rescue magazine spring 2014 - qf4 web(1)


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05 10 14 19

20 24 26 30

34 36 38 40

04 EDITORS CORNER

05 FLOTILLA NEWS Latest news from QF

10 SQUADRON NEWS14 THE RIGHT DONK A guide to choosing the right

outboard for your boat

19 CLAD Get the low down on fuel bugs

and how to eliminate them

20 KNOW YOUR COLREGS Why knowing the ColRegs can

avert tragedy

22 CALOUNDRA TIDES

24 NOTE TO SELF: ... Join SYParmelia for a voyage

down the Queensland coast

26 WHOS LISTENING?

Understanding VHF radiopropagation

30 THE SHAPE YOURE IN QF6 introduce us to the basics

of hull design

32 THE PLIMSOLL LINE The history behind those ship

loading markings

34 WAVE BUOY MONITORING Join QF6 as they assist with

wave buoy monitor repairs

36 CHECKLISTS The importance of using a

checklist when going boating

38 A LONG TOW

QF4 and QF6 join forces for along tow

39 RADAR REQUIRES ASSISTANCE QF6 assists a capsized

catamaran

40 A LONG DAY QF17 receive back-to-back calls

for assistance

42 SQUADRON CONTACTS

CONTENTS

The Of cial Magazine of AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron

SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 7QF4 Caloundra Edition


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Welcome to the Spring edition of Coast Guard Rescue SunshineCoast . One of the hardest and most time consuming tasks formembers of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard is raisingmoney to continue providing our service to the boating community.The competition for the community dollar is erce, yet I am continuallyamazed at how deep communities dig into their pockets to keep CoastGuard otillas a oat.

Here in my neck of the woods, the twin coastal communities of TinCan Bay and Cooloola Cove have a population of roughly 5,000 people.Yet these two small communities support a staggering number of localcommunity groups and organisations. At times, it seems that everywhere

you go, someone has their hand out, but without this wonderfulcommunity support, many of these organisations could not survive.The process of applying for funding takes a lot of time and effort

and frequently results in failure. Glance down the approvals list of themajor funding programs and you have to look hard to nd AVCGAamongst the recipients. This can be very frustrating and means CoastGuard members have to work twice as hard at their fundraising to keepthe dollars rolling in than organisations which receive regular nancialinjections through funding programs.

I have often wondered why this is the case. After all, Coast Guard isconsidered an emergency service. So why do we have to beg and scrapeto nd the money to keep our boats a oat? The reason, I think, lies notin the nature of our activities - saving lives at sea can only be consideredan essential and emergency service - but rather in the perceptionsassociated with the activity we support.

Recreational boating is big business, but the bottom line is thatowning a boat is a lifestyle choice; its not a must-have accessory to lifelike a home or a car. Check out the rigs launching at your local ramp onthe next ne weekend and youll quickly tally up a dollar value that wouldkeep a Coast Guard otilla nancially a oat for several months. In fact, inthe July - September quarter alone, QF17 Tin Can Bay provided assistanceto over $15 million dollars worth of vessels!

Seen in this light, its easy to see why groups that supportunderprivileged areas of the community get the funding nod inpreference to groups supporting those engaged in lifestyle activities.

After all, if you didnt own a boat, you wouldnt need the safety netprovided by Coast Guard.Thats why the ongoing support of the boating community is so

important to Coast Guard. Our rescue vessels and associated equipmentcost hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy and maintain and withoutyour support, wed nd it dif cult to continue. So the next time you seemembers of your local Coast Guard sizzling sausages, selling raf e ticketsand promoting their activities, give them your support because theyredoing it to provide a vital safety net for your love of the boating lifestyle.

Enjoy the read and stay safe on the water!

Julie HartwigEditor Vice Captain PublicationsSunshine Coast Squadron

Editors CornerPUBLISHING INFORMATIONCoast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast ispublished quarterly by AVCGA SunshineCoast Squadron.Copies are available from QF4 Caloundra,QF6 Mooloolaba, QF5 Noosa, QF17 Tin CanBay and QF21 Sandy Straits. Please contactthe Flotilla.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast isavailable via email. To join the emailing list,please contact the otilla representative foryour area.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is alsoavailable via download. Visit the otillaspage on the Coast Guard website at www.coastguard.com.au.For advertising enquiries, please contact theotilla representative for your area.

EDITOR: Vice Captain Julie HartwigPh: 07 5486 4014M: 0498 377 402E:editor.sc@coast guard.com.auP: 2A Bass St, Tin Can Bay, Qld 4580

Flotilla Editors:QF4 Caloundra: John Gasparotto

E: [email protected] Noosa: Christian DearnaleyE:[email protected] Mooloolaba: Ian HuntE: [email protected] Tin Can Bay: Julie HartwigE: [email protected] Sandy Strait: Kate HouleyE:[email protected]

Disclaimer: Whilst every care is takenby the Editor to minimise errors, noresponsibility is accepted for the accuracy orotherwise of contributions made by AVCGAmembers, and the information, images,illustrations and advertisements containedherein. Opinions expressed in articles inthis publication are those of the authors. Allcontent in this publications is published withthe consent and approval of the SunshineCoast Squadron Board.

Copyright AVCGA Sunshine CoastSquadron, 2014

Visit Coast Guard on the web:www.coastguard.com.au
mailto:editor.sc%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:editor.sc%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:christian.dearnaley%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:khouley1%40hotmail.com?subject=http://www.coastguard.com.au/http://www.coastguard.com.au/mailto:khouley1%40hotmail.com?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:christian.dearnaley%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:editor.sc%40coastguard.com.au?subject=


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Commanders Dispatches

The sale of Caloundra Rescue 1 is progressing well, with the end of September the planned transfer date.Caloundra Rescue continues to perform well with two Coxswain 2s now endorsed to command. Othervessels are operational with Caloundra Rescue 2s trailer having been rebuilt while the vessel sat on the hardstandat Lawries Mooloolaba. Lawries consideration of QF4 in its fee charged is truly appreciated.

Fundraising continues to be a challenge with recent developments at Kawana Shopping Centre reducingincome considerably. New opportunities are being trialled with early results being encouraging. QF4s calendar willbe available for sale early in October. The support QF4 receives for its raf e sales from members of the public is reallyappreciated we couldnt do without it.

The training crew continues to progress well despite some withdrawals due to family and work commitments something all Skippers are experiencing unfortunately. It is anticipated members of this crew will graduate by mid-November.

And its that time of the year again before the next edition of this magazine, Christmas will have been andgone! QF4 has been asked to provide a safety boat for the Lights on the Lake festival; Santa will have distributed hissweets from Caloundra Rescue 2 , and the boating public will, I trust, have experienced a safe and enjoyable time onthe water.

I encourage all boaties to log in when they launch and log off when they return to the pontoon or ramp useyour phone or radio, let us know where youll be going and an estimated time of return, and be con dent that if yourbattery dies in The Skids, we will nd you and bring you home.

Until next edition, safe boating.Tony Barker Commander, QF4
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NEW COASTGUARD SPONSORSHIPLinda Johnston Property City and Coast is proud andexcited to partner with The Australian Volunteer Coast GuardAssociation Flotillas on the Sunshine Coast.

The company will donate $1,500 to the Coast Guard upon the settlement of a sale by their company of aresidential property where the seller was referred to us by the Coast Guard network of members, friends and contactsfrom Caloundra to Noosa.

Additionally, Linda Johnston Property City and Coast will offer an extremely attractive marketing/commissionpackage to these sellers. As per its company policy, any seller 55 years of age and over quali es for an additionalrebate.

Linda Johnston Property City and Coast is operated by Linda and Ranald Johnston, both fully licensed RealEstate Agents and members of the REIQ, with over 40 years experience between them looking after sellers andbuyers. Having settled on the Coast over two years ago, they are now keen to offer their unique level of service inthis beautiful area, with a special empathy for 55s and over, and retirees, for whom the selling process may be verystressful.

Linda said that they are keen to give back and believe that this arrangement will bene t the Coast GuardFlotillas enormously, while reducing selling costs for vendors on the Coast. Ranald is also a member of Coast GuardCaloundra.

