QF4_Autumn 2016 _Colour Print File

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Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast | 1

Autumn 2016 | QF4 Caloundra Edition

This issue ...QF4 News | Flags around the Sunshine Coast

HMS Protector | Trailer Maintenance | The PlasticeneVoyage to Antarctica | History of Ships: HMAS MaryboroughCoast Guard Assist Stories


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2 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

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CONTENTS

AUTUMN 2016 | ISSUE 13 | QF4 Caloundra Edition

05

04

EDITOR’S CORNER

05 FLOTILLA NEWS Latest news from QF4

06 FLAGS AROUND THE SUNSHINE COAST The most commonly used ags on

Sunshine Coast boats

08 TRANSFER AT SEA A Medivac from a bulk carrier o

Mooloolaba

09 DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU The tale of nding a sunken boat

10 HMS PROTECTOR: A TELEGRAPHIST’S TALE Life as a telegraphist on the Royal Navy’s

Antarctic patrol ship.

13 IF IT CAN GO WRONG ... When a boat has a crew member called

“Murphy”

14 TRAILER MAINTENANCE

16 MAYDAY OFF MOOLOOLABA Assisting a capsized trimaran

18 THE PLASTICENE Litter in the world’s oceans

22 VOYAGE TO ANTARCTICA

24 MIDNIGHT RESCUE Capsize on the Wide Bay Bar

26 HISTORY OF SHIPS: HMAS MARYBOROUGH

29 SURVIVAL IN THE SEA

30 SQUADRON CONTACTS

06

08 10

14 16

18

24 26

22

The Ocial Magazine of AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron


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PUBLISHING INFORMATIONCoast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast ispublished quarterly by AVCGA SunshineCoast Squadron.Copies are available from QF4Caloundra, QF6 Mooloolaba, QF5 Noosa,QF17 Tin Can Bay and QF21 Sandy Straits.Please contact the Flotilla.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is available via email. To join theemailing list, please contact the otillarepresentative for your area.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is also available via download. Visit theotilla’s page on the Coast Guard website

at www.coastguard.com.au.For advertising enquiries, please contactthe otilla representative for your area

EDITOR: Vice Captain Julie HartwigPh: 07 5486 4014M: 0498 377 402E: [email protected]

Sub-Editors:Q F4 Caloundra: John GasparottoE: [email protected] F5 Noosa: David GarwoodE: [email protected] F6 Mooloolaba: Ian HuntE: [email protected] F17 Tin Can Bay: Julie HartwigE: [email protected] F21 Sandy Strait: Jon CollessE: [email protected]

Disclaimer: Whilst every care is takenby the Editor to minimise errors, noresponsibility is accepted for the accuracyor otherwise of contributions made by

AVCGA members, and the information,images, illustrations and advertisementscontained herein. Opinions expressed inarticles in this publication are those of theauthors. All content in this publication ispublished with the consent and approvalof the Sunshine Coast Squadron Board.

© Copyright AVCGA Sunshine CoastSquadron, 2016

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

Editor’s Corner

Welcome to the Autumn edition of Coast Guard RescueSunshine Coast . If you think this issue has come aroundrather quickly, it has. The reason is as Commander IanHunt explains on the next page, but I’ve taken the opportunityto realign the publishing date with the beginning of the season,rather than the middle. So from this issue onwards, Coast GuardRescue Sunshine Coast will be available around the end of March,

June, September and December. Look out for it at your localCoast Guard otilla or download it from the national Coast Guardwebsite at www.coastguard.com.au - simply select Queenslandfrom the otilla locator map, then select your local otilla from thelist.

The two months since the last issue have seen a few dramaticrescues by Sunshine Coast otillas - you can read all about theminside this issue.

While many of Coast Guard’s calls for assistance are requestsfor towing a broken down vessel, every call is potentially anemergency call. However, every now and then, an emergencyactivation occurs in which the lives of a vessel’s crew are in graveand imminent life-threatening danger. Being called to rescuepeople from situations where their vessel is no longer capable ofproviding them with survival is what our Coast Guard volunteersput in the hard training yards for.

In the lead up to publishing this issue, two letters cameacross my desk. One was from a couple of yachtsmen rescuedfrom the hull of their catamaran which capsized on the Wide BayBar in the dead of a lthy night; the other was from a regularreader of the magazine who wrote to tell me how much he enjoysthe publication. Reading these letters reinforces the value of ourservice to the boating public and the importance of the work our

volunteers do, both on and o the water, to ensure we continue toprovide marine rescue capabilities to local boaties.

To all the AVCGA volunteers in the Sunshine Coast’s veotillas, keep up the great work. Your local communities truly doappreciate your contribution to keep our waterways safe.

Enjoy the read, stay safe on the water and remember to logon before you leave!

Safety by all Means.

Julie HartwigEditor

Vice Captain Publications, Sunshine Coast Squadron

THIS ISSUE’S COVER:Caloundra’s Coast Guard 2 about to cross the Caloundra Bar with her new engines. Photo John Gasparotto

http://www.coastguard.com.au/http://www.coastguard.com.au/mailto:editor.sc%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:editor.sc%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:dgandtd%40bigpond.com?subject=mailto:dgandtd%40bigpond.com?subject=mailto:dgandtd%40bigpond.com?subject=mailto:dgandtd%40bigpond.com?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:jon.colless%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:jon.colless%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:jon.colless%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:jon.colless%40coastguard.com.au?subject=http://www.coastguard.com.au/http://www.coastguard.com.au/http://www.coastguard.com.au/http://www.coastguard.com.au/http://www.coastguard.com.au/mailto:jon.colless%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:julie.hartwig%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:ian.hunt%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:dgandtd%40bigpond.com?subject=mailto:john.gasparotto%40coastguard.com.au?subject=mailto:editor.sc%40coastguard.com.au?subject=http://www.coastguard.com.au/


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www.facebook.com/ qf4.th

Commander’s Dispatches

The year has begun well for QF4 and itsmembers. Both vessels are performingwell with cyclical servicing and equipment

replacement complete. The search for suitableood/spotlights has been successful with recentne-tuning completed to Coxswains’ satisfaction.Night training exercises with both vessels have

commenced.February and March Flotilla Meetings sawthe Flotilla gain fteen new Provisional members.While most have joined as Boat Crew, theRadio and Fundraising sections also enjoy newmembership. ESS training was attended by tennew members – a record!

Negotiations with a prospective supplierof a replacement radio tower and associated

equipment is nearing conclusion with a decisionimminent. While the likely price for the work iswell below the original quote, the work will costthe Flotilla over $35,000. The relocation of theradio room is well advanced and on completion,will oer much improved safety and security tomembers, to Flotilla assets and to visitors.

There was no break from fundraising overthe Christmas period. The Flotilla now provides aweekly sausage sizzle at Bunnings (Thursday) andcontinues to work at the Power Boat Club, PelicanWaters and Dan Murphy’s. QF4 members greatlyappreciate the support of members of the publicin buying tickets, and a hot sausage on bread!

Tony Barker Commander, QF4

A Message to Our Readers ...

Please Support our AdvertisersThe Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association is a volunteer marine rescue organisationcommitted to saving lives at sea. AVCGA otillas in the Sunshine Coast region receiveminimal government funding and must engage in constant fundraising activities tokeep our rescue vessels on the water, train our volunteer personnel and operate ourrescue bases. The support of local and regional businesses is an essential part of ourfundraising activities. When you shop at any of our advertisers, please tell them you sawtheir advertisement in Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast. Please support our advertisersbecause their support ensures the continuation of AVCGA’s rescue services to boatingcommunities on the Sunshine Coast.

http://../AppData/Local/Adobe/InDesign/Version%208.0/en_GB/Caches/InDesign%20ClipboardScrap1.pdfhttp://../AppData/Local/Adobe/InDesign/Version%208.0/en_GB/Caches/InDesign%20ClipboardScrap1.pdf


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A: Diver Below - Keep Clear!Several years ago while diving o the beach at the Mooloolaba Spit, one PWCdriver decided that the ‘A’ ag would make a good mark to practice his turnsaround. As a keen Scuba diver, it amazes me that boats will regularly drive atspeed over the top of me when I am diving – even when I am displaying the ‘A’or ‘Diver Below’ ag. These actions indicate an ignorance and/or a disregardfor the rules and other water users. This ag would have to be one of the mostcommonly seen ags displayed by small vessels on the Sunshine Coast.

