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The Wide Bay Bar is a sand bar on the southern end of Fraser Island, between the island and Inskip Point (25° 48.215'S 153° 4.113'E), and blocks the entrance to the Great Sandy Straight, Tin Can Bay and Tin Can Inlet

The Wide Bay Bar is considered one of the most dangerous bars on the eastern coast of Australia and has claimed many vessels. The Bar is crossable via a narrow channel. This channel is marked (as if comming from the south and open sea) by a 3 colour sector light on Hook Point, Fraser Island. This light displays 3 colours, green if too far starboard (right) of the channel entrance, red if too far to port (left) and white when on track for the entrance. The white light has only a very narrow angle of visabillity, aprox only 2°, due to the narrowness of the channel. The channel is also marked by a set of lead markers positioned on Inskip Point. At Night, these markers are illuminated by a blue light, due to the popularity of Inskip Point as a camping ground so as to not get confused with campsites or vehicles. The Bar can also be crossed using a set of 3 pre determined GPS waypoint marks.

It is highly reccomended that prior to crossing the Wide Bay Bar that mariners contact the local volunteer marine rescue group, Coast Guard Tin Can Bay - VMR 417, to get the current GPS marks, weather and tide information and to consult the latest maratime chart available from Maritime Safety Queensland. Coast Guard Tin Can Bay is also available if the crossing doesnt go as planned and assistance is required.

History The Wide Bay was sighted and named by Captain James Cook as he sailed along and charted the eastern coast of Australia, along with Double Island Point on the 18th May 1770. Later he surveyed and named Hervey Bay. Little did Cook know that Hervey Bay and Wide Bay were linked by a water way now known as the Great Sandy Straight, which seperates Fraser Island from the mainland

External Links http://www.coastguard.com.au/tin-can-bay.html Coast Guard Tin Can Bay http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/ Maritime Safety Queensland http://www.bom.gov.au/ Bureau of Meteorology http://www.willyweather.com.au/ Tide and weather information