Please visit our original website www.lindajohnston.com.au and our new Sunshine Coast websitewww.lindajohnstonproperty.com.au for testimonials and all the special coastal offers and information.Linda Johnston: 0411 561 099 / Email: [email protected] Johnston: 0438 832 313 / Email: [email protected]

Pelican MotorsService Centre

Pelican Motors Service CentrePaint & Panel

17 Bronwyn Street, Caloundra

Phone: 5491 3234 Email: [email protected] A Proud Sponsor of the Caloundra Volunteer Coast Guard

New Car Servicing

All Mechanical Repairs LPG Installation

Paint & Panel Repairs

All Insurance Work Used Car Sales

One Stop Car Shop

Quarterdeck News
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Headquarters ............. .......... (07) 5491 3533For Boating Assistance .....0429 913 533

Fax ............................................(07) 5491 7516Postal Address ............. ........PO Box 150, Caloundra 4551Email (general enquiries) [email protected] Web Site ............. .www.coastguard.com.au

EXECUTIVECommander Tony Barker

E:[email protected] | Mob: 0439 913 533Deputy Commander Peter VaughanE:[email protected] | Mob: 0439 913 522Training Of cer Graeme McKenzieE:[email protected] | Mob: 0458 913 522Flotilla Purser Verity HingstonE:[email protected] | Mob: 0429 999 620

QF4 Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ caloundravolunteer coast guard-QF4

COAST GUARD CALOUNDRA CONTACT LIST

Quarterdeck NewsCOAST GUARD CALOUNDRAS PURSER GETS AN UNINVITED GUESTIt all started when a young goanna was sighted in Pumicestone Passage on Sunday, swimming for Coast GuardCaloundras pontoon. The lizard was having dif culties pulling itself out of the water onto the pontoon, so one of thebrave crew rescued him from the water and placed him in a tree nearby.

The following Wednesday, Coast Guard Caloundras Purser, Verity Hingston, was attending a meeting with othermembers of the otilla when they heard a commotion outside and saw a crow attacking the goanna. Scaring off thebird the group saw the lizard take refuge in the wheel bay of Veritys car.

After the meeting, Verity looked under the car and seeing no sign of the goanna drove home. When she arrivedhome, she heard a hissing noise coming from theengine bay and on opening the bonnet was greetedby the goanna looking up at her and angrily hissing.She contacted Commander Tony Barker who soonarrived and tried to remove the goanna, but itmoved into a con ned space and was soon stuckfast.

They phoned Australia Zoo Wildlife Rescuewho sent one of their staff to see what could bedone, but he was unable to free the goanna as it hadsqueezed itself into a very tight space. He addedthat he would need two rescuers to remove thelizard and he would be back next day. In the meantime, he told Verity to leave the engine bonnet openall night in case the goanna crawled out.

Early next morning wildlife rescuers RichardJackson and his offsider James Musciool, arrived andafter thirty minutes and removing a few leads fromthe engine, were able to release the lizard from thecon ned space where it had taken refuge.

After getting a clean bill of health, the goannawas released into bush land by the rescuers.

Above: QF4 Purser Verity Hingston looks relieved when she posed forthis photo with Australia Zoos wildlife rescuer, Richard Jackson andthe young goanna.
mailto:qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=http://www.coastguard.com.au/mailto:fc.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:dfc.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:fto.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:fp.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=http://www.facebook.com/caloundravolunteer%20coast%20guard-QF4http://www.facebook.com/caloundravolunteer%20coast%20guard-QF4http://www.caloundrapowerboat.com.au/http://www.facebook.com/caloundravolunteer%20coast%20guard-QF4http://www.facebook.com/caloundravolunteer%20coast%20guard-QF4mailto:fp.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:fto.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:dfc.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:fc.qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=http://www.coastguard.com.au/mailto:qf4%40coastguard.com.au?subject=


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Training NewsTUFF TRAINING AT COAST GUARDCALOUNDRAStory & Photos by John Gasparotto

With Caloundra experiencing one of its coldestmornings in history, a group of ve local recruits bravedthe winter chill on Saturday July 12, to undertake theSurvival at Sea practical training course in PumicestonePassage off Golden Beach.

All trainees who want to become competent crewon their vessels are required to undertake training on

how to survive at sea in case they have to abandon thevessel in an emergency.The ve members who took part in the training

exercise were Phil Noble, John Steele, John Ferris, BryceTaylor and Marc Poirier. The drill was conducted underthe watchful eyes of Coast Guard Caloundras deputytraining of cer Don Wilkie, and involved the recruitsdonning their life jackets and plunging into the chillywater. Then in groups, swimming to an upturned liferaft, righting it and climbing aboard to safety.

Don Wilkie said that all the trainees passedtheir practical assessment and will continue trainingto become fully- edged crew members of our rescuevessels.

After a hot coffee and a hot shower at CoastGuard Caloundra headquarters, the group then receivedtraining on the correct use of ares, followed by avisit from Queensland Fire and Rescue Caloundra whoinstructed our trainees in re ghting techniques.

Top: Marc Poirier climbs aboard the life raft while John Steeleoats waiting to board.Centre: Marc Poirier and John Steele make it to the safety ofthe life raft while crew members on Caloundra Rescue 2 lookon.

Above: Phil Noble, John Ferris and Bryce Taylor were glad to get out of the water on one of the coldest days in Caloundra.Left: Trainees participate in Survival at Sea training under thewatchful eyes of Deputy Training Of cer Don Wilkie and crewaboard Caloundra Rescue 2 .


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FromtheGalley
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MOUNTAIN CREEK HIGH VISITS QF6The 13 th of August saw students from Mountain CreekSHS SKILL Centre visit the Mooloolaba Coast Guard(AKA QF6).

After years of driving past this facility (in vehiclesboth land and water-based) it was a great opportunityto see for ourselves what actually goes on within itswalls (and outside of them to a larger extent!).

What struck the students most was theprofessionalism of the organisation. From theimmaculate uniforms worn by all volunteers to theworkshop, where you could quite easily eat a meal off

any surface!It was also a great surprise to the students todiscover such an important service is run completely byVOLUNTEERS! Not only do they man the radio 24/7 inthree shifts, they maintain the vessels (if anyone ownsa boat knows how much work that is!), are regularlycalled out to tow and rescue vessels in distress, spendevery other weekend fundraising (next time you seethem sizzling sausages at Bunnings or IGA WisesRd buy one; youre supporting a great cause!) andcountless other duties.

They are a truly committed, professional bunchand we all walked away with a distinct sense of awe!

Thank you so much to Ian and his team fortaking the time and showing us around!

Aaron FavellMountain Creek SHS (SKILL Centre)

Squadron News
http://www.nflelectrical.com.au/


11/44


QF5 BAR TOWER REFURBISHMENTThe iconic Noosa Coast Guard Bar tower that sits at theend of the Noosa Spit was recently treated to a makeover.

The Bar Tower, which has been used by QF5 formore than a decade to watch over boaties crossing thenotorious Noosa Bar, was in urgent need of repair bothinside and out.

Thankfully, the Noosa Council agreed to pay forthe structural modi cations needed such as a new ightof stairs and roof, totalling $50,000.

With work nished on the outside, QF5s elite

crew of decorators attacked the inside of the building,transforming both the look and functionality of thetower and greatly reducing the overall health risk ofusing the tower.

At the end of September, the cabinet t-out hadtaken place with radio equipment and other electricsnext on the list.

Among the other additions to the tower will beQF5s new infrared bar camera, which will enable radiooperators to see the bar during the week when thetower is not manned.

The new camera will be a signi cantimprovement on the previous one, with new nightvision capabilities meaning increased safety for thosecrossing in the dark.

The footage will also be recorded 24/7, providinggreater security for those in the river and assistance forpolice investigating reports of stolen vessels that mayhave been taken out to sea.

Work on the tower is due to be completedby the end of October 2014. Many thanks must begiven to QF5s building of cer Gary Fletcher, QF5members Andrew Smith (Sir Fixalot Handyman) andTony Plowman and all others who have helped in thebuilding work, as well as Robert Deavin, Gary Piper,Alan Hall and all those involved in technical and radioside of the refurbishment.

Above: QF5s refurbished bar tower looks better than ever!

Squadron News
http://www.bundillapestcontrol.com.au/


12/44


Squadron NewsQF5 ASSISTS QUEENSLAND TOURISMIn mid-September, QF5 assisted Queensland Tourismwith the lming of a number of television advertsdestined for screens across the world.

The ads, which are to be shown in Australia, aswell as countries like China, were lmed in the NoosaRiver, with the help of all three of QF5s vessels.

QF5 crews were astounded at the amount ofgear that came on board the rescue vessels, and wereespecially interested in a remote-controlled drone(photo, right) used to lm the aerial shots.

We are looking forward to seeing the results!

QF17 BASE UNDERGOES REFURBISHMENTIn recent months, the QF17 Base underwent longoverdue refurbishment.

Occupying a building surrounded by a council-managed car park and a state-government managedboat harbour leaves the otilla with nowhere to extendthe building to meet its growing needs. However, a littleradical thinking and the recent completion of an off-sitestorage shed has freed up much-needed space in thedownstairs area of the building.

The otillas resident handyman, Dieter Voss (nowknown as Bob the Builder) was aided by a small bandof willing helpers who have been hard at work on therefurbishment.

The downstairs storeroom has been convertedinto an of ce for the otillas executive of cers, andtted out with new desks, chairs and of ce equipment.

A hole was knocked through the of ce walland part of the garage was commandeered to enablethe construction of an Operations Room, whichhas now been tted out with a new chart table,

shelving for related books, AV equipment and radiocommunications.Half of the remaining garage area still continues

to house the otillas much-loved small RV, MountRescue , while the remainder of the garage has beenpartitioned off and tted out as a training room,complete with a whiteboard, AV equipment, tables andchairs.

