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Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast | 1

This issue ... The Rhondda Rescue Story | Management of Drifting ShipsFishing Trips, Mateship & Medivacs | Marine Solar Energy

When Oswald Came to Visit | Electronic Radio LoggingNoosa Tides | QF5 News

Autumn 2013 - QF5 Noosa Edition

2 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

AVCGA QF5 NOOSA Proudly supported by ...

Towing practice for John Waddams and Davo’s Rescue

Davo’s Rescue

Rafting practice for the Sea Lions Crew on John Waddams and Davo’s Rescue

Background image inside front and inside back covers: A still morning on Lake Cootharaba


04 EDITOR’S CORNER

05 SQUADRON NEWS

06 THE NEW RHONDDA RESCUE STORY Go behind the scenes and discover how QF6 acquired their new primary rescue vessel, Rhondda Rescue

12 MANAGEMENT OF DRIFTING SHIPS Who does what when a drifting ship is reported

15 BRAVERY RECOGNISED QF5 members recognised for the Ausmaid and Noosa Everglades rescues in April 2009

16 GIVING UP FISHING FOR A MATE When an annual fishing trip turns into a medical emergency, who do you call?

18 MARINE SOLAR ENERGY Looking for free energy to run your boat? Discover how solar energy can be used in the marine environment

20 WHEN OSWALD CAME TO VISIT QF17 share their experience with ex-TC Oswald

24 NOOSA TIDES Your pull-out tide info

26 ELECTRONIC RADIO LOGGING The latest technological advances in recreational vessel traffic management

28 A MATTER OF TRUST QF5 learn the hard way that assistance isn’t always rewarded with a donation

29 THE TALE OF TWO SHIPWRECKS HMS Orpheus and Freddy the Ship’s Cat

30 FLOTILLA NEWS Latest news from QF5 Noosa

35 OUT & ABOUT WITH QF5 ... QF5’s “Rogue’s Gallery”

42 MEMBERSHIP Information about Regular and Associate Membership

44 COAST NEWS

45 THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE

45 FROM THE SHIP’S GALLEY

46 SQUADRON CONTACTS

CONTENTS AUTUMN 2013 | ISSUE 1QF5 Noosa Edition

The Official Magazine of AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron

06 12 15 16

18 20 26 28

29 30 35 44


PUBLISHING INFORMATIONCoast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is published quarterly by AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron.Copies are available from QF4 Caloundra, QF6 Mooloolaba, QF5 Noosa, QF17 Tin Can Bay and QF21 Sandy Straits. Please contact the Flotilla.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is also available via email. If you would like to join the mailing list to receive a full colour copy direct to your inbox, please contact the flotilla representative for your area. For Editorial enquiries, please contact the Editor. For advertising enquiries, please contact the flotilla representative for your area.

EDITOR: Vice Captain Julie HartwigPh: 07 5486 4014M: 0498 377 402E: [email protected]: 2A Bass St, Tin Can Bay, Qld 4580

Sub-Editors:QF4 Caloundra: John GasparottoE: [email protected] Noosa: Christian DearnaleyE: [email protected] Mooloolaba: Wendy WilsonE: [email protected] Tin Can Bay: Julie HartwigE: [email protected] Sandy Strait: Kate HouleyE: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Whilst every care is taken by the Editor to minimise errors, no responsibility is accepted for the accuracy or otherwise of contributions made by AVCGA members, and the information, images, illustrations and advertisements contained herein. Opinions expressed in articles in this publication are those of the authors. All content in this publication is published with the consent and approval of the Sunshine Coast Squadron Board.

© Copyright AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron, 2013

Visit Coast Guard on the web:www.coastguard.com.au

Cover Photo by Christian Dearnaley

Welcome to the first edition of the new AVCGA magazine, Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast. It has been a hectic few weeks putting this first issue together and trying to accommodate the

needs of the Squadron’s five flotillas. As with all things new and untested, there are bound to be teething troubles, so if you find errors, please let me know - I can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong with it!

Inside CGRSC, you’ll find an interesting selection of feature articles contributed by members of the Sunshine Coast flotillas, as well as news from your local flotilla and general information about boating and the AVCGA on the Sunshine Coast.

This issue, we go behind the scenes at QF6 to look at their new primary rescue vessel and we examine how Coast Guard works with other maritime agencies to manage the ever-present problem of drifting vessels. We join QF5 for the presentation of some very special awards and learn that a medical emergency is more important than fishing. We share QF17’s experience of the Australia Day weekend “cyclone”, learn a valuable lesson about trust and, in what I hope will become a regular feature, delve into the annals of maritime history.

In our technical pages, we get the low-down on solar power installations in the marine environment and learn about electronic radio logging that is gradually coming online in radio rooms across the Squadron. In addition, there are the ever-popular and in-demand Tide Times, all the latest news from your local flotilla and much more.

The team here at CGRSC, hope that the Sunshine Coast boating community will get behind the magazine. Every boatie has a stash of “tall tales” and we invite you to share them with us. If there’s something you’d like us to cover - a special event or a particular technical subject you’d like information on - please forward the details the your local flotilla’s editorial contact (see list at left) and we’ll see what we can do.

In the meantime, stay safe on the water and enjoy the read!

Julie HartwigEditorVice Captain PublicationsSunshine Coast Squadron

A Message to Our Readers ... Please Support our AdvertisersThe Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association is a volunteer marine rescue organisation committed to saving lives at sea.AVCGA flotillas in the Sunshine Coast region receive minimal government funding and must engage in constant fundraising activities to keep our rescue vessels on the water, train our volunteer personnel and operate our rescue bases. The support of local and regional businesses is an essential part of our fundraising activities. When you shop at any of our advertisers, please tell them you saw their advertisement in Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast. Please support our advertisers because their support ensures the continuation of AVCGA’s rescue services to boating communities on the Sunshine, Cooloola and Fraser Coasts.

Editor’s Corner


Squadron NewsNEW MOTORS FOR QF21’S PRIDE OF MARYBOROUGHOn 10 February 2013 while MV Pride of Maryborough was proceeding to escort MV Spirit of Hervey Bay up the Mary River, a catastrophe occurred: her port engine ceased to run! The vessel returned to base on one motor and replacement motors were sought, as it was vital to return Pride to service as soon as possible.

Discussion occurred as to the reconditioning or replacement of the two 150hp E-tecs that were on the vessel. It was soon realised that repairing and reconditioning these motors was more than 50% of the cost of new motors, and this with a limited warranty. Hence a decision was made to replace both engines with two Honda V6 turbocharged 200hp 4 strokes, with new control cables and a new set of engine gauges. These are covered with a five-year warranty, are 50hp larger than the previous motors, but with the same or better fuel consumption. Fitting these engines to the Pride has also increased her towing capacity with little change to the weight or stability aspects of the vessel. The engines were provided by Bay City Marine, Dayman Street, Urangan, and were fitted by 15 March, underwent trials, and the Pride was back in service by 16 March 2013. Bay City Marine will continue to service the engines.

Many thanks must go to all those involved in the smooth replacement of the motors, from those sourcing the quotes from many suppliers, to those giving approval for the $45,000 to be spent, and Bay City Marine in making the job a priority.

The good news is that the old motors (one good & one not) will be sold to another wonderful volunteer group – the “Men’s Shed” in Hervey Bay.

NEW RADIO ROOM AT QF5After years of discussion, the dream of installing a new radio room at Coast Guard Noosa has now become a reality. Members and committed advocates have worked long and hard to have new radio room equipment installed to keep up with the increasing demand placed on our volunteer crews.

A community forum held in March, hosted by the Tewantin Branch of Bendigo Bank, allowed locals to discuss and then vote on future community projects that would benefit the area - including a new radio room for Coast Guard Noosa to the value of $25,000. Much collaboration has taken place between local Council and the Community Bank and as such, work will soon begin on the project to ensure it will be fully operational for the summer of 2013.

Coast Guard Noosa Commander John Milland received calls from Councilor Russell Green and the Manager of the Tewantin Community Bank branch, Wayne Hoens, on the same day informing him of the tremendous news.

“I was just blown away when I received the phone calls from Wayne and Russell. We’re about to receive $15,000 from Council and $10,000 from Bendigo Bank to take us to the figure we need to purchase and install all the equipment,” Commander Milland said.

“This has been a project in the planning for more than 18 months and will be life-changing - literally. Coast Guard Noosa has known exactly what it wanted to do with the project, but knew we were going to struggle financially to realise this dream in the short-term. Now, thanks to Sunshine Coast Council and Bendigo Bank, we’re going to be able to deliver a standard of care in the marine environment we have long hoped to provide.”

The update will include a new system for logging those who navigate the Noosa Bar allowing radio operators to list more information about the vessel, aiding rescue crews in the event of an emergency.

Bendigo Bank has contributed more than $20,000 to Coast Guard Noosa in the past five years, including assistance to buy the Naiad vessel, Davo’s Rescue, which took to the water in late 2011.

Coast Guard Noosa greatly appreciates the overwhelming support shown by Bendigo Bank and the Sunshine Coast Regional Council which enables the flotilla to continue their work in the boating community.

Photo courtesy Noosa Today


Overview ... by John Annabell, Commander QF6Over the last 8 years, QF6 members raised $810,000 (from raffles and BBQs) to add to Government grants, to build not just a ‘big tinnie’, but what is in fact a small ship! The team’s carefully thought out design, plans, specifications and the supreme quality of her construction by ABA have all combined seamlessly to quite justifiably make the new Rhondda Rescue the envy of the marine rescue fraternity. We expect her to serve this local boating community for 20 years.

All our skippers and boat crew members have been industriously re-training in the operation of a similar (but quite different) vessel and systems. Her “maiden assist” to an unlit vessel off

Tangalooma in the main shipping channel off Brisbane, was a clear demonstration of her abilities. This effort earned a totally unexpected radio call of congratulations from a passing international ship.

A ceremony to mark her official commissioning was held on April 6. The Concept ...

by Bob Truman, Radio Section LeaderThe new Rhondda Rescue story started around eight years ago. Our primary rescue vessel then was a 12.7 metre Cairns Custom Craft, which was intended to be replaced at the end of 2012 after 10 years of service. A Replacement Boat Committee was formed, of which I was chairman and the fun (work) started.

With several concepts of what style/design of replacement vessel best suited this flotilla operating out of Mooloolaba, much discussion took place over many, many months, but two things became clear:• A monohull vessel best suited this area of operation; and

• The style / design would be based on a proven hull.To this end, I had the opportunity to test drive “Green

1” near Perth in WA in some pretty severe conditions thanks to the “Fremantle Doctor” (wind). Yes! With my many years of experience as a large trawler skipper, I thought this was a great hull.

On my return to Mooloolaba, and after much discussion, it was agreed we would approach Mark Ellis Designs WA, the owners of this hull design to develop our design. Quotes were obtained, with concept sketches being developed and a Contract for Design was signed.

Rhondda Rescue had been in service for 10 years and was due for replacement in December 2012. This joint compilation by the QF6 members involved in the project gives us the lowdown on Coast Guard Mooloolaba’s new million-dollar primary rescue vessel.

The NewRHONDDA

RESCUEStory


Design ...by Roger Beighton, Operations OfficerThe concept sketches provided guidance to the final outcome and with a proven hull accepted, final design work commenced with the marine architect and owner of the hull design, Mark Ellis Marine Design in Perth WA.

With the raised Pilot House/Helm area and lower forward cabin concept, there were now conflicting views as to the need/benefit of a flybridge. QF6 skippers, the ultimate drivers of the vessel, were quite divided with the drawbacks to a flybridge being cost, and with more weight up high, a less stable vessel. A tender vessel has the disadvantage of being more hazardous to work in heavy weather and potentially increases the incidence of seasickness.

On the positive side was the improved visibility for search and rescue when the conditions permit, but more importantly visibility when docking, particularly when we have a large vessel rafted along side.

The Commander proposed a compromise “balcony” flybridge with a floor lower than the top of the pilot house and positioned just aft of it. This also had the added bonus of providing a good protected area for deck crew outside of the lower cabin or pilot house. This flybridge design had been in use for a few years with the NSW Water Police. After a visit to see their vessel, we had no doubt that this type of flybridge would be well-suited to our needs. Subsequently, we also took the opportunity to provide a 600-litre fuel tank in the keel to help improve stability.

Commencing in July 2011, 8 months of focused work followed as the new vessel team provided more detail to Mark Ellis Marine Design, firstly to complete a General Agreement plan and then proceed to full plans and specification.

Careful consideration was given to all aspects of the vessel from the grade of aluminium, engines and gearboxes to electronics, seating and instrument console layout. Budget, reliability, ease of use, on-going running costs and providing a vessel with a life span of 25 to 30 years, were all kept well in mind during this process.

To keep within budget during fabrication, it was also felt necessary to have the plans and specification as complete as possible and very detailed. This was to minimise the opportunity for the builder to claim extra work outside the formal building agreement.

By February 2012 we were getting close to completing the design phase and had already selected a number of acceptable builders who were quite keen to quote for the fabrication. As the builders commenced work on quoting, QF6 arranged for the plans and specification to be certified by a Marine Surveyor to 2C Survey meeting both NSCV and Maritime Safety Queensland requirements.

Quoting was quite competitive and by May, the winning tender was accepted. Contracts were subsequently signed between Aluminium Boats Australia and the National Commodore AVCGA in June 2012.Construction, Sea Trials and Delivery

By Rod Ashlin, Project RepresentativeConstruction began in early July. It was recognised that projects overseen by committees have had a history of rather poor outcomes so I was appointed to oversee the construction phase and liaise directly with Aluminium Boats Project Manager, Phil Drinkwater.

Regardless of the time spent in detail on plans, there are always a lot of decisions to be made during building. Most decisions were made on the job; anything considered more major I would group email committee members to get consensus approval. Initial visits to the builders were at three-weekly intervals, decreasing to weekly in the later stages, with numerous phone calls in

between.This approach worked smoothly and without problems no doubt due to our effective committee where


agreement was always reached with little dissension and builders who would often suggest small improvements and additions which in many cases meant more work for them, but without any additional cost to QF6.

Is it just me or does everyone find seeing a boat come together a very creative and intensely interesting thing? Given that this was a one off specialised boat, my suggestion to anyone contemplating a similar project would be to visit as often as possible to ensure everything is done the way you planned, but hopefully without becoming an annoyance to the builders.

