MorningBird said..
Personally I can’t see the use for it. It isn’t something I’d rely on for navigation. A chart plotter and depth sounder is the standard. I also used a physical chart when sailing offshore. I’d plot a position each watch so that if I lost electronics or gps I’d know a start point for DR nav.
Interesting. So obviously you've never club raced in Botany Bay, Kogarah Bay or Port Hacking. The shifting sands of time. James Cook went north to the harbour from Stingray Bay for a very good reason - and then had to safely navigate the Sow and Pigs to get to Farm Cove - and back out. Of course there are many dredging projects underway now or on the to-do list. Seems like the list here doesn't include Port Hacking which kicked off in 2023 . So getting out of the moorings in Kogarah Bay needs steering to the east side of the bay - as far east as you can but don't run into the new marina extension which has stolen a large area of valuable sailing ground............get out east of the Captain Cook bridge and sail down the river to try and get out into the bay proper inside the many channel markers - good luck. Club racers well know where shifted sand bars are now, also exposing rock shelves, well inside the channel markers. Gently nudge a sandbar of depth 25-50mm less than your draft at low speed might be ok - hitting it or a rock shelf at 10kts plus coming back down the channel to finish the race in Kogarah Bay - forget it - don't do it. So what is the minimum low tide (max yearly low tide) depth that should be between channel markers in similar navigable waters? As in a straight line between all channel markers? If your answer is not greater than 2.5m then please advise the reason for your answer.
www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/dredging-projects