The awkward space under the internal stairs,which used to be dumping ground for all manner ofmiscellaneous items, has now been enclosed and servesas a large storage space for First Aid and other trainingequipment.

The entire base has been given a coat of paintand is now better accommodated to provide for theotillas administrative needs.

Above: New operations room and of ce at QF17.
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NEW RAMP FACILITY AT TIN CAN BAYA new boat ramp facility has nally been completed atTin Can Bays Norman Point. The old 3-lane facility wasear-marked for replacement in 2013 and in early Augustthe work nally got underway.

Plans for the upgraded facility included increasingramp capacity from three lanes to four lanes, increasingthe gradient of the ramps to enable easier launching andretrieving of vessels at low tide states, and the installationof a central pontoon.

Work commenced in early August, with one laneon the downstream side of the old facility closed toenable the installation of two new lanes. With that jobcompleted, the two new lanes were opened and the twoupstream lanes were closed to enable installation of twonew lanes.

In early September, the central pontoon was installed and after the nishing touches were completed, the newfacility was nally open for business in mid-September, just in time for the commencement of the school holidays.

So far, the new facility appears to have met with approval from local boaties. However, there may be a stormbrewing between boaties and local anglers, who wasted no time testing the new pontoon out as a shing spot!Currently, there is no signage prohibiting shing from the pontoon, but anglers should be aware that the facility wasinstalled for use by the boating community to make launching and retrieving vessels easier.

Above: On its rst full day of operation, the new ramp facilityat Norman Point was given a serious work-out by boaties.

Squadron News
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The RightDonk

by Christian Dearnaley Editor, QF5

A buyers guide to selectingthe right outboard

For most people, a boat is their second or third biggest investment after buying a house and/or car. In many cases,too much emphasis is placed on picking the right hull (which is of course very important) without giving enoughconsideration to what is pushing it through the water. This often results in an ill-performing or impractical setup,and as a Coast Guard crewmember, Ive seen the consequences the owners of these rigs experience rst-hand. So, letme share a few tips and points Ive picked up from my own experiences and from professionals in the industry aboutchoosing the right engine or engines for your boat.MYTHS AND TRUTHSBefore we get into the nitty-gritty stuff, Id like to talk about a few myths and truths about outboard engines (well,the modern-day ones anyway), and lay down a few facts.

To begin with, lets address the saying that not all outboards are equal. In many respects, this is completelytrue and has been proven by many comparison tests as well as the test of time. However, when you look across therange of big-brand outboards like Yamaha, Mercury, Honda, Suzuki, Tohatsu and Evinrude/BRP, you will generally geta decent-quality motor that will last you at least a few years. These major brands wouldnt be in business if they wereputting out totally dodgy engines that didnt come close to the competition. Its fair enough to expect to hear aboutthe odd lemon here and there, but try to keep things in perspective.

Another commonly heard myth is that only a four-stroke will give you smooth and quiet operation. If I waswriting this 5-10 years ago, that statement would be completely true. Even today, there is some amount of truth toit. However, modern-day two-strokes (particularly the direct-injected type) have come a long way and many will idlesmoothly with a noise level similar to that of a four-stroke. Regardless, no matter what you change in a two-stroke, itwill always have a loud signature growl that two-strokes are famous for so keep that in mind when thinking aboutnoise.

Another two-stroke verses four-stroke myth is that only two-strokes will give you powerful unmatchedacceleration and torque. Again, if I was writing this 5-10 years ago, or even 1-3 years ago, then this myth would

actually be a fact. Still today, many two-strokes will out accelerate the same horsepower four-stroke competitors. Thedifference is that four-strokes are no longer leagues behind in this area anymore, and many modern-day models arenow serious competitors when it comes to acceleration and top speed in the same horsepower class.WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR BOAT?Right, into the nitty-gritty stuff. The rst thing you needto decide when choosing a motor, is what you want toprimarily do with the boat. This applies whether youalready have a boat you want to re-power, if youre in themarket for a second-hand package or if youre buyingbrand new and get a choice on the motor selection.

If youre powering a small (4m or less) tinny thatyou only want to use for shing, then obviously yourneeds are very different to someone who is looking for amotor to power a 6m family cruiser or bowrider and Imnot talking about horsepower.

Lets say for instance that you want to buy anengine for a 3-4m open tinny to go out shing andcrabbing. Depending on your individual circumstances,


15/44


in most cases, an economic (both in outlay and runningcosts), lightweight and reliable engine that gives the mostbang for buck and power for size usually ts the bill.In many instances, the most suitable choice would be alightweight two-stroke engine.

At the other end of the scale, is a 6-7m offshorehalf-cabin that will spend a large majority of its timecruising on the plane or trolling around at low speeds.Not only will this vessel need an economical engine,but one that runs quietly and smoothly, especially atlower revs. In many cases, this would be a four-strokeat the higher end of the vessels horsepower range toallow enough power to deal with dangerous situations ifweather conditions turn nasty. Not only would this enginegive better fuel economy than a two stroke for whatwould be a very large engine, but the reduction in noise and overall engine impact would suit the type of boatingmainly being done i.e. cruising and low-speed trolling.

While this seems like a two-stroke verses four-stroke comparison (which well actually cover in a minute), whatyoure really doing by thinking about what youll primarily being doing with the boat is giving yourself a better idea ofthe characteristics and features youll want and need from your engine.TWO-STROKE VERSES FOUR-STROKE

The most common question regarding two-strokes and four-strokes would have to be, which is better? While manypeople will tell you four-strokes are now much better outboards overall, the answer isnt always so simple.As I mentioned before, the characteristics you require from an engine to suit your particular boating style will

often determine which engine type is best for you. The most effective way to choose between the two is to knowtheir differences and then make an educated choice.

The rst difference is perhaps the most obvious one (it is mentioned in the names after all), however manypeople dont actually understand it. I am of course referring to the technical (mechanical really) difference betweentwo-strokes and four-strokes.

As the name suggests, four-stroke engines complete four strokes for every cycle:1. An intake stroke (piston goes to the bottom of the cylinder which draws in air and fuel);2. A compression stroke (exhaust valve is closed as is the intake valve as the piston goes back to the top of the

cylinder, compressing the air/fuel mix);3. A power stroke (the combusting petrol and air force the piston back down turning the crankshaft); and4. An exhaust stroke (the exhaust valve opens and the piston again travels up pushing the spent fumes out through

the exhaust valve).The difference with a two-stroke is that the intake stroke, exhaust stroke and compression stroke are combined,

meaning that there is only a compression and a power stroke (i.e. two-strokes) in a cycle. This is able to happen astwo-stroke cylinders are designed so the intake and exhaust ports are both physically blocked off by the piston whenits compressing the fuel, oil and air mix. As a result, only two actual strokes are needed as the exhausted gases areexpelled whilst the intake is occurring. This means that a two-stroke res on every revolution, compared to four-strokes which re every second revolution. In other words, the crankshaft is powered by combustion twice as often asa four-stroke, resulting in the quick acceleration and increased noise that two-strokes are famous for.

Another positive is that because the piston blocks off the intake and exhaust ports during combustion, thevalves required in a four-stroke are not needed, reducing engine size and weight. However, a drawback of having theexhaust port open during intake or injection stage is that a small amount of fuel, oil and air are expelled before they

can be burnt.This leads us to another key difference between the two types of engines that will affect running costs as well asgeneral operating characteristics.

Four-stroke engines, like the one in your car, compress straight petrol and air within the cylinders, circulatinglubricating oil throughout the engine that is held in a separate tank. In a four-stroke engine, the petrol and oil dontmix, unless something is leaking, meaning only petrol fumes exit through the exhaust.

In contrast, two-stroke engines burn a blend of petrol, air and oil; meaning that a small amount of unburntoil will leave the exhaust as well as the usual combusted petrol fumes. This is why the saying, theres nothing likethe smell of two-stroke in the morning exists. Although modern day two-strokes have greatly reduced the amountof fumes being exhausted, the way they operate as wediscussed earlier, means they will always produce some.

If you kind of glazed over during those lastparagraphs, and I dont blame you as there is a lot ofinformation there which Im sure I could have explained in abetter way, then at least take these points away as the maindifferences between the two: Two-strokes usually provide better acceleration in a


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smaller, lighter engine. Four-strokes usually provide a smoother, quieter

engine with better fuel consumption.This is where the rst section we talked about

(deciding what you will be mainly using the boat for)is really important. If you are planning to do a lotof low speed cruising (around canals or similar withfriends or family), trawling or medium speed cruising(on the plane, but not racing), then the quiet, smoothand fuel ef cient operation of a four-stroke will be the best bet for you.

From personal experience outside Coast Guard duties, the vibrations of a two-stroke through a tiller or eventhrough the hull while trawling or idling through canals can be quite tiring, especially after more than ten minutes.At these lower speeds, youre also likely to smell the exhaust so keep this in mind too. While some may like this smell(myself included at times), it isnt the nicest thing to be breathing for long periods of time, especially if you haveguests or your wife and children on board.

The other area I mentioned a four-stroke would be best for was medium speed cruising (on the plane around20-30 knots). This is due to usually superior fuel ef ciency and the quieter operation of four-strokes.

