Rescue Magazine QF4 Summer 2015


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Caloundra Marine

Largest range of boang accessories in Caloundra

Quality servicing all brands of boat motors

8 Baldwin Street, Caloundra 4551

PHONE: 5491 1944www.caloundramarine.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Propeller Warehouse

HR TITAN 4Excellent Cruising Performance

ABN 61 350 985 756

Unit 1/10

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Telephone: (07) 5437 9400

Facsimile: (07) 5437 9537

Email: [email protected]

Freecall 1800 333 342

www.solas.com.au


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05 08 12

22

24

26 27 28

04 EDITORS CORNER

05 FLOTILLA NEWS Latest news from QF4

08 SQUADRON NEWS

12 OPERATION SAND FLY Join QF5 for a multi-agency

emergency exercise

14 BROKEN BY BREAKSEA SPIT Join Editor Julie Hartwig

on board Windsong Ozfor a delivery trip from hell

22 MAL DE MAR QF5s Alan Hall gives us the

inside line on seasickness

24 BROTHERS IN ARMS We take a look inside the US

Coast Guard Auxiliary

25 SHIPWRECK TALES QF21s Jon Colless reveals the

history behind another GreatSandy Strait shipwreck, the TSSPalmer

26 BROWN SMELL QF6s Ian Cranney explains the

importance of electricalmaintenance

27 PRESERVING LIFE Why you should wear a life

jacket

28 HISTORY OF SHIPS This issue we look at the ship

which conveyed James Cook on

his rst Voyage of Discovery,HM Bark Endeavour

34 SQUADRON CONTACTS

1425

CONTENTS

The Ocial Magazine of AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron

SUMMER 2016 | ISSUE 11QF4 Caloundra Edition

This Issues Cover:QF4s new secondaryrescue vessel.


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Welcome to a new year and the Summer edition of CoastGuard Rescue Sunshine Coast. I hope you have enjoyedyour Christmas/New Year/Summer holidays and thatyou have not had the misfortune of ending a day on the water onthe end of a Coast Guard tow line or worse. If you have, I hope youhave learned some valuable lessons from the experience.

One of the major issues being promoted this summer isboating safety. It should not be taken lightly and is the dierencebetween returning home safely and the tragedy of not returning atall.

While accidents do happen, many calls for assistanceto Coast Guard could be averted by engaging in simple pre-departure trip preparation - check your vessel, check your trailer,check your safety equipment, check the weather and tides, providefor your passengers and crew, and nally log on with Coast Guardbefore you leave. If that list sounds like too much hard work,please re-read the second paragraph of this editorial.

Assist statistics at Sunshine Coast otillas reveal thatthe most common calls for assistance are due to mechanicalbreakdown, running out of fuel and at batteries. All of these can- and should - be addressed by checking your vessel before you

leave home. This subject has been covered in depth in numerousarticles in previous issues.The other safety message Id like to emphasize concerns life

jackets. The marine environment is unforgiving and when thingsgo wrong at sea, they go wrong very quickly. Minor incidentscan escalate rapidly to become life-threatening emergencies.It is surprising how many boaties have to be instructed to putlife jackets on when assistance is requested. While boaties mayconsider life jackets as items of safety equipment that the boatinglaws require you to carry, its important to remember that a lifejacket will not save your life unless you wear it. I cant put thatmessage in any plainer language.

Enjoy the read, stay safe on the water and remember to logon before you leave!

Safety by all Means.

Julie HartwigEditorVice Captain PublicationsSunshine Coast Squadron

Editors CornerPUBLISHING INFORMATIONCoast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coastis

published quarterly by AVCGA SunshineCoast Squadron.Copies are available from QF4 Caloundra,QF6 Mooloolaba, QF5 Noosa, QF17 TinCan Bay and QF21 Sandy Straits. Pleasecontact the Flotilla.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coastisavailable via email. To join the emailing list,please contact the otilla representative foryour area.Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coastis also available via download. Visit theotillas page on the Coast Guard websiteat www.coastguard.com.au .For advertising enquiries, please contactthe otilla representative for your area.

EDITOR:Vice Captain Julie Hartwig

Ph: 07 5486 4014

M: 0498 377 402

E: [email protected]

Flotilla Editors:

QF4 Caloundra:John Gasparotto

E: [email protected] Noosa:David Garwood


QF6 Mooloolaba:Ian Hunt


QF17 Tin Can Bay:Julie Hartwig


QF21 Sandy Strait:Jon Colless


Disclaimer:Whilst every care is takenby the Editor to minimise errors, noresponsibility is accepted for the accuracyor otherwise of contributions made byAVCGA members, and the information,images, illustrations and advertisementscontained herein. Opinions expressed inarticles in this publication are those of theauthors. All content in this publication ispublished with the consent and approvalof the Sunshine Coast Squadron Board.

Copyright AVCGA Sunshine CoastSquadron, 2016

Visit Coast Guard on the web:www.coastguard.com.au www.facebook.com/qf4.th
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Commanders Dispatches

2015 has been an eventful year. Highlights include Flotilla Training Ocer Graeme McKenzie moving onto bigger things to be very capably replaced by FTO Phil Noble; the Boat Training Crew under LeadingCoxswain Roger Barnes guidance attracted further support and achieved commendable results; the BSROTraining Package has been rewritten and the Flotillas fundraising eort steered by Fundraising OcerSharon Auhl has achieved very good results.

Coast Guard 2, the vessel purchased from QF1, has been refurbished to meet the needs of this Flotillaand is performing well in training and operationally. Caloundra Rescuecontinues to perform well. The saleof Caloundra Rescue 3will complete the rationalisation of QF4 vessels. Activity levels have been patchy, withvessels coming to grief on the bar still presenting a challenge from time to time.

2016 will have its challenges. The replacement of the radio tower is a priority with AA Radio to

present its nal report and costing shortly. Preliminary advice says meeting the cost of the project will keepmembers busy fundraising for the rest of this year at least. Programmed maintenance to Flotilla vessels willalso draw on the Flotillas resources.

Recruitment and retention is likely to be even more of a challenge with LLN and the need for TAEunits now part of the recruitment/selection process. Recruitment and retention of Base Station RadioOperators continues to be a challenge, though recent advertising has produced good results. WHS andsecurity requirements will see the radio room relocated and associated work undertaken early in the year.

QF4 could not operate without the support of its major supporters, and its fundraisers. We sincerelyappreciate the support the Flotilla received from The Caloundra Power Boat Club, where our members raemeat trays and seafood vouchers every Saturday. We also sincerely appreciate the support of BunningsCaloundra, where our members will sizzle sausages each Thursday this year. And those QF4 members whomeet their rostered commitments throughout the year deserve special mention the Flotilla depends on usall.

