fishingrod
25-02-2006, 12:51 AM
Hi guys
Ive been involved as a volunteer rescue skipper for about 7 years. I was asked in another thread (Cats – go for it) to post up any interesting stories I have. The flavour of the week seems to be Shark Cats, so heres a little story from a couple of years back.
It describes my trip down the NSW coast in some pretty ordinary weather. This story was written shortly after the trip. So all the figures (time/speed/fuel) are accurate as they were fresh in my mind. Sorry if its a bit too lengthy.
Some names and towns have been changed to protect those involved #;). Other names have remained the same to publicly thanks those that gave assistance #:)
The Maiden Voyage: Spirit heads for its new home
Timing the delivery of our boat was a bit of a "fly by day thing". The Drag a bag along Rescue Squad had ordered a brand new Noosa Cat and been told that their new boat was 2-6 weeks away. We were purchasing their old boat from them. We couldn’t take the old boat before their new one arrived. It was the only rescue boat in the area and the nearest would be (at another seaside town further forth), over an hour away.
The last 2 months we had been hearing that their new boat was nearly ready. As with any custom built project there is always delays along the way. Not always the fault of the manufacturer. Finally the delivery date was near and we were told if sea trails were successful and their windscreen wiper motors turned up, their old boat would be ours "next week". Next week came and went by.
I was phoning every night asking what’s happening. Their new boat was being trucked down from Noosa and delivery all depended now on the wiper motors turning up and the delivery trucker. The local truckie from (this great sea side town) did them a good rate, but he only had one truck, so there was no point trying to push him for a faster delivery.
Finally, one Thursday afternoon I got the call asking how quickly can i get here. Yay, the wait was over. Old Codjar and Madam X had been offering to help for months with the delivery. First phone call: “Old Codjar its Rod, what are you doing?” “Mowing the lawn mate” Old Codja says. I explained the boat is ready, and could he be at our rescue shed at 6pm ready to leave. He says no worries.
Id made several trips over the last few weeks to check over our new boat (their old boat) and also to get some experience on board, Basically just to make sure I was familiar with the boat before the big haul south. We got a few quotes to have it trucked down to Sydney and they were all at least twice as much as it would cost in fuel. So the water delivery won hands down.
I’d arranged with my understanding boss (a boatie himself) to have a day off work at short notice. I left work early and grabbed my box of safety gear and essentials (including toilet paper!) from home. We all met at (our rescue shed) at 6pm. I’d trusted Madam X to get together a few items for us to take. A pair of bolt cutters and a few bottles of spring water was all i requested she bring.
She handed me the bolt cutters to pack into the car.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/fishingbasket/swager.jpg
Just as well I checked them as she actually had bought a swaging tool. I muttered something under my breath about me being at sea in the dark trying to cut a fishing trap free from the props with a f^(4ing swaging tool.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/fishingbasket/bc.jpg
With the correct tool now packed we were off.
Madam X was to bring my car back after dropping us off, so I insisted she have a drive while she was under supervision. I didn’t want her to crash and burn my car on the way back on her own. Besides nearly stalling it and not being able to find 5th gear she did ok.
We had dinner at the (now closed) truck stop and arrived in Drag A Bag Along at 1030pm. We had arranged a late check-in at the Fully Sick Mate Motel. It was now time to celebrate. Madam X had bought a esky and out came the strawberries and a bottle of bubbley. !!! After the quick night cap, we set the alarms for 4:30am.
There was a southerly change due at midday and we wanted a early start to beat the weather. We had arranged insurance the afternoon before (with SunCorp) and it was all set to go. Their guys from Drag A Bag Along weren’t so keen on getting out of bed at 5am to see us off, but they understood the weather was an issue and we needed to leave early. By 515 am we were at the wharf loading our gear onto the boat and at 545 am we logged in with our sailing plan and left.