If youre looking for proof of this, have a read of an article written by QF21 in the very rst edition of thismagazine, available on Coast Guards website. After changing from two-stroke Evinrude ETECs to Honda four-strokes,the crews noticed considerable improvements in fuel consumption, as well as drastically reduced noise at all speeds,but especially at higher speeds where they were not able to have regular conversations without having to shout while

the engines work.However, on the inverse side of this, if youre looking to do a lot of high-speed work and accelerating (liketowing a skier), then a modern day two-stroke may suit your needs over a four-stroke. Improved accelerationperformance compared to a same sized four-stroke would be quite bene cial for this type of application.

To nish up this section on two-strokes verses four-strokes, Id like to again point out that the differencesbetween the two types of engines are quickly fading as technology develops. However, due to the varying mechanicalnature of each engine, they will always vary in some way. Keep in mind the typical characteristics weve discussed andfrom there decide which will best suit your needs.HORSEPOWER CHOICEThe next thing to consider when choosing an outboard is what horsepower you will choose within the hulls allowance.In some respects, this decision will be in uenced by whether you go with a four or two-stroke and again, whatactivities you primarily want do with the boat.

To start with, I would always recommend going as close to the maximum HP allowed for the particular hull youare looking at. There are a number of reasons for this, some based on personal experience while others were formedafter watching improperly powered boats disappoint their owners and in some cases put them in real danger.

When a manufacturer designates a maximum HP for particular hull, they are essentially saying that this is thebiggest motor you can t without causing damage to the hull from stress that comes with high-speeds, accelerationand turning. The boat builder will also designate a maximum engine weight, as weights vary across particular brandsfor the same HP outboard, but well talk more about this in a minute.

Having said all this about HP, it is important to say that sometimes a few HP less may not make much of adifference if youre already at the top of a hulls max HP. In other words, if you nd a boat is packaged with a 100HPand the hulls maximum is 115HP, then chances are it will still perform well. If however you found the same hullpackaged with a 70 or 80HP, then its fairly reasonable to say that boat wouldnt perform to its full potential and willlikely restrict you from doing some activities (e.g. water skiing).

So, how do you know if the HP on the boat is right or suitable? The best way to test if an engine is properly

suited to a hull is as obvious as sounds test it. More speci cally, water-test it. If the boat youre looking at is from adealership and youre genuinely interested in buying it, then they shouldnt have a problem taking you out for run. (Ifthey do run a mile!)

Of course, you cant ask to try every boat they have, but lets say for instance they have a hull thats rated up to150HP, packaged with a 100 or 115HP engine; the price is fantastic compared to what youve seen everywhere else (itshould be with a smaller motor) and so youre almost set on buying it, but how do you tell if it will do you want youwant it to? Even if theyre claiming its the newest, most amazing outboard on the market with high-trust capabilities,you should still be a bit concerned about the smaller than recommended engine size, so the best option is to take itfor a test drivePERFORMANCENow we come to a slightly more technical section how do you tell if it is performing properly? A boat that isunderpowered, will often feel sluggish when getting onto the plane, and may take a long time to do so. In somecircumstances, this may only occur once a boat is loaded up with more weight than just you and the dealer takingyou out, so organise to have some family or friends meet you for the water test so you have close to the maximumnumber of people legally allowed on the boat. Even if it will only ever be you or you and one other person using theboat, the extra weight will simulate a strong headwind or swell, towing a tube or skier, or if you do decide to takesome friends out for a day on the water.


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To get a hull onto the plane, enough power has tobe applied to force the front section of the hull out of thewater and leave the back half of the boat skimming ontop of the water, instead of pushing through it (above).This process will often see the bow of the boat lift,obscuring the view in front of the boat, before it dropsback down as the boat levels out (right).

The best way to test how a boat performs in thisarea is to have it idling along in a clear stretch of water.Then, once everyone on board is ready, open the throttlein a quick, smooth motion. If the boat takes more threeto four seconds to complete the said process to get ontothe plane, then the motor is generally undersized.

There can be other reasons causing a lengthy timegetting out of the hole like prop selection, but this is aquick test if youre unsure about the package.

Even though you may now be thinking, well Illnever load it up with more than a rod or two and an esky,I would still encourage you to think about the following:by opting for a smaller motor youll be making it workharder to do the same job a bigger model would do

easily. Youll most likely use more fuel during that processand increase strain and wear on the motor meaning anysaving you might have made by going with a smalleroutboard will soon be cancelled out by the increasedrunning costs.

Something else to consider is that when it comes time to sell, youll have less resale value.If you do decide to go with the max HP for your boat, then youll most likely notice that not all manufactures

have two or four-stroke models for every HP.For instance in Australia, Yamaha only sell 70, 90, 115 and 130HP in their mid and high HP range of two-strokes,

but carry 70, 80, 100, 115, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 300 and 350HP four-strokes. Envinrude or BRP however, only selltwo-strokes and make them up to 300HP.

Currently, out of 6 big-name companies selling outboards in Australia, only Yamaha and Mercury make a 350HPmodel. Even though very few people reading this will be after a 350HP outboard, it does show that you may have toshop around if youre determined to get the biggest HP available for your rig.

The last thing Ill say on HP is that once youve decided what type of boating youll be doing and whether togo with a two or four-stroke, do some thorough research on particular engines in the HP range you are looking at. A70HP Yamaha four-stroke is different to a 70HP Suzuki four-stroke in that the Yamaha weighs 35kg less. Both produce70HP, however the Suzuki has the extra weight as it hasthe same block (engine) as their 90HP four-stroke. Thisis where doing thorough research across all the brandscomes into its own as you may save yourself a lot ofweight or buying cost going with a particular brand.Some people like having a technically bigger engine withmore displacement, while others see the weight reductionas invaluable, which leads me to the last area to think

about when buying an outboard.BRAND SELECTIONThe nal area you need to think about is brand selection.To make things easier Ive split it into two subcategories.Weight: As Ive just demonstrated, not all 70HPoutboards will weigh the same, and this type of differencewill occur throughout all HP ratings.

There are two main reasons for weight variationbetween brands. The rst is that obviously they are usingdifferent parts so there will be some kind of difference,but usually this will only see a 5-10kg difference.

The second reason for this is that particular brandswill often put more research and development than usualinto one size of motor for a few years and bring a fewmodels using the same block (cylinder, piston and headcombination is about as simply as I can put it).

For example, in the last section I talked about


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Suzuki, who developed a 90HP four-stroke that at thetime of its release was the lightest 90HP available andproduced the lowest amount of emissions in its class.To update two other models, they used the same blockto produce 80 and 70HP models that used differentinjectors, air intakes and other parts to see the biggerengine produce less HP for each size. By doing this, theyare able to make three motors using largely the sameparts, and as a result reduce manufacturing costs etc.

Suzuki are certainly not alone in this practice, withall other brands using the same components for differentHP engines. It isnt necessarily a bad thing either, as somepeople like have a bigger engine that has been tuneddown. What you need to watch is the weight differencesthat having a physically larger engine can bring.

When it comes to larger boats and engines(>200HP), a 10-30kg difference in engine weight oftenwont make much of a difference performance wise, soyoure best to give more thought to which brand hasmore features and will be easier to service in your region(the next subcategory).

If you do want to weigh up the differences (punintended), then comparing is easy. Each big brand hasan Australian website with a page dedicated to everymodel in their line up. If you want to compare weights,draw up a table and ick through each brand, recordingthe weights as you go. Out of the six main brands, youllsoon know which is the lightest for your class, and as Imentioned earlier, not all manufacturers may make theparticular model youre after so keep this in mind.Service, Cost and Features: Ahh, the nal section.Its been a bit a journey to get to here so if youre stillreading, then good on you!

This section also requires a bit of research so ifyouve still got the table you drew up for comparingweights, add a few columns or rows for things likewarranty, servicing location, servicing frequency and cost,and features.

If youre set on a particular brand, make sureyou check where your local authorised servicing bodyis. While the engine may sound terri c on paper, thereality of having to travel more than an hour or two tohave it serviced may not be ideal. Luckily, there are anumber of mobile outboard mechanics but check if themanufacturer will uphold their warranty if not serviced by a dealer.

Speaking of warranty, have a look at who offers what. If you cant decide between two brands, then the warranty

period may help in this regard. Its also not a bad idea to call around to dealers of each brand, and check out theservicing schedule and cost they charge per service.This is also a good time to get an idea of the cost differences between brands, which will no doubt help in the

decision-making. Of course, some dealers will charge more than others regardless of the brand, but if you check whichones are local to you, then youll know what youre up for.

From memory, most outboards require a rst service after 2-3 months or 30 hours if new, and then once every100 hours, with the exception of Evinrude who dont require dealer servicing for 300 hours or three years they musthave impellers made of steel! (No matter what brand you have, I highly recommend you service it more regularly toaddress wearable components like impellers and prevent major damage to your engine).

