into reality, and we explain the underlying reasons behind the processes and procedures through every element.
New skills breed confidence and go a long way to ensuring you stay safe on the water. That leads to becoming more relaxed while on board (it also helps combat seasickness!) and enjoying the cruising lifestyle more – that’s what we all want.
I have to say you must be a visitor to Bermi. While you commentary is not wrong and people should heed your advice the Bermi bar is different to many others in that the swell comes round the headland and starts to break at the isolated rock off the rock shelf but fades as it goes over the deeper water of the channel. It very very rarely actually last long enough to hit the western break wall. Now if you follow the leads you may just get some white water on your port side coming in BUT if you take a line west of the leads just prior to the entrance then you will be OK. It is impossible to ride on the back of these swell and difficult to gauge and get in between sets due to the swell direction. Again Bermi is different. Also take no notice of the guide book depths because the entrance has been dredged however keep close to the eastern rock wall as you come up the channel especially as you enter the harbour at the last starboard marker it get shallow. There is also a shallow spot to the east of the fuel dock near the floating pontoon. Bermi is my home port so I do have local knowledge
Hi Harry,
Many thanks for your response. We only provide general advice and it just so happens we got a good video of lulls to show what we mean.
Gaining local knowledge is another prerequisite (as are several other tips) – we were just addressing the lulls and will share other pieces of (general) advice down the line.
Appreciate the local advice you provided.
Jackie & Noel