I take this opportunity also to thank the Sunshine Coast Council for its support for QF4 for a numberof years now via its Grants Program. This support is invaluable.

This Flotilla makes January a housekeeping month with Flotilla Meetings commencing in February. Ilook forward to a big roll-up of members at that meeting the agenda is interesting.

Tony BarkerCommander, QF4


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Quarterdeck News

COAST GUARD CALOUNDRA GIVESSANTA A HELPING HANDWhen Santa decided he wanted to treat thechildren enjoying themselves on our pristinewaterways, he needed help so he called CoastGuard Caloundra to come to his assistance.

We launched Coast Guard 2on the Saturdayand Sunday before Christmas and soon had himdistributing lollies to locals and holiday makers

alike. Santas visit attracted media coverage withLocal Seven covering the event.

Left and above:Santa with the crew of Coast Guard 2providedmuch joy to local children and visitors alike, including these littlenippers.

Battery Care and MaintenanceAs we all know, maintenance is an important part of owning a boat. However,

we tend to neglect the battery. Without a fully charged, reliable battery, a day on

the water can lead to disaster. Below are some pointers to maintain your battery.

Keep top of battery clean and dry

Battery terminals should be kept clean and tight

Check that the battery is securely fastened as battery plates can be damaged by excessive

vibration

If accessible type of battery, ensure water levels are correct after charging. Do not overll or add

when battery is discharged

Use only an automotive cut off battery charger and recharge after use even if the motor has a

charging system

If more information is required on battery maintenance, please contact:

The Wise Old Owl at Battery Wise Sunshine Coast

5437 6799 / 5 Main Drive, Warana 4575


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Above right:Harley Moss stamps competition forms for thechildren.Right:Coast Guard and VMRQ rescue vessels were open for

public inspection.Below:Helicopter water bombing demonstration.

EMERGENCY SERVICES EXPOMarine Rescue Bribie Island recently held anEmergency Services Expo on Bribie Island. CoastGuard Caloundra and Coast Guard Mooloolabawere among the many organisations invited toparticipate in the day-long event.

Roger Barnes, Harley Moss and I attendedand were all kept busy answering questionsfrom the general public. We also stampedcompetition forms for the children, giving them

the chance to win a generator for their parents.The event was well attended andprovided a valuable insight into the work ofour emergency services. Highlights includedhelicopter water bombing demonstration,a simulated car accident rescue and aduel between an airport re tender and aQueensland Fire Service aerial appliance.

All the organisations highlighted theirlatest vessels and equipment, and at the end ofthe event, all groups posed for a group photo.

John Gasparotto, QF4

Squadron News


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Above and right:The dual between an airport re tender and a QFES aerial appliance enthralled the public.Below:Brisbane Aviation Rescue demonstrated their rescue vessel.Below right:QFES demonstrated their emergency rescue skills in a simulated car accident rescue.

A Message to Our Readers ...Please Support our Advertisers

The Australian Volunteer Coast GuardAssociation is a volunteer marinerescue organisation committed tosaving lives at sea. AVCGA otillas in theSunshine Coast region receive minimal

government funding and must engagein constant fundraising activities to keepour rescue vessels on the water, trainour volunteer personnel and operate ourrescue bases. The support of local andregional businesses is an essential partof our fundraising activities. When youshop at any of our advertisers, pleasetell them you saw their advertisementin Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast.

Please support our advertisers becausetheir support ensures the continuationof AVCGAs rescue services to boatingcommunities on the Sunshine Coast.


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Top:QF6 Deputy Commander Rod Ashlin (Centre) and CommanderIan Hunt (right) with DMS representatives at the contract signing.

Above:Architects prole drawing of the new Rotary III.

QF6 ROTARY II REPLACEMENTQF6 Mooloolaba has been working to a structured 10-year plan that has seen the replacement of ourprimary rescue vessel in December 2012. The new Rhondda Rescuehas now been in operation for threeyears and has been a great success.

This was followed by extensive additions to our HQ building and the updating and relocating of ourradio room in 2013, which have also been a huge step forward for our operations.

The next step in the plan is the replacement of our secondary rescue vessel, Rotary II.A Committee was formed eighteen months ago to look into all aspects of this replacement. Our

current vessel is fteen years old, has served the Flotilla well and has proven to be a very satisfactory vesselfor our requirements. With this in mind it was decided that the replacement vessel would be of a similar

concept with some improvements and renements that have been identied over the service life of RotaryII.A number of builders in the SE Qld area were approached to submit proposals with a detailed list

of specications provided by the QF6 Committee. These proposals were reduced to a short list of verygood submissions and after further consultation, a decision was made to select Dynamic Marine Services(DMS) of Hemmant in Brisbane as the builders of the vessel. A benet of DMS being selected was that theProject Manager, and many of the sta and subcontractors were involved in the very successful project tobuild our primary rescue vessel three years previously. These personnel had transferred to DMS followingthe unfortunate demise of Aluminium Boats Australia after a disastrous re that forced that Company intoadministration.

Contracts were signed on the 19thof November and an initial deposit paid so that work could startimmediately on nal construction plans, with a

completion date set for June 6th2016.The plans call for an aluminium monohull

with full walk around deck and central cabin similarto Rotary IIand our much larger primary vessel.The overall length is 8.5 metres with a beam of 2.9metres, to provide a stable working platform forour rescue crews. Electronics will be based on thesame Simrad system we currently have in use to givecontinuity for crew training and operations. It will bepowered by twin Suzuki 175 hp 4 stroke outboardmotors.

The vessel is only slightly larger than RotaryII, as our 13.8m, 1000 hp primary vessel is designedto handle the larger jobs and the smaller vesselhas advantages in being able to get into shallowor conned areas and can operate with smallercrews, as well as economies in initial and runningcosts.

Given the fantastic support that the RotaryClubs of Mooloolaba and Alexandra Headlandshave given QF6 over the years, the QF6 Executivehas decided to name the new vessel Rotary III.

The next issue of this magazine willhopefully have some images of Rotary IIIwell onthe way to completion.

Rod Ashlin, Deputy Commander QF6

Squadron News


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MT WOLVI VHF UPGRADESIn the Spring 2015 issue,QF17 informed boaties and other local AVCGA otillas of issues involving thedegrading reception and transmission through the VHF repeater Channel 80, which is located on Mt Wolvi.

The cause of these problems was identied in the condition of the wooden pole that carries the VHFantennas, which was observed to be wobbling around in the breeze.

