Tide timing error leaves Sealink barge stuck in mud at Russell Island

A misjudgment left a Moreton Bay island barge stuck in mud, sparking outrage among residents and reigniting debates over the islands’ transport strategy.

The Lakarma barge that ran aground.

One of the state’s main public transport barges has been stranded in mud and is out of action after a timing miscalculation left it in dock when the tide went out.

Dozens of residents from Macleay, Russell, Lamb and Karragarra islands were inconvenienced after Wednesday’s low tide of 0.32m left Sealink’s Lakarma barge stuck in the mud at Russell Island.

Locals have slammed the incident as poor management and planning on behalf of the ferry company, as today’s low tide was forecast as one of the lowest for the year and coincides with tonight’s full moon.

The Sealink barge Lakarma unable to float away from the Russell Island landing.

Sealink general manager for the southeast Ben Renwick apologised for the barge blunder.

“There was a very high tide, with a rapid drop, (and it was) tough to judge the speed of the water regressing,” he said.

“There’s not much more to say other than we have communicated this to all impacted passengers.

“We have a tug boat booked to pull her off the ramp over night.”

The incident reignited calls for a review of island transport strategies, which some locals claim are outdated and inadequate.

Frustrations mounted as some had to leave their cars on the mainland while others were unable to get their vehicles to the mainland.

Resident Greg Hartay-Szabo said it was time for a thorough review and reform of the islands’ transport strategy, which he said had not been updated since 2011.

Sealink confirmed that the barge would not resume services today or until after the next high tide at 9pm on Wednesday with normal operations expected to resume on Thursday if the overnight rescue went smoothly.

The incident sparked humorous and heated discussions on social media, with many residents expressing their frustration while others posted funny memes.

One of the funny memes posted on Facebook about the barge being stranded. Picture: Greg Hartay-Szabo

One passenger reported driving an hour to catch the barge, only to find it stuck, leaving them stranded until the next available service.

Resident Justin Fenwick, who is preparing to leave the islands for good, expressed concern about potential extra costs.

“Who would I send the bill to if I get charged more for the truck I’m driving?” he asked.

Steve Allen reignited the debate about a long-proposed bridge to the islands.

Others pushed back, with Carissa Welbe pointing out that the cost and environmental implications of building a bridge in the protected waters around the islands were major hurdles.

“Unprotected water and billions of dollars for a bridge with no way to get the money back is a big waste of taxpayer money,” she noted.

Originally published as Tide timing error leaves Sealink barge stuck in mud at Russell Island