The hull was built upside down in the normal fashion and the superstructure built separately. Superstructure was in place within days of the hull turnover. Engines could be fitted and then easily removed to allow more working space with Aluminium Boats permanent overhead gantry system.

The intensity and amount of workers involved increased considerably as launch day approached with wiring, electronics, engine and gearbox technicians now needing to complete their work. Boat construction and design has evolved over hundreds of years but the advances in electrics and electronics have exploded in the last 30 years and the amount and complexity of wiring in a vessel such as this is always somewhat of a surprise. The quality of

the workmanship and the hardware incorporated in the construction left us very pleased with the decision to select ABA as the builders.

The boat was launched just a few days later than the originally-planned date to allow for last-minute jobs, and sea trials started immediately. The whole vessel performed almost exactly as we had anticipated and achieved 27 knots on the first day out with the smoothness and quietness we expected.

A few small teething problems were attended to and three days later, a second day’s sea trial took place. Cummins had wanted a slight change in propeller pitch for maximum efficiency, which was done, and calibration of instruments and electronics undertaken. Then over to Tangalooma where the builders had arranged to pick up pizzas for lunch for the full complement of technicians aboard. Rudder response and acceleration figures were noted. One interesting exercise was to put the helm hard over to its stops while at maximum 27 knots. Everyone wondered just how the vessel would respond to this but with a slight dip of the bow and a wall of water firing up from the flared bows she turned easily, as if on rails without any appreciable heel or fuss. It would have made a great photo.

Three days later after compasses were swung and a few more minor jobs completed, it was time for the delivery trip from ABA on the Brisbane River to Mooloolaba. In accordance with our agreement with the builders, the boat was not officially ours until it was delivered to our base so the skipper in charge was an ABA representative.

Commander Annabell and most of the senior QF6 skippers were aboard for the delivery trip with a blustery 30-knot south-easter blowing.

ABA had arranged for a helicopter with film crew and photographers aboard to take photos and video which was done at full throttle into the Moreton Bay chop which made for some great footage.

We then set off at 20 knots to make our prearranged rendezvous with our about-to-be-replaced Mooloolaba Rescue at Point Cartwright. For the statistically minded, this meeting took place at 1200 hours on the twelfth day, of the twelfth month, two thousand and twelve.

By the time we arrived at Mooloolaba, the seas had increased to around four metres, whipped up by the 30-knot winds and all were impressed with the seakindliness of the boat, both downwind and upwind.


A small fleet of welcoming craft had been arranged to welcome the new arrival but on the day it was too rough for any to safely leave the river. In company with Mooloolaba Rescue, we entered the river and made our way up to our pontoon where many members, friends and dignitaries were waiting to get a first-hand view of the product of our years of effort.Capabilities (What’ll She Do?)

by Ian Cranney, Offshore Rescue Vessel MasterIt doesn’t seem like 2009 when our commander stood up at the monthly flotilla meeting and told us that it was time to think of either refurbishing or replacing our current primary rescue vessel. Being of the engineering fraternity, I like new toys

so I voted for replacement. I wasn’t sure at the time whether to feel flattered or

worried to be asked to be on the new vessel committee. Karma, I suppose. Anyway, Chriss Grant and myself were asked to do the engineering side of the project. Both of us are of the “bigger is better” breed so we had a lot of fun working on power to weight ratios and how we could squeeze what we wanted into a 14 metre hull. After some liaison work with the potential hull designer and committee visits to several boat builders, it looked like 500 hp Cats or Cummins would be the go. We looked at several other types but for one reason or another they were ruled out.

Eventually the committee decided that Cummins QSC 8.3 would do what we required. The 500 hp (370kw) per engine would allow us to service the ever growing requirements (in vessel size as well as number) of our harbour. The engines are coupled to ZF transmissions with Easydock and Easytroll capabilities. We have a top speed of 27 knots but if we engage Easytroll we can travel as low as 2 knots (great if you have a slippery yacht on the end of a short tow).

Fuel use at 27 knots is about 95 litres an hour per engine but she cruises along quite happily at 20 knots with a fuel consumption of 50 litres an hour per engine. We have 2,600 litres of fuel on board (2 side tanks and a keel tank) so in ideal conditions we could travel at 20 knots for 13 hours out and 20 knots for 13 hours back or allowing a safety margin, a 200Nm offshore Search and Rescue operation. (Would have been great to have her on the Plastiki assist.)

With the common rail fuel system and accessibility of service items (filters, anodes, etc ) the flotilla is capable of carrying out operator-level servicing with backup from Cummins and ZF.

I’m probably a bit biased, but as a skipper, I find her easy to handle and as part of the maintenance crew, a pleasure to play with.Crew Training

by Ian Hunt, Training OfficerAs you now know, lots of QF6 members’ time and effort has gone into us now having a shiny new Rhondda Rescue. So, does having a new boat turn up at the pontoon mean that crew members can jump aboard and head out to sea? Of course not!

An opportunity arose enabling us to install the same radar/GPS that had been selected for the new Rhondda Rescue in Rotary II. This meant that the learning curve for these items was not quite as steep when the new Rhondda Rescue arrived. But, when we get a new vessel that has a different

hull design, is longer, wider, higher, heavier, more powerful and fitted out with an assortment of equipment that we previously did not have, getting crew up to speed before being able to use the vessel operationally is very important.

As an example of the new electronic equipment and capability, we now have a Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) system, including a dedicated 15 inch display, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class B Transponder, a SIMRAD 4G Broadband radar, 3 x SIMRAD 12 inch and 1 x SIMRAD 8 inch multi-function displays, SIMRAD Autopilot, Weather Station, Satellite Phone, 3G/Wi Fi phone system, 5 station intercom, loudhailer and back deck and engine room cameras.

Apart from these systems we have different engines and controls, gearboxes, bilge pumping/fire fighting systems, fuel systems and toilet system to be trained on before being deemed competent to use the vessel.

So, as you can imagine a lot of training planning occurred before delivery to ensure we could use the vessel ASAP after it arrived. A quick summary of the aspects to be covered included:• Development of the new Safety Management System (SMS) to ensure crew had Guidelines and Procedures to


operate the vessel;• Creation of a Vessel Induction Checklist, covering all

aspects of vessel operation, that had to be completed by all skippers first and then all crew, before being deemed as competent to operate the vessel;

• Provision of equipment Operating Manuals well before vessel delivery to allow all crew members to be “up to speed” with most of the equipment before delivery; and

• Creation of new Opening and Closing Check Lists.All this planning proved vital in enabling us to have

enough skippers and crew members signed off as being competent, to allow Rhondda Rescue to be operational a month after delivery, which was a great effort by all those involved.

Of course, actually driving the boat and getting used to its characteristics played a major part of the training program and so you might have seen Rhondda Rescue doing an almost endless number of departures and entries of the harbour, including towing/rafting our secondary rescue vessel Rotary II, as well as short turns in the river and docking/undocking at our pontoon.

With 76 skippers and crew to train, it takes some time, in addition to the normal three-weekly crew days, to become fully proficient, so numerous mid-week and night time exercises have been undertaken, all to ensure that we are ready to respond to calls for help when required.

My thanks go to all those involved in making the new Rhondda Rescue training program such a success.VESSEL COMMISSIONINGOn Saturday 6th April 2013 at 2:00pm Rhondda Rescue was formally commissioned. This was a significant event for QF6 Mooloolaba, providing an opportunity to announce the commencement of two other projects, both of which have been in the Flotilla’s long term plans.

Local member, the Honourable Fiona Simpson MP, Member for Maroochydore and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, who has for many years been extremely supportive of this Flotilla and Coast Guard, spoke of the appreciation she and the community have for our volunteers and the importance of the community benefit that is provided.

The Assistant Minister for Emergency Services, the Honourable Ted Malone MP, officiated at the commissioning, thanking our volunteers for their efforts and the great result. The Coast Guard State Manager, Mr. Peter Smith, then read out the Commissioning Order, the Flotilla’s Chaplain, Neville Geddes, blessed the vessel in pursuing its purpose, and the Flotilla’s Patron, Michael Alexander, officially named the vessel in memory of his late wife.

The Commissioning Order for Rhondda Rescue” was: “The Commissioning of this Patrol vessel will be to promote safety in boating; to assist in the preservation of life and property; to train members in the use of sea craft; and for search, assist and rescue, in Mooloolaba, its environs and offshore, supplementing and supporting the Queensland Water Police, and in conjunction with other accredited volunteer rescue organisations in this area.”

The event was well attended by in excess of 100 people, including the Deputy Mayor Cr Chris Thompson, AVCGA State Chairman Michael Vosti, Squadron Commodore Robin Hood and Squadron Board Members, AGL Action Rescue Helicopter CEO David Donaldson and many of their crew members, Sunshine Coast Water Police, senior members from Rotary Mooloolaba, over 40 QF6 volunteers, and members of neighbouring AVCGA Flotillas.

The Commissioning ceremony was immediately followed by a second, the ‘turning of the first sod’ on the site of the building extension project to QF6 HQ, to signify the commencement of the project. QF6 were very appreciative to have Speaker of the House, Hon Fiona Simpson MP, officiate at this ceremony.

This ceremony was followed by the Deputy Mayor


Councillor Chris Thompson, ‘turning the first sod’ at the site of the Memorial Wall, some 200 meters west of the QF6 HQ (in the park on the river bank) to mark the site and the wall’s imminent construction.

VIPs, guests and members then adjourned upstairs to mark the celebrations with a ‘lamb on the spit’ roast, provided in the spirit of community support by the Sunshine Coast Greek Association.

The Commander and Members of QF6 thank all persons who participated in the event and express their sincere appreciation of the public’s support to the necessary fundraising activities of our volunteers which allows these projects to manifest.Aluminium Boats Australia – The Future of Shipbuilding

by Tommy Ericson, General Manager, Aluminium Boats AustraliaBrisbane-based Aluminium Boats Australia (ABA) is Queensland’s largest commercial ship builder, specialising in aluminium and composite vessels which deliver on performance, quality and economy with through-life support and service second to none. ABA is a family-owned business, leading the marine manufacturing industry in South East Queensland since 1999.

ABA employs in excess of 80 people at its Hemmant Shipyard, with expertise ranging from vessel operations, engineering, fabrication, welding through to fit out, electrical and naval architecture. Led by a management team passionate about the marine and manufacturing industries, ABA continue to grow in these challenging times.

Early in 2012, the New Vessel Project Team from the QF6 flotilla approached ABA to provide an offer for the construction and delivery of their new primary rescue craft, Rhondda Rescue. The vessel had been designed by Mark Ellis Marine Design from Western Australia with the intimate involvement

and direction of the QF6 team. The result was a comprehensive technical information pack which allowed a number of local boat builders and shipbuilders to accurately and confidently tender on the project.

After a number of site visits and project meetings, ABA were successfully awarded the project. Over the next 6 months, ABA’s production team fabricated, welded, painted, engineered and commissioned one of the finest examples of marine rescue craft seen in Australia in recent years.

From all of the team at ABA, we thank Mooloolaba Coast Guard for choosing to build with us – it was a pleasure and we wish you many years of safe rescues with your new flagship, Rhondda Rescue.


Picture the scene: The sun is setting; the water is calm with magnificent reflections of boats resting quietly at anchor or at their moorings. Unfortunately, this scene doesn’t always remain this serene. Throw strong winds, rough seas, fast-flowing tides and flood conditions into the mix and this peaceful scene suddenly develops a massive potential for carnage. There is nothing quite as distressing as watching a boat not under command drifting along a body of water. Who can forget those shocking images from the 2011 floods of boats being swept down rivers in Brisbane, Bundaberg and Maryborough? That is the grim reality of the situation surrounding drifting vessels. This issue, we look at who can do what when a member of the public reports a drifting vessel.

Managementof DriftingShipsYou’re the Owner - You’re Responsible by Julie Hartwig

Let’s face it. Boats are expensive “toys”. They cost money to operate and maintain and if damaged, the repair bill can amount to a small fortune for either the owner or an insurance company. Fastidious owners who store their boats at anchor or on a mooring will routinely check and maintain their vessels, especially anchors, chains, ropes,

mooring lines and associated fittings and are therefore well prepared should bad weather strike. But there are a huge number of boats in anchorages and on moorings around the country that don’t receive regular attention and routine maintenance from their owners. These are the vessels most at risk when adverse weather conditions strike.

The area covered by Coast Guard’s Sunshine Coast Squadron is home to some of the busiest waterways in south-east Queensland and includes five major waterways and over 150 nautical miles of coastline from Bribie Island in the south to Indian Head on Fraser Island in the north. There are more than 700 commercial and fishing ships and over 40,000 recreational vessels operating in the area, which is covered by two Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ)regions, three police districts, two Water Police units and five Coast Guard flotillas. All of these entities have one thing in common: limited physical resources. But what does this mean to a member of the public who reports a drifting vessel?

Let’s look at a common but hypothetical situation: You live in a multi-storey apartment building overlooking a local waterway and are watching bad weather pounding the coast when suddenly you notice a boat drifting down the river. You call your local Coast Guard and report it, then sit back and wait for the men in the yellow rescue boats to arrive and “rescue” the boat. But you wait and wait and no rescue boats arrive. What’s going on? You call Coast Guard again: “When are you guys going to do something about this drifting boat? It might run aground or crash into other boats.” The fact is, often Coast Guard can do nothing unless human life is in grave and imminent danger, public infrastructure is threatened or either of these scenarios threatens the marine environment.

Image by T W

ootton


What happens when you report a drifting vessel?Contrary to popular belief, the reported incident is certainly not ignored, but there is a criteria that must be addressed before anyone – Coast Guard, Volunteer Marine Rescue, Water Police, Boating and Fisheries Patrol, MSQ - can instigate action to resolve the situation.

It’s important to note at this stage that all boat owners are required to comply with the General Safety Obligation, regardless of what activity the vessel is engaged in. This means the vessel must be seaworthy and properly equipped for the area in which the vessel operates. You’ve heard the slogan “You’re the skipper – you’re responsible”; well, it applies to vessel ownership, too, and especially in situations involving drifting vessels.