Gympie Regional Council scheduled the replacement of the pole for late 2015. However, issues with acontractor resulted in the postponement of the pole replacement, which is now scheduled to take place atthe end of January. Fingers crossed that this time it will happen.

Transmission and reception on QF17s working frequency, VHF 80, have been fairly hit and miss (withmore of the latter than the former). But thankfully, QF17 have been able to make use of QF21s VHF 82

repeater, which has provided excellent coverage, especially in the Wide Bay Bar area.After the pole is replaced, QF17s VHF aerial and feeder cabling will receive its long awaitedreplacement and it is hoped that the completion of both of these projects will see communications onchannel 80 return to normal.

The upgrade will not x the issues with the black spot that continues to plague the eastern side ofDouble Island Point. Mariners transiting the area continue to be advised that the area from 5 nm south ofDouble Island Point to approximately 3 nm north of the point has little or no reception or transmission onVHF Channel 80. The alternative VHF frequency is 82. For more information, please contact the QF17 radioroom on 5486 4290.

Jon Jones, QF17

SUNSHINE COAST COUNCIL SUPPORTS QF6As part of a volunteer organisation, Coast Guard Flotillas rely on support from their local Councils,businesses and members of the public to be able to provide the essential marine rescue services that weoer.

The Sunshine Coast Council (SCC) has recently granted QF6 a diesel fuel subsidy of $12,000 a year forthe next three years to assist our operations. This equates to almost half of our yearly diesel fuel expenseand is therefore much appreciated by the Flotilla.

Additionally, the SCC has approved our Grant submission for just over $4,500 to replace agingfurniture that has been in use since the originalHQ building opened in March 1984. Thisnew furniture will certainly complement the

oces of the HQ building extension that wascompleted in 2014.

Thank you to the SCC for your ongoingsupport to QF6 Mooloolaba.

Ian Hunt, Commander, QF6

Squadron News


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by Ian HutchingsDeputy Commander, QF5

Operation Sand Fly

Major Multi-Agency Practical Exercise

Operation Sand Fly was a multi-agency training exercise held on the Noosa River on the 8th

December, 2015. It was designed to give the various emergency services the opportunity to worktogether in responding to a major incident.

The basic scenario was that a house boat on the Noosa River had caught re and that a goodSamaritan boat owner had gone to investigate and lend assistance. It was at this point that things startedto go downhill ... fairly rapidly.

The house boat exploded and people went missing, a clandestine drug lab was discovered and toxicsubstances and pollutants were released into the river.

Fortunately, the Emergency Services were all assembled in Chaplin Park and were ready for action.The Coast Guard was represented by QF5s three rescue vessels. The crews had all been briefed priorto departing Munna Point and were also lined up at Chaplin Park. The radio communication channelshad been agreed upon and tested and for the purposes of this exercise Coast Guard Command was

established in the Incident Control Centre (Chaplin park) and Coast Guard Noosa (Munna Point) was incharge of all radio trac between the boats.

The rst request received was to transport some of the assembled media throng to the scene ofall the excitement down river. Davos Rescueand Rotary Rescuewere dispatched bristling with cameraequipment, microphones and news crews.

The next call was forJohn Waddamsto collect some remen and their associated equipment from theboat ramp in Massouds Park and transport them to the scene of the re. Davos Rescuewas next requestedto tow a stricken vessel to the shore and this provided the chance for the news crew to get even closer tothe action.

About this time, the rescue helicopter started up and took o to start transporting the sick andinjured to the Triage Centre in the Park. The Surf Life Savers and Swift Water Rescue teams also started toarrive with casualties who had to be decontaminated in a sort of giant industrial-strength, outdoor showerpowered by a re engine. We are denitely talking more car wash than soothing health spa here! However,most seemed to survive the ordeal without suering any permanent damage and emerged looking a lotcleaner.

A Hazardous Materials Boom was then deployed around the incident site to contain any


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Top:Mission control centre.Centre:A confusion of Coast Guard volunteers from QF5Noosa.Right:The decontamination shower was more like a carwash than a soothing health spa!Main picture, previous page:The Westpac Rescuehelicopter was the eye in the sky.

contamination and a head count revealed that three people were missing. Coast Guard was tasked withsearching the Noosa River from the Marina downstream toward the river mouth. All three vessels formedup in line abreast (minus the news crews by now) and started a sweep down river. After a while, the SurfLifesavers located the missing persons near the river mouth and the exercise concluded.

Coast Guard returned to Munna Point and a debrieng session was held. It soon became apparentthat the exercise had been a great success and that Coast Guard had been able to play a major rolethroughout the morning.

The other agencies involved had also taken the opportunity to learn about Coast Guard capabilities

and many were surprised to learn that Coast Guard operates a 24/7 service across such a large area,manned entirely by volunteers and nanced through voluntary contributions, some government grants andhelp from our sponsors.

There will be a more formal debriengsession held in the New Year where the keylearning points from the exercise will beanalysed.

From my perspective as ActingCommander, I was very impressed with theway Coast Guard performed their allocatedtasks and would like to thank all thoseinvolved for the high level of professionalism,cooperation and their willingness toperform whatever tasks were asked of them.Congratulations to all those involved in theplanning and execution of this exercise ...Quite looking forward to the next one now!

Participants:QFES - Queensland Fire and EmergencyServiceQPS - Queensland Police ServiceQAS - Queensland Ambulance ServiceMSQ - Maritime Safety Queensland

AVCGA - Australian Volunteer Coast GuardAssociation / QF5 NoosaWestpac Helicopter Rescue ServiceSLSQ - Surf Life Saving QueenslandSES - State Emergency Service


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Broken by Breaksea Spit

by Julie HartwigEditor, QF17

Windsonghad recently been sold and her new homewas to be in Weipa, hence the delivery trip to Cairns,where the new owner would collect her and take her

the rest of the way to Weipa. However, as any experiencedsailor will conrm, a number of key elements require assessingwhen considering any long passage:1. Hull:According to the surveyors report, Windsongappeared sound enough. No leaks and nothing that wouldcause us concern. Interpretation:The boat is not a oating

con.2. Rig:Assessed from deck level by the surveyor as beingserviceable for its age. To us, it looked bulletproof and ifanything over-rigged, with everything appearing larger/biggerthan it needed to be.Interpretation:The sticks should remain standing.3. Auxiliary Propulsion:An ancient 53hp Ford Lees diesel thatlooked like it had seen service in Noahs Ark. It was in pieceswhen we rst went aboard but was pronounced good to gotwo and a half days later, despite the fact that it was spewingout voluminous clouds of oily blue smoke.Interpretation:Cross everything and utter warm fuzzies every

time you pass the engine room.4. Communications:An unserviceable HF set that Jonannounced he would x when we got to sea (the antennawires were severed at deck level when the mizzen had been

While this story happened

ve years ago, the experiences

encountered could happen to

anyone today and the lessons

learned are no less relevant.

