Depth Survey the "Old School" Way...

Motoring back from the Market in the tender to our anchorage off Noosa Island I see a dugout canoe and a outboard powered boat working together in the channel. I was very curious what they where doing. The guy in the dug out canoe was dragging a line while being slowly towed by the outboard powered Panga.

I slowly pulled up and realized that they where doing a depth survey of the channel. Doing this with a lead line! I asked how long it usually takes to sound the channel and he showed me his hand sketched chart with soundings already
collected and said about one week.

I showed them that I had a digital depth sounder on board the tender, and their eyes lit up like the light bulb was discovered. I invited the chief surveyor aboard with his clipboard and we where off, zig zaging up the channel.

After one hour of readings we had finished what would have taken them a week the "old school" way!