QF3 MROCP
10-01-2012, 05:47 PM
The recent newsletter from Coast Guard Redcliffe, highlights just how easy it is to fall into the trap at low tide of loosing your trailer..
Check out pages 26 & 27
http://www.globaldigitalpublications.com.au/epub/inbrowser.aspx?id=57
extract from website story:
BE CAREFUL AT LOW TIDE
This particular Saturday for me started like so many others at Coastguard Redcliffe. I had almost finished my midnight to dawn radio duty when at around 0530 I was aware something was happening on the boat ramp that was unusual. I walked to the balcony and saw a boatie in a Landcruser having a great deal of difficulty removing a trailer from the ramp. He had just launched his large boat and apparently reversed his trailer over the end of the end of the ramp due to the very low tide.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made and clearly the trailer was well and truly caught by its axels or crossbeams and would not allow the tyres to roll back over the ramp. At about that time our duty skipper Wim Thierri had arrived and being the type of bloke that he is, went to offer assistance. By this time a small crowd of helpers and “experts” were gathering. The other thing that was happening was that the tide was now quickly rising. Wim suggested two things ,one was to attach RSL Redcliffe on to the rear of the trailer and whist the vessel pulled backwards, it would have a lifting motion on the rear of the trailer and the Landcruser could drive forwards and lift the trailer over the ledge at the end of the ramp.
“No that wouldn’t work “they said However, they did take Wim’s second piece of advice and that was to unhook the trailer and get the Landcruser out of the rapidly rising water.
Unable to assist any further, Wim retreated to our bunker.
Not long after a tilt tray recovery vehicle reversed down the ramp and proceeded to attempt to winch the trailer from its difficult position. Now we knew that this could only result in breaking something, and it wasn’t long before our fears were realised. The cable on the tilt tray broke.
The best way to fix this is to get another one and try again, no… no.. not another cable another Tilt Tray …and sure enough another truck arrived and sadly physics also stopped this from being successful.
On and on they toiled everyone seemed to have an idea as to how to recover this immovable object. One thing was for sure, the tide continued to rise. By now the trailer was barely visible.
Two tilt trays didn’t work,” I know” somebody suggested “let’s get a bigger one”.
Sure enough, a seriously large recovery truck, the type used to recover very large vehicles reversed down the boat ramp. It tried and tried and it too failed to pull the trailer from the water.
After a lot of head scratching it was decided to try plan A.
Lets attach the owners boat to the back of the trailer and reverse it up whilst the recovery vehicle pulls the trailer forward. They tried everything else “why not give it a try”
Surprise ..surprise…surprise… within two minutes the trailer was recovered .
The time was now 1030
Wim Thierri said nothing, but the look and smile on his face said it all.
Footnote I offered the owner of the boat a copy of the photos I had taken for prosperity, but he said he wanted to forget the whole sorry day ever existed . I did however email a set photos to his mate who is going to surprise him with a public showing for his 50th birthday.
Check out pages 26 & 27
http://www.globaldigitalpublications.com.au/epub/inbrowser.aspx?id=57
extract from website story:
BE CAREFUL AT LOW TIDE
This particular Saturday for me started like so many others at Coastguard Redcliffe. I had almost finished my midnight to dawn radio duty when at around 0530 I was aware something was happening on the boat ramp that was unusual. I walked to the balcony and saw a boatie in a Landcruser having a great deal of difficulty removing a trailer from the ramp. He had just launched his large boat and apparently reversed his trailer over the end of the end of the ramp due to the very low tide.
Several unsuccessful attempts were made and clearly the trailer was well and truly caught by its axels or crossbeams and would not allow the tyres to roll back over the ramp. At about that time our duty skipper Wim Thierri had arrived and being the type of bloke that he is, went to offer assistance. By this time a small crowd of helpers and “experts” were gathering. The other thing that was happening was that the tide was now quickly rising. Wim suggested two things ,one was to attach RSL Redcliffe on to the rear of the trailer and whist the vessel pulled backwards, it would have a lifting motion on the rear of the trailer and the Landcruser could drive forwards and lift the trailer over the ledge at the end of the ramp.
“No that wouldn’t work “they said However, they did take Wim’s second piece of advice and that was to unhook the trailer and get the Landcruser out of the rapidly rising water.
Unable to assist any further, Wim retreated to our bunker.
Not long after a tilt tray recovery vehicle reversed down the ramp and proceeded to attempt to winch the trailer from its difficult position. Now we knew that this could only result in breaking something, and it wasn’t long before our fears were realised. The cable on the tilt tray broke.
The best way to fix this is to get another one and try again, no… no.. not another cable another Tilt Tray …and sure enough another truck arrived and sadly physics also stopped this from being successful.
On and on they toiled everyone seemed to have an idea as to how to recover this immovable object. One thing was for sure, the tide continued to rise. By now the trailer was barely visible.
Two tilt trays didn’t work,” I know” somebody suggested “let’s get a bigger one”.
Sure enough, a seriously large recovery truck, the type used to recover very large vehicles reversed down the boat ramp. It tried and tried and it too failed to pull the trailer from the water.
After a lot of head scratching it was decided to try plan A.
Lets attach the owners boat to the back of the trailer and reverse it up whilst the recovery vehicle pulls the trailer forward. They tried everything else “why not give it a try”
Surprise ..surprise…surprise… within two minutes the trailer was recovered .
The time was now 1030
Wim Thierri said nothing, but the look and smile on his face said it all.
Footnote I offered the owner of the boat a copy of the photos I had taken for prosperity, but he said he wanted to forget the whole sorry day ever existed . I did however email a set photos to his mate who is going to surprise him with a public showing for his 50th birthday.