They had planned to follow us out of the bar in their new boat, but there were some registration difficulties, so they legally couldn’t. It was still slightly dark. We made our way down the river slowly. By the time we reached the Bar the sun was just appearin on the horizon. We put our PDFs on (now compulsory when crossing bars) and headed out to sea. We steered a course about 2-3nm off the coast and headed south. I was at the helm and taking it rather easy at about 20 knots. It then clicked that the motors had already been run in and we wanted to beat the southerly so without hesitation we bumped the speed up to about 33 knots at 4300 rpm and pushed on while the weather was calm.
We passed a couple of dangerous reefs and spotted a very large pod of Dolphins. Old Codja took some video footage of the pod.
Due to a heavy sea mist and light rain visibility was restricted to 1-2nm. This made identifying landmarks from at sea difficult. The GPS and compass were our helping hands. The seas were about 1.5 to 2m but the boat was handling it beautifully.
We radioed in to Coastal Patrol Crowdy Head with our position and advised our next port was Foster to re-fuel. Calculations showed that with calm weather we could have just made the whole trip to Sydney without re-fueling, but its always good to err on the safe side and keep the tanks topped up.
Two hours later we were on approach to Foster we radioed into the local Coastal Patrol that we were about the cross the bar to re-fuel. While we were fuelling a guy from the marina took great pride in telling us that he used to run a 175hp Yamaha on a big oyster barge. At 7000 hours he claims to have only changed the gearbox and thermostat on the motor. That might be a particularly successful case but still assures us that the motors will be reliable and long lasting. After the fuel stop at Boatland Marine (125 litres) and a Mars bar and Fanta for breakfast we again crossed the bar and radioed in that our next port would be Port Stephens, ETA 2 hours.
It was 815am and conditions were still calm so we dialled back up to 30 knots and headed south.
There are a few reefs around Seal Rocks so we gave it a wide berth for safety and also to avoid the sloppy conditions in the shallow water. Madam X and my dad (panic mechanic) were SMS’ing me with weather updates that the southerly had just reached Port Kembla.
Abeam of Seal Rocks we radioed into Coastal Patrol Port Stephens that our ETA was 1.5 hours and we would be stopping to re-fuel. The radio operator asked us to re-confirm our ETA wondering if it was realistic. We explained that we were in a 7m Sharkcat with 350hp and we wanted to get home before the southerly ..... he quickly understood.
By 10am we were idling into D-Albora Marina. We topped the tanks with another 130 litres of fuel and took time out to have something to eat. Subway was near by and we grabbed a bite. After the early morning start and already spending 4 hours at sea, the bacon and egg muffin and the danish tasted really good. After a quick repair (with my trusty cordless drill and some cable ties) i managed to stop a vibration on the navigation light mast that was giving me the sh*#s. We headed off again. We advised Coastal Patrol Port Stephens that our ETA to Broken Bay was 2:30pm.
The weather forecast was for 30 knots of southerly wind and a swell up 3.5 meters ahead (insert silly BOM wave and wind speed disclaimer here) This is the type of weather the boat was built for, so we knew she’d handle it, but we expected it to be bumpy and slow.
The seas were still very calm at about 1-1.5 meters. Perhaps the lull before the storm? We could see the mess in the sky to the south. We were still making about 30 knots speed across Stockton Bight.
As the name says, its a bight, like a chunk out of the coast. The entrance to Newcastle Harbour is right in the middle of the bight and a trip hugging the coast would be too long and a waste of fuel. We set a compass and GPS course across the ‘bight the shortest way. This takes you quite a few miles from the shore but saves a lot distance. Midway we went through a huge fleet of ships anchored ready for pilots to take them into Newcastle to load (we could see they were sitting very high in the water). There would have been well over 50 ships out there. Most were at anchor. Water depth is about 60 meters. Imagine that the anchors would do to the sea bed? Im assuming it is all sandy there. Old Codja stopped to do some filming. He had never seen so many ships out here.
It was about 1130am and the wind was just picking up. It was 15-20 knots and generating a short chop about 1-2 foot tall. The constant vibration since 5am became too much for our bodies and we were forced to reduce speed to about 18 knots at 3300rpm. We continued on for another few miles. The wind was increasing strength and the seas getting more and more messy as we went.