When you call Coast Guard to report a drifting vessel, you may be asked a series of questions: vessel name, registration, a description of the vessel and its location. Other questions may include whether there is anyone on board the vessel and whether it is in danger of colliding with anything. The answers you give to these questions will determine how the report is managed.Management of drifting vessels – assessing the situationThe first major criterion to be addressed is the urgency of the situation:• Is human life at risk? – is there anyone on board the vessel? • Is public infrastructure threatened? – will the vessel collide with public infrastructure such as a bridge, public

wharf, jetty or pontoon, over-water buildings, major navigation beacons and buoys?• Is the vessel a hazard to navigation? – will it impede other vessels’ ability to safely navigate the waterway?• Is the marine environment threatened? – is the vessel leaking pollutants such as oil or fuel into the water?

If the initial assessment of the situation is “no”, then the rapid response the reporter of the situation was expecting won’t happen, but action will be taken to deal with the situation. What action will be taken?Coast Guard will ascertain if the vessel is known to them. If the owner can be contacted, the ball is in his court because as the owner of the vessel, he is responsible for it. He may be able to deal with the situation himself or he may require Coast Guard’s assistance. In the latter instance, Coast Guard members cannot act without the owner’s permission. It’s a question of liability. Even if the owner has given permission, Coast Guard accept no responsibility for damage to a vessel unless it can be documented that the damage was caused by Coast Guard, hence Coast Guard’s preference that owners are present when assistance is rendered.

If the owner cannot be contacted, other agencies – Police and MSQ - may be involved to track down the owner and contact him. If that is achievable, management of the incident is passed to the owner. If an owner does not act voluntarily or takes inadequate action, then MSQ may task another agency to assist. In such instances, the vessel owner is liable for all costs incurred by the agencies involved.

It’s important to note here that any direction – regardless of who gives it – concerning the management of a drifting vessel, must be reasonable and actions by all parties involved must be documented. This is especially important where issues of liability may arise. Accurate record keeping (e.g. vessel, radio, phone and mail logs) is essential to support this process.

If the owner cannot be contacted, MSQ will determine what action is to be taken and once again, it will involve an assessment of the urgency of the situation. If a drifting vessel ultimately runs aground and is subsequently no threat, the situation is no longer urgent. But if collision with a road traffic bridge is imminent, the situation is urgent.

Consequently, once a report is received, the situation will continue to be monitored in case a non-urgent situation deteriorates and becomes urgent. In that instance, MSQ may request immediate intervention by the Police, Coast Guard or VMR. In instances where MSQ or the Police have directed Coast Guard to assist a vessel because the urgency criteria have been met, the owner’s permission is not required and the owner is liable for all costs incurred by the agencies involved. In cases where the owner is reluctant to take action or is uncontactable, MSQ advise that they may consider prosecution to recover expenses they incur.

Further to uncontactable owners is the issue of a vessel being classified as “abandoned property”. MSQ will conduct exhaustive enquiries to determine the status of a vessel’s ownership before it is managed as abandoned property. For this reason, it’s important that vessels are identifiable by registration number or name and preferably both. Some owners even choose to put a contact phone number on the boat when left at anchor or on a mooring. It’s also a good idea to notify your local Coast Guard if you are going to leave your vessel unattended at anchor or on a mooring for any length of time.


Who do you call?Management of waterways is multi-jurisdictional. This means there may be several agencies with interests in the management of the waterway. Harbour masters are in charge of designated boat harbours, while MSQ is generally in charge of waterways. However, there are a number of departments within MSQ and each has a different function (e.g. maintenance of navigation buoys and beacons; administration of moorings, etc). Other agencies which may have authority or be called upon to assist in the management of drifting vessels include Queensland Police (Water Police), and Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol.

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Words & Images by Christian DearnaleySea Lions Crew, QF5

QF5’s monthly meeting in February was a very special occasion as members of the Flotilla received some very distinguished awards. The awards, presented by National Commodore Ray Campbell and Deputy Commodore Cheryl Dalling, were in recognition of the brave actions of the skippers and crews involved in rescues on the 2nd

of April 2009 that eventuated from extreme weather at the time.AusmaidQF5 skipper Patrick Odore received a Commodore’s Gold Award in recognition of his brave efforts in skippering the John Waddams on a rescue mission to retrieve the crew of the stricken yacht Ausmaid. Patrick and his crew of Steve Ronay, Jeff Kitchen and Ted Ranger, made it safely over the Noosa Bar, which was extremely dangerous at the time, and proceeded to the Ausmaid.

After battling waves exceeding 10m in height, they reached the Ausmaid, but sea conditions meant it was far too dangerous to transfer the yacht’s crew. Patrick and his crew waited with the yacht as a rescue helicopter made its way to the scene to winch the crew to safety. The crew then took the Ausmaid in tow, but when the line snapped, the yacht was anchored in Laguna Bay because the conditions were deemed too dangerous to tow it across the bar. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had the final word in the argument. The yacht was found washed up on the Noosa North Shore and was deemed to be a write-off.Everglades RescueQF5 skippers Peter Brady and Graham Deece also received Commodore’s Gold Awards for their roles in a rescue that occurred in the Everglades on the same night of the Ausmaid rescue. Peter Brady and his crew of Wally Conway and John Milland, took the Bartender Patrol upriver and were joined by Graham Deece and his crew of John Hay and Andris Zalite on the Noosa Rescue. Their mission: to rescue 36 school children trapped at the Harry’s Hut camping grounds by rising floodwaters.

A number of children had already been ferried to the Boreen Point jetty by Water Police and SES vessels. However, they were no longer equipped or prepared for the worsening conditions, which resulted in the activation of QF5. Peter Brady and Graham Deece demonstrated exceptional skill during the rescue, manoeuvring between fallen trees and floating logs without causing major damage to either vessel. They were able to ferry all 36 children plus some teachers from the camping grounds to the jetty at Boreen Point before making the long voyage home.

The crews involved in both rescues received Distinguished Service Awards for Operational Activities to recognise their brave work. The five radio operators—Christine Carter, Dale Heidenreich, Jai O’Grady, Lynn Mellor and Les Johnson, who were on duty throughout the rescue—received Meritorious Service Awards for Operations in recognition of their skilled work on the radios.

National Commodore Campbell expressed his appreciation at being invited to make the presentations and advised the flotilla that he would be working with Sunshine Coast Squadron Commodore Robin Hood, in a bid to have the actions of the crews recognised in London at the International Rescue Foundation. While there is no guarantee, both National Board, Sunshine Coast Squadron and QF5 are hopeful that those members involved in the rescues will receive international recognition. Congratulations to all.

BraveryRecognised

L-R: National Commodore Ray Campbell with skippers Graham Deece, Patrick Odore and Peter Brady

National Commodore Ray Campbell (second left) with award recipients from left: Ted Ranger, Graham Deece, Andris Zalite, Christine Carter, Patrick Odore, Jai O’Grady, Steve Ronay, Peter Brady, Dale Heidenreich, Wally Conway, QF5 Commander John Milland and Sunshine Coast Squadron Commodore Robin Hood.


June every year is a time I look forward to. The Sunshine Coast Branch of the Vietnam Veterans has its annual three day fishing trip and for the past three years, we have been going out from Tin Can Bay on the 50’ ex-trawler, Nightbeat. It is well decked out and comfortably accommodates us eight old blokes. (Well the others are old; I’m a

pup!)Last June’s trip started as normal. Meet at Cuddles in the afternoon and hand over monies due, then down to

the pub for a few “coldies”, dinner and brag about who would win this year’s pool for the biggest Snapper. Just before sundown, we headed back to Nightbeat for our safety brief. When we departed, we all settled down to watch the NRL,

read or catch up on some sleep as we weren’t expecting to be “on the fish” until around midnight. After a bit of a chat, most of us hit the sack.

When we were in position to wet our lines, everyone made their way above deck. I was second last to leave the bunk area. The last to get up, Long John, wasn’t feeling the best and asked me to get him a drink of water. When I brought the water back down to him, he told me he felt he was going to throw up. I raced upstairs and grabbed a bucket for him. He did empty his dinner. When he felt okay, he decided he would come up for a fish, but he didn’t last long and went back to his bunk.

Over the next hour or so, he kept throwing up and dry reaching. The Skipper decided to give him a seasick injection to try to help him. He felt a bit miffed he had to have the shot as he is a Navy Veteran from Vietnam days and had never been seasick before. We left him for a while to see if things would settle.

When we next checked, he was complaining of severe chest pains. He explained to us they were similar to the pain he’d had when he previously had a heart attack. The Skipper made a number of calls to get medical advice regarding our fishing mate. After discussions with the medical people, the Skipper decided we needed to get back to Tin Can Bay post haste.

Our vessel could only do about 10 knots and would take at least four hours to get back to Tin Can Bay (TCB). The medical people advised us they would be getting a helicopter up to TCB to airlift our mate back to Brisbane. However, discussions between all determined it would not be possible for the helicopter to do a medivac at sea. Therefore Coast Guard Tin Can Bay (QF17) was tasked with coming out to meet us after we crossed the bar. This gave them time to get a crew together and meet us in flatter waters to do a transfer at sea.

The coordination between the medical people and CG TCB ensured there were two paramedics on board the CG vessel. By this time our mate was doing it pretty tough. Throughout the whole trip back and over the bar, Roscoe stayed with Long John to ensure he didn’t slip even further downhill and to keep him company.

When we met the CG vessel, it tied up on Nightbeat’s port rear quarter behind the stabilisers. The two paramedics came aboard and went immediately down below to treat Long John. We kept steaming toward TCB with the CG vessel tied on. The paramedics took quite some time to stabilise Long John and decide on the best course of action to extricate him from below. Long John is about 6’4” and a bit heavy. Unfortunately the stairs spiral upward so stretchering him up that way was not possible. The Skipper and his deckie discussed lifting some of the hatches in the galley to lift him up that way, but in the end, Long John was able to get to the top of the stairs where he was strapped into the stretcher.

Giving up Fishingfor a Mate

Coast Guard “call outs” come in all shapes and sizes and often feature many unknown elements, but with a “medivac”, the crew know they’re

going to assist someone whose life is endangered with a medical emergency. QF6 Radio Operator, Peter (aka “Pygmy”) McAndrew reports

on a medivac that touched very close to home on two fronts and involved a mate and a Coast Guard crew from QF17 Tin Can Bay ...


Then the fun began: the transfer at sea. The CG skipper had decided the best and safest way was to pass Long John across to them through the Skipper’s window. Long John was somewhat concerned we might drop him into the drink. We told him not to worry as he was an old sailor and he would be able to save himself if he was dropped overboard. Between the excellent work of the CG crew and the crew on Nightbeat, he was safely transferred to the CG vessel. The CG vessel then proceeded at speed back to TCB where Long John was met by the waiting helicopter for a prompt transfer to Brisbane.

The next morning we checked with the hospital in Brisbane to see how Long John was going. We were informed he was over the worst of it and he would be in hospital for a few more days to recover fully. The doctor informed me that the treatment Long John had received, and the timeliness of it, had saved his life. The medical ability of one particular paramedic was exemplary in stabilising and saving his life. He’s called Gorilla and if you meet him you know why his mates call him this. Plus the response and professionalism of the TCB CG crew in transferring him safely at sea, made his chances of recovery so much better.

Since his close escape with death, Long John has sent Coast Guard TCB a donation to thank them for their help. He has also spoken to Gorilla to thank him for his great work.

We are now only a few months away from our annual trip. Our mate is fine now and we hope we have a far less eventful trip. Hopefully we won’t need the Coast Guard on this trip, but it’s good to know they are always there to help.

PS: I won the pool for the second year running.

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The ever-increasing price of diesel means that even motor cruisers need to be alert to opportunities for ‘free’ energy when on the water. For those much-anticipated and planned hours when sitting at rest in some beautiful anchorage, the sound of a generator or an engine topping up batteries can be an unpleasant (and, happily,

unnecessary!) interruption.For sailors, silent self-sufficiency in all aspects of life on the water is one of the quintessential parts of enjoying

the whole sailing experience … and modern sailors indulge those energy-burning comforts like refrigeration and lights, not to mention luxuries like a windlass, autopilot, power winches, entertainment systems, maybe even air-conditioning! So sailors are always keen to find ‘free’ energy and it is therefore no surprise that there is an ongoing search for free energy in the marine environment. “Free” Energy OptionsWind energy was the first to be recognized for its potential in the marine environment and its usage almost certainly goes further back than records can show. Originally as a means of extending the range (and speed) of vessels beyond what could be achieved by man-power alone, wind energy inevitably evolved into the modern era of electronics and batteries. So wind-generated electrical power is now another option for free energy on modern vessels.

Your authors, however, always viewed wind as our second preference for free energy on the water for two reasons. Firstly, we recognized that the best anchorage is almost by definition an anchorage most sheltered from the wind and therefore least likely to produce optimal wind energy; and secondly, we found the noise and the aesthetics of wind generators to be unattractive. So we determined that we would only pursue wind energy if we could not find enough free energy from the sun … and we are delighted to report that, with high-efficiency solar panels, the sun meets our energy requirements beautifully! So we will leave wind energy for another discussion, but we certainly recognize its importance and potential.Marine Solar Energy Project - Turanor PlanetSolarAlthough a late-comer on the free energy scene by comparison to wind, solar energy caught up very quickly. For mariners, a recent and dramatic illustration of the modern potential for free solar energy at sea was the exciting and historic voyage of Turanor PlanetSolar. Designed by New Zealand’s LOMOcean Design, custom-built and funded (to the tune of €12.5 million!) in Germany and with the world’s most efficient solar panels provided by the American company SunPower, Turanor PlanetSolar was launched in 2010 with a truly global pedigree and the ambitious objective of circumnavigating the globe on solar power alone.

She set off from Monaco in September 2010 and, after a large number of promotional stops and side trips along the way, the epic voyage was completed and the milestone objective was achieved in May 2012. Some readers may have seen Turanor PlanetSolar when she stopped in Brisbane in May 2011 for the official launch of the Solar Relay for Hope, a project to focus young people as our upcoming decision-makers toward a solar-powered future.