While most of the countries in the world use the ‘A’ ag to indicate divers, theNorth Americans and some other parts of the world use a totally dierent ag

which is red with a diagonal white stripe.

O: Man Overboard!While we don’t see ships y this ag on the Sunshine Coast very much, it isused extensively by the Life Savers. So while the swimmers who ‘swim betweenthe ags’ have not technically fallen overboard, the ag does signify to otherwatercraft users that there are swimmers in the water. So when you see thisag at a beach, keep clear. If you see a ship ying this ag, then you shouldprobably ask if you can help with the search for the person overboard.

B: Bang!The ‘B’ ag isprobably the easiestto remember as thebright red colourindicates danger, andis also the colour of anexplosion. It is used byships when handlingdangerous goods, thisincludes when they arerefuelling.

Signal Flags Aroundthe Sunshine Coast

by Roger BarnesSkipper, QF4

The International Code of Signals (ICS) is an international system of signals and codes for use by

vessels to communicate important messages regarding safety of navigation and related matters.

Signals can be sent by ag hoist, signal lamp (“blinker”), ag semaphore, radiotelegraphy, and

radiotelephony. The International Code is the most recent evolution of a wide variety of maritime

ag signalling systems.


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H: Pilot on BoardYou will see this ag being own on just about every large ship that travelsbetween Mooloolaba and Brisbane. When a ship enters a pilotage area, it isrequired to take on board a local expert to help guide the vessel through thenarrow channels. This expert is referred to as a pilot. You may see the pilotboats ferry the pilot between Mooloolaba harbour and a ship o shore fromtime to time.

D: DicultyHere at QF4, this ag is commonly referred to as the ‘towing ag.’ The ocialmeaning though is: ‘Keep clear of me; I am manoeuvring with diculty.’ Mostboaties around the Sunny Coast would probably just recognise it as a colourfulag that makes the boat look good. And as any self-respecting boatie knows,looking cool is the most important rule of boating.

P: Blue PeterSo far, all of the ags I have talked about mean ‘Keep Clear’ and if there is aag that you don’t know the meaning of, keeping clear is probably a goodguideline to follow. The Blue Peter denitely follows that guideline unlessyou are a starter in a yacht race. The Blue Peter is now most commonly usedas a starter’s (preparatory) ag in Australian waters. The ocial meaning forthe Blue Peter depends on whether it is displayed in harbour or out at sea. Inharbour, it is used to indicate that crew should report to the ship ready for sea.When displayed at sea by shing vessels, it indicates that the nets are stuck onan obstruction.

N over C: Help!The N ag stands for ‘No’ and the C ag stands for ‘Yes’. When they are bothdisplayed together it doesn’tmean someone on boardcan’t make up their mind. Itis one of the many ways toindicate that you need help.

W: Medical HelpThis ag is used toindicate that you needmedical assistance.I would prefer tothink that the W agmeans that you wantwhisky. Come to thinkof it, some peopleconsider the use ofwhisky a form of self-medication.


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by Rod AshlinSkipper, Gold Sunday Crew, QF6

Transfer at Sea

Around 2230 on the night of March 5 th,our radio room received a request forassistance to evacuate a seriously ill

crewman from a ship at sea. The vessel was thebulk tanker Phoenix Light of over 100,000 tonnesand 800 ft in length.

Apparently, the Skipper had requested ahelicopter evacuation, but this had been rejectedby authorities as too risky in the night timeconditions.

A crew was called in and contact madewith the ship’s captain to ascertain how we couldsafely transfer the patient. This was a Panamanianregistered ship with a Russian captain and aPhilipino crew, so the biggest hurdle was thelanguage barrier. Whilst the captain assuredus he could speak English he seemed to haveconsiderable trouble understanding our requestsfor what facilities he had for evacuating thecrewman. Eventually, it was agreed that theywould lower the patient down to our deck in alarge basket from a crane on the vessel.

We left our dock at 2300 with twoparamedics aboard from the QueenslandAmbulance Service. The ship was 14 nauticalmiles oshore South East of Mooloolaba and we

asked the captain to continue inshore to meet us.A substantial two to three metre swell with a 15-knot ESE breeze, made conditions less than ideal.

We met around ve nautical miles East ofPoint Cartwright and asked the captain to hold aNE course at four knots to provide a lee for us tocome along his port side to attempt the transfer.Two crewmen came down with the patient in the

basket and we were able to complete make thetransfer without any major problems.The paramedics asked us to stay in the lee

of the ship while they thoroughly assessed thepatient. When that was complete, we wished thecaptain “Bon Voyage”, as given the languageproblems we had encountered, we thought thatthis was universal message for proceed on yourway.

The trip back to harbour was keptas smooth as possible and the patient wastransferred to the waiting ambulance.

I would like to report on the medicaloutcome for the patient, but evidently in thesetimes of political correctness this is informationthat cannot be provided, so I hope he isrecovering OK with, I am sure, our best medicalcare.

All’s well that ends well.

Above: Phoenix Light.

Left: Patient transfer by basket and ship’s crane.

Below: Paramedics assess the patient on Rhondda Rescue.


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Don’t Let This Happen to You!by Charlie Thurgood Restricted Coxswain, QF6

A timely reminder ... don’t be complacent as

the following could happen to anybody, at any

time and anywhere.

During a recent holiday in New Zealand,my son and I went on an early (0500 hrs)morning shing trip and came upon this.

We contacted the Coast Guard who advisedthat the occupant had been taken o earlier inthe morning. The following details have beenkindly supplied by the Bay of Islands branch ofthe NZ Coast Guard.

In this incident, a “boatie” went shing ona dark night in his 4.7 m. runabout in the Bay ofIslands (which covers a very wide area of Islandsand open water) in the North Island of NewZealand“.

He didn’t log on with Coast Guard and

only gave his wife general details of his intendedshing spot.

He didn’t have a RADIO, FLARES or EPIRBand perhaps his boat was a bit “dodgy”.

His saviour was that he had a mobilephone, life jacket, a very smart wife and aresponsive nearby Coast Guard base.

Sometime before midnight, the sherman’swife received an urgent call from him to say hewas up to his knees in water and not expecting toremain aoat much longer.

Thinking quickly his wife used the “Find myphone app” on her mobile phone to ascertain hisgeneral location before his phone submerged.

She relayed this information to the Policewho immediately issued a callout to the CoastGuard.

On receipt of the callout at 2341, the CoastGuard launched their rescue vessel with 4 crewby 2342.

An “all stations message” followed byPAN PAN was broadcast on local VHF and VH16channels.

The CG vessel and private vessels began

searching in the general search area at 0042 hrs.By 0115 hrs, following further analysis of

the “lost phone” data and local knowledge, CGOperations provided a “best guess” location,which moved the search to a new area.

At 0124 the CG vessel crew heard yellingand 2 minutes later, they retrieved a very wet,cold, shaken but very relieved sherman from thewater only 200m from “best guess” location.

Don’t let this happen to you! Tell someonewhere you are going, make sure you have all

the required safety equipment in serviceablecondition, and log on before you leave.


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HMS Protector :A Telegraphist’s Tale

by David Garwood

Editor, QF5

In 1954, National Service was still compulsory inthe UK and I was determined to join the RoyalNavy. I was just 18 years old and it was dicult

to get into the Navy just for National Service,so I joined the RNVWR (Royal Navy VolunteerWireless Reserve). I was still at school, but nonethe less managed to attend training programmesin the evenings until I qualied as a Telegraphist(Sparker). I was then accepted into the RoyalNavy.

I joined HMS Victory in ‘Pompey’(Portsmouth) and learnt to paint parade groundstones white! I volunteered to compete againstthe Royal Marines at foil fencing which I hadbeen involved in at school - never volunteer!!! Iwas given a .303 rie with a boxing glove overthe barrel end and was confronted by a strapping2-metre tall marine sergeant … I was soundlydefeated!