Yes, the southerly was here........
cont to next post
Ive been involved as a volunteer rescue skipper for about 7 years. I was asked in another thread (Cats – go for it) to post up any interesting stories I have. The flavour of the week seems to be Shark Cats, so heres a little story from a couple of years back.
It describes my trip down the NSW coast in some pretty ordinary weather. This story was written shortly after the trip. So all the figures (time/speed/fuel) are accurate as they were fresh in my mind. Sorry if its a bit too lengthy.
Some names and towns have been changed to protect those involved #;). Other names have remained the same to publicly thanks those that gave assistance #:)
The Maiden Voyage: Spirit heads for its new home
Timing the delivery of our boat was a bit of a "fly by day thing". The Drag a bag along Rescue Squad had ordered a brand new Noosa Cat and been told that their new boat was 2-6 weeks away. We were purchasing their old boat from them. We couldn’t take the old boat before their new one arrived. It was the only rescue boat in the area and the nearest would be (at another seaside town further forth), over an hour away.
The last 2 months we had been hearing that their new boat was nearly ready. As with any custom built project there is always delays along the way. Not always the fault of the manufacturer. Finally the delivery date was near and we were told if sea trails were successful and their windscreen wiper motors turned up, their old boat would be ours "next week". Next week came and went by.
I was phoning every night asking what’s happening. Their new boat was being trucked down from Noosa and delivery all depended now on the wiper motors turning up and the delivery trucker. The local truckie from (this great sea side town) did them a good rate, but he only had one truck, so there was no point trying to push him for a faster delivery.
Finally, one Thursday afternoon I got the call asking how quickly can i get here. Yay, the wait was over. Old Codjar and Madam X had been offering to help for months with the delivery. First phone call: “Old Codjar its Rod, what are you doing?” “Mowing the lawn mate” Old Codja says. I explained the boat is ready, and could he be at our rescue shed at 6pm ready to leave. He says no worries.
Id made several trips over the last few weeks to check over our new boat (their old boat) and also to get some experience on board, Basically just to make sure I was familiar with the boat before the big haul south. We got a few quotes to have it trucked down to Sydney and they were all at least twice as much as it would cost in fuel. So the water delivery won hands down.
I’d arranged with my understanding boss (a boatie himself) to have a day off work at short notice. I left work early and grabbed my box of safety gear and essentials (including toilet paper!) from home. We all met at (our rescue shed) at 6pm. I’d trusted Madam X to get together a few items for us to take. A pair of bolt cutters and a few bottles of spring water was all i requested she bring.
She handed me the bolt cutters to pack into the car.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/fishingbasket/swager.jpg
Just as well I checked them as she actually had bought a swaging tool. I muttered something under my breath about me being at sea in the dark trying to cut a fishing trap free from the props with a f^(4ing swaging tool.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/fishingbasket/bc.jpg
With the correct tool now packed we were off.
Madam X was to bring my car back after dropping us off, so I insisted she have a drive while she was under supervision. I didn’t want her to crash and burn my car on the way back on her own. Besides nearly stalling it and not being able to find 5th gear she did ok.
We had dinner at the (now closed) truck stop and arrived in Drag A Bag Along at 1030pm. We had arranged a late check-in at the Fully Sick Mate Motel. It was now time to celebrate. Madam X had bought a esky and out came the strawberries and a bottle of bubbley. !!! After the quick night cap, we set the alarms for 4:30am.
There was a southerly change due at midday and we wanted a early start to beat the weather. We had arranged insurance the afternoon before (with SunCorp) and it was all set to go. Their guys from Drag A Bag Along weren’t so keen on getting out of bed at 5am to see us off, but they understood the weather was an issue and we needed to leave early. By 515 am we were at the wharf loading our gear onto the boat and at 545 am we logged in with our sailing plan and left.