MarineSolar EnergyWho says there’s nothing for “free”?

by Don ChurchSV CatNirvanaAssociate Member, QF17 Tin Can Bay


The first vital element in the success of Turanor PlanetSolar was, of course, her solar panel array. Her designers immediately recognized that panel efficiency was critical for marine solar power because of the inherently limited ‘footprint’ (i.e. panel area available, on a vessel). The greater the power output per square metre of available panel area, the better. Then looking further into panel efficiency, it was not only a matter of optimal or rated efficiency (i.e. measured in laboratory conditions with the sun virtually overhead), but also very much (perhaps even more so) a matter of output under less-than-optimal conditions, such as overcast skies or low sun angles. In every area of solar panel efficiency, SunPower panels were (and still are) acknowledged as the world leaders. So SunPower panels (the same used on

rooftop and ground-mounted systems around the world) were the obvious choice for Turanor PlanetSolar.As always, the sea represented the ultimate test of reliability. Moisture and corrosion are the principal cause of

failure affecting reliability and performance of all photovoltaic (PV) modules. More than 45% of PV failures are due to corrosion. Thanks to the Maxeon™ back-contact solar cell design, the SunPower panels held up under the harsh conditions on Turanor PlanetSolar and withstood the harsh ‘blue water’ environment for the entire voyage. There were no signs of corrosion, nor was there any efficiency loss whatsoever.

SunPower continues to power Turanor PlanetSolar today as both a mobile ambassador for solar power and soon to be a mobile, solar-powered stage hosting international music stars in major European and US cites.

It is therefore not surprising that SunPower’s high efficiency panels are the number one choice for commercial and residential rooftop solar systems in the USA. Combining their reduced voltage-temperature coefficient, anti-reflective glass and exceptional low-light performance with their unique Maxeon™ cell technology and advanced module design to ensure industry leading reliability, SunPower solar panels are in a class by themselves. Happily for those of us Down Under, SunPower’s best panels are also now available here … and of course SunPower solar panels are also now proven performers on CatNirvana! Solar Energy - CatNirvana On CatNirvana, we indulge in a variety of energy-consuming comforts. Two fridges and a large freezer are running constantly. When underway, we need power for three power winches, the autopilot, two chart-plotters and radar as well as personal phones and computers and, when we’re well away from the coast, the Fleet Broadband. When we’re at anchor, other personal comforts include an ice cream maker and the DVD/TV. In addition, both a juice maker and the 10-speaker sound system are regularly in use, whether underway or at anchor. So there is clearly a need for free energy on CatNirvana!

To meet CatNirvana’s free energy needs, and after a thorough review of our options, we installed two SunPower E20 panels. Each panel requires a modest 1559mm x 1046mm footprint to achieve an officially rated output of 327 Watts. When underway and using our heaviest power load (fridges+freezer+autopilot+chart-plotters+power winches+computers, etc) we are net power positive (i.e. with amps flowing into the batteries) under fairly clear skies by 0800 (with the sun still low in the sky) and we then note positive net amp inflows >30amps around midday. So, unless we are coming off a very low charge level, our 700ah battery


bank will be fully charged by early afternoon. Even under light cloud we still record positive amp inflow throughout most daylight hours. On anchor the charging picture is even more secure and we often note the battery bank is “FULL” by late morning.

The ‘bottom line’ for CatNirvana‘s exploration into free energy was a dramatic success. Our generator, previously called upon regularly, now only runs for hot water or for the high-wattage toaster that can’t be serviced by the 1700W inverter and batteries alone … and we enjoy both reduced diesel consumption and blissful silence!

So the big picture improvements in marine solar power technology are indeed delivering exciting opportunities for free energy on smaller vessels. Readers interested in learning more about SunPower high-efficiency solar panels for installation on vessels or on land, should either email [email protected] or call 0280061363 for a no-obligation review of your free energy requirements … and remember, any products purchased through Floating Impressions will attract a 5% donation to Coast Guard!

About the AuthorDon Church is a Director of Floating Impressions, a business dedicated to cruising in comfort and safety at sea. In addition to offering a wide range of cruising products suited to the cruising lifestyle (whether at sea or on land) through both its website and exhibitions on SV CatNirvana, Floating Impressions also contributes directly to the efforts of volunteer organisations serving the marine community.

Don’s marine qualifications and experience include an unrestricted Master Class 5, Marine Engine Driver Class 3, MROCP, AMSA STCW, PADI Open Water and >20,000nm at sea. Before he retired from office desks to spend a lot more time at sea, Don was qualified and practiced in tax law and financial planning.

Visit Floating Impressions at www.floatingimpressions.com.au

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I approached my duty crew weekend on the Australia Day weekend in January with trepidation. The menacing presence of ex(?) Tropical Cyclone Oswald guaranteed that there would be no boaties venturing out for a day’s fishing or undertaking a transit to Mooloolaba. Life in the radio room promised to be, well … dull, for want of

a better word. But with over one hundred vessels anchored and moored in our local waters, what Oswald would guarantee was an occurrence of QF17’s nemesis-like problem – vessels dragging anchor and breaking their moorings.

Saturday was fairly tame. With little or no activity, weather conditions were not amenable to training and a crew somewhat top heavy with radio operators that had nothing to do, I stayed at home on a “call me if you need me” basis. The “need” never arose, but I ventured down to the Base in the afternoon to find everyone checking the weather on their favourite weather websites, each trying to second guess what Oswald was going to do, how much rain we were going to get and would the crew members who lived outside of Tin Can Bay be able to get home if we got as much rain as the forecast predicted.Houseboats and SailtimeDuring the afternoon, the crews at Tin Can Bay Houseboats and Luxury Afloat were moving their fleets of houseboats from their berths and moorings into the sheltered waters in Griffen Creek.

Mid-afternoon, we received a call from a catamaran called Sailtime, which was anchored at Smooger Point but wanted to seek shelter in the Tin Can Bay Marina. However, he had only one working engine, but was going to try under his own steam.

We watched the cat enter Snapper Creek. Then it suddenly stopped halfway between the T5 and T7 greens in the mouth of Snapper Creek and the skipper appeared on the foredeck and put the anchor down. Shortly after, he called to report that his one operating engine had also failed, but he was comfortably anchored and would call if any assistance was required.

The conditions continued to deteriorate and a few hours later, we observed that the cat appeared to be drifting. The crew were on deck, obviously trying to address the situation, but shortly after, they called for assistance when collision with T7 appeared imminent.

Mount Rescue II was tasked to assist and upon arrival, found the crew on the foredeck between the two hulls fending off T7, while the skipper was trying desperately to get an engine going. The anchor was underneath the boat and could not be retrieved.

by Julie HartwigRadio Operator, Crew 3, QF17 Tin Can Bay

The words “just a bit of a blow” took on a whole new meaning when ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald blew in for a visit on the Australia Day long weekend. Here’s how it panned out at QF17 Tin Can Bay ...

When Oswald Came to Visit


With visibility poor and NE winds blowing at 25-30 knots, MRII towed the cat out backwards away from the nav beacon, then RV skipper Jon Jones, positioned MRII so the cat’s skipper could retrieve the anchor. In clear water, Sailtime was rafted alongside MRII and towed to the marina. Job done.Preparations for worsening conditions While there had been a lot of enquiries about the weather(as if we could say anything more than the forecast), there had been no calls to report drifting or grounded vessels. Touch wood, so far so good, but would it last?

Saturday afternoon’s forecast said that our area would experience the strongest winds on Sunday, with the wind predicted to reach 40 knots from the north-east by early afternoon.

QF17’s primary rescue vessel, Cooloola Rescue II, and the secondary rescue vessel, Mount Rescue II, were both parked on their hydrolifts adjacent to the base pontoon in Snapper Creek. North-easterly winds blow straight down Snapper Creek and with any force behind them and a high tide, create a nasty, short chop that can be rather unpleasant. As a precaution, the duty skipper decided that CRII’s hydrolift would be partially submerged to reduced windage and minimize the impact of the anticipated wave action, with the plan being to remove both vessels from their lifts early the next morning before the worst of the weather struck.

With the boats as secure as possible and the rain already pouring down, the out-of-town duty crew members camped at the base and everyone waited for Sunday with baited breath. Would it be as bad as the weather “gurus” forecast? Or were we going to “dodge” this bullet? Either way, Sunday would reveal all …The height of the stormI don’t like strong winds, especially ones associated with anything cyclonic. Around midnight, the wind strengths increased markedly and when daylight dawned on Sunday morning, the world outside was not a nice place to be.

When the power went out just after 0600, the day suddenly took on a whole new dimension. All “electric-powered” telephones were out; there was no internet and unless you could utilise 12-volt power, no way to recharge anything battery-operated. We did not know how long the power would be out, but considering what the weather gods were offering up, we did not expect power for some time.

Down at the base, the crew had set up the BBQ in the garage and were cooking bacon and eggs, but that was the high point of the situation. QF17’s base is the tallest building on Norman Point and even though it is surrounded by lower buildings, it was still exposed to the full onslaught of wind and rain. The skipper and crew quickly turned their attention to getting the boats off their lifts and up to berths in Tin Can Bay Marina, leaving me alone in the base.

With the old (push button) landline phone connected, we were still in contact with the outside world, but only just. The only access to weather was via my Smart Phone. If you wanted a cup of tea, you had to boil the billy on the BBQ. With no lights and dark tinted windows, the radio room was almost as dark as the inside of a cow and with the building shaking and banging in the wind, and rain driving hard against the windows, I have to admit my nerves were more than a little frayed.

Around 0700, the phone began to ring with the first enquiries about conditions. Then the harbour master arrived to report two boats aground on the foreshore, one with a person on board. Could we do anything to help? I pointed down at our pontoon where the fight to save our boats and pontoon was on in earnest.

From that moment on, the phone rang almost off the hook for the next six hours. At 0740, the crew got Mount Rescue II off her lift and took her up to a berth in the marina. By the time they returned to tackle CRII, it was too late. With a 2.5m spring tide with a half-metre storm surge on top, we observed sea conditions of 1-1.5m in Snapper Creek. Pontoons turned into undulating platforms, often submerging as waves broke over them. With winds gusting over fifty knots in the squalls and visibility in the driving rain down to only a few hundred metres, conditions were very bad.

The crew secured CRII as best they could and maintained a watching brief on her. When the pontoon began to break up under the onslaught of the waves, it was all hands on deck to lash it together with anything they could find. When the access ramp was torn from the shore fittings, things were getting rather desperate. Life jackets were mandatory for all crew working on the pontoon until it was deemed too dangerous for crew to be on the structure. At the top of the tide around 0930, waves were breaking into the car park and Barnacles café was sandbagging its doors, but the wind and rain continued unabated.


Up in the radio room, the reports of drifting vessels began to mount. With our base almost under siege by the weather and no way to launch CRII to assist, callers were told that unless human life was in danger, drifting boats would be left to their own devices.

Over twenty vessels were reported drifting, aground or simply missing from where they’d last been seen. Mooring lines snapped, anchor chains and ropes broke, sails left furled on forestays were shredded. Boats suddenly appeared where boats had no business being, grounded on sandbanks or driven into the mangroves far from where the sea normally was. With Oswald located about 100km west of Tin Can Bay and the wind blowing 40-45 knots, it wasn’t bedlam, but it wasn’t far from it.

Late morning, the power was still out, but the skies began to brighten and the weather radar on my Smart Phone indicated some breaks in the rain. There were noticeable lulls in the wind and the tide had fallen sufficiently to reduce the wave action on the pontoon and hydrolift. Plans were implemented to take advantage of one of these breaks to try and move CRII. Planned with almost military precision, the evacuation went without a hitch and at 1215, CRII was finally in a berth at the marina with no damage to report.

The pontoon was not so fortunate. The crew took advantage of the lulls to shore up the spiderweb of ropes and chains holding the pontoon together and just when it looked like the worst was over, Oswald delivered a final squall that clocked 68 knots on the Tin Can Bay Yacht Club’s wind instrument.The aftermathWithin hours, the wind died away to almost nothing. The rain stopped and like animals emerging from hibernation, people reappeared to check out the carnage. The power came back on around 1530 and our community began to pick up the pieces. By this stage, Tin Can Bay Road was cut by floodwaters and towns around south-east Queensland were bracing for devastating, record-breaking floods.

In the aftermath at Tin Can Bay, there were at least eleven grounded boats littering the sandbanks and foreshore, the majority of which were unmanned at the time they went adrift.

One of the missing boats was found aground on a sandbank opposite Coast Guard. We had watched this boat all morning as it bumped and scraped its way along the western bank of Snapper Creek, but it wasn’t until the tide fell sufficiently to stop its movement that we could read its name on the transom and solve the mystery of where it came from. It had been reported missing from the Smooger Point anchorage early that morning. How it ended up in Snapper Creek is a mystery only equalled by how it managed not to hit moored boats as it had bounced up the creek. Lessons learnedThe moral of this story is to take action early; don’t wait until it’s too late. This applies not only to the way we handled our situation, but also to the hundreds of boat owners who leave

their boats unattended on moorings or at anchor in Tin Can Inlet and Snapper Creek. If bad weather is forecast, visit your boat and check your ground tackle and make sure your boat is prepared for the worst. Do this and you’ll have a tale of survival to tell instead of a tale of woe about a lost or damaged boat.Post Script: Both hydrolifts suffered damage, which has now been repaired. One is currently stored on land, while the other is on an emergency mooring in Snapper Creek – many thanks to Snapper Creek Boat Harbour Master Peter Shaw for accommodating us.

At the time of going to print, we have just been advised that our claim will be paid in full and our dock will be replaced. CRII continues to be berthed at Tin Can Bay Marina free of charge. The members of QF17 gratefully acknowledge manager David Brown and his team for their ongoing and generous support.

With the exception of one grounded yacht, all other vessels that grounded during the storm have now been retrieved by their owners and returned to their natural element ... until the next “big blow”.


April 2013

AUSTRALIAN EAST COAST NOOSA HEADS

July 2013

0LATITUDE 26 23' S0LONGITUDE 153 06'E

June 2013

*Note tide depths at the Noosa River can vary as bar conditions change. All bar crossings should be approached with care following a visual check of conditions. Tide Times are provided courtesy of Maritime Safety Queensland and are © Copyright the Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology.