When my partner Jon Jones and

I (both Coast Guard volunteers at

QF17 Tin Can Bay) were asked to

deliver a Roberts 45 ketch called

Windsong Ozfrom Brisbane toCairns, it was an opportunity to

have an expenses paid cruising

holiday was hard to refuse.

However, when Mother Nature

puts her foot in the door and you

are relying on mechanical and

electronic items that operate in a

marine environment, nothing ever

runs to plan. This is the story of a

cruising delivery that was neverdestined to be straight forward ...


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removed when the boat was slipped for survey). An ancient VHF, that, despite concerns, transmitted andreceived 5 by 5 according to a radio check with Coast Guard Redclie (NB, the base was located 50metres away across the marina basin). A 27 MHz set about the same vintage as the VHF, but it did work.Four mobile phones (digital, 2G, 3G, Next G and any other G you can think of short of carrier piGeon).Interpretation:No worries, mate. Got enough comms to talk us out of a roll of cling wrap.5. Crew:Four POB. Jon, Steve (known to all and sundry as Stainless) and myself, all active members ofCoast Guard Tin Can Bay, (Jon and Stainless are also very experienced sailors), and Rob who is a shermanwith 25 years experience in trawlers and a dab hand at xing anything mechanical.

Interpretation:If you were going to pick a crew, you could do worse than have this lot aboard.(Eds Note: Sadly, Stainless died in a car accident in 2014 and is no longer with us.)

Now, Brisbane to Cairns is a fair old slog and when Windsongsnew owner said he wanted the boatthere by the end of June (2010), we knew the trip to Cairns wasnt going to be a leisurely cruise. We alloweda month.

We arrived at Scarborough Marina and set about preparing Windsongsea. It was never going to bea simple job because the boat was a oating tip. We spent the next two and a half days going throughthe boat from bow to stern. By the time we departed Scarborough Harbour, Windsongwas capable ofaccommodating and supporting human life. We had carted away dozens of jumbo-sized bin liners ofrubbish and junk, the decks had been scrubbed, stores stowed, the fuel tank had swallowed 150 litres ofdiesel (according to the dip stick - the fuel guage didnt work!) and we were, to quote the phrase of themoment, good to go.

The following is from my personal log ...Thursday 03/06/101140:Depart Scarborough. Log on with Redclie Coast Guard. Transit sheet forwarded to CG Mooloolaba.Windsongship-shape; engine running sweetly, though we must look like a ghostly apparition, driftingalong in our cloud of blue smoke. Winds light 5-10 knot SE. New $2,000 chart plotter christened LaurieLowrance. Having spent hours programming waypoints and routes for the voyage to Cairns, I am the onlyone who knows how it works and where to nd things within its confusing array of pages, menus and sub-menus.1425:Skirmish Passage o the southeast tip of Bribie Island. First engine drama occurs. Noticed for sometime that the engine suddenly increases revs for a few moments, then returns to normal. Incidencesgradually increase until revs go up and dont come back down. Moments later, engine gives a few coughs

and stops. Silence deafening. Engineer Rob hurries below to nd the problem. Stainless and I unfurl thegenoa and, after trials and tribulations with jammed cars and slugs jumping out of the mast track, nallysucceed in getting the main up. Rob nally announces that the fuel tap that allowed the day tank to top upfrom the main tank was turned o. Nobody knows how/why/when this happened. Fuel lines bled, engineres rst time. Continue motor-sailing. Engine named Henry (its a Ford engine).1655:Pass Caloundra Fairway, heading for Double Island Point, 52 miles north. Conditions perfect. Wind10 knot SE, seas less than a metre. Watch a magical sunset as we pass the Sunshine Coast. Decide to trythe autopilot. Windsongdisplays rebellious streak by doing an impromptu and rather alarming 360-degreerevolution that quickly sees a human back at the helm. Autopilot manual turns out to be a technical manual

Above:Windsong Ozin Scarborough Marina before theadventure began. This was taken before wed cleaned her up.Main pic, previous page:Hitch-hiker (Brown Booby) on the pulpitrail.

Above:Thats Jon and me in Windsongscockpit on the rstevening as we sail past Caloundra at sunset. The perfect pictureof what a sailing cruise should be.


16/36


that tells how to x it if it breaks down, but not how to operate it! Night watches reduced from four hoursto three as Windsonghas a veryheavy helm and hand steering the 16-ton yacht is tiring.2000:Log current position with Mooloolaba Coast Guard. Instructed to contact Tin Can Bay Coast Guardafter 0600 the next morning to update our position. Separate into night watches. Stainless and Rob standrst watch 2000 to 2300. Jon and I will take 2300 to 0200. Windsonghappily motor-sailing under full mainand genoa. Henry purring at 1700 rpm making 6.5 knots.Friday 04/06/100020:Laurie has a hissy-t. One by one, data overlays (SOG, POS, COG, BRG, CTS, DTD, depth) drop out

until only the chart, route line and ship are displayed. I try for several minutes to get them back, but nalsolution is to switch plotter o and reboot it. Problem solved, but cannot return to the route. Have to runfrom waypoint to waypoint, which means digging deep into Lauries innards to nd the Go To Waypointcommand.0500:Back on watch. Struggle up on deck feeling like the Michelin (Wo)Man. Wearing eece trackies and

jacket, wet weather jacket and trousers, safety harness and life jacket, but need ve layers; its freezing ondeck. Position is east of Eurong on Fraser Island. Eastern sky showing rst tinge of dawn. The sky is clear. Itlooks like were going to have a beautiful day at sea.0600:Listen for Coast Guard Tin Can Bay to log on with Brisbane Harbour, then weather at 0635. Nothingheard.0645:Attempt to contact CG TCB on 16, 67, 80 and 82. Nothing heard. Try VMR Hervey Bay and Bundaberg.Nothing heard. Can hear broken transmission from CG Mooloolaba, but get no response when we try tocontact them. Do we have a comms problem? VHF worked perfectly o Sunshine Coast, but apparentlydead as a maggot now.0800:O watch. Jon tries again to contact CG TCB, VMR Hervey Bay and Bundaberg. Still nothing heard.We are concerned but not unduly worried as boat is performing well, crew is getting on like a house onre and CG TCB has our transit sheet. Even though we have not spoken to them, CG TCB knows we are outhere.1000:Jon tries VHF again, but still dead as. When we have a visual with phone tower at Orchid Beach, wecontact CG TCB by mobile. Told there are problems with the 16/67 outlet on Fraser Island, but our positionhas been logged, transit sheet forwarded to Bundaberg and they give us the latest weather 10-15 knot SEwith seas to 1.5 metres (we have SW 10 knots!). Ironic that mobile phone is our only means of comms, butonly while in the vicinity of Orchid Beach. Once the phone tower is out of sight, our mobile comms are also

