Donkey trip!!!!

[loozitt]

I want to tell you all about my donkey trip.

Myself and two mates headed for an offshore fishing trip east of Double Island. The forecast was for 10-15kn S/E, all day.
We crossed the bar, but in 15kn - 20Kn winds.

We checked with the coast guard and conditions were ment to remain 10 - 15Kn.So we persisted to venture to our grounds.We eventually got there after being smashed around, and rained on.

Fishing was dead, conditions were absolutly unfishable. My mate spent most of the time spewing up his guts, and the other in slept the cabin.Checked again with the coast guard for the latest report. Again 10 - 15Kn.

I persisted fishing for about an hour, and that was enough. We took off and travelled in 30Kn winds back to start of the bar.

We reached our spot before the bar and decided it was a good idea to sit there for about 45 min so we could cross the bar on dead low, instead of a run out tide. The bar was a cracker. While waiting for a safe time to cross, I pulled a rod out of the holder for a quick drop.

As I was about to cast, a rod in the holder was in my way. I grabbed that with my left hand, and held my rod in my right hand. Out of the blue a nice greenie hit the side of the boat, I lost my footing and fell overboard. Over I go, one rod in my left hand (Boss Accurate on a live fibre), and the other rod in my right hand (Boss Accurate on live fibre).
I was eventually pulled into the boat by my stunned mates.

When I was in the boat I realised what just happened. I got fully drenched, shoes, jacket and clothes.Lost one complete set-up (cost $840 reel, $210 rod, $140 braid)

I wasn't happy by now, and we still had to cross the bar.The bar wasn't to bad.

Hey at least we made it home safely!!!!!

[Hookem_Herby]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune Loozit!
But like you said, at least you're still alive and well enough to tell the tale. A reminder to all of us that there is no such thing as a seaworthy boat - just seaworthy skippers!
Better luck next time!

Herby

[SeaHunt]

Geeeezzz, send the bill to the weather forcasting dudes.
How much water were you in?
For that sort of money I would have GPS marked it and come back with some scuba gear when it was calmer.

[jaybee]

loozitt

The forecast was for 10-15kn S/E, all day.
We crossed the bar, but in 15kn - 20Kn winds.

I would have turned tail before crossing the bar if the wind was like that, but then its people that take risks that keep vmr in a job i spose
cheers
Joe

[mackmauler]

had one of those accurates in the boat for a while, it was known as the unlucky reel. it eventually got luckier but the drag stuffed up, they have a bad vibe if u ask me

[Outsider]

If I find yours....for $850 i'd be prepared to give it the benifit of the doubt!

[Lucky_Phill]

All VMR's should have the ' net ' by now.

next time you log in and head out and the forecast is not quite right, radio in for a update from the site, live, Current Observations.

I had similar thing a few months ago, VMR tells me weather fine, 20 minutes later, I'm sitting in 15knots wind, lightning everwhere and rain that heavy, it was filling the boat faster than the bigle was pumping it out. One look at the Radar Site, on the Net could have told me a different story.

OK, I hear some of Ya's, the VMR is NOT there to provide weather information. But, when in doubt, I 'm sure they don't mid, in the quieter times.

Phill

[Thunderbird]

WARNING Wind gusts may be a further 40% stronger than the averages given here.
And waves up to twice the height.

[subzero]

At the end of the day, we at VMR's and Coastguards get our forecasts from the same places you do, the B.O.M. Any forecast that we give you, is only as acurate as the one that is given to us.... (Not very accurate at times)....
We will give you local current conditions, generaly from only looking out the window and taking a guesstimate.... some units have sophisticated weather setups on their own base, but this depends on the generousity of local buissinesses or MORE time spent fundraising by the units members...
Most members are very loathesome to make an individual assessment of any likely changes... and if we do... we tend to err more to the exagerated side for safety.... WHY, because their is always the ever present risk of being sued.....
Their is a VERY BIG GREY AREA, as to if a member of a unit is asked if they reckon for instance sake "is it safe to take my 14ft tinny across to the hole in the wall on Peel", the forecast is for increasing winds later in the arvo, the winds come through earlier and the boat is overturned, sunk or swamped... the boatie goes "but the VMR bloke told me it was safe".... the VMR person possibly/probably open to litigation, or more unlikely but worse still prosecution... people wonder why it is hard to find to find vollunteers to do anything, they are sh*t scared of losing their homes etc...
We can really offer you 2 things, updated B.O.M forecasts as they come through on the internet, or observations from those that are on the water where you are wanting to go... i.e maybe request a current conditions report from somone who has the bar in sight or who has just crossed it...that we can pass on to you, 4 or 5 years ago, frequently boaties would call the units to give them bar reports... cant recall the last time that has happened to me.. it was a while back... it was VERY handy to have..