May 2013MO

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0108 0.450713 1.861325 0.311939 1.93

0150 0.440751 1.811400 0.312017 1.98

0229 0.480827 1.741431 0.352052 1.98

0305 0.540858 1.651458 0.412124 1.95

0338 0.600928 1.571525 0.472157 1.92

0411 0.660959 1.501556 0.542233 1.87

0449 0.731036 1.441632 0.622314 1.80

0535 0.791120 1.371715 0.72

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0002 1.940654 0.611228 1.401824 0.62

0113 1.840805 0.621352 1.401945 0.69

0226 1.780909 0.601509 1.462105 0.72

0331 1.741006 0.551614 1.552215 0.70

0427 1.721054 0.501709 1.672315 0.67

0517 1.701136 0.441755 1.79

0007 0.630602 1.701216 0.391838 1.90

0053 0.590644 1.681253 0.361918 1.98

0151 1.740831 0.521443 1.512039 0.74

0253 1.650925 0.521549 1.592150 0.77

0351 1.591016 0.511646 1.682256 0.77

0444 1.551103 0.481735 1.792353 0.73

0533 1.541146 0.451819 1.88

0041 0.690619 1.531226 0.431859 1.95

0124 0.650702 1.531303 0.421937 1.99

0203 0.630742 1.521337 0.432012 2.00

0209 1.540841 0.511518 1.582123 0.82

0313 1.450936 0.531620 1.652237 0.83

0413 1.411030 0.531713 1.732339 0.79

0508 1.411120 0.511800 1.82

0028 0.740558 1.421204 0.481841 1.89

0109 0.680643 1.451244 0.461919 1.94

0146 0.640724 1.461319 0.441954 1.96

0218 0.610800 1.471352 0.432026 1.97

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0330 0.310914 1.631512 0.202149 2.21

0421 0.311006 1.611604 0.282238 2.10

0513 0.341058 1.581657 0.402326 1.96

0604 0.381153 1.551753 0.53

0015 1.810655 0.431256 1.531857 0.66

0108 1.660747 0.481408 1.532008 0.76

0121 0.510709 1.841323 0.311948 2.10

0208 0.450755 1.811404 0.262034 2.18

0256 0.420843 1.751447 0.272122 2.19

0347 0.450933 1.671533 0.322211 2.15

0443 0.501025 1.561622 0.412304 2.05

0545 0.571120 1.471717 0.52

0544 0.671122 1.481727 0.54

0014 1.850700 0.741227 1.371831 0.64

0134 1.780827 0.751401 1.331957 0.70

0257 1.770943 0.691528 1.382125 0.69

0404 1.791042 0.611634 1.492237 0.63

0501 1.831129 0.521729 1.612334 0.56

0550 1.861210 0.431816 1.74

0023 0.490633 1.871248 0.361859 1.85

0136 0.570724 1.651328 0.371956 2.02

0215 0.570801 1.611359 0.402030 2.02

0251 0.600835 1.551427 0.442102 2.00

0322 0.630907 1.511457 0.492135 1.96

0354 0.660940 1.471528 0.552210 1.91

0431 0.691018 1.421605 0.622248 1.85

0513 0.741100 1.381645 0.712330 1.78

0600 0.771150 1.341732 0.79

0236 0.620817 1.501408 0.462045 1.99

0308 0.630851 1.481439 0.482117 1.97

0340 0.630925 1.461512 0.522151 1.93

0414 0.641002 1.431547 0.582226 1.88

0452 0.661041 1.411625 0.652303 1.82

0532 0.691124 1.381707 0.732342 1.75

0615 0.701216 1.381759 0.80

0027 1.700704 0.681321 1.421905 0.85

0121 1.650758 0.651436 1.512024 0.86

0226 1.620857 0.581543 1.652142 0.83

0333 1.600954 0.511640 1.812253 0.75

0434 1.601049 0.421733 1.962357 0.64

0531 1.611142 0.331824 2.10

0054 0.530626 1.621234 0.251915 2.20

0147 0.430723 1.631327 0.192007 2.26

0238 0.350819 1.641420 0.172058 2.27

0146 1.520818 0.541519 1.652124 0.82

0307 1.480924 0.491623 1.802244 0.73

0418 1.481028 0.411720 1.942350 0.61

0520 1.511129 0.321812 2.07

0045 0.480616 1.561225 0.221904 2.17

0135 0.360712 1.611318 0.151954 2.22

0222 0.270806 1.651410 0.122043 2.21

0309 0.230858 1.671500 0.152130 2.14

0002 1.720633 0.851216 1.311806 0.82

0102 1.660751 0.881342 1.291914 0.89

0213 1.640905 0.851507 1.342043 0.90

0318 1.661002 0.791606 1.432159 0.86

0411 1.711049 0.701656 1.562257 0.78

0458 1.761129 0.601739 1.702348 0.69

0542 1.811207 0.491821 1.84

0035 0.590625 1.831245 0.391904 1.98

0017 1.720656 0.791254 1.331831 0.86

0113 1.680758 0.781413 1.371945 0.90

0215 1.660855 0.731520 1.482105 0.88

0316 1.680948 0.641616 1.622215 0.82

0411 1.701037 0.551706 1.772316 0.73

0503 1.711122 0.451753 1.93

0012 0.640553 1.721207 0.361840 2.07

0104 0.540643 1.721253 0.281928 2.19

TIDE TIMES - NOOSA HEADS

0248 0.590833 1.481424 0.442058 1.96

0319 0.570907 1.481457 0.462129 1.94

0352 0.560943 1.481531 0.502202 1.89

0426 0.561020 1.471608 0.572236 1.83

0501 0.581059 1.461648 0.652311 1.75

0539 0.591146 1.461736 0.742351 1.67

0623 0.591243 1.481838 0.81

0040 1.590716 0.571359 1.541957 0.84

join now!

Support QF5 Coast

Guard Noosa

Become an ASSOCIATE MEMBER!

For only $60 pa you have 24/7 on- water assistance - one free of charge.

Assistance in the area between Double Island Point and Point Arkwright and 50 nautical miles to sea.

Assistance when groundedVessel towed to the closest safe

haven

Break down assistancePump outsVarious courses such as basic

seamanship, radio and bar crossings.

It’s a great gift for that someone special in your life and gives you peace of mind!

Phone 5474 3695 for details

Associate members are welcome to become Active Members and participate in Crew or Radio Operations and Fund Raising activities.

Coast Guard Noosa QF5

0356 0.230948 1.661548 0.242214 2.01

0441 0.271035 1.641636 0.372255 1.86

0524 0.331123 1.601725 0.522335 1.70

0608 0.401215 1.561821 0.66

0019 1.540655 0.471320 1.531929 0.78

0113 1.410749 0.531437 1.542051 0.85

0228 1.320849 0.581546 1.592213 0.85

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0248 0.410829 1.671430 0.222109 2.26

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0437 0.411018 1.571613 0.352254 2.11

0534 0.451114 1.511710 0.462348 1.99

0634 0.481217 1.481814 0.57

0047 1.860733 0.511329 1.471925 0.67

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“England expects every man to do his duty”.When Horatio Nelson flagged this now legendary message across miles of ocean to inspire his fleet at Trafalgar,

it demonstrated the perennial issue of communication at sea. Over the intervening 200 or so years, technological change has made it possible to transmit and receive more information over greater distances. From semaphore, through telegraph, radio, radar, echo-sounding, to today’s global positioning systems, communication has become easier.

Which brings us to Mooloolaba. It is a typical clear sunny day with a light breeze providing ideal fishing and sailing conditions. Boat ramps are overflowing and radio communication is humming. Upstairs, Coast Guard Mooloolaba QF6 volunteer radio room operators are flat-out, taking calls, logging information and preparing for a busy day. Heading out across the bar, Associate members and other boaties are calling in with boat name, registration number, membership number, type and size and colour of boat, number of people on board, destination, ETA, and mobile phone number.

In the past, this information was received and recorded meticulously, and, hopefully, accurately, onto handwritten log sheets. It was time-consuming, laborious, yet vital work. Most of the information was copied twice onto both radio log- sheets and a seawatch log. It was time for a technological revolution!Electronic Radio LoggingRadio Room Software – a new software program, which appeared just over two years ago and is being continuously updated - removes the drudgery of hand-written records.

Walking into the radio-room the other day, this contrast was graphically illustrated. On a shelf by the window was an older, weathered clip-board with a wad of curling yellowing record sheets with headings and columns for entering details of each vessel as they called in. Meanwhile, an operator sat in front of a large screen with a search window and the capacity for sorting a huge amount of information. Bright, clean and clear, with drop-down screens, check points and colour-coding, all capable of being operated by a few jabs on a keyboard.

All contact with the radio room is now entered electronically into the system with just a click of a button to

by David Wilsonwith Adrian Carroll, QF6 IT Officer

Electronic RadioLogging System


record the necessary information to the Sea Watch Log. The Sea Watch Log is a record of all vessels currently at sea, colour coded for ease of the operator.

This new system, which was especially designed for the Coast Guard, is winning accolades from all who have any contact with it, as it makes life so much easier for the operator. For example, it retains data for every Associate member and non-member who calls in, eliminating the need to record this data ever again. All a skipper needs to do now is to inform the Radio Operator of either his Associate membership number, or his boat rego number,

his destination, ETA, and number of passengers on board. A few clicks of the mouse and the operator is ready for the next call. The design of the system eliminates incomplete details, accuracy being so important. Should a vessel need to radio in if an emergency occurs or if an assist is required, the information is instantly there for the Radio Operator to call out a Coast Guard crew.

Another bonus of this technology is that as other Coast Guard flotillas link up to this system, the capabilities are extended further. Tin Can Bay has already linked and more are expected soon. This means a vessel can be automatically tracked from the time it leaves one flotilla’s area into the next. No more calling for the skipper for every jurisdiction it crosses; it is all there, colour-coded for the operator, to raise awareness of the incoming vessel.

But what if a vessel fails to appear before its ETA? Up pops another colour-coded screen to warn the Radio Operator that the vessel has not returned on time and should prepare to follow late arrival procedures. All contact information is on hand, recorded and ready to use at a click of a button.SummaryCoast Guard is a volunteer service for safety of vessels at sea and the technology described above has been devised and developed by volunteer time and effort. The system is easy to read and accurate to use. It enables the automatic sending of transit vessel details, removes the need for repetition and enhances the public perception of Coast Guard.

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Above: QF6 Radio Officer Bob Truman in the Radio Room.


At 1400 Coast Guard Noosa’s radio section received a call from a yacht (I cannot use its real name for reasons that will become apparent, so I’ll call it Susie Q) stating it had run out of fuel and was drifting about 3nm south and 2nm east of Double Island Point: “Could you bring us some fuel?” they asked. It seemed a reasonable request so

the duty skipper and crew were contacted to come in and make ready for the assist.Meanwhile, the radio operator gathered further information that would assist in locating the Susie Q which was

in transit from Sydney to Gladstone. She was a 40’ timber yacht with two adults and three children on board, so why did she need fuel? She could easily sail up to Gladstone. The question was asked of the skipper: “I need to go into Tin Can Bay for repairs to the mast and it’s too dangerous without an engine.” “Fair enough,” the duty skipper responded and QF5’s primary rescue vessel, the John Waddams, was made ready.

The weather report was not encouraging. Winds S/E at 20 knots with an easterly swell of two metres and a metre of sea on top meant it was going to be a lumpy ride with a beam sea all 30 nautical miles of the voyage.

The John Waddams, along with 80 litres of diesel fuel, left the QF5 base at 1445 and headed for the Noosa Bar. Once safely across, she started the long slog up to Double Island Point. The sea conditions restricted the vessel to 15 knots so it would take over two hours to reach the distressed vessel.

Meanwhile, communications between Coast Guard Noosa and Susie Q continued. “How is it going? Can we have another position report?” Coast Guard asked. “It’s a bit uncomfortable but we’ll manage,” they replied. Their position had changed and they were now 2.5 nautical miles south and 1.5 nautical miles east of Double Island Point. Coast Guard Noosa advised the yacht to deploy its anchor using all of their rode; it wouldn’t touch bottom yet, but would prevent the yacht getting too close to the shore once the water got shallower.

The latest GPS position given by Susie Q proved to be spot on and just before 1700 the John Waddams was standing off the yacht. However, conditions were unsuitable for any sort of transfer so after the yacht had retrieved its anchor, a tow line was passed to the vessel and the short tow in Wide Bay commenced.

Wide Bay was flat calm and both vessels anchored up and the fuel transfer was made. Mistake number one: we should have asked for cash first, fuel next. However, all 80 litres went into Susie Q’s fuel tank. “We’re going to have to bleed the engine,” said the RV skipper, who also happened to be the flotilla’s Boats Officer, and soon had the diesel engine purring.

“Now just a few details for our records,” and the inevitable form filling began. “We are a voluntary organisation and receive little government assistance, so any help you can provide to help pay for the fuel would be appreciated,” our skipper said. “I don’t have any money,” Susie Q’s skipper replied. “We take credit cards,” was QF5’s reply. “Don’t have a credit card with me.”

QF5’s skipper pointed out that they were almost $450 out of pocket. “Don’t worry. I’ll fix you up at my next port of call,” the skipper said. Not too much QF5 could do; they couldn’t force him to pay, much as they would have liked to, so bidding the Susie Q farewell and with a few expletives, they set off home. The return journey was uneventful, with the John Waddams arriving back at base at 2045.

Raising $450 would take the Flotilla’s fundraisers almost a full day selling raffle tickets at the markets so it’s fair to say the crew were more than a little miffed when no monies were forthcoming from Susie Q over the next few days. Calls to various Coast Guards up the coast proved fruitless. The yacht had disappeared. The Water Police were contacted and asked for their help as the non-payment for the fuel was surely an offence. Low and behold, the police knew of this yacht and its skipper and wanted a word with him on another matter.

QF5 found out later that the Susie Q did not go into Tin Can Bay, but called into Bundaberg ... for refuelling and provisioning ... and paid with a credit card. Unfortunately, by the time QF5 received this information both the skipper and Susie Q were long gone.

After this episode QF5 decided they would no longer supply fuel to any vessel; if vessels require fuel, there are plenty of commercial operators willing to oblige.

Sadly, QF5’s experience isn’t an isolated case. Many of the people assisted by Coast Guard seem to think it’s a free service paid for by the government, when in fact it takes dedicated fundraisers many hours to accumulate the funds required to keep flotillas afloat.