I was posted to HMS Mercury, thesignals school on the Portsdown Hills north ofPortsmouth. I played cricket for HMS Mercuryat Hambledon, the home of cricket in England.

There was a great pub nearby, ‘The East MeonHut’. Many a pint of ‘Scrumpy’(rough, strongcider at 20 cents a pint) was downed there inconvivial company.

These were the days of Morse code andour schedule involved intensive training. The oldphonetic alphabet was still in use ... Able, Baker,Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox, George, How, Item Jig,King, Love, Mike, Nan, Oboe, Peter, Queen, Roger,Sugar, Tare, Uncle, Victor, William, X-ray, Yoke,and Zebra. We learnt to type encrypted Morsecode messages and we had to achieve at least 24words per minute.

There were other challenges, too. I wasinvited to participate in an ‘Upper YardmanCourse’ to see if I was ocer material. However,that demanded a longer duration than justNational Service time. I undertook the course, butopted out because I decided that perhaps theRoyal Navy was not my lifelong career ambition.

Instead, I volunteered for HMS Protector (A146), a Net Layer, which was commissionedin 1936. (I was also commissioned in thesame year!). HMS Protector was retted andconverted into a patrol ship suitable for Antarcticconditions. The old girl underwent severalchanges. She received a new bow with tons of

concrete inserted to enable her to go throughbrash ice, and consumed gallons of red lead andPusser’s Grey! Additionally, they added a hangarto house the two Westland Whirlwind helicopters


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and built a ight deck on her stern.We set o on the inaugural voyage to the

Antarctic. Just o The Needles, in a millpondof a sea, the steering engine broke down. Thiswas not an auspicious start to our voyage andbecame a recurring problem in the hostile SouthAtlantic Ocean. When we reached Montevideo,it was discovered that the bulkhead securing thesteering engine had not been repaired after theProtector had been damaged by an aerial torpedoin the Mediterranean Sea during World War II.Needless to say, we managed the occasional40-degree roll during heavy seas down south and

kept the hatches well battened down!HMS Protector had a displacement of 3450tons, length of 105 metres, beam of 15 metresand a draught of 4.9 metres. She was propelledby four Admiralty three drum boilers and twoBritish Thomson-Houston geared turbines. Sheachieved 19 knots, but appeared a little red-facedon those rare occasions. She had a complementof 21 ocers and 238 ratings (including 30 RoyalMarine commandos). Her armaments includedtwin 4-inch guns, twin Oerlikons and oneHotchkiss 3-pounder saluting gun. The originalnet decks were converted into fuel tanks enablingher to cover the long distances associated withthe South Atlantic, Bellingshausen Sea, etc.

Our watch-keeping mess accommodated18 communicators (signalmen, coders andtelegraphists). Hammocks had to be lashed upand stowed constantly (the space equated to thearea taken up by QF5’s galley, chartroom andradio oce - approximately 12m x 3m). Five-starcomfort for eight months and it was spotless!

The skipper of HMS Protector was Captain

J. V. Wilkinson. He was a little imperious andwhen he discovered that a West African mongrelhad mysteriously stowed away when we wererefuelling in Freetown, Sierra Leone, he ordered

‘Rommel’ to be painlessly destroyed by theship’s surgeon. However, below decks, there was

enormous reaction. It was as though a stoker hadbeen condemned to death! Several stokers (nowcalled marine engineering mechanics/articers/ technicians), oered to take ‘Rommel’s’ placeon death row. However, at the eleventh hour,Captain Wilkinson announced a reprieve andmorale, particularly in the stoker’s mess, soared.

When we reached Port Stanley in theFalkland Islands, ‘Rommel’ was found a goodhome. He went ashore in style in the Captain’sbarge. The veteran Able Seaman who had cared

for him on-board, piped him over the side andhad tears in his eyes. The entire ship’s companylined the upper deck to say farewell to him. Hisnew billet was with the local chemist, his wife andthree children.

In the BWO (Bridge Wireless Oce) duringthe Last Dog Watch (1800-2000) on January 20th,1956, we picked up a faint signal which turnedout to be the MV Theron which was calling forhelp, as it was trapped in ice ows positioned67 deg. 40 min. south, 30 deg. 30 min. west. Werefuelled and set o from the BellingshausenSea into the Weddell Sea, a venture of some1600 miles to meet the Theron coming from theice after sea lanes had been identied by ourhelicopters to the ship.

The Theron came alongside us on January23rd and Dr. Vivian Fuchs and Sir Edmund Hillarycame on-board to celebrate their rescue. Theythen returned to the Theron and proceeded withtheir expedition across Antarctica.

My next meeting with Sir Edmund was 28years later, when he became a regular guest at

the Everest Sheraton in Kathmandu, Nepal, whereI was GM. We drank a Mai Tai or two on severaloccasions, reminiscing about the Antarctic.

These were the days of the ‘Cold War,’ so

Above: HMS Protector with one of the ship’s WestlandWhirlwind helicopters at Stanley. Above: Rommel.


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our activities and missions proved to be prettyvaried and exciting! We accompanied the RoyalMarine Commandos in Zodiacs to Argentinianand Chilean base camps and ensured the UnionJack was ying before returning through prettyrough and bloody cold seas to HMS Protector .We also joined the Whale Patter’s Club – giving akiller whale a pat on the snout as they appeared

through holes in the ice. This exercise wemanaged from the Zodiacs, as we visited remoteradio bases in the area.

The Argentinian icebreaker, the GeneralSan Martin, was constantly in our vicinity.After the various missions, the ocers on theProtector joined their counterparts on the GeneralSan Martin for the odd pink gin. The ratingstackled the Argentinians at football. On a morecivilian basis, we monitored the activities of thewhale factory ships in the area. This included

Salversen’s Southern Harvester , which we berthedalongside on one occasion. We also visited theirfactory bases in South Georgia in Husvik andGrytviken. Whilst in South Georgia, we did somemountaineering and visited explorer ErnestShackleton’s grave.

One of our visits was to Punta Arenas, Chile,where the Skipper approached the jetty, ratherafter the style of an impetuous destroyer (CaptainWilkinson previously skippered a destroyer, HMSCarron). Well ... HMS Protector was no destroyer.We hit the jetty mid-ships, scattered a fewwaiting dignitaries, and the Captain of Marinescabin took the brunt of the encounter. We wentashore soon after this event but couldn’t get backon-board as Protector had to relocate to anotherarea for repairs. The British Consulate were veryhospitable for a couple of days!

In total, this wonderful old ship made13 sorties to the Antarctic. This year is the 60th

anniversary of HMS Protector’s rst voyage to theAntarctic and the occasion will be celebrated inBristol in May. ‘The best loved ship in the RoyalNavy by those who served on her’.

In 1970, HMS Protector retired to the‘shipyard in the sky’ at Inverkeithing, Scotland,where she was broken up. Today, there is a newNorwegian built icebreaker which has been

purchased by the Royal Navy and carries theold ship’s name. She is currently on her secondvoyage to the Antarctic. Last month, she stoppedover in Lyttleton, Christchurch, New Zealand. Iwas very envious when I learnt that my daughter,Claire, and my grand-daughter, Charlotte, wenton-board.

God bless all who sail in her, but I bet youwon’t have such a fun time as we did in daysgone by! Sadly some of my colleagues have now‘Crossed the Bar’. However, the new Protector will

ensure that new life will be breathed into the veryactive ‘HMS Protector Association’.HMS Protector has just sailed south below

the 77 degree latitude in the Ross Sea.

Above: The “new” HMS Protector , currently deployed in Antarctic waters.


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If It Can go Wrong ...by Rod AshlinSkipper, Gold Sunday Crew, QF6

T here is an often quoted saying that “if it can

go wrong, it will’. This is a true story with only

the names withheld to protect the innocent.

A substantial 42-foot steel motor sailingcatamaran was loaned to a friend so thathe could have a few days cruising with his

lady friend, as well as 4 children who were alsoaboard.