While youre comparing, youll most likely nd each brand has a different set of features. Mercury make a rangeof high HP supercharged four-strokes, while Honda have the worlds rst direct air inducted outboard. Yamaha areusing plasma fused cylinder sleeves in some models to make engines lighter and stronger, and Evinrude are producingtwo-strokes that are quieter and more fuel-ef cient than any other two-stroke. The point is, each brand has varyingfeatures on varying models and a bit of research will reveal this.CONCLUSIONSOnce youve nished all these steps, its time to make the decision. If youve followed the steps Ive outlined here, thenyoure in with a good chance of getting an outboard youll have and love for years.


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Sorry, people - Im not talking about the product you put on the side of your house, but something that has thepotential to be very expensive, if not just plain embarrassing.A few years ago (before the days of GPS), the Coast Guard at Mooloolaba had a callout to assist a vessel intransit from Brisbane to Bundaberg. He wanted us to bring him out a starter motor as his had burnt out. Not being inthe business of delivering spare parts to vessels at sea, the decision was made to tow him in for repairs.

Conditions at the time were not ideal. The swell was from the East at about 1.5m with a 1m sea from the SouthEast and 15-20kts of S/E breeze. When we arrived on the scene, we found the vessel drifting with not enough anchorchain to hold in those conditions. She looked like an old Moreton Bay cruiser with a new coat of light green paint,both hull and upper works. As we got closer, we could see that half the rubbing strakes had been knocked off. Only abit of dry rot, apparently. So with some trepidation, we took the vessel under tow and headed for home.

After parking the vessel alongside one of the yacht club outer ngers, I had a bit of a chat to the skipper ofthe old cruiser. They had just purchased her and were relocating to Bundaberg. The engine had cut out and he hadburnt out the starter trying to restart it. A blocked fuel lter was the problem and theyhad no spares. The rough sea had stirred up the fuel and everything else that hadcollected in the tank over the years. We left him to carry out his repairs and headedfor home.

Being a bit interested in the story, I followed his progress. On replacing hisstarter, fuel lter and getting his engine running, he headed North, only to bepicked up just short of the Wide Bay Bar by Tin Can Bay Coast Guard. You guessedit, blocked lters again.

The villain in this case was a little fungus called cladosporium resinae (or cladfor short). This little fungus is naturally occurring and as long as the spores oataround in the air, it causes no problems. It feeds on hydrocarbons, mainly keroseneand diesel. To thrive, clad requires fuel, water and a temperature between 10 and 40degrees C. Clad loves fuel tanks and grows on the interface between the fuel andwater. The result is a thick dark brown sludge (clad), a chemical by-product sulphuricacid and degradation of the fuel. So, as well as potentially blocking lters, thechance exists for causing fuel tank failure. Embarrassing if the tank is part ofyour hull.

Major infestation requires steam cleaning the inside of the tank. Minorproblems can be sorted by draining low points of all water and treating with abiocide. The waste fuel must be disposed of correctly, as one of the little nastiesthat can occur on the interface is typhoid.

Contrary to popular belief, most of the water in the fuel comes fromcondensation forming on the inside top and sides of the fuel tank above the fuellevel, not from your supplier. Keeping your tank as full as practical and refuellingat the end of the voyage makes good sense. Periodic maintenance is muchcheaper and less embarrassing than being towed into harbour.

Just another little potential problem that those of us who go down to thesea to play run across on the odd occasion.

Cladby Ian Cranney

Skipper, QF6

Above: Blocked lter on the left;new lter on the right.

Above: The breakdown ofcontaminated fuel.


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CASE STUDY 1: A SITTING DUCK IN THE SOUTHERN NORTH SEA

The following report, from the Nautical Institute Marine Accident Reporting Scheme, involves a close call in thick fog.A subsea installation vessel was positioned three nautical miles east of the NE bound shipping lane in the SouthernNorth Sea, waiting for a thick fog to clear so she could resume work.

The vessel was positioned head into the wind and tide to hold her position. The of cer on watch tracked avessel proceeding up the NE lane at 18 knots. When the vessel reached a position very close to its closest point ofapproach at three nautical miles, it altered course to starboard and headed directly for the subsea installation vessel.

The of cer on watch immediately put the helm hard over to starboard and the engine full ahead. The othervessel turned hard to port, creating a close quarters situation with only about a mile between the vessels.

The installation vessel successfully executed their turn and steamed away from the other vessel on a reciprocalheading, having come within three cables of a collision. Due to the fog, the other vessel was not visible at any time.

The other vessel was clearly at fault: failing to keep a lookout altering course to port in fog with a vessel forward of the beam proceeding at an unsafe speed in fog.

However the skipper of the subsea installation vessel may have been unwise to position his vessel headingtowards a shipping lane while stopped only three nautical miles outside the lane.

Know YourColregs

Compiled by John GasparottoEditor, QF4

Rules of the Road, Collision regulations, Colregs. Whatever name theyre known by, if youown or operate a boat, you should possess suf cient knowledge to enable you to safelynavigate the waterways wherever you go boating. Sadly, accidents do happen, and likeaccidents on the roads, the consequences can have expensive if not fatal consequences.

Last issue, QF4s John Gasparotto, contributed a case study on a fatal boating accidentthat could have been avoided had the boaties involved possessed the required knowledge ofthe Colregs. This issue, John contributes three more case studies. Read on and learn ...

CASE STUDY 2: DUSKY DOLPHINS AT SUNSET LEAD TO MARINE INCIDENT

The Maritime Safety Authority of New Zealand reported the following incident.The skipper of a yacht on a sunset cruise out of Otago Yacht Club on New Zealands South Island, was enjoying thesight of three Dusky dolphins sur ng in the boats bow wave.

As the skipper is videotaping on the bow, he becomes aware of seagull cries. He turns around and sees anoncoming shing vessel. Racing back to the cockpit, he disengages the auto helm and turns hard to starboard.


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The skipper of the trawler has seen the yacht a half-mile away, heading directly for him, and assumed that theyacht was coming to have a closer look at a working shing boat.

Assuming the yacht will pass on his port side, at 100 metres he puts his helm hard over to starboard. At thispoint he sees the man at the bowsprit of the yacht run aft. The skipper of the yacht was at fault for failing to keep aproper lookout Rule 5. However, the skipper of the trawler also ignored Rule 34 by failing to sound a warning at therapidly closing yacht.

Fortunately the only damage was a bent bowsprit and a damaged net.

CASE STUDY 3: SHIP BREAKS FIVE RULES AND LOSES

SIX MENOn March 1999, the Peoples Republic of Chinas containership Xing Long (right) was cruising at six knots in densefog, just off the Ninepin Group on the southeast side ofHong Kong.

The Chief Of cer of the Xing Long observed aship on the radar right ahead at six miles, on a nearlyreciprocal course. He rst tried in vain to contact theunidenti ed vessel by VHF radio. He then made asuccession of small alterations of course to starboard toavoid collision.

The other vessel, subsequently identi ed as a PRC

cargo ship, Quan Tai (right), made an alteration of courseto port.The vessels collided and the Quan Tai sank, killing

six of her eight man crew. Which rules were violated? Didthe Chief Of cer take appropriate action?

Not maintaining a proper lookout by all availablemeans (Rule 5), especially operational radar in fog (Rule7), was considered to be the main cause of the collision.The obligation to maintain a proper lookout is the rstand most important step in avoiding collisions, as theother vessel must be detected before any of the othersteering and sailing rules can be implemented.

It is clear that Quan Tai failed to maintaina proper lookout and to use her radar equipmentproperly to obtain early warning of risk of collision, giveappropriate sound signal in restricted visibility, andavoid making an alteration of course to port (Rules 5, 7,8, 19 and 35).

However the Chief Of cer of the Xing Long alsoviolated the COLREGS by failing to maintain a properlookout (Rule 5), to use his radar equipment to obtainearly warning of risk of collision (Rule 7) and failing tomake a large alteration of course to starboard and/ or large reduction in speed in ample time to keep wellclear of the Quan Tai (Rule 8).

In addition, the action taken to avoid collisionwas delayed by attempting to contact the othervessel via VHF radio. The use of VHF radio in collisionavoidance is not recommended; the time would havebeen better spent in altering course and using soundsignals to alert the other vessel.

Above right: Xing Long and the damage to the bow.Right: Close up of damage to Xing Longs bow.