The skipper of Susie Q was not typical of assisted persons - thank goodness! He deliberately set out to benefit at QF5’s expense, but to our knowledge, the yacht Susie Q has not been seen in this area again.

A Matterof Trustby Alan HallSea Lions Skipper, QF5


A Most Lethal Bar - The Wreck of HMS OrpheusAt 1330 hours on 7 February 1863, the 225ft Royal Navy corvette HMS Orpheus, flagship of the Australian Squadron, ran aground on a sandbank approaching Auckland’s Manukau Harbour.

Because the ship was running behind schedule, the Captain - Commodore Burnett - decided to reach Auckland via Manukau Harbour on New Zealand’s west coast rather than sailing round North Cape and down the East Coast to Waitemata Harbour. A fateful decision!

The dangerous bars leading to Manukau Harbour had earlier been charted with a revised pilotage guide, indicating that the bar had moved. The sailing master initially used up-to-date instructions but was overruled by the Commodore who decided to use an earlier chart. Another fateful decision!

A signal station on the South Head instructed the ship to turn north to avoid grounding and the Quartermaster, who had previous experience of the bar, alerted senior officers of their incorrect course. But last minute efforts to change course proved futile and Orpheus hit the bar and broached.

The force of the waves caused considerable damage: hatches burst open, cabin windows shattered and Orpheus started taking water. Sea conditions made abandoning ship extremely hazardous and many of the crew were swept away. Some had climbed into the rigging as the decks became awash, but the masts eventually toppled, killing those desperate to survive.

From a ship’s company of 259, 189 were lost (including the Commodore and ship’s captain). Most were very young and still under training. It was the highest casualty rate for a shipwreck in New Zealand waters.

After a number of inquiries, the Admiralty were unwilling to admit the culpability of the ship’s officers and laid most of the blame on the person manning the signal station. However, the local Maori had another explanation: The previous day, a settler had cut down a tree that they considered sacred and the disaster happened because a ‘tapu’ had been violated!

As a footnote, in 1887, Orpheus Island off the Queensland coast was named after the corvette in memory of those lost in the disaster.

Max Radcliffe, Sea Lions Crew, QF5Freddy the Shipwrecked CatIt all took place in the year 1899 when a Liverpool sailing ship named Hawksdale sailed from Hamburg, Germany making for Melbourne with a cargo of 500 pianos.

The 27-man crew included a 17-year-old apprentice sailor named Aubrey Chaplin who had a marmalade-coloured cat called Freddy. Freddy was a great favourite with the crew. He would follow Aubrey everywhere he went. If he paced the deck on watch, Freddy was never far behind. When Aubrey was in his bunk, Freddy was there, too!

In the English channel, Hawkesdale ran into rough weather, went off course and ran aground on Long Sands. Distress signals were sent out and the RNLI launched their lifeboat.

The crew of the lifeboat got as near as they dared to the wreck and instructed the crew to jump overboard and swim for it. Aubrey was waiting his turn to jump when he remembered that Freddy was still down below. Diving down below he found the cat fast asleep on his bunk. Aubrey grabbed him, shoved him in a sack and rushed back up on deck.

The captain of the lifeboat was furious, thinking that the young sailor had risked lives inorder to retrieve a few personal possessions. When told that there was a cat in the bag, he toldAubrey to throw it into the lifeboat.

Freddy, struggling inside the sack, was submerged in the water that had collected in the lifeboat. Aubrey climbed into the lifeboat and lifted the sack onto his knees. Thecontents were now alarmingly still but he clutched it grimly for four hours notdaring to find out if his pet was still alive as the lifeboat struggled to safety.

24 of the crew were rescued that day plus Freddy who, though coldand wet, was soon revived by some warm milk laced with rum. Aubrey’smother took the cat home where he spent the rest of his life on solidground, while the local animal welfare society presented Aubrey with asilver medal for bravery in saving the life of a cat at the risk of his own.

I have a replica of Freddy asleep in my lounge!Tony Taylor, A-Team Crew, QF5

A Tale of Two Shipwrecks


Christian’s CornerQF5 News

Welcome to the QF5 pages of the first Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast magazine. Some of our readers will be used to the previous magazine Barwatch, which ceased publication at the end of 2012. A sincere thank you goes out to the many people who played a role

in publishing Barwatch over the past years, the most recent being Andris Zalite, who almost single-handedly produced the bi-monthly magazine for the past years.

The aim of this new magazine is to present a high-quality, informative and entertaining publication from all Sunshine Coast flotillas. Hopefully we have succeeded! The main difference between this magazine and the previous individual publications are exactly that. They were completely individual for each flotilla, while some flotillas didn’t have one at all! This new format means that each flotilla has its own publication with a mix of generic and flotilla specific articles.

The flotilla specific pages are those commencing with this page and extending for 12 pages or so. These pages will include reports from our Commander, Deputy Commander and Radio Officer as well as reports on interesting assists from some of our skippers. You will also be able to find details about all the assists our flotilla has carried out and some general stats from the flotilla. The much-loved and requested tide times for Noosa Heads will also feature as a “pull-out” centre spread.

The generic pages of the magazine will be packed full of informative articles, technical articles, practical guides and interesting stories. If you have any interesting articles that relate to Coast Guard, the sea, boating, fishing or QF5, then please send them in to me at [email protected]. Your article could published in the next issue! Please feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions for the magazine or would like to receive an electronic version via email.

That’s about it from me, I would like to say thank you, though, to Julie Hartwig from QF17 who is the Vice Captain of Publications for the Sunshine Coast Squadron and the real editor of this magazine. The fantastic layout and structure of this magazine is thanks to Julie who has put in many hours producing a publication for each flotilla. Thanks Julie! Christian DearnaleyQF5 Editor

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Neil & Lou from the Noosa Slipwayare back to take the reins!!



At last, work has commenced on our Radio Room refurbishment project, with phase one focusing on our Munna Radio Room. Once this is complete, we will be replicating the installation at the tower on the river mouth groyne (phase two). On completion of the installation of equipment we will then be in a position to implement our Vessel Electronic Logging System for your safety.

Safe boating,

John MillandCommander, QF5

Welcome to the Noosa edition of the Sunshine Coast Squadron Magazine.

The past four months have been exceptionally busy for QF5 Noosa with the high volume of boating traffic crossing the Noosa Bar and operating in the river system.

Early in January we had to assist a number of vessels which came to grief going out or coming in across the bar. These dangerous incidents can be reduced, if not eliminated, by skippers preparing well for a bar crossing. By having patience and taking the time to observe the wave action on the bar, tide and wind conditions and identifying the best channel for the crossing, mariners maximise the chances of a safe crossing. To assist boaties, Coast Guard Noosa conducts several Bar Crossing Courses each year. Our next course is scheduled for April and is well worth attending.

Needless to say the weather events since Australia Day resulted in much work for our crews assisting boats and houseboats, which ended up drifting in the river with some causing damage to other vessels. Our next busy time was the Easter holiday period where we experience another increase in boating traffic. As usual, Coast Guard Noosa will be on duty to provide any assistance if required.

Commander’s Log

PONTOONS - 6 TO 14 PERSONS ALUMINIM RUNABOUTS CABIN BOATS FUEL (UNLEADED AND DIESEL) NO BOAT LICENCE REQUIRED

PH: 5449 7984TRADING HOURS 7-5.30 7 DAYSO BOAT HIRE

222 GYMPIE TERRACE, NOOSAVILLE (IN BEHIND THE TENNIS COURT)WE ALSO STOCK A WIDE RANGE OF BAIT AND TACKLE, RODS, REELS, TACKLE, ACCESSORIES - LIVE, FRESH & FROZEN BAITS


From time to time we encounter members of the public who are under the belief that we are totally funded by the government and as a result they are reluctant to purchase a raffle ticket. However, I am pleased to say that we

usually receive a donation after our members inform them that the services we provide, such as training courses, marine assists and their associated costs, are completely self-funded.

Our fundraising occurs predominately under our big blue tent at the Eumundi Markets on a Wednesday and Saturday where we sell raffle tickets. Feel free to come and visit us. We also conduct a collection at the Tewantin Ferry (Moorindil Street) during the Christmas, Easter and Queen’s Birthday holiday periods. These two activities are the foundations of our fundraising efforts, with the addition of the occasional sausage sizzle at Bunnings two to four times a year. All of these fundraising activities require our members to be involved and to roll up their sleeves. However these events are usually fun and there is never a dull moment.

The month of February brought about a bit of a highlight at our Eumundi raffle-ticket tent. The morning started out slow, but as mid-morning arrived the crowd grew and the interest in Coast Guard was Electric! However, raffle ticket sales then came to an abrupt halt. One of the stallholders had noticed above his tent, in the tree, a python with a possum in his jaws. Well! The excitement grew to anxiety, frenzy and fear. There were bets on the length of the snake: 2m, 2.5m, 3m. It was in reality 3.5m and needless to say the raffle tickets did not quite recover as the snake crawled up higher into the tree to digest the meal. Hopefully this will be a once-off event.

I want to finish by acknowledging the supporters and sponsors of QF5 Noosa: Davo’s Compleat Angler Noosa, Bendigo Bank of Tewantin, the Sunshine Coast Council, Tom Offermann, Rotary Club, Eumundi Markets, Noosa North-Shore Car Ferry, the Noosa Ferry Cruise Company, the Noosa River Hire-boat Companies, Classic Car Club, the general public and last but not least our valuable members who devote their time and energy to ensure we have enough funds to continue.

Terry WaldockDeputy Commander, QF5

DFC’s Report

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Our Boats

Nothing says “Coast Guard” like a big yellow boat! Coast Guard Noosa is fortunate enough to have three fully operational and rescue-capable vessels at its

disposal. Our primary rescue vessel is the John Waddams, a

10.5m monohull jet boat, powered by twin 370HP Yanmar marine turbo-diesel engines. The twin jet configuration makes this vessel extremely manoeuverable and the combined total of 740HP gives it plenty of power for big jobs. The John Waddams is also fitted with an on-board fire-fighting system, which allows seawater to be pumped through two hoses for fighting fires on board other vessels.

QF5’s secondary rescue vessel is the Davo’s Rescue, a 9m Naiad, rigid inflatable, powered by twin 250HP Yamaha four-stroke outboards. The inflatable air-cushions that surround the boat give it incredible stability and excellent handling in all sea conditions. The twin outboard configuration makes it quite manoeuverable for jobs both offshore and in the river. A total of 500HP gives this vessel enough power for large jobs and plenty of speed to get to urgent jobs such as medical emergencies and roll-overs on the bar very quickly.

Our third rescue vessel is the Bartender Patrol, a 6.8m Eagle-Ray centre console, powered by a 150HP Yamaha four-stroke outboard. The vessel’s shallow draft and low-fuel usage make it perfect for jobs in the river system. It is also very capable of jobs outside the bar in calmer conditions.

All of QF5’s vessels are fitted out with state-of-the-art electronics as well as communication and positioning aids. Davo’s Rescue and the John Waddams are equipped with two and three multi-function screens respectively, whilst the Bartender Patrol has a single 8-inch screen. These screens can show GPS, navigational charts, a depth sounder and radar as well as tidal and weather information.

Each vessel is equipped with AIS and TrackPlus that allow radio operators at the Munna Point HQ to watch the vessels’ progress when out on an assist. The vessels are also equipped with a selection of marine radios to communicate with other vessels and the radio operator on duty at QF5. Davo’s Rescue and the John Waddams are also fitted with FLIR cameras that show up differing heat signals. These cameras are invaluable when operating at night or when on a search and rescue job as they will clearly show up sandbanks and other vessels, as well as people in the water. The Bartender Patrol is soon to be fitted with a FLIR camera.

Our primary vessel carries the name John Waddams in honour and gratitude of QF5 member John Waddams who, on his passing, donated his entire estate to QF5. It is thanks to the generous support received from members like John Waddams, and our major sponsors Davo’s Compleat Angler, Tewantin Bendigo Bank and the Sunshine Coast Council, that allow QF5 to continue serving the local marine community with three fully operational rescue vessels.

If you feel you would like to support Coast Guard Noosa through donation, sponsorship or bequest then please call us on 5474 3695. Your support is always greatly appreciated.

Words & Images by Christian DearnaleySea Lions Crew, QF5


Coast Guard Noosa’s radio operations run from two locations: the headquarters building at Munna Point and the Bar Tower at the mouth of the Noosa River. Munna Point is the primary point of operations and is active 24 x 7. The Bar Tower is normally staffed on weekends and Public Holidays.The radio room operates three VHF channels, two UHF channels for communications with our vessels and with

the Surf Lifesavers, and 27MHz. Our area of operations extends from Double Island Point to Point Arkwright, 50 nautical miles seawards of the

coast, and encompasses the rivers and lake systems in the Noosa area; around 2,500 square miles in area.Radio members provide a key role monitoring Noosa River Bar crossings, and a communications and alerting

service for those vessels logging on with us. Monitoring Estimated Times of Return (ETR) is an important aspect of our work to ensure the Water Police are

notified promptly should a vessel fail to report in at the scheduled time.Typically, our 28 Radio Operators manage around 2,100+ radio calls, 600+ landline calls and around 650+

Seawatches in a month. The number of assists each month can vary quite significantly, but generally these are in the order of 25 – 30 per month.

In addition to our radio facilities, Coast Guard Noosa receives a direct feed from a surveillance camera located at the Bar Tower to monitor bar crossings when the Bar Tower is not in operation. The bar camera is an important tool to monitor the transition between the Noosa River and Laguna Bay across the Bar. Crossing the Noosa Bar is not for the unwary – there are in the order of 35 roll-overs on the Bar each year. Coast Guard Noosa’s radio operators are particularly well versed with the emergency actions required for a roll-over – all directed at ensuring the safety of life.

As reported elsewhere in this issue, Coast Guard Noosa’s radio room will soon be undergoing a significant refurbishment program to upgrade the radio equipment, and to introduce other new facilities such as enabling activities for the transition to electronic logging. This system will complement our in-operation Electronic Information System and browser interface for weather and tides, vessel registers, telephone directories, SOP and a wide variety of forms currently in use.

Rob DeavinRadio Officer, QF5

36 Rene StNoosaville QLD4566

Ph. 07 5442 4872Fax. 07 5474 3924

www.lagunaboating.com.au [email protected]

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From the Radio Room


The wives of QF5 members and female members enjoy the Ladies’ Cruise aboard the Noosa Ferry.