The vessel left the Sunshine Coast to cruise

around the waters of Moreton Bay. The depthsounder aboard was not working and this mayhave contributed to the vessel hitting sand banksaround the northern end of Moreton Island andbending the starboard rudder and jamming thesteering. Furthermore, one diesel motor wouldnot run and the other was overheating. A call forassistance was made to Coast Guard Mooloolabarequesting a tow to Mooloolaba.

By this time, the weather had deterioratedand there was a strong wind warning with 25to 30 knot Southeasterly winds. The vessel was

anchored in a sheltered position and was in nodanger, so the Skipper was happy to wait untilthe weather moderated before undertaking the25 nautical mile tow home.

The Southeaster persisted for several daysand the children were getting cabin fever beingconned to the boat, so it was arranged for themto go ashore and go home by land.

Finally, the weather abated and we set oto retrieve the boat and patient crew members.Communications were now by a attening mobile

phone as the VHF radio on the catamaran wasnot working.

Suspicious of the shallows where the boatwas anchored, I asked what depth of water he

was in. He thought he was in around 3-4 metres.When we arrived at the position and located theboat, it was obvious the anchor had dragged andhe was in the middle of a large shallow patch. Wehad to approach with extreme caution, as therewas some doubt whether we could get to himwith our 1.5 metre draught.

We were able to nd a passage to getalongside and raft him up to move into deeper

water. But when it came to raising his anchor,you guessed it: the electric anchor winch wouldnot work and a couple of our crew went aboardto help raise the substantial anchor and chain byhand.

From there back to Mooloolaba was aleisurely tow in pleasant conditions. The vesselwas deposited on its home pontoon to thedelight of owner, skipper, relatives and friendswho were on hand for its arrival. No harm wasdone and no doubt a few lessons were learnt

about care when planning a boat trip, whichincludes maintenance issues, weather forecastsand all the things that can and sometimes do gowrong.

Above: The catamaran under tow on its way home to

Mooloolaba.


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by Ian Cranney Vessel Maintenance Ocer, QF6

Trailer Maintenance

After three months of wet and windyweekends, the weather gods have nallygiven us a great weekend for an oshore

trip. The big Spaniards are on the chew no matterwhat you throw at them. The boat has full tanks,the crew is organised, the gear all checked andserviced and most important, she who must beobeyed has given a leave pass (probably sick ofthe bad weather complaints and can’t wait to getus out from underfoot!)

We’ll check the trailer tyre pressure at theservo on the way and we know the lights areOK because they worked last time. We ttednew LED lights and everyone knows they don’tgive a problem. Used those handy little buttconnectors for the wiring and as it’s part of the

trailer, corrosion won’t matter (all shermen areoptimists).

As we pull out of the driveway and startto accelerate, a nasty rumbling and scrapingsound makes itself evident. Yes, you guessed it: acollapsed wheel bearing. Small thing, but enoughto ruin the start of the trip if not the wholeweekend. Some of us carry spare wheel bearingkits with us. That works as long as the inner racedoesn’t need cutting o with an angle grinder. AsI said, we’re all optimists.

While you’ve managed to get back homewith a minimum of fuss, and it is an easy x tochange the old bearing, you may as well get therest of the crew to check the tyres and lightswhile you do the job. Tyres are OK apart from thebig bulge on the inside. No problem, just t thespare. What spare?

The brake lights ash with the left blinkerand the right blinker doesn’t work at all - bloodycorrosion in the wiring. Where to start looking?End of the trip.

All these are common problems andcan be avoided with a little bit of after-tripmaintenance.Boat and Trailer Wash-Down and LubricationWe all hose our boat down after each trip andmost of us do the trailer as well. The salt build-up is best removed with a mild soap solution

and rinsed o with fresh water. Make sure youget inside the channels and behind the wheels(starting to sound like my mother). Soap can becorrosive, so make sure the rinse is thorough.I use an old weed spray bottle that clips to the

Left: The consequences of trailer failure can be quite dramatic... and expensive.


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garden hose that allows me to turn the soap solution on oro as required. Spray the springs and wheel nuts with WD40or similar. I prefer lanolin spray. It’s a bit more costly but itdoesn’t dry out. Don’t get any WD40 on your brake pads ordiscs or it could be embarrassing next time you have to stopin a hurry.Wheel BearingsUse of positive pressure bearing caps is a good idea, but

you will still need to service the wheel bearings periodicallyby removing, repacking with good quality high temperaturebearing grease and re-tensioning on reassembly. Eventhe best sealing systems will still let water in when the hotbearing and axle assemblies come in contact with cold water.Trailer Lights As far as trailer lights go, the removable light board systemsare good as they generally don’t go for a swim. These days,most trailer lights that are hard wired to the trailer aredesigned for immersion, so apart from bulb failure (not muchof a problem with LED lights), are fairly reliable.

Trailer WiringThe same can’t be said for the wiring. Most trailer wiringcomes in a ready-made commercial harness that is notdesigned for salt water, so corrosion and eventually opencircuiting of the system occurs. This usually shows up when,as earlier in this yarn, the lights don’t behave. If you arelucky and the ne screws that hold the wires in their relevantttings haven’t corroded as well, it’s just a simple matter ofcutting and stripping back the wire to where you get cleancopper. Don’t forget the trailer plug as well. It might notgo into the water (unless you are really unlucky) but it doessuer the same issues. In the ideal world, we would usetinned wire, but the trailer people think it’s too expensive.Tyres (including the Spare)Tyres are pretty easy to look after. Just make sure thepressures are checked regularly and the side walls show no signs ofswelling and cracking.WinchDon’t forget to service your trailer winch occasionally. Check the cablefor broken strands, kinking and corrosion. Very embarrassing whenthe cable breaks and your pride and joy shoots o the trailer, downthe recently serviced rollers and ends up in the middle of the boatramp. Everyone else thinks it’s funny until they realise the ramp can’t

be used because some poor unfortunate boatie has the ramp welland truly blocked. Apart from the inconvenience caused to the otherramp users, it plays hell with the gelcoat on your bright and shiny hull.

All this might sound like a lot of mucking about, but most ofthis is what we in the trade call “preventative maintenance” and itusually takes a minimum of time when you get back home and cleanyour boat and service your shing tackle. Anyway, enough ofthis. See you on the boat ramp and tight lines to you all.

From the top: A wheel bearing failure can end a day on the water before

you even reach the boat ramp; LED trailer lights designed for immersionare the best option; Corrosion in electrical connectors and wiring; Just likecar tyres, your trailer tyres need plenty of tread depth, too. This includes thespare; Servicing your trailer winch can avoid embarrassing mishaps on theramp.


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Mayday of Mooloolaba!by Ian Hunt Skipper, Blue Sunday Crew, QF6

MAYDAY – the word that sends a shiverdown your spine, because you know thatsomeone is in GRAVE AND IMMINENT

DANGER and requires immediate assistance.Blue Sunday crew day started o as usual

with a short brieng before opening up thevessels. As has been the norm lately, the weatherwas not good for boating, with 20 to 25 knots,1.5 to 2 metre swells and 1.5 metre seas forecast.The boat trailer park was virtually empty and so aday to train our new crew members was the plan– how wrong we were.

The morning went to plan and after a shortlunch break, we decided to head up to Chippo’sto top up Rhondda Rescue’s tanks. Our procedureis to shut down the vessel’s systems and thenmonitor our Radio Room on Channel 73 using ahand held radio on the fuel pontoon away fromthe vessel.

With the refuelling task completed, wecommenced turning everything back on. Justthen our duty Radio Operator asked if we had

heard the MAYDAY call on Channel16: a vesselwas upside down o Mooloolaba with vepeople in the water. Well, we hadn’t heard thecall on 16, but the call on 73 got our heart ratesup just as fast. Within a minute we were headingdown the canal on the way to assist at slightlymore than the speed limit (sorry Kyle!).

On exiting the river, we could see a coupleof yachts and the Mooloolaba Jet Ride boatabout three quarters of a mile o the MaroochyRiver entrance, so we went as fast as possible in

the conditions, all the while trying to ascertainthe situation in order to respond back to theWater Police through our Radio Operator.