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CALOUNDRA - LATITUDE 26.8000 S / LONGITUDE 153.1333 E

November 2014 DecemberDate Time m Date Time m Date Time m Date Time m Date Time m

1

SAT

0249 1.20 11

TUE

0410 0.30 21

FRI

0039 0.16 1

MON

0342 1.40 11

THU

0424 0.390835 0.46 1053 1.70 0712 1.73 0936 0.53 1104 1.69

1517 1.61 1727 0.49 1326 0.37 1546 1.54 1737 0.492201 0.33 2301 1.15 1907 1.45 2222 0.25 2318 1.19

2SUN

0400 1.33 12WED

0452 0.41 22SAT

0114 0.11 2TUE

0444 1.54 12FRI

0506 0.480953 0.42 1137 1.61 0749 1.82 1047 0.49 1144 1.601618 1.64 1819 0.54 1407 0.33 1645 1.51 1822 0.522253 0.23 2352 1.09 1947 1.44 2311 0.19

3MON

0459 1.48 13THU

0541 0.51 23SUN

0150 0.08 3WED

0537 1.68 13SAT

0010 1.161100 0.35 1226 1.52 0828 1.88 1149 0.45 0556 0.581712 1.66 1919 0.57 1450 0.30 1738 1.48 1228 1.522339 0.13 2029 1.42 2256 0.13 1913 0.53

4TUE

0551 1.63 14FRI

0100 1.06 24MON

0228 0.08 4THU

0626 1.79 14SUN

0116 1.151158 0.29 0643 0.60 0910 1.91 1243 0.40 0657 0.671801 1.66 1324 1.45 1535 0.30 1827 1.46 1319 1.45

2023 0.56 2113 1.38 2009 0.52

5WED

0022 0.06 15SAT

0230 1.09 25TUE

0310 0.11 5FRI

0039 0.10 15MON

0238 1.191638 1.76 0759 0.65 0955 1.91 0710 1.87 0811 0.721250 0.24 1427 1.41 1624 0.32 1331 0.37 1418 1.391848 1.63 2123 0.52 2202 1.34 1913 1.42 2105 0.49

6THU

0102 0.02 16SUN

0343 1.17 26WED

0356 0.18 6SAT

0119 0.09 16TUE

0348 1.280723 1.85 0917 0.65 1042 1.87 0752 1.91 0929 0.721338 0.23 1529 1.40 1718 0.34 1416 0.36 1518 1.351932 1.57 2214 0.46 2254 1.29 1956 1.39 2157 0.43

7FRI

0141 0.01 17MON

0438 1.28 27THU

0447 0.27 7SUN

0157 0.11 17WED

0442 1.400806 1.90 1024 0.61 1135 1.80 0832 1.92 1038 0.681425 0.25 1621 1.41 1817 0.37 1458 0.36 1615 1.342014 1.50 2257 0.38 2356 1.25 2037 1.38 2243 0.36

8SAT

0218 0.04 18TUE

0521 1.40 28FRI

0546 0.37 8MON

0233 0.16 18THU

0527 1.530849 1.90 1118 0.56 1233 1.72 0910 1.89 1135 0.611510 0.29 1708 1.42 1923 0.38 1538 0.39 1706 1.352056 1.41 2333 0.30 2116 1.31 2325 0.28

9SUN

0255 0.11 19WED

0600 1.52 29SAT

0109 1.24 9TUE

0309 0.22 19FRI

0608 1.660931 1.86 1204 0.49 1655 0.46 0948 1.84 1224 0.531555 0.35 1749 1.44 1338 1.65 1616 0.42 1754 1.382136 1.31 2027 0.36 2155 1.27

10MON

0332 0.20 20THU

0006 0.23 30SUN

0230 1.30 10WED

0346 0.30 20SAT

0006 0.201012 1.79 0636 1.63 0816 0.52 1026 1.77 0648 1.791640 0.43 1246 0.43 1443 1.59 1656 0.46 1309 0.442217 1.23 1828 1.45 2127 0.31 2235 1.22 1841 1.40

New Moon First Quarter Full Moon Last Quarter


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TIDE TIMES NOVEMBER 2014 JANUARY 2015

2014 January 2015Date Time m Date Time m Date Time m Date Time m

21SUN

0048 0.12 1THU

0525 1.68 11SUN

0520 0.55 22THU

0251 0.030730 1.90 1145 0.59 1145 1.58 0927 2.12

1354 0.36 1720 1.35 1814 0.50 1553 0.181928 1.43 2337 0.26 2140 1.61

22MON

0131 0.07 2FRI

0615 1.78 12MON

0020 1.27 23FRI

0339 0.09

0813 1.99 1239 0.53 0609 0.65 1012 2.061438 0.29 1813 1.35 1226 1.49 1638 0.192015 1.45 1900 0.51 2231 1.61

23TUE

0214 0.04 3SAT

0022 0.22 13TUE

0123 1.27 24SAT

0429 0.20

0857 2.03 1658 1.85 0711 0.74 1058 1.94

1524 0.26 1324 0.48 1315 1.40 1725 0.24

2103 1.45 1900 1.36 1952 0.52 2323 1.58

24WED

0301 0.06 4SUN

0104 0.20 14WED

0242 1.31 25SUN

0522 1.350643 2.04 0738 1.89 0829 0.79 1145 1.781612 0.24 1405 0.44 1415 1.33 1815 0.302153 1.44 1942 1.37 2051 0.49

25THU

0348 0.12 5MON

0142 0.19 15THU

0354 1.40 26MON

0022 1.54

1030 1.99 0816 1.90 0953. 0.77 0622 0.511702 0.26 1442 0.42 1523 1.29 1236 1.602245 1.42 2021 1.37 2150 0.44 1908 0.37

26FRI

0439 0.22 6TUE

0217 0.21 16FRI

0452 1.53 27TUE

0132 1.51

1119 1.90 0851 1.89 1106 0.70 0736 0.651755 0.29 1516 0.41 1628 1.30 1335 1.442402 1.39 2058 1.37 2246 0.36 2008 0.42

27SAT

0535 0.35 7WED

0251 0.24 17SAT

0541 1.68 28WED

0252 1.52

1210 1.79 0925 1.86 1204 0.59 0906 0.721850 0.32 1550 0.42 1728 1.34 1446 1.32

2134 1.36 2339 0.27 2114 0.44

28SUN

0048 1.38 8THU

0325 0.30 18SUN

0627 1.82 29THU

0407 1.58

0639 0.47 0959 1.82 1253 0.48 1033 0.721307 1.65 1623 0.43 1822 1.41 1602 1.271949 0.34 2209 1.35 2221 0.43

29MON

0202 1.40 9FRI

0401 0.37 19MON

0029 0.17 30FRI

0509 1.65

0754 0.58 1033 1.75 0712 1.96 1140 0.661409 1.53 1658 0.45 1338 0.36 1710 1.272049 0.34 2248 1.32 1913 1.48 2320 0.39

30TUE

0319 1.47 10SAT

0439 0.45 20TUE

0117 0.08 31SAT

0600 1.73

0919 0.63 1108 1.67 0757 2.06 1231 0.591515 1.43 1735 0.47 1423 0.27 1804 1.312148 0.33 2330 1.30 2002 1.54

31WED

0427 1.57 21WED

0204 0.03

1038 0.63 0842 2.121620 1.37 1507 0.21

2245 0.29 2051 1.59


24/44


Coast Guard Noosa, Coast Guard Noosa, this is Sailing Vessel Parmelia , Sailing Vessel Parmelia , VictorKilo Victor 4483. I am in need o assistance, currently anchored but have no electrics, no motor, sails havebeen torn apart, the winch is not working and we have another strong wind warning or today. I cannotcontinue in current state, hit by a squall yesterday afernoon with 80-knot winds. Current position is 153

05.456 East, 26 12.235 South.

Nearly two weeks after Christmas 2013, the radio room at Coast Guard Noosa picked up this call for help. With noelectrics but a radio, Peter a relatively new sailor ( rst solo sailing venture) was in a bit of trouble after beinghit by a squall with high winds. Peters problems certainly werent down to poor preparation; more a series ofunpredictable events leading to him and his newly purchased yacht Parmelia being towed home by the Coast Guard.

As the editor of QF5s magazine, Im tasked with nding interesting content and so I couldnt believe my luckwhen Peter told me he had kept a diary of his entire trip. Heres Part 1Day 1. Christmas Day: I left Townsville at 0430 on the three-quarter tide as Parmelia has a 2.4m draft, and there wasonly just under a meter at LAT (low tide). First on the list today was to winch up the main sail. Bloody hell! My lungsarent what they used to be I blame the Townsville heat of course. Note to self: install electric main halyard.

Had a great time as I sailed past Jeffries Beach for a perv on Magnetic Island. Just after passing, I calculated Id

steer 90 degrees for three hours at ve knots, then turn to 120 degrees for eight hours to Cape Upstart and arrive by5pm.Its so hot in Townsville - I already have butt rash. Right, remove all clothes. There was very little wind and it was

already getting dark before I had even arrived. Wish I had asked Ron (the broker) exactly where the mooring was. Ohwell, well get there. Actually, I recalculated the ETA and at ve knots, was already meant to be there. Technically, I shouldhave been there early. But low winds meant I was ve hours late. Hmmm ... it is dark, really dark with no moon either.Note to self: next time check the moon cycle before leaving.

OK, this must be what they call the deep end. Should have read the book. I turned on the Furuno Radar just tomake sure there was nothing in front of me. All of a sudden I remembered the ad from RACQ charter-boat - whatcharter-boat? I sailed to the far end of the bay with the motor going and according to my GPS, there was meant to bea mooring. OK, no mooring. Oh well, I dropped the anchor at 2230, fully sunburned and completely knackered. Afterdropping the sails and tying them down, it was time to get some sleep.

