You should ideally plan your bridge opening for 2 to 4 hours after high tide. There is also the bar to consider for depth.

Try to choose the last hour or so of the run in tide to make your way out the channel, it’s pretty fast, but easier to control not running into the bridge than with a run out tide. There is virtually no slack water, the change there is pretty quick and about two and a half hours after the stated high or low tide due to the size and volume of the lake.

The bottom conditions do vary, but as a guide, the minimum depth on the line of the leads, is approx. 1.4 metres plus the tide height. Any sea/swell will of course reduce the depth in the troughs by approx. half the wave height.

I haven't been in the channel since they've dredged it - I hope they keep it at that depth.

The Swansea channel is not one to be messed with. A half a dozen guys at LMYC who have transited the channel at least 100 times each all told me the best time to do it is 3 hours after the Fort Denison high tide.

The bottom looked mighty close when I did my transit following the above advice.

It is up to you buddy.

Hi Anystyle,

I last went through Swansea Channel on the 19th December, inbound.

The dredge is still working on the channel and was near the end of the airstrip when I last passed.

My Roberts draws five feet and the only time my sounder showed less than three feet under my keel was when I moved from the centre of the marked channel to allow other boats room to pass.

The seaward side of the bridge is no problem at all at the moment. The 'Drop Off' seems to have plenty of water and for the first time in my experience was wide and deep enough.

The lake side has a few temporary channel markers around the dredge that I slowed right down for as it is a bit of a dog-leg but there was plenty of water.

I have used the channel dozens of times over the years (I used to live on the lake) and I think the channel is the best it has been for many years.

The coast Guard might say the channel is 3m deep but my sounder didn't indicate that however for my almost 2m draft it was not a problem.

Another thing. If the tide has been going out for a few hours and particularly in the third or fourth hour the water just on the seaward side of the bride becomes very turbulent. On the way out this will only give you a bit of a steerage problem but on the way in it could be a major problem as it is immediately before the bridge entrance.

Of course the Swansea Bar still needs the respect it has earned.

Cheers, rick.

anystyle said..
Hi ALL
i'm leaving the lake for a trip up north, i rang coastguard who said the channel was dredged and is now 3m deep.. has anyone navigated the channel since xmas 2014. i draw 6 ft and was hoping not to have to go at high tide (midday) as the early morning is prefered departure time. Can i go at low tide given the dredging or is the coast guard info not quite right?

How far north are you going anystyle?

Just an update on Swansea Channel.
I came through on Saturday and the dredge is no longer in the channel. I could not see it in the lake anywhere near the channel so I am guessing the dredging work is done for the time being.
Happy sailing.