En route, we learnt that all ve crew hadgot out of the trimaran Rapture with only oneminor injury, but were still on the upturnedvessel. On arrival, we were met by a very sorrylooking trimaran with one hull obviously brokeno, and three vessels and a Surf Club jet skistanding by. The jet ski transferred two of thetrimaran’s crew members to Rhondda Rescue,with three opting to stay on Rapture to assist

with the righting attempt. The two crew whotransferred to Rhondda Rescue were checked overto ensure they were both physically OK, thengiven some warm dry clothes and a drink.

Then the job of getting Rapture the rightway up began in 20 knot winds and a decent SEswell running. The crew on Rapture decided thatthe best way to have any chance was to turn thetrimaran with the broken hull facing the swell,then put our tow line over the centre hull andtied a line to the good outrigger. With the lineattached it was no easy feat trying to manoeuvreRhondda Rescue while ensuring our towline didnot damage the centreboard or rudder.

With Coxswain Ray Rahn on the ybridgehelm and Restricted Coxswain Steve Doulgerisrunning the back deck, I was able to direct theoperation from the ybridge, communicating byVHF to the Rapture crew who had managed toretrieve a VHF hand held radio from the cabin.

After getting the lines attached, the rstattempt commenced. Rapture had just started

to roll over when the rated shackle broke, luckilywith no damage to the crew or vessel.

We quickly hauled in the towline and tookthe sacricial section o before getting thetowline back to the yacht. Well, as our heavingline was on Rapture from the rst attempt, anunusual event happened in that the crew of thedistressed vessel had to throw the heaving line tous to be able to get the towline across.

Plan B resulted in the Rapture crew usingtwo lines over the centre hull connected toour towline. With the all clear signal given, thesecond attempt commenced with Rapture slowlyturning over as Ray applied more of Rhondda’s 1,000HP to the job. A cheer went up as thecrew scrambled back on board to sort out their

Above: The scene which greeted Rhondda Rescue: Thetrimaran Rapture capsized with her crew on the hull awaitingrescue.


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rigging, mast, sails and of course the broken hull.When all was secure, we commenced the

tow back to Mooloolaba at two knots. However,it soon became evident that the mast and sailswould have to be cut away as the drag was justtoo much. Without cable cutters the job took

quite a while to achieve, all the while with Raytrying to keep both vessels orientated to thewind and swells. Finally, the mast was consignedto the deep and we commenced the slow towback, only have to stop for the crew to realignthe towline and better secure the broken hull thatwas trying to duck dive under the centre hull.

Getting Rapture safely docked was thenext problem as we could not raft it to thepreferred side in the run out tide, as it was theport hull that was damaged. After a few radioand phone calls, we made arrangements for the

Above: Right way up after two attempts but what a sad andsorry mess.

long Mooloolaba Marina pontoon berth oppositeQF6 to be available so we could just tow Rapture alongside, helped by the yachties who had comedown on the pontoon to assist.

Another great job on the helm. Threehours after our refuelling exercise we were safely

docked back at our pontoon, with the much-relieved crew of Rapture stepping ashore in theirold but warm QF6 attire.

Our crew did a great job getting Rapture safely home. This was apparently the rst timethat one of these vessels had been successfullyrighted at sea. However, it would have beenvirtually impossible without the three Rapture crew members staying on board their vessel. Inthe end it was a great team eort and maybe oneday soon we will see Rapture once again racingo Mooloolaba.

Above: Rapture berthed at Mooloolaba Marina.


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The Plasticene

compiled by David Garwood Editor, QF5

When we look over the side of our CoastGuard boats, for the most parts we seea pristine picture, a translucent blue or

greenish water with only the occasional pieceof pollution. But under the surface, the realityis so dierent. Here on the Sunshine Coast, weare blessed in so many ways, and the level ofpollutants in our adjacent waters is anotherblessing compared to other areas. But themovement of the oceans does not keep it all inone place.

Dierent ages have been labelled – ThePleistocene, The Holocene. In a million years, ifman is still alive, will the 21st century be known asthe Plasticene? If archaeologists and geologistslook through the sediments, will they see layer

upon layer of plastic debris?I have a rather extremely environmentally

aware friend who when he rst brought this tomy attention, I thought was nuts, but when Istarted to look into it I realised that in fact weare blissfully unaware of the reality. Some of thestatistics are mind blowing, the photos alarming(and if you google “ocean plastic pollutionimages” there are hundreds upon hundreds,some of which I have reproduced here.

Currently, around 300 million tons of

plastics are produced worldwide annually, andaround a third is thrown away, mostly intolandll, but a substantial portion nds its wayinto the ocean. In 2013, China produced 24.8% ofthe world’s plastics and Europe 20%. Los Angeles

area rivers dump 30 tonnes of plastic into thePacic Ocean each day, and Romania dumps over1500 tonnes per year into the Black Sea via theDanube.

So what becomes of all this plastic? Andthat is the problem – we don’t yet know thewhole story. Some is washed up on beaches,some is eaten by wildlife. But what of the rest?What long-term eect will the broken downpieces have on wildlife and the food chain?

What we do know is that the circulation ofthe major oceans tends to concentrate plasticand other debris in specic locations, much aswhen you stir a bowl of noodles they tend tomove to the centre. Known as Gyres, these slowsurface currents meander from coast to coast

in circular loops – clockwise in the NorthernHemisphere and anti-clockwise in the SouthernHemisphere.

In 1997 oceanographer Charles Mooresailed his yacht from Hawaii to California andcame across the North Pacic Gyre or what isnow known as the “Great Pacic Garbage Patch”.

There are 5 main ocean gyres and it isestimated that 70% of the debris found in gyresis plastic. Research ships have trawled nets tomeasure and qualify this pollution, but because

of mesh size only larger pieces can be assessed.Research has shown that recovered andmeasured debris does not add up to what isbelieved to be there, so some must break down.Traditional thinking was that this was not the


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Image courtesy of Metropolis Mag.

case, and the breakdown rate is certainly veryslow. Very small plastic in our oceans can rangefrom synthetic bres liberated from clothes in thewash, through ‘plastic micro-beads”, tiny plasticspheres created to help the binding process incosmetics, through to a breakdown of largerpieces that form the little known eects of algaeand bacteria.

Note how little Australia contributes to theproblem. Look just above us – Asia generally andChina and Indonesia specically. Attitudes togarbage in poorer Asian countries are all aboutsurvival – why worry about garbage when we are

just subsiding? We are also lucky that the NorthPacic Gyre captures most of this and does nottrouble Australia. Look at the image of Hawaii

where the gyres from both north and south havean inuence. We are so fortunate here that thedebris moves away from our land.

Image courtesy of National Ocean and Maritime Association.

Highest concentrations were in the order of10kg per square kilometre, which doesn’t sound

like much, but is equivalent to 800 water bottles.Given the huge ocean area, it starts to come into

perspective. And remember these are just the recoverable sized pieces.

Part of the problem is that ourwell-meaning recycling policies are notvery eective. It is often cheaper formanufacturers to produce new materialthan to buy, transport and recycle. InEurope, particularly the UK, there is ascandal that individual householders

can be ned for putting recyclablesinto general garbage bins (and believeit or not, some councils have a scannerwhich can dierentiate the two), BUT

Image courtesy of Wall Street Journal.

Top: Beach in Asia. Centre: Asian foreshore. ( Images courtesy ofdt101re.wordpress.) Above: Beach in Hawaii. ( Image courtesy of

Japan Times.)


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then most of the recyclables are dumped intolandll anyway because there are no buyersfor the materials!

England is the latest in a line of countriesand territories to get tough on single-use,high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plasticbags – the type dished out in many shops – byintroducing a levy on their use.

Plastic bag use is endemic to consumersocieties and the statistics are alarming. It isestimated that globally, between 500 billionand 1 trillion plastic bags are discarded everyyear.

Single-use bags measure about 30 cm

by 35 cm. Taking the lower estimate of 500billion bags, if every plastic bag used in ayear was attened, there would be enough tocompletely carpet Wales and almost half ofScotland in plastic. On the upper estimate of1 trillion, we could carpet Wales, Scotland and

Image courtesy of National Geographic.