Actually before some sleep, it was time for a coldy and a bit of rest on the deck under the stars. Oh boy this is acool boat. Immediately after that thought, I began to realise that you only think you know about sailing until you try it by

yourself and get into the nitty-gritty of it. Its a bit like driving a car - the hard part isnt so much the driving and stayingon the road, but learning the laws, and taking in everything around you. Luckily the beer was still cold.

As I sat there I also realised I really cant remember the names of the stars anymore. Note to self: downloadcelestial app so when you point the phone at the sky, it tells you all about the stars you are pointing at (or design one

Note to Self: ...

Introduction by Christian Dearnaley Editor, QF5

Part 1 of the Diary of ParmeliasCruise Down the Queensland Coast

by Peter Willmot Skipper, SY Parmelia


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if no one has already made one). I also realised that when youre on the water, you move around so much and haveno reference to north unless youre in familiar territory. Its so easy on the land for some reason, but this ocean is like ashopping centre; no reference to north anywhere especially at night.

Day one nished. This is cool.Day 2. Boxing Day: The rst thing I did today was check for the mooring. Nothing. I seemed to be in the middle of no-mans land - sorry water. Oh well. I had a cuppa and some cereal, ready to get under way by 6am. I am so not a morning

person. Oh, and I had to pull up the mainsail, and its already so hot, and I was sweating like a dog. Worn out already, Idrank two bottles of water before Id even pulled up the anchor.

Speaking of which, when I went to winch in the anchor, I discovered the winch had no real pulling power. It was

operating but not making any headway on the anchor. I went down to the front of the boat to check all the hydraulics.They were working but still not like they should have. I was starting to wonder if I would be able to pull it up myself or ifI should pull it apart and check the clutch pressure, but there was no access to it. I had no choice but to help it along by

pulling up the weight and letting the winch take chain and store it. Anchors are heavy by the way.I motored on out of the bay, which took two hours. Hmmm ... this is a slower game than I thought. I was already

an hour and a half later than expected. Was I going to get to Airlie tonight? Now, for some reason, insurance companies dont usually cover boats that go into the Airlie area without extra

charge. Anyway, I wasnt sure I was going to get that far anyway. With the 10 knots of wind I had, I had to revise my planas sailing into a dark bay I didnt know was scary!

All right, Bowen Harbour it was then. As the day rolled on by, I would let Bowen Coast Guard know I was comingin. VHF - no answer. I was getting the occasional report come through from Cairns Coast Guard, so maybe I wasnt ableto transmit the distance.

I noticed something smelt hot. Great; the engine was overheating. With the motor off and speed right down undersail, I set the autopilot and had a look at the motor. The water intake was open so I pulled off the hose to check for ablockage. There was plenty of water coming from the intake port so no blockage there. I pulled the hose off leading to themotor heat exchanger but there was no water there so it had to be the impeller in the middle.

Suddenly I remembered a conversation where the broker (who is also a master mariner) said that diesels arefantastic - the only problem I would ever have is an impeller failure.

I began to search the storage cupboards as I remembered seeing an impeller somewhere. Note to self: sit downand document everything on board at some point so you know where it is. AH HA! Found it. The universe must havebeen looking after me imagine getting to Bowen with no motor.

I pulled off the impeller housing. As usual, hard to get to and could only nd every spanner except the right one.Back up plan. Small screwdriver and pull the faceplate off the impeller. That worked out all right, but then I couldnt getthe impeller out.

At this point I thought Id better check we were still going in the right direction. At least the autopilot works great;it was dead on course.

Back downstairs, I loosened all bolts, one tenth of a turn at a time. The motor was hot and being so sunburnedfrom yesterday, everything hurt (even if I wasnt touching the engine). Not to self: when solo sailing you cannot afford tobe slack and get sunburned.

Its a pretty big call to do this kind of thing on your own. At this point I was feeling lucky that I had grown up xingold cars (the only ones we had) and there is no better place to test your mechanical know-how!

After a short while I had the impeller housing off. It was time to get this thing xed! You guessed it, wrong impeller.What an excellent way to screw up a great day. Alright, lets make this thing t. I pulled the centre pin from the oldimpeller and got the drill so it would sit dead centre. It shouldve worked it only had to pump some water. I put it allback together, started the motor and checked for leaks. Typical Pete plumbing. I tightened up the hose clamp a bit moreand yeah you guess it, stripped it. To make matters worse I didnt remember seeing any spares. I pulled one off the sink,which didnt completely stop the leaking, but was good enough under Petes NATO standards.

I started the engine but no pressure. I was thinking it might only get going once the engine revved a little harder. After a few herbs, the overheat warning was pinging again. I decided to re-pipe the plumbing to skip the safety that prevents water from lling the boat if the hose breaks. Without it, the impeller should be strong enough to pump waterstraight to the heat exchanger with the help of the intake pressure. That could have been a bad career move but I wasnt

getting anywhere sitting here. An hour later, I had the piping re-done. No difference in water pressure. Great. The new impeller was just letting

the water escape past it. I was thinking with some silicone it might work, but decided to put it in the too hard basket. Ihad no choice but to drop into Bowen and get the proper part.

So, I was bobbing along under sail, no motor and Bowen was still a long way off track. I decided to call a mechanicI knew of in Bowen to see if they had the part. If only it wasnt Boxing Day, I thought as their recorded phone messagetold me they would be back in a week. What to do? I really didnt want to sweat it out in the Bowen heat for a few daysor more. Bugger it. I came to sail so I decided I could do without the motor for now.

I had a quick look on the map. Middle Island looked nice and was a lot closer. After some more Vaseline on thesunburn (this also took longer than expected), I pointed the bow towards my new destination. It turned out to be a greatlittle anchorage, and with the anchor down, I celebrated with some Jatz biscuits and corn relish dip. And a beer of course.

BCF, your ads have got nothing on this. This this is living!Look out for the next edition of Rescue Sunshine Coast, when Petes diary of his maiden voyage will continue.


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Whos Listening?by Jon JonesRadio Section Of cer, QF17

Youre out on your boat, youve logged on with the localCoast Guard (or VMR rescue group) and you need to callthem. There are a number of reasons why. You may have

noticed storm clouds gathering and want an updated weatherforecast. You may be having a successful days shing and wish toextend your ETR or you may have moved on from your original destination and wishto advise your current location. You make the call on your VHF radio, but get noresponse. Its unlikely that Coast Guard is off the air, so are you calling on the rightfrequency for your location? This article looks at radio frequency propagation inthe area covered by the AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron from Caloundra to theGreat Sandy Strait.AREA OF OPERATIONS

To begin with, lets establish the area of operations for each otilla in the SunshineCoast Squadron.QF4 Caloundra: the inshore waters of Pumicestone Passage south to approximatelyhalfway down Bribie Island, and offshore waters north to Point Cartwright, south toapproximately halfway downBribie Island and forty nauticalmiles to seaward.QF6 Mooloolaba: thenavigable inshore waters ofthe Mooloolah River, andoffshore waters north to PointArkwright, south to PointCartwright and fty nauticalmiles to seaward.QF5 Noosa: the entireNoosa River and its lakes,and offshore waters north toDouble Island Point, southto Point Arkwright and ftynautical miles to seaward.QF17 Tin Can Bay: the inshore waters of Tin Can Inlet and adjacent creeks and the Great Sandy Strait north to the S38beacon, and offshore waters north to Indian Head, south to Double Island Point and fty nautical miles to seaward.QF21 Sandy Strait: the inshore waters of the Great Sandy Strait south to Kauri Creek and north to McKenzies Jetty,and the Mary River upstream to the Barrage.PRINCIPLE OF VHF OPERATION

The range of VHF communications depends mainly on the height of the aerials of the transmitting and receivingstations. This is called line-of-sight communication and may be affected by the curvature of the earths surface, hills,cliffs or dense vegetation.

Most VHF sets have high (25 watts) and low (1 watt) power settings. The high setting can be used tocommunicate when operating at extreme VHF range or when you are not in physical sight of the receiving station youare trying to call. If you are only a few miles away from the receiving station (i.e., you can physically see the station),the low setting should be used.FREQUENCIESIf youve ever visited your local Coast Guards radio room, youll have noticed banks of radios, all set to monitordifferent frequencies. While this set-up enables complete coverage of the otillas area of operations, there areareas where certain frequencies have poor coverage or black spots, and if you move into another otillas area ofoperations, different frequencies may be used.