People can be arse*oles... I personaly have been abused for going onto a vessel at Point Halloran with water pumps to pump out a half submerged vessel WITHOUT the owners permission. FORTUNATELY, I followed proceedure and waited for VKR Water Police to give us permission to board the boat. The gentleman concerned threatened me with a tresspass prossecution for boarding his boat without his consent, I told him piss off and ring the cops and sort it out with them as they gave me permission... he accused us of stealing a tv which was originally half submerged in the water when we arrived... their were 5 people on our boat so we had plenty of witnesses that it was still their when we left, I think it was all an insurance scam myself...
Hence, most of us are unlikely to go out on a limb by making any significant weather predictions ourself....
I read somewhere recently that Australia has become the litigation capitol of the world outstripping such places as the U.S.A

[subzero]

OOps, a third option which I think Lucky_Phill might be referring to, the live cameras mounted at places such as Southport Seaway Tower and on some of the bars and units etc... once again, I am not to sure if to many Vollunteers would put themselves at risk by peering at a 2x2 image on a computer screen and giving an opinion on bar conditions... most people in our radio room who you would talk to, have never even crossed a bar unfortunately... we spend so much time training people to meet min com gov regulations that we dont get the opportunity, time or money... to be able to get everyone up to such a standard as to be able to know everything we would like to know, or be able to do everything we would like to do.. MONEY Vs TIME.. I reckon for every hour I spend on the water I could safely say I spend 2 hrs fundraising... (1 weekend a month on roster, you guys spend far more time on the water than we do by far)
Sad but true!!!!

[subzero]

Sorry Phill, didnt read your post properly, ho hum, you are referring to Marburg radar, yup thats good, that I would pass on to you... energex lightning tracker can be handy too.

[Lucky_Phill]

Lucky I read that last one Lloyd.

I was going to post the address for the Marburg Radar, Lightning Tracker, BoM Current Observations, etc etc.

I have, in the past, radio'd a VMR with a weather update while offshore, or having crossed a bar. This usually occured when I heard a weather update over the VHF. And it was totally different from the current situation where I was.

What a great system it would be if a VMR could have access to ' on the water' conditions. Say, if a boat is logging on to go Deep Tempest, VMR asks if they can give a " conditions update " once they have arrived ! This info can be passed on for a short period of time, and if the boat at Tempest were to radio in later, updating conditions again as they change. But with all the fishing action, who would have time to do all that' ?

Phill

[Needmorerum]

I think it's a shame when it gets to the stage that you are wary to help someone out in fear of being sued. What has our world come to. There was a time where someone would go out of their way to help out, or pick up a hitch-hiker and so on.
If only there weren't so many people out there trying to get rich quick and buggering it up for the rest of us.
I would like to congratulate Lloyd for doing his best at looking out for us and being there when needed, and putting up with all the sh$t from (hopefully) the minority.

Cheers
Corry

[subzero]

Appreciate your coments Hardcore.... Yup I realise it is only the minority, and to be honest my eyes have been opened up a lot to that through this website... I am not a fisherman, wish I was, I have never had the time to develop the skills by myself, but like you blokes I have an affinity with the waterways and the oceons... most relaxed while on the water... absolutely love the peace, solitude and the occassional nibble.
I reckon that the guys and girls that generally visit this site have a great interest in how they go about their buissiness on the water, the passion which most of you people study on here, your talk of conservation, re-stocking and protection..... your concern for doing things the RIGHT way by being proficient in vessel handling and safety... you people are an absolute credit to yourselves.... I sometimes wonder on here who should be teaching who... my coments re Kerry on a G.P.S topic are an example

Anyway Phill, TOP MAN, their is no forecast generated by computers, satelites, charts etc that is better than somone looking over the side of the boat and going, Sheezus, they have got that wrong... If the weather is significantly different than that forecasted, A securitee can be put out to that effect... normally the information would only be passed to someone who requested conditions from another unit and we have overheard it and the other unit has not been able to supply that information, or if someone logs on with us and says they are going to the area concerned, we will usually readilly vollunteer anything we have heard without being asked.. from time to time I try to stress on the members of my Roster TO ASK for a "Bar Report" when they have someone log on that is going out to Flat Rock etc... A few years back we used to get 3-4 requests a morning for Bar Reports, like I was saying, dont get any at all now days.. not really sure why that is... we are all more than happy to PASS ON that information if we have it, we normally keep our ears open and know whos out there even if they arent logged on with us, and if we dont have a Bar Report it is not usually that hard to put out an all ships call, asking for that info be passed to us if someone has asked us for it...

[loozitt]

I'm not having a go at the VMR, for their report. I appreciate their work, their efforts, and their support while where on the water.

Just to let you all know, when I we where loading the boat on the trailer, the VMR was reporting a strong wind warning. What a day. And the rod rod & reel I lost was not even mine. A generous mate gave me his outfit to use. A 2 month old outfit.