Cullen Bay Marina | Lock Procedures

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	Cullen Bay Lock Procedures Please ensure you follow these lock procedures to avoid any problems when going through the lock: Call Lockmaster on VHF channel 11 or by phone on 0419 421363 to arrange transit through the lock. This must be done at least one hour prior to the desired entry time. Lock opening times are on the hour between 6am and 10pm seven days a week. You must also re-confirm your entry 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time by VHF11. Carefully guide the boat up the channel toward the lock. The channel has been recently dredged so providing you stay within the channel marked on all charts you will ample water at all tides. If coming from the south via Emery Point and the sandbar, you must ensure however that you stay well clear of the eastern floating marker that marks the end of the sand bar (ensure the markers are to port when entering Cullen Bay) There are range markers on the rock breakwater to guide you up the channel, but they are not always easy to spot. The lockmaster will usually provide some guidance to boats if they need it. When the lockmaster tells you to enter the lock, slowly enter and tie up to the side the lockmaster dictates. Put out as many fenders on that side as possible to protect the hull from the barnacle encrusted concrete wall. Boat captains must follow ALL orders of the lockmaster. Ask the lockmaster how far you will either rise or fall in the process so you can determine how high or low you need to place your lines. One person should be standing amidships with the stern line. Pass the stern line between either the recessed piping and lock wall or the ladder and lock wall at the place where the stern of the boat will end up, making sure that it is far enough inside the lock so that the doors can close. Remember that the line should be placed as high or as low on the wall as you can reach to account for the rise/fall of the boat. Hand bitter end of the line back to the helmsperson so that they may handle it. As the boat continues to slowly move forward, pass the bow line between either the recessed piping and lock wall or the ladder and lock wall at the place where the bow will come to rest. Place a half-wrap of the line around boat cleats, but do NOT make fast. The helmsperson should turn off all engines after tying up. Only start engines once lock gates are open to exit from the lock. The lockmaster will then close the doors and start to fill or empty the lock of water to move the boat to the proper level of the water in the marina or outside. Either take in or let out on the lines as the boat rises or falls. Hold the lines securely, as there can be some turbulence inside the lock. Once the proper water level has been reached, the lock doors will open. Once given the intsruction to move off by the Lockmaster, the helmsman should then pull the stern line free and back onboard while the bow person does the same. Slowly move forward out of the lock and into the marina. In general, if you are going in the lock at low tide, you may be rising as much at three to five meters. At high tide, you will usually only need to be lowered about two meters as the water level in the marina is kept close to high tide. For this reason it is better for vessel owners to try and transit at or near high tide. Cullen Bay Lock Usage Fee Structure The Cullen Bay Marina By-Laws require that the owners of berths must maintain a lock opening permit for those berths and that the corporation may charge an appropriate fee for those lock opening permits for berths. Since its inception the corporation has charged berth owners that fee which is raised pursuant to by-laws 3 and 12. That fee is payable by the owners of berths, regardless of whether a vessel is moored at that particular berth or not. The Cullen Bay Marina By-Laws also provide that the owner of a vessel being a local boat or visiting, must have a current lock opening permit in respect of the vessel (i.e. separate from the lock opening permit for the berth). Again, the by-laws provide that the corporation may charge an appropriate fee for such a vessel lock opening permit. For calendar year 2006 and for subsequent years all vessels entering or leaving the boat harbour must have a vessel lock opening permit (i.e. separate from a berth lock opening permit which applies to the berth at which the particular vessel may be moored). Private vessels (those vessels that are not ‘in survey’) are allowed unlimited exits once fees have been paid and lock licence is issued. Commercial Vessels operating out of Cullen Bay will be charged at the agreed Commercial Rates. It is of note that Commercial Vessels can only operate out of Cullen Bay if the appropriate Commercial Operators Permit has been granted. For more information regarding this please contact Robbie Standaloft, the General Manager of CBMMC. Casual users ( those vessels that are launched from the boat ramp) will be charged at the scheduled rate for a one off Vessel Lock Opening Permit. Casual users are to report to the Lockmasters office to purchase their VLOP before exiting from the lock. Temporary users (those vessels that are visiting from other ports and are not normally berthed within the marina) will be charged a one off lock arrival fee and then they will be subject to the same conditions as for private or commercial vessels depending on their category. Fees must be paid to the lockmaster upon berthing. Whilst the by-laws require that vessels have a lock opening permit, the by-laws do not require that the permit be printed and provided to each owner. The corporation intends to retain the permits in electronic form, but to make a hard copy available to each vessel owner should it be requested. The by-laws provide that the permit should contain certain information and you are invited to make contact with CBMMC to ensure that the following information in relation to your vessel is on file: 1. The full name and postal address of the owner of the vessel. 2. The name of the vessel and any other particulars which would enable the identification of the vessel. 3. Its regular mooring within the boat harbour.

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