Flinders Reef boat accident

[Hornet Rider]

Was at Mud yesterday morning trying to catch breakfast at 0545 when the water Police put out a call on Ch16 for any boats near Flinders Reef to lend assistance to the 3 crew left on the Nautilus when she went aground on Flinders the night before. Early reports said a mooring / anchor line got fouled in a prop. Apparently Police, VMR/CG & others removed about 18 people (divers) in the dark on pm 27 Dec with a chopper with white light assisting overhead, then had to go back early yesterday morning to recover the remaining 3 crew who stayed over nite. A recreational boat in the area got there first & recovered the 3 crew, then I think it was the big yellow cat from CG Redcliffe next on the scene to sort things out. Not sure on the outcome of the Nautilus. It could still be hard on Flinders or broken up by now. Anyone know?

[FNQCairns]

i saw this report on TV last night and in no way am I inferring anything but the best choices where made by the skipper and crew, still I wondered why with all that diving equipment on board that the problem was not simply cut way when appropriate by the crew at the screw (not the punters as that these days opens up all sorts of dumbed down chicken little 'what if's') ....was thinking it might have been chain???

cheers fnq

[Dean1]

I was fishing south of flinders yesterday morning and heard on ch 21 about it. I did a fly by about lunch time and she was still sitting upright. I got a photo of it, not as good as the one you posted here. Where did you find that pic?? I googled it looked everywhere on net and couldnt find a thing. I missed the news last night.

I'll get lippa who was with me yest to put up my pic, i cant upload successfully from a dig cam. Fishing was so sslllloooooowwww yesterday... Cheers.

[Hornet Rider]

I was fishing south of flinders yesterday morning and heard on ch 21 about it. I did a fly by about lunch time and she was still sitting upright. I got a photo of it, not as good as the one you posted here. Where did you find that pic?? I googled it looked everywhere on net and couldnt find a thing. I missed the news last night.

I'll get lippa who was with me yest to put up my pic, i cant upload successfully from a dig cam. Fishing was so sslllloooooowwww yesterday... Cheers.

Dean, it was on the net as a 'CNN' pic. It's taken from a news chopper & then probably on-sold.

You're so right about the fishing yesterday. Blew up at Mud about 7.30am to 20kts, rain etc for about an hour, then dead calm to about 2pm. Squire, squire everywhere but nothing over 30cm. Beautiful day on the water by no legal sized fish.

cheers HR

[Angla]

Saw it at first light this Monday morning. Thought we would take a pic while it was still low tide. Conditions were not great but got better as the day progressed.

Chris

[Hornet Rider]

Saw it at first light this Monday morning. Thought we would take a pic while it was still low tide. Conditions were not great but got better as the day progressed.

Chris

Chris, good pic of a sad event. This is what she used to look like.

cheers HR

PS Don't suppose you flicked a plastic or two in her direction. I hear reef fish take up a new residence over nite ;D (just joking of course)

[Greg P]

Pretty innovative dive outfit - bring their own wreck to dive ;D

[PADDLES]

that's pretty funny greg;D

[Dean1]

Saw it at first light this Monday morning. Thought we would take a pic while it was still low tide. Conditions were not great but got better as the day progressed.

Chris Their great pics Angla, you got alot closer than me i didnt want to get too close in fear the same thing may happen to me! Amazing how much boat is in the water its bigger than what i thought. I was under the chopper when it was taking the pics. Cheers.

[hungry6]

Yeah we were trolling around in the same circle as "tenacious" and wasnt getting anyting so we decided to go shallow as the water was very blue. we got closer to the reef an guess what greeted us about 10 picnic bars, bit of fibreglassed timbers, drink bottles a few flippers a medical aid kit, the biggest I've seen, about the size of an esky and a air tank, still full. we scooped it all up went over to"bribie 1" from VMR bribie and gave it all to them so the can give it back o who ever own that boat.
There was alot of diesel floating around and on the radio they said about 30 tanks are missing, I wonder did they recover all those tanks as they were floating about 100mm below the surface.lucky we were towing lures at low speed at the time.
Hey Dean what time were there and which boat?

[finga]

So does anybody know what happened to the divers aboard??
Were they put aboard another boat??
If they (the skipper) knew she was going down why wasn't all the floatie stuff lashed down or removed???...especially the dive bottles. Those suckers will be just under the waterline and will be near impossible to see.
They're gunna hurt someone when they're hit at 10+kts.
I hope a shark or whale doesn't swallow one. It'll be one hell of a f#rt.

[Dean1]

Yeah we were trolling around in the same circle as "tenacious" and wasnt getting anyting so we decided to go shallow as the water was very blue. we got closer to the reef an guess what greeted us about 10 picnic bars, bit of fibreglassed timbers, drink bottles a few flippers a medical aid kit, the biggest I've seen, about the size of an esky and a air tank, still full. we scooped it all up went over to"bribie 1" from VMR bribie and gave it all to them so the can give it back o who ever own that boat.
There was alot of diesel floating around and on the radio they said about 30 tanks are missing, I wonder did they recover all those tanks as they were floating about 100mm below the surface.lucky we were towing lures at low speed at the time.
Hey Dean what time were there and which boat? Hey Wayne long time no hear!! I arrived at hutchies at about 6.30am and i was in my 5.2kc. Where you in your noosacat? Its dead ot there at the moment fish dont wanna play the game. Cheers mate.

[Chimo]

So HR did the new tank do the job, if your ranging out the the reef either it is, or you have a trusty funnel?

Chimo

[hungry6]

Yes I was out in the cat, and therewas a few others out there also, one thing was comon, all we did was washed lures. I think we arrive around 7ish after droping of spanners pot.

[Dean1]

Yes I was out in the cat, and therewas a few others out there also, one thing was comon, all we did was washed lures. I think we arrive around 7ish after droping of spanners pot. Wayne was that your pot that had a heap of excees rope hanging off it?? I think it was green??

[hungry6]

yes mine are green and were set west of hutchies and in between bribie and moreton, we found that one of the spot hold very large spanners. I'm still laughing my guts of at all these spot ppls say hold spanners and all we ever get was weeds, jelly fish and sore arms.

[MyWay]

I thought this boats have some kind of bulge pump or some flotation . Was it in survey at all ?
funny it went to bottom like brick

good think no one got injured
big thanks to police and local VMR for they job well done

myway

[Hornet Rider]

So HR did the new tank do the job, if your ranging out the the reef either it is, or you have a trusty funnel?

Chimo

Chimo, I see you have survived the Christmas pudding! The tank is just like a bought one ;), but something else has cropped up. I'll PM you. You've probably encountered something similar.

cheers, HR

[lippa]

Wayne was that your pot that had a heap of excees rope hanging off it?? I think it was green??


that pot was between smiths and the cape