G-Force Crew with surf lifesavers who assisted with the salvage of two vessels that rolled on the Noosa Bar.

SPONSORSHIPOPPORTUNITIESGain exposure for your

business in Noosa and its surrounding areas and help a good cause by becoming

a Coast Guard Noosa sponsor. Opportunities are available on our boats, at

our Munna Point Base and in this magazine

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Sea Lions Crew doing CPR and Oxy practice.

G-Force Crew tow a vessel off the Noosa Bar after it flipped on the bar.

Out & About with QF5 ...

Injured MOB practice on Davo’s Rescue.


A SHORT REPORT ON A LONG MORNINGOn Sunday, the 13th of January, I was woken by the phone at 0500hrs and told by the radio operator that there was a roll over on the bar.

I raced in, joined the rest of the crew on the John Waddams and went to the bar at speed. The information I received was that there were three people in the water. When we got to the bar the police notified us that there were two on the shore and one missing.

We headed out to sea and found the third person clinging to a bucket. We took him on board and ferried him to shore.

We then focused our attention on the boat, which was upside down in the middle of the bar, with waves crashing over it. We managed to hook up a tow with help from a jet-skier. It was a slow tow back to Davo’s ramp, where we had agreed to meet the police, as the boat wouldn’t right itself.

The boat was bigger than we first thought, but with quite a lot of effort at the boat ramp we were able to right it. After three hours we tied the boat to a pole as the police were still yet to arrive and decided to head back to base to continue with the day.Wally ConwaySkipper, A-Team, QF5

Activations

THE RESCUE OF THE KETCH CATHERINE GRACEAt 0430 hours on the morning of Monday 13th January 1992, the radio operator at QF5 received a distress call for assistance. A crew was called in consisting of Kevin Wynn (skipper), Tony Gordon, Bill Asmar and Mike Fisher.

The vessel in trouble was the 65ft steel ketch the Catherine Grace, with six people on board. She had been making her way south, trying unsuccessfully to escape from Cyclone Betsy that, at the time, was whipping up 7m seas with over 60-knot winds.

Having lost its mainsail, it was making little or no headway and its motor was giving them trouble. It was decided to call for help from the Coast Guard, the nearest one being Noosa QF5. Without more ado, the Coast Guard vessel Pride of Noosa, a mere 8.5m, with Kevin and crew on board set out to render assistance. The first hurdle would be the notorious Noosa River bar which by this time, because of the cyclonic weather, would be very dangerous to cross.

During the crossing, according to onlookers, the boat appeared to be driven back by the waves and sometime disappeared under water, but they made it safely out and headed north to find the Catherine Grace who had radioed in a GPS position some sixteen miles north of Noosa and making no headway in the horrendous seas.

Having reached the stricken vessel, a towline was attached and the tow began, only to have the line snap twice. Because of conditions it was a slow, 4-knot journey back. Reaching the south side of the bay, the vessel was anchored and a young lady passenger was taken on board the Pride of Noosa and landed, gratefully, ashore at Munna Point.

For his leadership and courage in undertaking this rescue in such hazardous conditions, Kevin Wynn received the National Commodores Gold Award.Tony TaylorA-Team, QF5

Editor’s Note: Pride of Noosa is decommissioned.


DATE CREW RESCUE VESSEL ACTION TAKEN01-12-12 Sea Lions John Waddams Towed vessel off a sand bank in the Frying Pan02-12-12 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from 1st ski run to Harbour Town 05-12-12 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Inspected vessel reported drifting07-12-12 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Escorted vessel in over Noosa Bar07-12-12 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Recovered stolen Jetski and return to owner15-12-12 A-Team Davo’s Rescue Medical Emergency – Transport passenger off Fishing Charter16-12-12 ‘’ John Waddams Towed overturned vessel on the bar to Davo’s boat ramp23-12-12 G-Force John Waddams Towed overturned vessel on the bar to Munna Point23-12-12 ‘’ John Waddams Recovered second overturned vessel on the bar23-12-12 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Took-over tow of overturned vessel from John Waddams23-12-12 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from Munna Point to Davo’s boat ramp24-12-12 ‘’ John Waddams Escorted vessel out over Noosa Bar26-12-12 Sea Lions John Waddams Towed Jetski from Noosa Bar to Davo’s boat ramp26-12-12 ‘’ John Waddams Towed 2nd Jetski from Noosa Bar to Davo’s boat ramp26-12-12 ‘’ John Waddams Towed vessel stuck in Noosa Bar to mooring upriver28-12-12 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Retrieved sunken vessel and towed to mooring 28-12-12 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Rafted vessel from 1st ski run to Davo’s boat ramp29-12-12 Sea Hawks Davo’s Rescue Escorted vessel out over Noosa Bar29-12-12 ‘’ John Waddams Towed vessel in over Noosa Bar to Woods Bay31-12-12 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Towed vessel from Car Ferry to Noosa Waters01-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Escorted vessel in over Noosa Bar02-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Towed vessel across Noosa Bar to Davo’s boat ramp02-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Towed vessel overturned on Noosa Bar to Munna Point02-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Towed hire pontoon off a sand bank opposite Munna Point04-01-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from 1st ski run to Noosa Sound05-01-13 G-Force Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from 1st ski run to Noosa Waters07-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Scattering of ashes08-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Transferred passengers to vessel waiting outside the Bar08-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Transferred passengers from vessel back to Munna Point11-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Medical Emergency – Transfer injured skier to ambulance12-01-13 A-Team John Waddams Towed vessel from Woods Bay to Davo’s boat ramp13-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Rafted vessel from Noosa Sound to Tewantin boat ramp18-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Towed vessel from the river mouth to Tewantin boat ramp19-01-13 Sea Lions Davo’s Rescue Towed vessel from Lake Cootharaba to Davo’s boat ramp

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DATE CREW RESCUE VESSEL ACTION TAKEN20-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Escorted vessel out over Noosa Bar20-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Escorted vessel in over Noosa Bar24-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Transfered mechanic to stricken yacht in Little Cove24-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Transferred mechanic and 2 passengers from yacht26-01-13 Sea Hawks Davo’s Rescue Re-anchored drifting vessel in the river26-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Called to drifting vessel in the river, could not locate27-01-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Assisted Davo’s Rescue in repositioning drifting vessels27-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Repositioned and re-anchored drifting houseboats27-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Pumped out fishing charter vessel27-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Lengthened anchor line on houseboat27-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Repositioned and re-anchored more drifting houseboats27-01-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Repositioned drifting houseboats and lengthen anchor line27-01-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Repositioned and re-anchored drifting houseboat28-01-13 ‘’ John Waddams Towed houseboat back to mooring and re-anchored01-02-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Assisted Davo’s Rescue in re- anchoring houseboat01-02-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Re-positioned and re-anchored drifting houseboat03-02-13 G-Force Davo’s Rescue Re-anchored drifting houseboat04-02-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Inspected sunken vessel in Lake Cooroibah05-02-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Retrieved sunken vessel and towed to Boreen Point ramp 05-02-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Pumped out sunken vessel at Boreen Point boat ramp05-02-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Medical Emergency – QAS called to transfer patient10-02-13 A-Team Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from Lake Cooroibah to Davo’s boat ramp10-02-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from Woods bay to Tewantin boat ramp10-02-13 ‘’ John Waddams Escorted vessel out over Noosa Bar16-02-13 Sea Lions John Waddams Transferred passengers from the Ferry to waiting Ferry17-02-13 ‘’ John Waddams Towed broken down fishing charter in over Noosa Bar17-02-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Attended sunken vessel in Noosa Waters, unable to assist23-02-13 Sea Hawks Davo’s Rescue Rafted drifting yacht and anchored to MSQ buoy27-02-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Recovered yacht after MSQ buoy broke. Anchored yacht05-03-13 G-Force Bartender Patrol Towed vessel from Lake Cooroibah to Tewantin boat ramp06-03-13 ‘’ John Waddams Repositioned drifting house boat, re-anchored06-03-13 ‘’ Bartender Patrol Assisted John Waddams in repositioning houseboat07-03-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Escorted vessel across Noosa Bar08-03-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Towed houseboat to new mooring08-03-13 ‘’ Davo’s Rescue Escorted vessel across Noosa Bar

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QF5 ACTIVATION STATISTICS: 1 DECEMBER 2012 to 28 FEBRUARY 2013

Type of activation:Police: .........................................................1Ambulance: ..............................................1QF5/Public: ...............................................59Total: .............................................. 61Purpose of activation:Medivac: ....................................................1Training: .....................................................106Miscellaneous: .........................................16SAR: .............................................................0Community Service: ..............................19Total: .............................................. 181Assisted Vessels:Number of vessel logged on: ............1397Number of Vessels assisted: ..............61Total number of persons assisted: ...148Approx. value of vessels assisted: ....$1,886,200Fuel:Diesel amount (L): ..................................1777.07LDiesel Cost: ...............................................$2787.34Petrol amount (L): ..................................1852.79LPetrol Cost: ...............................................$2807.84Total Cost: ..................................... $5595.18Miscellaneous:Total man-hours: ....................................11,827Public events attended: .......................37

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QF5 RADIO STATISTICS: 1 OCTOBER 2012 TO 28 FEBRUARY 2013Month 27MHz VHF UHF Landline Seawatch AssistsOct 2012 252 1310 372 592 413 15Nov 2012 171 1088 354 591 392 12Dec 2012 207 1600 440 648 607 14Jan 2013 194 1577 380 622 614 25Feb 2013 171 658 322 474 176 14TOTAL 995 6233 1868 2927 2202 80

CROSSING THE NOOSA BAR?

The Noosa Bar can be dangerous. Remember to always log on with Coast Guard Noosa before you cross the bar. This can be done on VHF Ch16 or 22, 27MHz Ch88 or by phoning the base on 5474 3695 or 5449 7670. Remember to give your vessel name or registration and POB (number of persons on board).

Once you make a safe crossing, remember to call in and let us know. We’ll want to know your destination and estimated time of return (ETR). If you decide to change either of these, then just call us back and let us know so we don’t start worrying when your original ETR comes around. Remember, all this information is for your own safety – if you have an accident or emergency we’ll know where to look!

On your return, call us again to notify us that you’re crossing the bar. Once you’re safely across let us know and we’ll take you off our log. If you do forget to radio in and tell us you’re back safely, then please give us a call as soon as you remember - this will save us initiating a search to come and find you.

Coast Guard - Safety By All Means


GOIN’ FISHIN’ WITH DAVO’SAs the seasons change and we move into the more predictable months of April, May and June, it’s time to check the date on your flares, grab some new gear and head out over the Noosa bar. On your way out, try fishing the inner reef areas like Sunshine for some thumper trout, sweetlip and nice sized squire. For any advice on fishing these in-close areas or if you just want to learn some new rigs, please drop into Davo’s and have a chat with our friendly team.

If you’re on the hunt for some pelagics, try concentrating your time around Little Halls reef, Laguna Bay and wide of Chardon’s reef with trolled baits, making sure they’re tracking straight through the water. River 2 Sea Downsider Lures trolled alongside your baits are also worth a try. Small Blacks (micro blacks) will still be around over the few months, so come and have a chat to Peter Wells at the shop before heading out there for the latest news on where they are and the different ways to target them.

Local land-based rock fisho’s can expect a good run of mulloway, sweetlip and squire that come in close to feed on the sheltering bait fish. It’s always a good idea to bring along your light gear so you can flick a few metals around in order to catch the first of the tailor that’ll start making their way through. As for fishing from the beach, start along the Teewah stretch with light lines, red tubing and worms as your main bait to land a few whiting. The Teewah stretch is also worth a look at night as the bigger tailor start to run through. Keep a watchful eye on the back breaking sets to see if they’re cruising through your particular area.

River fishing during the autumn months can be particularly interesting with anglers getting stuck into big eye and GT trevally schools. These schools are often seen ambushing baitfish in the inner Woods Bay or alongside the outer Woods current line. It’s a good idea to come into Davo’s and check your lure selection as new gear is always arriving on the market. We can also give you advice about fine-tuning your lure by changing certain things like split rings and trebles without changing the action of the lure and improving your chances of a hook-up!

If you like to gorge yourself on local Noosa River prawns, try heading out on the full moon at the top of the tide and focus on areas like Munna Point and alongside the Yacht Club. If your old cast-net has a few holes and is looking a little worst for wear then come in and pick a new from Davo’s.

Trolling the southern side of Makepeace Island is always a great option for many species at this time of year. By using deep diving minnows you are bound to hook up to a monster or two. Another sure-fire method is using Gastronomic Shad soft plastics rigged on 1/8 size jig head and casting them while drifting along the bank. Jacks will still be on the chew over this period with anglers having the most success on live bait or fresh mullet fillet and focusing around snags. Drifting through Weyba hole and across the broad sand flats should see you land a few nice size flathead. While you’re up there, throw in a crab pot or two for a chance to catch a tasty feed, but please always remember the size and bag limits.

Remember the annual NOOSA RIVER TO REEF FAMILY FISHING CLASSIC is on from the 31st of May to 2nd of June. Please drop into Davo’s and have a chat for any more information about the comp or fishing around Noosa, and for the latest bar reports and photos, log onto www.fishingnoosa.com.au.

Tight lines and bent spines!! Above: John Reid won the $50 Davo’s Fish of the Week prize for his 65cm Flathead.

Above: Mitch Fredericks from Davo’s Compleat Angler boated this 2.5kg Coral Trout at Sunshine Reef.

http://www.fishingnoosa.com.au/


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HOME OF THE FISHERMAN

MAKING A BEQUESTAt Coast Guard Noosa the search for the funding required to continue our community service never stops, but your generosity can help.Making a bequest to Coast Guard Noosa in your Will can help secure our future. Through your bequest, you can support the work of Coast Guard Noosa with its ongoing commitment to safety at sea.Bequests to Coast Guard Noosa can help provide long-term support.For more information, please call Coast Guard Noosa on (07) 5474 3695.

Subscribe toCoast Guard

RescueSunshine

CoastNoosa Edition

Call 5474 3695

Noosa Boat Fishing Club Members and guests meet once a month on the lastWednesday of each month at the Villa Noosa at 6pm.