gone.1050:Windsongunder fullmain, genoa and mizzen. Henrygetting a rest. Large pod ofwhales sighted o Indian Head.For next hour, we watch thepod of eight adult and juvenilewhales engaging in play. Deviateslightly from our course as wecruise past, watching whalesbreaching, tail slapping, andenjoying play time.1300:Seas begin to build duringafternoon. Wind shifts SW to NWand strengthens to 15-20 knots.Windsongquite happily romping along on a beam reach at 6.5 to 7 knots. Henry is enjoying his well earnedrest.1600:Clear Sandy Cape and begin our run north alongside Breaksea Spit. Sails come o one by one aswind gusts nudge 25 knots and seas become increasingly boisterous. Tide is now ebbing out of HerveyBay and breaking seas are visible on the Spit. Eight hours since our mobile phone comms with CG TCB. Stillunable to establish radio comms with any of the coast stations. Somebody will be getting worried about usbut nothing we can do now as we are 100 nautical miles o the mainland and out of both VHF and mobilerange. The other alarming aspect of no comms is no updated weather forecast. The conditions we currently

have are nothing like those in the morning forecast.1700:Pick up a hitch-hiker when a Brown Booby lands on the pulpit railing. How it manages to remainperched on the rail with its webbed feet as Windsongpitches through the increasingly bouncy seas is amystery.1900:Reach waypoint north of Breaksea Spit. Turn west for next waypoint o Lady Elliot Island. Windsong

Above:Indian Head, Fraser Island.


17/36


Left:Laurie showing Windsongstrack and route up the outside ofBreaksea Spit. The waypoint wereheading for is at the top of the screen.

taking wind and seas on the

nose. All sail down. Henrytasked with getting us toRosslyn Bay. O watch now,resting on sea berth in thesaloon.2000:No lee cloths on any ofthe bunks (there are ttings,but no cloths). Getting tossedaround on the sea berth andcannot get comfortable soadjourn to bunk in aft cabin.Wedge self in with pillows (no

lee cloths here, either) and tryto sleep.2045:Henry comes to agrinding, spluttering, coughing

halt. Windsongnow lying a-hull in short, steep two-metre seas and 25 knot NW winds. Despite beingincapacitated with seasickness, Rob attempts to get Henry going again, but to no avail. The genoa isunfurled and with Stainless at the helm, we doggedly try to hold our course.Seas confused and unpredictable; motion very uncomfortable. Rob is so seasick he cannot continue to workon the engine and has taken to his bunk for an hour. We continue under heady, even though we are onlymaking two knots and sailing ten degrees above our desired course, which will, if we continue, take us upthe outside of Lady Elliot and Musgrave Islands, but no other option for the moment.

2200:Jon is on the helm when we are suddenly and violently knocked down by a big roller that hitsWindsongsquare on her wide beam. In the aft cabin, all the pillows in the world cannot prevent me beinglaunched o the bunk like a missile. I land on the cabin sole on the other side of the boat. (Windsonghasa 4.5m beam and my bunk is just aft of the widest point.) I make a perfect three-point landing - head, leftshoulder and left hip. Suddenly, in a lot of pain, but know enough from First Aid training not to move. I hada good yell as I went ying, so someone will come check on me.

Stainless nds me, tells me not to move and fetches Jon. Brisk assessment conducted: no open


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head wounds, feeling in all ngers, toes, arms andlegs, nothing apparently broken. Jon decides safestplace for me is on the cabin sole cant fall or bethrown any further from there. Bed made up froma thick bunk cushion. Pillows and sleeping bagswedged around me, towel rolled into a makeshiftneck brace, lled up with painkillers, and left with abottle of water and a bag of mini Milky Way Bars.

Nothing more can be done for me for the timebeing.2345:Still battling seasickness, Rob nally getsHenry going. Fuel lter horribly clogged withslime and grunge stirred up from the bottom ofthe fuel tank by boisterous seas. Rob managesto clean some of slime out of lter, but reallyneeds a new lter. Position about 17 nauticalmiles north of Breaksea light, 100 miles oshore,with our destination, Rosslyn Bay, over 150 milesaway. Attempts to call VMR Bundaberg and VMRGladstone fail. Accept that we have no radio

comms with the mainland or mobile phone coverage and I need medical attention for serious neck andback pain.

Lying athwartships on the aft cabin sole, the aft cabin bulkhead is the only thing separating me fromHenrys thumping; the prop shaft is directly beneath me and the steering gear is in the locker beside myright ear. Not a quiet place to be, but I manage to sleep and rest with minimal movement as we make ourway slowly towards the coast.Jon has decided to head for Gladstone. ETA is anyones guess and will depend on whether Henry breaksdown again The state of the fuel in the tank does not inspire any condence that he will keep going; itsmore a question of how many times he will stop and how long it will take to get him going each time. Bestguess on the ETA is some time on Sunday morning. The prospect of having to spend 36 hours immobilisedon the cabin sole is enough to make a grown woman cry, but nothing can be done to get us to Gladstone

any faster. No one knows where we are and we cant communicate our situation to anyone. Bugger thosebloody radios!

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Manufactured by

6 Producon Street, Noosaville Qld 4566

Phone: (07) 5449 8888 Fax: (07) 5449 9480

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Above:Windsongsspacious aft cabin with double berth. Thisshot shows the port side of the cabin. The starboard half of thecabin is out of sight on the right of the photo. I was lying hardup against the hull when the knock-down occurred and endedup on the cabin sole out of sight on the right.


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Above:Engineer Rob spent many hours up close and personalwith Henry to keep him running.

Saturday 05/06/100500:Abeam Lady Elliot Island. Henry stops again. Same problem. The situation with the fuel lter isgetting desperate. It cannot be cleaned enough to make the engine run. Rest of crew embark on a majorsearch mission that sees every locker on the boat emptied out. One spare (new) lter nally located buriedat the bottom of a locker beneath a whole pile of other crap that probably hasnt seen the light of day sincethe boat was built. After bleeding fuel lines, Henry res up again but the problem isnt going to go away.The entire fuel system is clogged with the sludge being sucked out of the fuel tank.

