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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

fishingrod
25-02-2006, 12:57 AM
.... cont from previous post

As we reached Red Head we conceded defeat by the sea. By this time we had been airborne twice and had to reduce speed to 8-12 knots. At least we were making way. But its a long haul to Broken Bay at that speed. We called in with Coastal Patrol Lake Macquarie advising our position and intention to continue south at a slow pace.

Conditions deteriorated further. We were doing it tough at a slower 4-6 knots. Every now and then a big set of waves would come along and leave the bow awash and break over the stern quarter. (thank god for self draining decks) Its these big sets that really hurt. They are tall and steep and very close together. Even at a crawling pace the boat crashes down into the trough and its not very comfortable. I had to tell Old Codja to put his hat on as his spinal cord was sticking out the top of his head becuase of the hard landings ...... it wasn’t a good look. He grumbled that his bum was hurting from crashing onto the seat. (now i know why the government boats have those comfy suspension seats)

We took turns at the helm as it was heavy going. One minute you could see sky out all three windows and then it was green water in front of you. It had taken us 2 long hours to get from Newcastle to Norah Head.

Our next Coastal Patrol Base wasn’t until Gosford and we were still out of their radio range. For safety we radioed into Norah Head Base to advise our position and ask them to phone RVCP Gosford and advise that we were OK, but making slow progress.

It took another 1.5 hours to reach Terrigal. We’d both had enough and decided to call into the 'Haven for a break and to see if the conditions calmed down. After a change into some dry clothes. We had a bit of a nap for an hour and realised conditions won’t getting any better so we called it quits. I advised Gosford Coastal Patrol that we wouldn’t be proceeding past Terrigal until tomorrow and to log us off the list for today.

Joe Blogs and Madam X offered to come and pick us up and take us home by car. Our job was to find a safe and secure spot to leave the boat overnight. We were on a vacant mooring that we found. After a few phone calls to the local dive group and then our mate Dean at Terrigal Sea Rescue, we got in touch with Les (from Terrigal Dive Centre) It turned out the mooring we were on was his. Luckly his boat was in for service and we were offered free use of it for as long as needed for the weather to calm down. He normally kept a 7 metre Shark Cat on this mooring and assured us that the chain and mooring block would cope with our weight even in the roughest conditions. Les even loaned us his dinghy so we could get ashore.

Joe Blogs and Madam X arrived in my car and rowed out to pick us up. We took all the valuables off and headed home. The plan was to come back first thing in the morning after the seas had settled and to bring the boat home. Joe Blogs and Old Codja went up at 5am to have a look. The conditions we still lousy and they decided against the trip and returned home by car.

By mid morning Dean from Terrigal Sea Rescue had phoned me and offered any help that we needed. I also rang Les to let him know that we’d still need to be on his mooring for a bit longer until the weather calmed. I offered to bring him a "little bottle of something" to say thanks for his help, but he refused point blank. He insisted that he supported volunteer rescuers and wouldn’t take from them. After we got chatting it turned out his boat was at Con The Fruiter-ers Marina for a service and anti-foul. He said that if I really wanted to help him out, I could scrap some barnacles off it for him. I thought I’d dobbed myself in for this, until he said he was kidding.

A quick check on the internet "wave rider" site showed that the average wave height the day before had been about 4 meters and peaking at nearly 6 meters.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/fishingbasket/sydwavesmallfileaa.jpg
(sorry for the bad quality copy)
We can definitely concur that this was correct. This was the roughest weather that I have ever been in.

At 3pm the weather had calmed slightly. Joe Blogs and myself headed up Terrigal to have another look at the conditions. The seas hadn’t calmed much and was still over 3 meters. Joe Blogs is not a rough weather person and was a bit reluctant to go. He knew the boat was big and safe ......I managed to convince him to go. Madam X drove up to the headland to watch us go by. With the seas still about 3 meters she said that one minute we were there (almost in the air) and the next we were lost in the trough.

Joe Blogs was very impressed with the boat. He thought I was trying to show off by going fast in the rough weather but then realised that the boat was really that capable and I wasn’t trying to push it.

Fuel use from Port Stephens to Broken Bay was 300 litres. If we had calm conditions it should have been closer to 180 litres. As you can see there is no such thing as carrying too much fuel. We used almost double what was expected (on that leg) due to the rough weather. Total consumption was 550 litres for the whole trip.

Our boat was now at its new home in Sydney.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/fishingbasket/boatmod.jpg

Special thanks to:
Dean and Terrigal Sea Rescue (www.terrigalsearescue.com)
Les from Terrigal Dive Centre (www.terrigaldive.com.au) for all their assistance.
And all the radio bases down the coast for the "coverage"

The trip down the coast is beautiful. Around the mid north coast there are a lot of longggg sandy beaches that can get very boring to the eye (im kidding), truly its a awesome trip to do by boat.

Volunteer rescue groups are located all the way down the coast from Brisbane and its rare to be in an area without any VHF reception. Watch the weather, keep your wit, have the correct gear on board, carry a few tools (make sure they are actually bolt cutters. NOT swaging tools), have some essential spares and im sure you’ll enjoy the trip. A lot of weekend sailors do the trip in modest size boats.

This was my second trip down the NSW coast. My previous trip was from Coffs Harbour to Sydney in a 6.4m plate alloy monohull with twin 115hp O/boards
........Ive got a trip report for that trip hiding somewhere here too

Ive also got some reasonable photos of bushfire work we did a couple of years back. If this kind of story interests you guys i'll scan some piccys in a post another couple of adventures.

cheers to all
Rod

toymod
25-02-2006, 07:41 AM
Great story mate see if you can find the other one and post that ;)

JEWIENEWIE
25-02-2006, 08:13 AM
nice read mate really enjoyed it
Jewienewie

finga64
25-02-2006, 08:44 AM
excellent reading :)
'til next story
Cheers Scott

aussiefool
25-02-2006, 10:36 AM
gr8 read m8

Bosunsmate
25-02-2006, 11:50 AM
Great report.... Gives a real perspective on how big them seas can get.

keep em coming

stork71
25-02-2006, 08:14 PM
Bloody hell!! Great read, great to see you get home safe and sound..Enjoy the new toy!

fishingrod
26-02-2006, 07:10 PM
Thanks for the feedback ........ Gimme a few days guys .... ive got to scan some photos for the next story :)

Rod

mark221263
27-02-2006, 09:23 AM
Great story, just shows what can be done with common sense and a fair amount of planning /experiance.

Just one question, what was the "The constant vibration since 5am " caused from?

Regards and thanks for a good read.
Mark

lucylass
27-02-2006, 11:14 AM
HI Rod

great story
you sure are lucky to have such a good helper as that madam x 8-) ::)

are you sure you didnt ask for a swaiging tool lol

just asking lol

flatstrap
27-02-2006, 11:47 AM
Lots more please.
It is obvious here that these are REAL stories and not hearsay experience. Love all this stuff.

Cheers...flatstrap

fishingrod
27-02-2006, 01:08 PM
........ Just one question, what was the "The constant vibration since 5am " caused from? ....Mark


Basically.... just being on a boat bumping about off shore for a few hundred Km's is enough to make most of us sore !
SharkCats give a pretty good ride, but its not a magic carpet ;D

Grand_Marlin
28-02-2006, 12:10 PM
It gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside reading about cats...

Thanks Rod