Steps wrote: Going on other posts by many other members who are damn good , well prepared skippers, not having a moment, regularly crossing a bar for yrs then you must be the exception..or perception . Full bins still loade with ice, outgoing tide, waves catching up, not enough power to stay on the back of a wave..?  And take a moment and look at tmy moments smudge..scary yes dangerous no..risk flipping or capsize no...and if did over equipped.. All on days with no break over the bar  1m and less swell and winds tides correct... and only one incident was mine.  In fact all are no more an incidents that many take as normal, when crossing. Who 'normally' cross in conditions I dont go.....including yours. So if quote my scarry moments, do not take out of context or make out something that is not.  I report these to point out in real life, even on flat days things can happen...and do, so be prepared treat the sea with lot respect. abseiling in jandals! Put away the browns ..

Hopefully we all learn, I've had my oh crap moments, nearly sunk the boat, etc, and I've seen others have them too.
Ok it's all to easy to be critical, shoulda done this or that.
Passed a boat on Saturday on the way home from Motiti, the weather forecast was moderate, but at 6 pm when we poked our noses around the bottom of the island, it was crappy. Batten ed the hatches, and proceeded to slog our way back to the mount. Passed some guys in a boat that looked far to small to be out there, but hey the weather report was fair.long story short, they ran out of gas, we noticed they had stopped, went back and towed them in..they were possibly not far off being dished up on the beach.
Didnt think about it, just did what I hoped someone else would do.
Perhaps I should have named the boat Le Tug..

Last Thursday went out over the Bowentown bar with my brother and a mate.

16ft Center Console


1 hour before high tide, all good easy crossing.


Conditions were awesome off shore and stayed out longer than originally planned.

Came in for the reverse crossing a lot closer to low tide. Good sized waves breaking on the bar with a tricky cross swell. Wasn’t keen so checked out if cutting the corner was on. Nope no good either.

Given the great offshore conditions decided to skip the crossing and head in via Tauranga.

The harbour is unnavigable at low tide past Ōmokoroa so gave the wife and sister-in-law a call and arranged to haul out at Ōmokoroa.

A couple of hours late but all onboard were happy with the decision.

I know the Tairua bar very well. In-laws managed puka lodge maybe 300m from tairua bar for 10 years and I’d whip over it maybe 3 times a day in the weekend or when lived there too. It’s one of those bars that close out over 1.5m but if it’s closing out at low, it’s passable at high just hug the rocks to the left maybe get some green water over the front from time to time and a bit of dancing. Just 3 swells to be over and speed helps in between swell.  When it’s closing don’t go near. Go floundering or pick cockle’s  and do boat maintaince. A quick walk to the top of paku hill at mouth is well worth it. Never had a prob at any time coming in on any swell as there is depth and I’ve been caught out when swell has built by many meters when out. just stick to the game plan and be in constant control on the back of the biggest wave you can find. In that situation head to Pauanui side as you will get double up waves close to tairua rocks when coming in.  Have seen boats flip there on average days. I think some of these issues of flipping is down too experiance or over confidence . Respect what you don’t have control over.