Since weve been motoring nearly all of the way, the main fuel tank is dipped again. This is a moment

of revelation. Remember, there is no functioning fuel gauge, only a dip stick which is nothing more than apiece of three-foot dowel with increments marked in red Texta that apparently relate to how many litres offuel are in the tank. This time, note is taken of the three inches of black slime that coats the bottom of thestick when its removed from the tank. Had we recognized the signicance of that when we dipped the tankafter refuelling in Scarborough, we would probably not have departed.0900:Being conned in the aft cabin with no ventilation is decidedly unpleasant. Every time Henry stopsand the fuel lines are bled, the cabin lls up with diesel fumes. Stainless nally opens the aft ports to let insome fresh air.1000:Buzzed by a Coast Watch aircraft, asking all the usual questions: what vessel, last and next port ofcall. Jon tells them that we have an injured crewmember on board, that we have limited radio comms andare experiencing fuel problems. The Coast Watch crew suddenly transform from interrogators to rescuers.They immediately relay details of our position and situation to VTS Gladstone. Jon provides informationon my condition and First Aid advice is relayed from a paramedic in Gladstone that I am to stay as still aspossible and to take whatever pain relief we have on board. VMR Gladstone is put on standby, but we arestill over 70 miles from the mainland and unless our situation becomes life-threatening, we are beyondtheir help.

The hours motoring to Gladstone are interminable. In constant back and neck pain, with tingling nowspreading through my feet and lower legs, I begin to think the worst; that I have a serious spinal injury. Irest and sleep, listen to my MP3 player, swallow Nurofen like Smarties every four hours and eat my waythrough my stash of mini Milky Way bars. I can drink only sips of water because I cannot get up to use thehead and consequently become increasingly dehydrated. It is a blessing that it is winter and not summer.

Every time someone comes to check on me I ask Where are we? and am totally demoralised to learnthat we are still a long way from where I imagine we are. During the day, my only view of the outside world

is the square of blue I can see through the cabinports. At night, it is stars, wildly gyrating across theblack sky, viewed rst in one of the aft ports, thenin the starboard ports and back again.

We are 30 miles out of Gladstone before weget scratchy mobile coverage with VMR Gladstoneand 10 miles out before we get VHF coverage.Henry has stopped ve more times, but each timeRob, aided by Jon or Stainless, manages to getmore adept at bleeding the fuel lines, cleaning thelters and getting Henry going again.Sunday 06/06/100200:Establish comms with VTS Gladstone whogive us permission to enter Gladstone Harbour.They inform VMR Gladstone of our position.0300:Enter the main channel into GladstoneHarbour. VMR Gladstone have organised anambulance and paramedics to meet us at theGladstone Marina fuel dock and VMR are onstandby to tow us in if we break down in the mainchannel. With a bulk carrier ahead of us and onefollowing behind, breaking down is the last thingwe need, but for once Henry keeps going. The calm

waters have helped settle his upset stomach.0400:Windsongties up to the fuel dock andparamedics come on board. Unable to get astretcher down below, the paramedics assess mycondition and determine that nothing is broken.


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Above:The scene of all my pain and suering presents a pretty picture berthed on the fuel dock in Gladstone Marina. Apart fromHenry and Laurie (and Murphy who we never did nd), the rest of the boat was indeed bullet-proof, but it proved to have a voraciousappetite for fuel lters. A box of 24 fuel lters was purchased from the diesel mechanic in Gladstone. By the time Windsongarrived inCairns a week later, only six were left!

I am given a green whistle for pain relief, while the ambos discuss with Jon and Stainless how to get me

o the boat. There is no room in the boat to utilise any kind of lifting or carrying equipment with me on it.In the end, Im told to keep sucking on the green whistle while I am assisted to walk o the boat. In theambulance, the paramedics put a collar around my neck, strap me to a stretcher and administer intravenousmorphine. In a very short time, I am in a good place for the rst time in over 30 hours.0430:Admitted to Gladstone Base Hospital. Being early Sunday morning, the place is full of casualties fromstreet brawls and pub ghts, some of whom are still ghting! After several hours, more pain relief, x-rays,prodding and poking, treatment for dehydration and observation, Im informed there is no spinal damage,

just a lot of deep tissue bruising from what the doctor calls impact trauma injuries such as they see incar accident victims; I will be very sore for quite some time. A smrgsbord of drugs is prescribed - anti-inammatories, muscle relaxants and strong painkillers - and physiotherapy is recommended. I am advisedto do as little as possible for the next four or ve days. When I ask if I can carry on with the trip to Cairns,

the doctor gives me one of those are you nuts? looks and says, I cant make that decision, but if it wasme, I wouldnt. I can understand the rationale behind that advice. Being jolted around is the last thing Ineed and if the injuries dont get a chance to settle down, I would end up back in hospital further up thecoast.1500:Discharged from hospital. Thanks to the VMR boys for picking me up. Back at the boat, I learn thatI am ocially a Marine Incident. Gladstone Water Police have visited the boat during the morning. Ourcontact with Coast Watch was automatically relayed to Canberra, who relayed the info to Gladstone WaterPolice. We did not know at the time, but they were on standby with both a rescue helicopter and a policevessel, if my situation deteriorated to the point of requiring a medivac. Without comms, I dont exactlyknow how we could have forwarded this request had it been necessary. A Marine Incident Report form isduly completed. (The outcome, after an investigation by MSQ, was NFA. Even they accept that s*#t happenson boats.)The AftermathAt the time, I had a brother living in Gladstone and after a brief phone call, I left the boat on Tuesdayafternoon and spent the next three days camped in front of my brothers big screen telly surng 300channels on Austar. Windsongdeparted Gladstone on Wednesday morning and continued on to Cairns with


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only three crew. She arrived a week later.It wasnt the cruise outcome Id expected and the knowledge that my back injuries may be

aggravated by as little as a day at sea forced me to reconsider my sailing/cruising adventures. It took thebest part of two months to get over the initial injuries caused by the crash. The physio and rehab wereongoing for over twelve months. I do not want to go through an experience like this again. However, aswith all bad experiences, lessons can be learned:1. Nevertake a previous owners word its all good; shes good to go at face value.2. Just because a radio works 50 metres from a Coast Guard base doesnt mean it will work 50 miles

oshore.3. Nevertrust the weather forecast, especially around Fraser Island. It has its own ecosystem and will oftendish up conditions you would have a better chance predicting with a crystal ball.

4. The operative word in the name Breaksea Spit is Break people, boats, engines, mechanical andelectrical stu and anything else you take up there. After Windsongsexperiences, two more Tin Can Bayyachts transited the area and were beaten up by the weather, resulting in them running for shelter toBundaberg. Adopting the Boy Scouts motto Be Prepared is advisable.