Image courtesy of Sailors for the Sea.

about a quarter of England. Everysingle year.

We know that plastic bagspose a hazard to marine mammals,particularly turtles, which mistakethem for jellysh and ingestthem. Sea birds can also becomeentangled in them.

It is estimated that thereare about 46,000 pieces of plasticin every square mile of ocean.However, this is all plastics, not

just bags, and can range frommicro-beads to large debris. Bags

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/facts-and-figures-on-marine-pollution/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/facts-and-figures-on-marine-pollution/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/facts-and-figures-on-marine-pollution/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/facts-and-figures-on-marine-pollution/http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/blueprint-for-the-future-we-want/marine-pollution/facts-and-figures-on-marine-pollution/


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Image courtesy of ehp.niehs.nih.gov.

are a small fraction of this. Another theoryis that the main danger to marine life is notingesting bags, but a concentrated toxicmix of water-borne chemicals that plasticabsorbs and which sh and other marinelife ingest through tiny plastic particles.

Research is also current into theresidual micro-plastic levels in shellsh,

particularly commercially grown mussels.Currently, it is not a measurable health riskto humans, but what of the future?

My reading has led me to theconclusion that although global warmingseems to be getting all the press, marinepollution is a far greater and very realthreat.

There is a wealth of information on the web,and I used so many web-based sources I

cannot credit them all, but New Scientistwas a major resource. I have put a few linksbelow for anyone who is further interested:http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/ health/case_studies/plastics.htmlhttp://www.projectgreenbag.com/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean/ http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/ features/2012/06/20126681156629735.html

Battery Care and Maintenance As we all know, maintenance is an important part of owning a boat. However,

we tend to neglect the battery. Without a fully charged, reliable battery, a day on

the water can lead to disaster. Below are some pointers to maintain your battery.

• Keep top of battery clean and dry

• Battery terminals should be kept clean and tight• Check that the battery is securely fastened as battery plates can be damaged by excessive

vibration

• If accessible type of battery, ensure water levels are correct after charging. Do not overll or add

when battery is discharged

• Use only an automotive cut off battery charger and recharge after use even if the motor has a

charging system

If more information is required on battery maintenance, please contact:

The Wise Old Owl at Battery Wise Sunshine Coast5437 6799 / 5 Main Drive, Warana 4575

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-souphttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-souphttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-souphttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-souphttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.htmlhttp://www.projectgreenbag.com/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean/http://www.projectgreenbag.com/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean/http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/20126681156629735.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/20126681156629735.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/20126681156629735.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/20126681156629735.htmlhttp://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/20126681156629735.htmlhttp://www.projectgreenbag.com/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean/http://www.projectgreenbag.com/how-does-plastic-get-into-the-ocean/http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.htmlhttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-souphttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-souphttps://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20295-pollution-trawling-voyage-finds-oceans-plastic-soup


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Voyage to theWhite Continent by a QF6 Supporter

Day 1 to 8: Joined the Seabourn Quest atValparaiso and sailed down the ChileanFjords, visiting the ports of Puerto Montt,

Castro and Punta Arenas before visiting theArgentine port of Ushuaia.Day 9: Crossed Drake’s Passage (well Drake’sLake – it had only a slight swell).Day 10: Half Moon Island – blue sky and nowind. By Zodiac to shore and among edglingchinstrap penguins. Some were still sitting oneggs, which so late into the season have nochance of survival.Day 11: Cuverville Island. A large Gentoopenguin colony (about 4,000 nests), so it isfeeding time all day. Parents trying to nd theirchicks and chicks just wanting to be fed meana lot of commotion and entertainment forthe visitors. Icebergs of all shapes and sizes inbetween ship and shore meant a longer trip inthe Zodiacs, but humpback and minke whalesand seals kept the cameras clicking. The weatherwas typical - low cloud, grey and light snow, but

again no wind.Day 12: Torgersen Island. Four of the explorationteams on the ship have spent time here at PalmerStation (U.S). As this is a wildlife research station,

this is the rst time that a tourist ship has beenhere. While we were not allowed to land here, theZodiacs slowly approached seals on icebergs –who curiously looked back at us. Adelie penguins,albatross, giant petrels, gulls, cormorants andskua kept the bird watchers happy. On theweather front, the day started as 50 shades ofgrey and turned into a sunny afternoon.Day 13: Argentine Island. We were meant to landon Petermann Island, but due to ice ows andicebergs, that was out of the question. So into theZodiacs, and for the more adventurous kayaks,for tours around the Argentine Archipelago.Day 14: Nuemayer Channel. Icebergs preventedus from being at Waterboat Point, so the Captaintook us scenic cruising through the GerlacheStrait, Nuemayer Channel and Wilhelmina Bay.Great whale spotting (but better o Mooloolabaor Hervey Bay, as here you only see thespouts, their backs and ukes as they dive anddisappear). Humpbacks were plentiful in thearea and a pod for orcas (killer whales) made an

appearance. Weatherwise, we woke up to a shipcovered in snow and icicles hanging above thebalcony; a grey day with light snow and 15 knotwinds.

Cuverville Island


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Day 15: Waterboat Point. We made it – Antarcticamainland. Here we were guests at the ChileanResearch Station Gonzalez Videla, which sits in themiddle of a Gentoo colony. Concrete paths connectall the buildings and are regularly water blastedto remove guano (well attempt to) and we wererequested to stay on these paths in an attempt toprevent the guano and the SMELL from entering

the buildings. You just have to be downwind andyou can smell the guano, but staying on the paths isfor a very good reason as your boots are scrubbedbefore you go back on board.Day 16: Another crossing of Drake’s Passage (againsmooth) heading for the Falkland Islands (weatherprevented landing).Day 17: Invited by the Captain to visit the bridge.While there is a wheel (only small and not usedmuch), the bridge is totally paperless, all chartsare electronic and so is the ship’s log. Heading to

Montevideo, Buenos Aires and then the long ighthome.

Top row, left to right: Half Moon Island; Chinstrap Penguin colony, Half Moon Island; Gentoo Penguins in nests, Cuverville Island;Centre row, left to right: Seabourn Quest ; Icebergs;Bottom row, left to right: Ship covered in snow; Antarctic mainland and the Chilean research station at Waterboat Point.


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Midnight Rescueby Julie HartwigEditor, QF17

Just after 11.30pm on Thursday 25 February,I had turned the TV o and was heading forbed when the phone rang. Now, I don’t know

about other Coast Guard members, but when thephone rings at that hour of the night, it’s almostalways Coast Guard and always a call-out.

I wasn’t wrong. It was QF17’s CommanderJohn Van Der Heijde advising of a Water Policeactivation to assist a vessel that had activatedits EPIRB on the Wide Bay Bar. My rst thoughtwas that the Commander wanted my partner- Leading Coxswain Jon Jones - for boat crew.But no. He just wanted Jon (also QF17’s RadioOcer) to man the radios for the activation.

QF17’s primary rescue vessel, CooloolaRescue II, departed Base at 0010 hours onFriday 26 February with Skipper Coxswain RossAshley and crew Coxswain (and Commander)John Van Der Heije, and Restricted CoxswainsKeven Hufschmid and Daryl Williams on board.Sunshine Coast Air Asset 511 (rescue helicopter,which does not have lifting capability) had

also been tasked to assist and was en routeto the EPIRB position provided by the RescueCoordination Centre (RCC) in Canberra.

CRII proceeded to Inskip Point on whatproved to be a lthy night for an activationon the Bar. A Strong Wind Warning had beenin place for several days, which meant roughconditions and big, breaking seas on the bar,which had consequently reduced bar trac tominimal. To further complicate the situation,the timing of this activation meant the crossing

would be undertaken in the middle of the ebbtide - the worst possibletime to cross the barwhen the outgoing tidalow was at its strongest.

During this time,more information aboutthe vessel’s situation wasreceived and the perilousnature of this activationbecame apparent.