The ve otillas covering the Sunshine, Cooloola and Fraser coasts monitor the following frequencies:VHF MARINE DISTRESS AND URGENCYUnder an agreement between Global Maritime Distress and Safety Service (GDMSS) and Maritime Safety Queensland(MSQ), MSQ have responsibility for the Queensland coast coverage of the Coast Marine Radio Distress and UrgencyNetwork. Through the Vessel Transit System (VTS), major harbours at Brisbane, Gladstone, Hay Point, Townsville and

FLOTILLA andCALL SIGN FREQUENCIES OPERATING HOURSQF4 CaloundraVMR404

VHF 16, 7327MHz 88, 91

Weekdays: 0530-1200Weekends/Public Holidays: 0530-1700

QF6 MooloolabaVMR 406

VHF 16, 67, 80, 7327 MHz 88, 90

365 days: 0600-2200 (day watch)365 days: 2200-0600 (night watch Ch 16)

QF5 Noosa

VMR405

VHF 16, 22, 80

27MHz 88

365 days: 24 hours

QF17 Tin Can BayVMR417

VHF 16, 67, 80, 8227MHz 88, 90

365 days: 0600-1800

QF21 Sandy StraitVMR421

VHF 16, 82, 8027MHz 88, 90

365 days: 0700-1800 (day watch)365 days 1800-0700 (duty skipper on call)


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Above: Diagram showing the VHF channel 16/67 coverage forQF17 Tin Can Bay and QF6 Mooloolaba.

Above: Diagram showing how vessel size and aerial heightabove sea level affects VHF signal propagation from ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore using simplex and duplex/repeaters.

Cairns, are responsible for the Maritime Safety ListeningWatch (MSLW) on VHF channel 16. The VTS also usesthe supplementary channel 67 for Securit warnings andweather broadcasts. These duties are shared with AVCGA/ VMR during speci ed hours of radio operations, while VTSmonitor the 16/67 network outside these hours.

In the Sunshine Coast Squadron, only QF6Mooloolaba and QF17 Tin Can Bay operate through VTS,with both otillas managing the MSLW through BrisbaneVTS, which operates out of the Port of Brisbane.

Each day of operations, AVCGA/VMR takeover theMSLW on Channel 16 from the VTS harbour which controlsthe local area. At the end of each operational day, theMSLW is handed over to the same VTS harbour for after-hours coverage.

Channel 16 is used for distress, urgency and calling,while channel 67 is used to broadcast weather information.These frequencies may also be used when local workingfrequencies (repeater/duplex and simplex) provideineffective coverage.SIMPLEX TRANSMISSIONS

A simplex channel is one on which transmission andreception take place on the same frequency. For example,channel 16 is a simplex channel. Some otillas also use asimplex channel as a local working frequency. For example,QF6 Mooloolabas simplex working frequency is VHFchannel 73.

The range of simplex frequencies is limited by line-of-sight. When using simplex frequencies, the height ofyour vessels aerial above sea level if very important. Forexample, an aerial mounted on top of a yachts mast willdeliver better range than one mounted on the gunwale ofa tinny.DUPLEX TRANSMISSIONSA duplex channel is one on which transmission andreception take place on different, but paired, frequencies.For example, during communications through a VHFmarine repeater to a coast station, the vessel transmitson frequency A and receives on frequency B, while themarine repeater retransmits on frequency B and receiveson frequency A.

All repeater channels in VHF marine bandsare duplex. The appropriate paired frequencies arepre-programmed into transceivers and are selectedautomatically by use of the channel select control.

The range of VHF marine repeater frequencies is

still limited by line-of-sight. However, because the repeaterinstallations are located at geographically high locations(i.e high hills and mountains), coverage is signi cantlyextended beyond that achieved with simplex frequencies.VHF MARINE REPEATER CHANNELSVHF marine repeaters are unmanned shore installationsthat are designed to transmit and receive simultaneouslyand will retransmit or repeat all signals received. Theretransmitted signals can be received by any stationlistening on the repeater channel.

VHF marine repeater stations can be used for ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship communications.Limited coast stations operated by marine rescueorganisations routinely monitor VHF repeater channelsoperating in their area. Not all coastal areas of Australia areserved by VHF marine repeaters.

VHF marine repeaters operate on channels 21, 22,


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VHF 82: This frequency is a repeater channel, with transmissionsgoing through a re tower at Big Angle in the Tuan State Foresteast of Maryborough. The tower stands at an elevation of 400metres above sea level. Coverage of this frequency extendsthroughout the Great Sandy Strait, Tin Can Inlet, the Wide Bay Barand the lagoon behind of Double Island Point. However, it shouldbe noted that transmission and reception in low-lying areas in TinCan Inlet is sometimes poor at lower states of the tide.

This frequency is the primary working repeater frequency forQF21 Sandy Strait and the secondary working repeater frequencyfor QF17 Tin Can Bay.VHF 22: This frequency is a repeater channel, with transmissionsgoing through a tower at the Laguna Lookout at Noosa Heads. Thetower stands at an elevation of 148 metres above sea level and hasa range of approximately 32 nautical miles.

This frequency is the primary working repeater frequency forQF5 Noosa.VHF 73: This frequency is a simplex channel and is used by QF6Mooloolaba and QF4 Caloundra as a local working frequency.Coverage extends northwards to approximately Noosa Heads andsouthwards to Bribie Island.

MF/HF MARINE DISTRESSSince 1 July 2002, under an International agreement for GlobalMaritime Distress and Safety Service (GDMSS), Australian CoastalRadio stations reduced their aural listening watch on HF emergencyradio frequencies.

GDMSS is intended to provide an automated method ofDistress and Safety communication between ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore, thereby reducing the need for some of the manned coastalradio stations.

This service is replaced with two automated remote radiostations at Charleville (QLD) and Wiluna (WA), covering the HFfrequencies 4125Khz, 6215Khz and 8291Khz using Digital SelectiveCalling (DSC) auto alarm techniques. The DSC signals are monitored by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)/ Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) in Canberra, who are responsible for organising search and rescue operations usingstate emergency helicopter services, Water Police and AVCGA/VMR agencies.

As most shipping companies now use satellite technology for communications to their company of ces ashore,there will probably be further reductions in HF radio frequency usage as it becomes cheaper for recreational shippingto use satellite phone with text or email facilities.

Mariners should note that otillas within the Sunshine Coast Squadron no longer monitor MF/HF frequencies.WHICH CHANNEL SHOULD YOU USE?Your location is an important consideration when deciding which frequency to communicate on. Here are a fewguidelines. If you are:

In local inshore waters (Pumicestone Passage, Mooloolah River, Noosa River, Tin Can Inlet, Great Sandy Strait) -use the local working simplex or duplex/repeater frequencies

In offshore Sunshine Coast waters south of Noosa Heads and north of Bribie Island - use 73 (QF6 Mooloolaba

and QF4 Caloundra) or 22 (QF5 Noosa) Offshore waters around Noosa Heads - try 22 Offshore waters south of Double Island Point - try 80 Wide Bay north of Double Island Point - try 82 or 67 Crossing the Wide Bay Bar - 80, 82 or 67 Great Sandy Strait north of Inskip Point - 82 Tin Can Inlet south of Inskip Point - 80 or 82 Offshore waters (all waters including Sunshine Coast and Fraser Island waters) - try 67

If you are unsure which working frequency to use, contact the otilla on VHF 16, advise of your location andrequest the correct local working frequency to use. Not all radio operators will ask for your location and without thisinformation, you may be directed to a preferred working frequency that is ineffectual in your location. This oftenresults in much frustration as the boatie and operator engage in the Frequency Quick-Step while trying to establishcommunications!CONCLUSIONSIf you require assistance or information about radio communications in your local area or other areas that you intendto travel to, contact your local otilla or the otilla in that area and talk to the duty Radio Operator. They are morethan happy to assist all mariners with radio communications.


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I think it would be fair to say that there have been nomajor breakthroughs in hull design for hundreds ofyears. The Vikings learned that long, thin hulls were fast

and easily driven many centuries ago and it was probablyno surprise to anyone that if you increased weight yousacri ced speed.

The one thing that has changed dramatically inrecent times has been the materials available that canbe used to build boats and this has made it possible tobuild vessels much lighter than before and still retainthe required strength. Aluminium, GRP and exotic bressuch as Kevlar used with epoxy resins and similar hightech materials, have allowed for big increases in speed

in specialist type vessels such as racing yachts and lightpowerboats over the old traditionally built wooden boats.The transport of large heavy cargoes however, still hasthe same problems and designers have found that longerand larger ships pushed by a lot of horsepower is still theonly way to go.

We often hear the terms displacement hull and planing hull , although I suspect most people arenot really sure of the exact differences and what theadvantages and disadvantages of each hull type are.

Up until the last century, virtually all vessels weredisplacement-type boats. However, as hulls were ableto be built lighter and smaller, more powerful enginesbecame available, the planing hull evolved.DISPLACEMENT HULLSWell-designed displacement hulls are by far the mostef cient shaped hulls for vessels that are too heavy to beable to plane. The underwater sections have an aerofoilshape that the water can pass easily around withoutbreaking away from the hull and causing turbulence. Thebow and stern sections tend to have similar shape andbuoyancy to enable the water to ow easily around, leaving little disturbance in their wake.

As the speed increases the hull pushes a bow wave ahead, which forms a trough behind followed by a secondcrest forming along the hull. As speed increases further, the length between the two crests increases until the secondcrest is forming at the stern of the boat, which means that the vessel has now dug a hole in the water which i

rescue magazine spring 2014 - qf4 web(1)

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