5. Be meticulous in your passage planning. If you arent, expect that everything that can go wrong will gowrong. Every boat has an invisible crew member called Murphy who will make his presence felt whenyou least expect and want it, usually when the rst chink appears in your solid-as-a-rock passageplan. From then on Murphys presence will escalate even simple issues until your passage plan ends uplooking like a pile of grass clippings.

Finally, a few interesting facts about BreakseaSpit that are worth knowing if you plan to transitthe area: Charts show Breaksea Spit sticks out a long

way from the mainland - 47 miles from BurnettHeads and 110 miles from Gladstone.

It is about 25 miles from Sandy Cape to theBreaksea Light.

The water depth along the eastern side ofBreaksea Spit is as shallow as 20 metres closeinshore. Around ve miles oshore near the

edge of the continental shelf, depths drop awayto around 200 metres. By the time you are 10miles oshore, the depths drop rapidly to over1,000 metres straight down like the proverbialfree drink!

The Breaksea Light is less than 5 miles from theedge of the continental shelf.

This sudden shoaling results in a convergenceof currents setting around the spit. Someelectronic charts (we used Navionics onWindsong) show a NE current of up to 3 knotssetting down the eastern side of the spit andGarmins MapSource charts (above) indicateboth ooding and ebbing tides setting stronglyacross the spit.

SE swells and an ebbing tide of up to 2knots setting out of Hervey Bay, deliver a classic recipe forpotentially calamitous sea conditions and thats before you factor in local wind and weather conditions.

Our experience found that any wind with a W to NW component blowing above 20 knots, combinedwith the tide and swell conditions described above, create large, steep, confused, breaking seas aroundBreaksea Spit.

Dont take the ocial weather forecasts issued by BoM as a given. Saying that the conditions youare experiencing are not in the forecast wont make BoM change the forecast. Nor will it change theforecast to match the conditions you are experiencing.

Interpretation:If you encounter the above, suck it up, folks! Batten down the hatches and head for thenearest safe harbour.

After an experience like this, I have no desire to visit this particular stretch of water again, but thosewho do, forewarned is forearmed. Be well prepared for anything.


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Mal de Mar

Seasickness happens when the body, inner ear, and eyes all send dierent signals to the brain, resultingin confusion and queasiness. On land, the brain understands the movement of the body, but place iton a vessel where you can have several movements happening at the same time, and the inner ear is

screaming somethings wrong, whilst the brain is being told by the eyes that everything is stable. Thatswhen the trouble starts.

Over 90% of people who have been on any type of vessel will have suered from seasickness at sometime. The symptoms vary, but usually start with feeling tired, then you feel nauseous and if youre luckythats where it stops. But many unfortunate soulsprogress to extreme nausea, vomiting, dizziness,

headache, pallor and cold perspiration, and thatswhen you want to die! Fortunately for most peoplethe brain will eventually work out whats going on andyoull get your sea legs.

So, how can we prevent it?There are numerous products on the market,

from pills, patches, wristbands and oral sprays, allguaranteed to relieve you of your cash, but notnecessarily stop seasickness.

One thing is for sure: you musttake themedication (or remedy) well before you go aboard thevessel because once you start to feel unwell, its too

late to pop a pill.Over-the-counter medication such as

Dramamine or Bonine seem to suit most people,but make sure to take them before sailing. Patches

Mal de Mar. Three small French words that can turn even the toughest sailorinto a blubbering mess who just wants to die! Mal de Mar is French for motionsickness. Just the sound of it gives some people the wobbles, and seasicknessis the scourge of everyone that goes to sea. The following article will tryto explain what causes seasickness, what we can do to prevent it and somepossible cures once you are suering from it.

by Alan Hall

Commander, QF5


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placed behind the ear can work well, especially if they are combinedwith one of the aforementioned commercial products. Your doctor mayprescribe a stronger medication if it is felt you need it. The thing is touse whatever works for you and if youve been seasick before you willtry anything.

Other things that will help prevent the onset of Mal de Mar: Get a good nights sleep before embarking. Watch what you eat and avoid spicy and fatty foods.

Try to keep busy. If youre feeling unwell, have a steer of the boat(unless youre on a cruise liner of course!) Focus your eyes on the horizon when changing baits or just

cruising. Stay in the fresh air as much as possible; avoid the urge to unpack

until your settled. Avoid engine fumes, smelly sh bait, reading or studying the

compass for too long. Alcohol and smoking will only contribute to impending nausea. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

So, despite taking all the precautions, youstart to feel sick. What now?

Keep up your uid intake. Small sips to avoiddehydration will aid recovery, and maybe nibbleon a Sao biscuit. Keep warm and out of the sun,remember seasickness is not life threatening,(although you might wish it was) and it will pass,and when it does, youll wonder what all the fusswas about.

There are a few tried and trusted old-agecures which still have a place in todays modernworld. The best known being Ginger root. Recenttests have shown that powdered Ginger root

proved more eective than Dramamine. Worth atry!In the early stages of motion sickness, you

produce excess saliva, which dribbles into yourstomach making you nauseous. Olives producetannins, which dry up your mouth; lemons do thesame thing, so sucking on a couple of olives ora lemon may help diminish the symptoms. Colain some form may settle the stomach, and lastlya remedy the old sailors swear works: Pick upa newspaper and sni it, sounds ridiculous, butapparently theres something in the ink that calms a

dodgy tummy. So if youre going boating dontforget to take some ginger, some lemon, andsome olives all wrapped up in a newspaper andwash it down with some Coca Cola. If that doesntmake you ill, nothing will!

Back on dry land after spending the lastfew hours hanging over the rails feeding the sh,and youre feeling pretty sad for yourself. Sparea thought then for astronauts, a large proportionof whom suer with motion sickness. So what? Ihear you ask. Well, imagine that you know youre

just about to throw up, and realise that removingyour helmet is not an option!

Above:Ginger root isbelieved to act on the

gastro-intestinal tract. Sideeects are rare. However,some people may besensitive to the taste orexperience heartburn.Right:Wrist bands workby applying constant

pressure to an acupressurepoint on the underside ofthe lower arm.


24/36


by John GasparottoEditor, QF4

U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary ...