The 11.3m sailing catamaran with two crewon board had sailed south down the Great SandyStrait earlier in the evening then proceeded tocross the Wide Bay Bar. During the bar crossing,the vessel was capsized. It was not on QF17’slog and QF17 had no knowledge of the vessel’spresence in the area.

CRII arrived at Inskip Point and commencedthe bar crossing at 0044 hours. Sea conditionswere described as “horric” and the crossing tookalmost thirty minutes.

During this time, Rescue 511 had locatedthe stricken vessel and hovered overhead,providing CRII with updates on the vessel’slocation and situation, which included the good

news that the two crew were sitting on top of thecapsized vessel, awaiting rescue.

CRII arrived at the scene outside the line ofbreakers on the north spit at 0118. At this time,511 reported it could no longer remain on taskdue to fuel constraints and departed, leaving theCoast Guard to eect rescue.

CRII was manoeuvred to within vemetres of the upturned hull and the life ring wasdeployed. One crew took the life ring, while theother swam across to CRII. By 0124, the two very

relieved crew were safely on board CRII, which

Right: MapSource plot of therescue.

QF17’s soon-to-be-replaced primary rescue vessel,Cooloola Rescue II.


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“Dear Coast Guard We are writing to you, to once

again thank you or your assistance inour rescue afer our catamaran Catcha capsized crossing the Wide Bay Bar.

We understand the situation wasrisky or all the volunteers involved. Wecan’t thank everyone enough or this.I the rescue crew hadn’t come out, the

outcome could have been very different.Your crew were extremely efficient andcomorting once we were on board. Te act that we were out o the water within1.5 hours o setting off the EPIRB, showsthe efficiency o your organisation.

We know conditions were ar romideal, and your vessel sustained somedamage. We would like to show our

appreciation with the enclosed donation.Kind regards Jamie & Michael Leitver”

proceeded back to Waypoint 1 to cross the barinbound.

With the tidal conditions now at theirworst, CRII’s skipper assessed the conditions anddecided they were too dangerous; they wouldwait outside the bar for the two hours until lowtide at 0333, then reassess the situation.

At 0324, CRII advised they were back at

WPT 1 and commencing the inbound crossing. Inrough conditions, inbound crossings tend to beseat-of-the-pants, white-knuckle rides. Basically,sit down, belt up, put the boat on the back of awave, maintain power and speed to match thewave’s speed and hang on.

It took 22 minutes to complete the 3.3 nmcrossing in conditions described by the crew as“very rough with 2 to 3 metre seas and breakingwaves a bit higher on the outer bank”. At 0356, itwas a relief to receive CRII’s report that she was

safe “inside”. CRII docked at the Base at 0430.On Friday morning, a light plane overightof the capsized vessel conrmed it was stillaoat north of the bar and still outside the lineof breakers. However, Saturday morning foundthe wreckage of the catamaran strewn along thebeach north of Hook Point on Fraser Island.

After the rescue, the crew wrote thefollowing letter of appreciation and thanks, whichwas accompanied by a generous donation.

Above: A photo of the vessel (circled) taken by a light plane on an overight 8 hours after the rescue. The lineapproximately describes the route over the Wide Bay Bar.(Photo by Peter Lambert)

Below: Wreckage of the vessel on the beach north of HookPoint on Saturday 27 February. (Photos by Fraser Island TaxiService)

This is why the Australian Volunteer

Coast Guard exists.


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HMAS Maryborough (pennant number J195)was one of 60 Bathurst-class Australianminesweepers (commonly known

as corvettes), built by Australian shipyards

during World War II as part of the Australiangovernment’s wartime shipbuilding program.

compiled by Jon CollessFlotilla Radio Ocer, QF21

Twenty vessels (including Maryborough) werebuilt on Admiralty order but manned andcommissioned by the Royal Australian Navy.

HMAS Maryborough was built by Walkers

in Maryborough in 1940, at a cost of 130,000pounds, without armament tted.

She was launched in her namesake townMaryborough on 17 October, 1940. During thelaunch, she hit the mud. This was an event thathad a lot of superstitious old salts shaking theirheads and probably making dire predictions thatthis was not a good omen.

Maryborough was commissioned atMaryborough on June 12, 1941, under thecommand of Lieutenant Commander Glen L.

Cant, RAN.

The Royal Australian Navy has a proud tradition of naming its ships after Australian towns and

cities. The Fraser coast town of Maryborough is one such town and HMAS Maryborough is one such

ship. This article looks at the history of the rst HMAS Maryborough.

History of Ships:

HMAS Maryborough

HMAS Maryborough (J195) at Alexandria, 1942.Note the disruptive “razzle-dazzle” camouage.

Left: HMAS Maryborough under construction at Walkers Ltd,Maryborough, Queensland.


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After a brief period of service on Australia’seast coast, Maryborough proceeded to Singaporein November 1941, where she became a unit ofthe 21st Minesweeping Flotilla. Following theoutbreak of the Pacic War, Maryborough, withsix of her sister ships, played a notable part inthe Malayan-Java-Sumatran operations. Thisdeployment ended on 2nd March 1942, whenMaryborough departed Tjilatjap for Fremantle.

The period from March to November1942 was spent on escort and patrol duties inWestern Australian waters based at Fremantle.It was an uneventful period. During April 1942,

Maryborough took the US Navy submarine USSSea Raven in tow and brought her to Fremantle.The submarine, which had rescued a party ofservicemen from Timor, had broken down.On 3 November 1942, Maryborough departedFremantle for Diego Garcia en route to join theEastern Fleet. The following four months werespent escorting shipping from Colombo to

Bombay and to the Persian Gulf.In May 1943, Maryborough entered the

Mediterranean. She spent ve months in thistheatre performing convoy, escort and anti-submarine patrols, including the operations forthe Sicily landings.

Above: Maryborough on the slip in her namesake town,Maryborough, Queensland, on the day of her launching, 17

October, 1940.

Above: Lieutenant Commander G.L. Cant, RAN with his ship’scompany in Alexandria, 1943.

In November 1943, Maryborough returned

to the Indian Ocean and resumed her convoyescort duties. After a year of these activities andmore than two years of overseas service, shereturned to Fremantle on 3 December 1944.

After three and a half months in Australianwaters, Maryborough departed Sydney on 16March 1945 heading for Seeadler Harbour.Maryborough spent the remaining months of thewar on patrol in Australian and New Guinea. On‘VJ’ Day, 15 August 1945, Maryborough was enroute from Milne Bay to Seeadler.

The remainder of her active service

with the RAN was spent as a unit of the 21stMinesweeping Flotilla based in Hong Kong. InDecember 1945, she nally returned to Australianand was paid o for disposal.

Maryborough was sold to the AustralianGeneral Trading and Shipping Syndicate, Sydney(Comino Bros Pty Ltd) on 9 May 1947. Her newowners put her in Honduran registry, and despitea number of schemes to put her into service, shenever left the Stanley Wharf in South Brisbane.

In 1950, she was passed in at auction at a

20,000 pound reserve. She sat and rusted andsuered the depredations of “river hawks” whostole any brass ttings they could abscond with.

In September 1952, she was renamed


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Isobel Queen under the captaincy of a JohnHeuston Kennedy, a mysterious bearded manwho said he was going to take her out on charterto perform high seas salvage work under theBolivian ag. However, that plan never came tofruition and the ship’s owners couldn’t nd anytrace of Captain Kennedy. The scratch crew haddisappeared as well.

In early April 1953, she was still mooredin the same spot, listing to port, still under aHonduran ag, and missing a lot of brass ttings.The only man aboard was the watchman. Theowners claimed that the pilfered equipment wasnon-essential, that getting her seaworthy wouldnot be a major undertaking, and that the enginesand boilers were in excellent condition. They puther up for sale.

Later in 1953, she was resold to CarrEnterprises Ltd, Sydney, for breaking up. An

inglorious end for a once-proud vessel. Perhapsthe superstitious old salts were right ...The name Maryborough continues in

service in the RAN today. The current HMASMaryborough (P95) (below ) is an Armidale-classpatrol boat (ACPB). Her primary role includessheries protection, immigration, customs anddrug law enforcement operations, working inconjunction with other Government agenciesas part of the Coastwatch-managed nationalsurveillance eort.