They had planned to follow us out of the bar in their new boat, but there were some registration difficulties, so they legally couldn’t. It was still slightly dark. We made our way down the river slowly. By the time we reached the Bar the sun was just appearin on the horizon. We put our PDFs on (now compulsory when crossing bars) and headed out to sea. We steered a course about 2-3nm off the coast and headed south. I was at the helm and taking it rather easy at about 20 knots. It then clicked that the motors had already been run in and we wanted to beat the southerly so without hesitation we bumped the speed up to about 33 knots at 4300 rpm and pushed on while the weather was calm.
We passed a couple of dangerous reefs and spotted a very large pod of Dolphins. Old Codja took some video footage of the pod.
Due to a heavy sea mist and light rain visibility was restricted to 1-2nm. This made identifying landmarks from at sea difficult. The GPS and compass were our helping hands. The seas were about 1.5 to 2m but the boat was handling it beautifully.
We radioed in to Coastal Patrol Crowdy Head with our position and advised our next port was Foster to re-fuel. Calculations showed that with calm weather we could have just made the whole trip to Sydney without re-fueling, but its always good to err on the safe side and keep the tanks topped up.
Two hours later we were on approach to Foster we radioed into the local Coastal Patrol that we were about the cross the bar to re-fuel. While we were fuelling a guy from the marina took great pride in telling us that he used to run a 175hp Yamaha on a big oyster barge. At 7000 hours he claims to have only changed the gearbox and thermostat on the motor. That might be a particularly successful case but still assures us that the motors will be reliable and long lasting. After the fuel stop at Boatland Marine (125 litres) and a Mars bar and Fanta for breakfast we again crossed the bar and radioed in that our next port would be Port Stephens, ETA 2 hours.
It was 815am and conditions were still calm so we dialled back up to 30 knots and headed south.
There are a few reefs around Seal Rocks so we gave it a wide berth for safety and also to avoid the sloppy conditions in the shallow water. Madam X and my dad (panic mechanic) were SMS’ing me with weather updates that the southerly had just reached Port Kembla.
Abeam of Seal Rocks we radioed into Coastal Patrol Port Stephens that our ETA was 1.5 hours and we would be stopping to re-fuel. The radio operator asked us to re-confirm our ETA wondering if it was realistic. We explained that we were in a 7m Sharkcat with 350hp and we wanted to get home before the southerly ..... he quickly understood.
By 10am we were idling into D-Albora Marina. We topped the tanks with another 130 litres of fuel and took time out to have something to eat. Subway was near by and we grabbed a bite. After the early morning start and already spending 4 hours at sea, the bacon and egg muffin and the danish tasted really good. After a quick repair (with my trusty cordless drill and some cable ties) i managed to stop a vibration on the navigation light mast that was giving me the sh*#s. We headed off again. We advised Coastal Patrol Port Stephens that our ETA to Broken Bay was 2:30pm.
The weather forecast was for 30 knots of southerly wind and a swell up 3.5 meters ahead (insert silly BOM wave and wind speed disclaimer here) This is the type of weather the boat was built for, so we knew she’d handle it, but we expected it to be bumpy and slow.
The seas were still very calm at about 1-1.5 meters. Perhaps the lull before the storm? We could see the mess in the sky to the south. We were still making about 30 knots speed across Stockton Bight.
As the name says, its a bight, like a chunk out of the coast. The entrance to Newcastle Harbour is right in the middle of the bight and a trip hugging the coast would be too long and a waste of fuel. We set a compass and GPS course across the ‘bight the shortest way. This takes you quite a few miles from the shore but saves a lot distance. Midway we went through a huge fleet of ships anchored ready for pilots to take them into Newcastle to load (we could see they were sitting very high in the water). There would have been well over 50 ships out there. Most were at anchor. Water depth is about 60 meters. Imagine that the anchors would do to the sea bed? Im assuming it is all sandy there. Old Codja stopped to do some filming. He had never seen so many ships out here.
It was about 1130am and the wind was just picking up. It was 15-20 knots and generating a short chop about 1-2 foot tall. The constant vibration since 5am became too much for our bodies and we were forced to reduce speed to about 18 knots at 3300rpm. We continued on for another few miles. The wind was increasing strength and the seas getting more and more messy as we went.
Yes, the southerly was here........
cont to next post