I'm interesting in hearing from yachties who have crossed the River Murray bar, as in actually entered the River from the Southern Ocean - not merely passed the mouth on the Coorong side. According to the "Murray River Pilot" it was a common thing in olden days before the river boat trade died.
"From 1887 to 1891, on 970 days in that period the seas were light and the entrance navigable. On 260 days seas were heavy and on 170 days the seas were dangerous. Steamers passed through on voyages between the Murray and Darling River ports and Adelaide and Melbourne. Then the trade died and passages ceased."
In other words it was considered navigable 69% of the time back then, albeit before the River was tamed with barrages, locks and irrigation.
The River is flowing strongly again and the channel should be deep.
I'd love to take my cat into the Coorong one day...
Update:
I inquired with the SA Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) and received a call from Peter Hearn there.
He informed me that there are no restrictions to crossing the River Murray Mouth bar and commercial vessels continue to do so. There are no navigational aids however, since the exact location of the Mouth is constantly changing. Currently the Mouth is moving south again, eroding the tip of Younghusband Peninsula in the process. He recommends crossing at high tide, but tidal range is not great - typically approx ~1m. The most important thing, just like in the olden river boat days, is doing it on a flat day.
Would still be interested in hearing if anyone has done it recently.
My suggestion is get into a 4WD or even walk down from the car park and have a personal look see.
How big is your Catamaran, will it fit into the barrage to enter the lake system?
To answer gizmo, I can't pass through the Goolwa Barrage lock which is only 20' wide, as the beam of my cat is 21'8" (6.67m). That said, I'm more interested in exploring the Coorong than going up the River though.
There isn't a lot to explore on the Coorong side as it is VERY shallow so you will be limited to this lee side of the peninsula. A weekend in a hire Trailer Sailor would keep you satisfied. Failing that a day trip on the Coorong Explorer might be worth while.
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Land-Yacht-Sailing/Events-Competitions/Beach-Blast/