For further information contact the secretary GavinWatts on 0411 451975 or just turn up to one of ourmeetings.

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The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard is a voluntary organisation committed to saving lives at sea by providing emergency assistance to vessels in need.

QF5’s Marine Rescue ServicesEach year, Coast Guard Noosa volunteers respond to numerous calls for assistance at sea. These calls include EPIRB and Mayday activations, search and rescue operations, medical evacuations, assisting sinking and grounded vessels, towing disabled vessels and providing assistance to vessels overturned on the Noosa Bar. Rescue Vessels & Areas of OperationWe operate three fully equipped rescue vessels to cover inshore and offshore operational areas extending from Double Island Point to Point Arkwright, including the Noosa River and associated lakes, and to 50nm seaward of the coast.Rescue Boat CrewThis is the “coal face” of our operations. If you’ve ever had to call for assistance, these are the people you’re glad to see. Rescue boat operations include deck hand duties, radio operations, navigation, helmsman duties and Search and Rescue operations.

Like all activities requiring training, you start at the bottom as a trainee and progress through the ratings starting as a Competent Crewman or woman. The sky’s the limit from there, and with commitment and ongoing training, you can achieve coxswain rating, skippering rescue vessels.

Whatever the rating, our volunteers train continuously to obtain and maintain a high standard of competency, both on and off the water, day and night, in all areas of operation.Radio CommunicationsThis is our “bread and butter” operation; it’s what we do 7 days a week, 365 days a year. A team of volunteer base radio operators maintain a “listening watch” on marine radio frequencies 24 hours a day. If a boatie calls for help, the radio operators are usually the first point of contact. Radio coverage extends to VHF, 27 MHz and phone. Fundraising ActivitiesThis is the “lifeblood” of our operation for, without funds, we could not continue to provide our rescue service to local boaties. We receive very little government funding - only $20,000 per year. The rest of our operating budget is earned through fundraising and donations, so the Fundraising Team is a vitally important part of our operations. Fundraising activities include selling tickets for our monthly raffle at the iconic Eumundi markets every Saturday and Wednesday. Tickets for special raffles are also sold at shopping centres. At Christmas, Easter and Queens Birthday Holidays we have Roadside Collections at the North Shore Ferry. It’s often said that “many hands make light work” and this is especially so of fundraising.AdministrationThese people are the “backbone” of our team, for without their leadership, guidance and support, the rest of the organisation would find it difficult to operate. Administration roles include general administration, operations, financial management, training, data entry, stores and provisioning, repairs and maintenance, Workplace Health and Safety, media relations and flotilla publications ... the list is not quite endless, but there are plenty of tasks for which volunteers are always required.

Coast GuardJoin the Team

RegularMembership

QF5 Coast GuardNoosa

Are you looking for a new challenge? Would you like to help your community?Would you like to learn new skills? Do you have spare time?If the answer is YES, Coast Guard Noosa needs YOU!

Being part of a team that saves lives at sea gives our volunteers an immense amount of satisfaction and a real sense of achievement. If you would like to be part of Coast Guard, call 5474 3695 or visit our Base at the Munna Point Caravan Park.


QF5 Coast Guard NoosaAssociate Membership

The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard is a voluntary organisation providing emergency and other assistance to vessels in need. In order to maintain our vessels and to continue providing this service, it is necessary for our organisation to raise the required funds by conducting fundraising events in the community.

Coast Guard Noosa operates three fully equipped rescue vessels. Our Aim is to promote safety in the operation of small craft in Noosa and its surrounding areas by guarding our coastline in the most effective way—initially by education, example and examination and finally by search and rescue.Each year Coast Guard Noosa volunteers make numerous rescues, including assisting sinking vessels, vessels that have run aground, towing broken-down vessels, escorting vessels across the Noosa Bar and assisting those who capsize on the bar.

Taking out an Associate Membership for an annual fee of $60.00 (including GST), will give you peace of mind for not only yourself, but also your boat.

Becoming an Associate Member entitles you to the following benefits:• A call sign (NSA number) identifying you as a

Noosa-based vessel• Membership sticker for your vessel• Recorded details of boat/trailer/home contacts• Radio coverage from all Coast Guard radio bases

around Australia• Support, rescue and assistance, training and

information on a wide range of topics• Opportunities to attend educational courses• Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast magazine

emailed to your inbox• One free assist/tow per yearWe look forward to your valued membership. Please contact the Base on 5474 3695 for more information.

We need your support today ...... you may need ours tomorrow

COAST GUARD MEMBERSHIP - REGULAR AND ASSOCIATEUpon receipt of your enquiry about membership, a membership application form for your membership type will be forwarded by post or email as soon as possible.

For Associate Membership, upon returning the completed form, you will receive your call sign (NSA number) and membership package.

For Regular Membership applications, upon returning the form, you will be contacted to arrange a time for an interview, after which your application will be processed.

We look forward to welcoming new Associate and Regular members to QF5 and hope it will be the start of a long and mutually satisfying association with a fully volunteer organisation providing a vital service supporting the boating public using our local waterways.

Coast Guard … Join the Team

Let Us Know When You Go

To apply for Regular or Associate Membership of Coast Guard Noosa, complete the enquiry form below and post to PO Box 274, Tewantin Qld 4565 or drop it in to the Base at Munna Point in the Caravan Park.

Name: ________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________

__________________________ P/Code: ____________

Telephone: ___________________________________

Email: _________________________________________

Please send me a Membership Application Form for:

REGULAR ASSOCIATE (Operational) (Non-Operational)


MANAGING IRUKANDJI SYNDROME STINGSBill Asher, First Aid Instructor at QF6 Mooloolaba, reports that with the recent occurrence of “Irukandji Syndrome” stings on the Fraser Coast, members and boaties should be aware of the different treatment for tropical marine stingers.

Whereas in subtropical and temperate waters bluebottle and jellyfish stings are treated with hot water, Irukandji and Box Jellyfish stings are treated with vinegar.

Boaties contemplating venturing to the Fraser coast and further north should consider including a small bottle of brown vinegar in their First Aid Kit. The use of brown vinegar instead of clear vinegar is just to differentiate it from drinking water.

Coast NewsRAMP UPGRADES FOR MOOLOOLABA HARBOURBoaties will be the winners with two new floating walkways to be built in Mooloolaba Harbour as part the Newman Government’s $120 million Marine Infrastructure Fund.

Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson said the upstream and downstream boat ramps would be widened and a floating walkway added.

“The upstream boat ramp will have a floating walkway added to the centre of the ramp, with a new lane added to the downstream side of the ramp,” Ms Simpson said. “This will greatly increase the throughput capacity, efficiency, safety and convenience for boaties launching and retrieving their trailer boats.”

“Mooloolaba Harbour is an extremely popular spot with locals and tourists, so it’s great news for the community that such a valuable upgrade is going to take place. The downstream ramp will have a new lane added on the upstream side of the existing ramp and a new floating walkway on the new lane. Deeper draught vessels will continue to berth at the existing gangway-access pontoon lying between the two boat ramps. Water has recently been supplied to this pontoon for cleaning the pontoon and topping up boaties’ water tanks.”

“It’s expected the new floating walkways and boat ramp works will be completed later this year.”

WIDE BAY BAR WAYPOINTSQF17 Tin Can Bay report that following recent reports from local boaties that the sand spit south of Waypoint 2 was gradually migrating in a northerly direction, Training Officer Ian Sutton took a boat crew out to the location on a training exercise to investigate the reports.

Soundings taken around Waypoint 2 indicate that the closest proximity of the sand spit is approximately 200 metres south of Waypoint 2, so QF17 advise that, at present, the current waypoint coordinates for crossing the Wide Bay Bar are correct and there is no need for any change to those coordinates.

A Wide Bay Bar Crossing fact sheet is available from QF17. If you require the information, contact the Radio Room at QF17 on 07 5486 4290 or email the base at [email protected].

WPT 1WPT 3



ROASTED ARTISAN STYLE BEETROOT, WHITING & HEIRLOOM TOMATO TART

Feeds 2 people | Preparation time 20 minutes1 sheet of Pampas puff pastry4 cleaned fillets of King George whiting (from your fish monger)4 medium sized cooked beetroot, sliced (can use tins) 2 medium ripe heirloom tomatoes (thinly sliced)6 leaves of basil2 tablespoon of good quality goat’s cheeseSea saltCracked black pepperVirgin olive oil1 egg yolk5 black olives2 strips of anchovies (optional)

Method1. Fold the sheet of puff pastry in half to create 2

layers, and press firmly so the sheets are sticking together, then cut into 2 squares, brush with the egg yolk and bake off at 150°C until golden brown.

2. Take out of the oven and cool down for 5 min.3. Cut the squares in half, then place the cooked

beetroot, whiting, tomato, black olives, goat’s cheese, olive oil, salt, pepper and anchovies (optional) on top.

4. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes at 200°C until the topping starts to get golden-brown, take out of the oven.

5. To serve, place the lid on top of the case and present the case on a green salad with an olive oil and lemon dressing. Bon appetit! Enjoy this tart for lunch or as an entrée at dinner.

From the Ship’s Galley

The LighterSide of Life

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BLUEY GOES TO AN OUTDOOR SHOW ... AND WINS A TINNIEHe brought it home and his wife looks at him and says, “What you gonna do with that? There’s no water deep enough to float a boat within 160 km of here.”

He says, “I won it and I’m gonna keep it.”His brother came over to visit several days later. He sees the wife and asks where his

brother is. She says, “He’s out there in his tinnie,” pointing to the paddock behind the house.The brother heads out behind the house and sees his brother in the middle of a paddock,

sitting in the tinnie with a fishing rod in his hand ... He yells out to him, “What are you doing?”His brother replies, “I’m fishing. What the hell does it look like I’m doing?”His brother yells, “It’s people like you that give people from Queensland a bad name,

making everybody think we’re stupid. If I could swim, I’d come out there and kick your arse!”

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QF21 SANDY STRAIT•

QF17 TIN CAN BAY•

QF5 NOOSA •

QF6 MOOLOOLABA •

QF4 CALOUNDRA •

QF21 SANDY STRAITCommander: Jukka Mantari - 0417 199 070Deputy Commander: Kerry Kingston - 0427 252 524Base: Phone 07 4129 8141 | Fax 07 4129 8907 | Email - [email protected]: PO Box 341, Maryborough, QLD 4650Location: 126 Eckert Rd, BoonoorooHours of Operation: 0700 - 1800 | 365 daysRadio Call Sign: VMR421 or Coast Guard Sandy StraitRadio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 80, 82 | 27MHz 88, 90Area of Operation: Great Sandy Strait south to Kauri Creek, north to McKenzie’s JettyQF17 TIN CAN BAYCommander: Position Vacant Deputy Commander: Colleen Johnson - 0402 037 319Base: Phone - 07 5486 4290 | Fax - 07 5486 4568 | Mob - 0419 798 651Email - [email protected]: PO Box 35, Tin Can Bay, QLD 4580Location: In the boat ramp carpark, Norman Point at 25° 54’ S / 153° 00’ EHours of Operation: 0600 - 1800 | 365 dayRadio Call Sign: VMR417 or Coast Guard Tin Can BayFrequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 67, 80, 82 | 27MHz 88, 90 | MF/HF 2182Area of Operation: Tin Can Inlet & adjacent creeks; Great Sandy Strait north to S38; Offshore waters north to Indian Head, south to Double Island Point & 50nm to seawardQF5 NOOSACommander: John Milland - 0403 339 050Deputy Commander: Terry Waldock - 0417 774 580Base: Phone - 07 5474 3695 | Emergencies - 07 5449 7670 Email - [email protected]: PO Box 274, Tewantin, QLD 4565 Location: Russell St, Munna Point in the Noosa River Caravan ParkHours of Operation: 24/7 | 365 daysRadio Call Sign: VMR405 or Coast Guard NoosaRadio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 22, 80 | 27MHz 88, 91Area of Operation: The entire Noosa River and its lakes; Offshore waters north to Double Island Point, south to Point Arkwright and 50nm to seawardQF6 MOOLOOLABACommander: John Annabell - 0412 545 600Deputy Commander: Bryan Beck - 0403 048 576Base: Phone - 07 5444 3222 | Email - [email protected]: 65 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba, QLD 4557Location: In the boat ramp carpark, Parkyn Parade at 26° 41.1’ S / 153° 07.6’ EHours of Operation: 0600 - 2200 | 2200 - 0600 Night watch (CH 16) | 365 daysAdministration Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 0800 - 1200Radio Call Sign: VMR406 or Coast Guard MooloolabaFrequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 67, 73, 80 | 27MHz 88, 90 | MF/HF 2182Area of Operation: North to Point Arkwright, south to Point Cartwright and 50 nm to seaward. (NB: assists are also conducted in local rivers and adjacent waterways; Offshore waters north to Noosa Heads, south to Cape Moreton and up to 200nm to seaward with approval)QF4 CALOUNDRACommander: Tony Barker - 0439 913 533Deputy Commander: Peter Vaughn - 0439 913 522Base: Phone 07 5491 3533 | Fax 07 5491 7516Email - [email protected]: PO Box 150, Caloundra, QLD 4551Location: Tripcony Lane, Caloundra off Maloja AvenueHours of Operation: Weekdays 0530 - 1200 | Weekends/Public Holidays 0530 - 1700Radio Call Sign: VMR404 or Coast Guard CaloundraRadio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 73 | 27MHz 88, 99Area of Operation: Offshore waters north to Point Cartwright, south to approximately halfway down Bribie Island and 40nm to seaward

Squadron Contacts







Supports Coast Guard

Noosa’s First Aid Training

Sea Lions Crew hand out banners and information packs to those exhibiting safe

boating practices in the Noosa River

Davo’s Rescue making an outbound crossing of the Noosa Bar

G-Force Crew with a local jetskier and surf lifesavers after a success-ful rescue on the Noosa Bar

John Waddams escorts the yacht Bella Vita across the Noosa Bar


CA-01 28 Eenie Creek RdNoosa Civic, Noosaville Q4566

T: (07) 5455 6214E. [email protected]

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Weddings and Functions to suit all Budgets

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Phone

LIVE MUSIC5PM TO 9PM

FRIDAY, SATURDAY& SUNDAY NIGHTS

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