Information sourced from:1. www.navy.gov.au 2. The Sunday Mail, April 19th 1953.

MARYBOROUGH AT A GLANCE ...Class: Bathurst ClassType: Australian MinesweeperPennant: J195Builder: Walkers Ltd, Maryborough, QldLaid Down: 16 April, 1940Launched: 17 October 1940

Launched by: Mrs Goldsmith, wife of theGeneral Manager, Walkers LtdCommissioned: 12 June 1941Decommissioned/Paid O: December 1945Fate: Sold to Australian General Trading &Shipping Syndicate, 9 May, 1947

Renamed: Isobel QueenAcquired: 9 May, 1947Registry: HonduranCareer: High seas charter and salvage (plannedbut did not eventuate)

Fate: Sold, late 1953 to Carr Enterprises forbreaking up

General CharacteristicsDisplacement: 650 tonsLength (LOA): 185 ft 8 inBeam: 31 ftDraught: 8 ft 6 inSpeed: 15 knotsPropulsion: Triple expansion, 2 shaftsHorsepower: 1,750 hpArmament: 1 x 4 in gun; 3 x Oerlikon guns

Complement: 85Battle HonoursPacic 1942; Indian Ocean 1942-44; Sicily 1943

http://www.navy.gov.au/http://www.navy.gov.au/http://www.navy.gov.au/


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Survival in the Seaby Michael TiptonProfessor of Human and Applied Physiology,University of Portsmouth, UK

Professor Tipton has spent more than 25 years researching the body’s thermoregulation.He has conducted many experiments to identify the precise mechanisms that causethe adverse reactions experienced by a ‘man overboard’ and to help improve survivalequipment and training.

A healthy human body has a coretemperature of 37°C, but upon suddenimmersion in cold water, people

experience cold-shock, triggered by cold

receptors in the skin. It leads to a gasp reex,uncontrollable hyperventilation, constrictionof supercial blood vessels, an increased workdemand on the heart, and panic.

The cold-shock response peaks in the rst30 seconds of immersion and lasts a couple ofminutes. The key to survival is to do nothing.Float or hold on to something to rest and keepthe airway clear of the water; a life jacket can becrucial at this time. Let the response disappearbefore taking action. The chances of taking water

into the lungs greatly increases when tryingto swim on initial immersion and it only takesaround 1 – 1.5 litres of sea water in the lungsto drown. In cold water (anything under 15°C),normally clothed people have a maximum-holdbreath time that averages around ve seconds,instead of the usual 60. Just when you need tobe able to hold your breath there’s a horriblesensation of the diaphragm contracting causingan urge to breathe.

My advice to water users is: don’tfall in! Wear a safety harness and clip

on. And always wear a life jacket. Weknow that the chances of dying onimmersion are increased by a factor of6-10 if you’re not wearing a life jacket.The single greatest way to reduce thenumber of deaths on immersion is tohave people wearing decent life jackets.They should be supplied as standardwith watercraft – just as you buy a carwith seat belts.

A good life jacket with a spray

hood, light and crotch straps fastenedwill decrease the eort you have tomake in keeping your airway clear,increase your ability to be seen, and

increase your chances of being rescued. It’s somuch easier for rescue personnel to haul you outof the water when they can grab your life jacket.COLD-SHOCK FACTS

The Body Responds with:• A gasp reex – an initial gasp of 2-3 litres

of air in adults followed by uncontrollablerapid over breathing (hyperventilation). Thegasp results in breathing occurring to neartotal lung capacity and creates the sensationof diculty in breathing and panic, whilehyperventilation may cause confusion andthe small muscles in the hands and face to gointo spasm.

• Constriction of supercial blood vessels –

leads to increased resistance to blood ow inthe skin and increased blood pressure. This,plus the increase in heart rate introduce thedanger of heart problems.

Cold-Shock and its Consequences arereduced by:• Wearing watertight clothing and a life jacket• Being aerobically t• Being habituated to cold• Staying still for the rst couple of minutes


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QF21 SANDY

STRAIT•

QF17 TIN CAN BAY•

QF5 NOOSA •

QF6 MOOLOOLABA •

QF4 CALOUNDRA •

QF21 SANDY STRAITCommander: Don Archer - 0429 151 045Deputy Commander: Dale Green - 0437 015 770Base: Phone 07 4129 8141 | Fax 07 4129 8907Email: [email protected] | Operations - [email protected]

Post: PO Box 341, Maryborough, QLD 4650Location: 126 Eckert Rd, BoonoorooHours of Operation: 0700 - 1800 daily | 1800 - 0700 Duty Skipper on callRadio Call Sign: VMR421 or Coast Guard Sandy StraitRadio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 80, 82 | 27MHz 88, 90Operational Area: Great Sandy Strait south to Kauri Creek and north to McKenzie’s Jetty; Mary River up to the Barrage

QF17 TIN CAN BAY Commander: John Van Der Heijde - 0447 166 906 Deputy Commander: Phil Feldman - 0414 591 947 Base: Phone - 07 5486 4290 | Fax - 07 5486 4568 | Mob - 0419 798 651 Email: [email protected] Post: PO Box 35, Tin Can Bay, QLD 4580Location: In the boat ramp car park, Norman Point at 25° 54’ S / 153° 00’ EHours of Operation: 0600 - 1800 dailyRadio Call Sign: VMR417 or Coast Guard Tin Can BayFrequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 67, 80, 82 | 27MHz 88, 90Operational Area: Tin Can Inlet & adjacent creeks; Great Sandy Strait north to S38;Oshore waters north to Indian Head, south to Double Island Point & 50nm to seaward

QF5 NOOSACommander: Alan Hall - 0414 957 427Deputy Commander: Ian HutchingsBase: Phone - 07 5474 3695 | Emergencies - 07 5449 7670Email: [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, 91Operational Area: The entire Noosa River and its lakes; Oshore waters north to DoubleIsland Point, south to Point Arkwright and 50nm to seaward

QF6 MOOLOOLABACommander: Ian Hunt - 0411 351 001Deputy Commander: Rod Ashlin - 0418 874 780Base: 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’ E

Hours of Operation: 365 days 0600 - 2200 | 2200 - 0600 Night watch (CH 16)Administration Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 0800 - 1200Radio Call Sign: VMR406 or Coast Guard MooloolabaRadio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 67, 73, 80 | 27MHz 88, 90Operational Area: North to Point Arkwright, south to Point Cartwright & 50nm to seaward

QF4 CALOUNDRA Commander: Tony Barker - 0439 913 533 Deputy Commander: Alan Hingston - 0400 332 421 Base: Phone 07 5491 3533 | Fax 07 5491 7516 Email: [email protected] Post: PO Box 150, Caloundra, QLD 4551 Location: Tripcony Lane, Caloundra o Maloja Avenue

Hours of Operation: Weekdays 0530 - 1200 | Weekends/Public Holidays 0530 - 1700 Radio Call Sign: VMR404 or Coast Guard Caloundra Radio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 73 | 27MHz 88, 91 Operational Area: Oshore waters north to Point Cartwright, south to approximately halfway down Bribie Island & 40nm to seaward

Squadron Contacts


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ELVA CRAFTSpecialised in Fibreglass

Gelcoat Repairs Floors Transoms Alterations Ice Boxes Marine Moulders Detailing

Fuel Tanks Mobile Servicing

Contractors to Caloundra Coast Guard

HAROLD TIMMER14 Spinnaker Boulevard, Wurtulla Qld 4575

Phone: (07) 5493 4437 Mobile: 0412 844 434

Pelican MotorsService Centre

Pelican Motors Service Centre

Paint & Panel17 Bronwyn Street, Caloundra

Phone: 5491 3234 Email: [email protected]

A Proud Sponsor of the Caloundra Volunteer Coast Guard

• New Car Servicing • All Mechanical Repairs• LPG Installation

• Paint & Panel Repairs• All Insurance Work • Used Car Sales

• One Stop Car Shop


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QF4_Autumn 2016 _Colour Print File

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