Just thought i would let people know that one of the marker poles, which sits in between the port and starboard marker buoys, has washed away. This marker sat next to the "bloody great rock", which has actually shown itself above water at times with the very low tides of late.
It claimed one fin and later, one board, yesterday.
Yeah i found that "bloody great rock" today!
It was great sailing out there, but the only problem was, that it was an ultra low tide aka NEAP tide!
Its always fun to body drag over sea urchins!!!
Yep, it,s getting dodgy to sail there in a low tide. As well as that mark missing the one at the city end of the reef has gone, I use this one to sail around the reef if I am on big gear and long fins. It,s really tricky now to find the end of the reef when you are coming in.
I would think the yacht club would want to do something about it, can see some trashed boats on the horizon but I may contact them and see if they intend to.
Maybe there will be a (small) upside to sea level rise...
PS You may have a very weak case against the Port of Melbourne Authority since our high and low tides are a few cm higher and lower than they were before dredging. Since the deepening more water can move in and out of the bay.
PPS On the subject of hazards at Ricketts, was just reading the other day that there are quite a few Blue-ringed Octopus there (Source: City of Bayside's Banksia Bulletin). The author of the article said he now never puts hands/feet where he can't see them. (Also read somewhere else ages ago that someone estimated there are 40,000 Blue-ringed Octopus in the bay - though note that I've just imbibed a heady ale and may have that number a little skewed. Funny that with such a large number of small and deadly octopus that we never hear of anyone having an unfortunate meeting with one. Apparently one blue ring octopus has enough venom to kill 26 adults within minutes. Aye Carumba. Death is via paralysis of respiratory muscles during which the victim is completely conscious. If you come across a victim, carry our mouth to mouth (or similar EAR) for a couple of hours till the toxins are metabolised and full recovery should occur. Source: Wikipedia).
PPPS Condolences to all those who have lost boards, fins or dermal material at Ricketts.
Crikey... i read that about the Blue Ringed Octopus's about being able to kill 26 adults.
Great, so not only do we have to watch out for submerged rocks, sea urchins but now Blue Ringed Octopus's!
Should make sailing fairly interesting!
But really, do we ever put our feet on the ground in the rocks?
Jaws, ate the marker. I was out there the other day ripping it up on me wave gear, when all of a sudden, I hear this huge munnnch. It was the mr. altona shark. He had come across the bay for a feed, that's ok ,it's his territory.
Where is the "bloody great rock" located - can anyone highlight it on google earth?
Yeah blue ring octupie - I have seen one around the rocks at williamstown beach while snorkeling (amongst the shopping trolley etc
). What scares me is we get a few islander folk on the warmer days - they "forage" for hours in, around and under all the rocks and catch and eat everything - urchins, crabs etc. I keep telling them about the blue ringers but they keep saying "its cool bro!". Unfortunately just a matter if time...