Brothers in Arms

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is an organization made up of volunteers who donate theirtime and their facilities (boats, aircraft and radios) to assist the U.S. Coast Guard. Their actions areauthorised by the Commandant in performing any Coast Guard function, power, duty, role, mission or

operation authorised by law. The Auxiliarys role does not extend to any Coast Guard military or direct lawenforcement missions.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was established as a non-military organisation composed of

citizens of the United States and its territories and possessions. Members must be seventeen years of ageor older, and are subject to a favorable Personnel Security Investigation. Facility (radio station, vessel, oraircraft) ownership and special skills are desirable, but not mandatory. All Ocer Cadets secure a sail on theUSCG sail training vessel Eagle.

The Auxiliary was created by an Act of Congress in 1939, and has grown to over 32,000 members whodaily support the Coast Guard in all its non-military and non-law-enforcement missions.

The Auxiliary has members and units in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, AmericanSamoa and Guam. In the United States, the Auxiliary is organised into 16 districts nationwide, comprised of171 divisions with approximately 980 otillas.

Auxiliary members conduct safety patrols on local waterways, assist in search and rescue, teachboating safety classes, conduct free vessel safety checks for the public, provide boating safety literature to

dealers, as well as many other activities related to recreational boating safety.The Coast Guard considers the Auxiliary its primary resource for recreational boating safety outreachand prevention, and each Coast Guard district around the country has established a senior ocer and stato provide tight liaison and coordination between the active-duty Coast Guard and the various Auxiliaryunits in that district.

In many inland areas of the country, where the majority of U.S. recreational boating occurs on lakesand rivers, the Auxiliary is the sole Coast Guard presence!

But the Auxiliary is more thanrecreational boating safety; itregularly serves alongside theiractive-duty shipmates serving ascommunications watch standers,uninspected passenger vesselinspectors,training resourcesfor air and sea operations,numerous duties related toenvironmental protection andhomeland security, and even aschefs! In fact, there are nearly two dozen qualications open tothesevolunteers willing to put in thetime and training.

Collectively,they volunteer over 4.5 million hoursper year and complete nearly 500,000 missions atrue force multiplier for the U.S. Coast Guard!


25/36


Shipwreck Tales:TSS Palmer

In the Spring issue, we told the story of the wreck of the TSS Ceratodusin the Great Sandy Strait. This

issue, we continue that theme with a brief history of another wreck in the same area, the TSS Palmer.

Story & Photos by Jon CollessRadio Ocer, QF21

T

he second shipwreck to be found in the Great Sandy Strait is that of the Palmer, located in DeepCreek, about a half mile south of Ungowa.

The Palmerwas launched in Paisley, Scotland, in May 1884 by J.Fullerton and Company. She

was 140.2 feet long, 26 feet beam and 8.2 feet draft, 298 gross tons, 164 nett tons, built of steel, with twinscrews.

She was built for the Australasian Steam Navigation Company, which was taken over by the AustralianUnited Steam Navigation company on its formation in 1887. Palmersteamed for some time on the feedermail service linking Townsville, where she took on passengers and cargo from the SS Bingera, to outpostsnorth of Cooktown, until sold to the Victorian Shipping Company in April 1920 to trade out of Melbourne.

In 1924, she was brought back to Queensland by Burkes for the run between Brisbane and theRichmond River in Northern New South Wales. She plied this route until 1927 when she was sold toCleghorn Hopkins and converted to a lighter for the timber trade in the Maryborough region.

Her nal owner, Charlie Mathieson, bought and converted her into a dumb barge with a grab todredge and carry gravel from Woody Island to Urangan for road base. She also carried various cargos for

Fraser Island.Some time around 1942, the Navy attempted to requisition her. However, Mathieson chose toabandon her in Deep Creek rather than surrenderher. The story goes that he knocked holes in herbottom with an axe. Whatever the truth, she stilllies where she was abandoned.

The main photo shows a stern view ofthe wreck. The photo below shows the remainsof the Deep Creek timber loading ramp in theforeground, with the Palmerlying behind themangroves, about 100 metres from the upstreamend of the ramp.

Material sourced from: Wrecks on theQueenlsand Coast;Wreck Collectionsby LancePeterson, and History of the AUSN Co.


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Clockwise from the topleft:Bad wiring; Burntwiring; Corroded batteryterminals; Terminalcorrosion.

Brown Smell!by Ian CranneyVessel Maintenance Ocer, QF6

No, not the smell you get from your crew after a particularly exciting bar crossing. The term Brown

Smell usually describes the aroma that drifts up from overheated electrical components. At worstcase, this can result in a re on board or just some heat from a bad wiring connection.Apart from failure of some tted equipment, the smell is usually caused by the insulation on

overheated electrical components. The heat is quite often generated by resistance from a bad connectioncreated by corrosion caused by our wonderful operating environment.

Probably the best place to start is the beginning. The majority of call outs at QF6 are fuel or batteryrelated. I have written about fuel in a previous article, so now I will cover some basic maintenance andpreventative action to minimise electrical issues.

Using properly designed marine batteries, securely tted and kept charged, will usually avoid thefailed battery problem. (I have had an expert tell me, just after we towed him in with a failed batteryproblem, that marine batteries were just automotive batteries with a dierent label. He didnt want tohear about better mounted and heavier plates, let alone the cost of gel-lled units). Keep the terminals on

your engine and house batteries clean and tight. Some recommend covering the terminals with grease orVaseline, but I nd spraying with Lanoline better and it makes less mess. Lanolin is a good general purpose,water repellent lubricant to keep on your vessel as it wont dry out like some other spray on products.

This leads on to the next most common electrical issue. Our wonderfulmarine environment and electricity is not a match made in heaven. Damp air, saltand other contaminants, combined with electricity, will promote corrosion. Somecan be easily spotted, such as earthing or bonding points throughout the hull.The less obvious problem is usually hiding under the cabling insulation. This isusually noticed at joins in the harness and can be identied by a discolourationof the insulation near the connectors. This discolouration is from heat caused byresistance to electrical current from corrosion of the connector and wiring. Guess

the origin of the brown smell in the heading ... Hot plastic or some other formof insulation.Before you get a burnout, your fuse or circuit breaker should save the

system. Always carry a selection of fuses in your well organised tool-kit andreplace with the same rated fuse. These are a safety device to protect thesystem, so if they keep popping, take your multimeter out of your toolbox andstart looking.

If the connector and wiring shows signs of being the issue, replaceany discoloured connector/s and wiring. The best way is to replace the cablealtogether. Always use a multi-strand tinned wire of the correct gauge. Too smalla gauge will result in voltage drop which means you wont get the power youneed at the business end. Dull lights probably arent much of a problem, butif your GPS keeps dropping out, thats not much fun. There is an internationalcolour code for wiring, but I nd it is best to replace same with same. It is a bighelp when trying to trace a fault when the wiring in the vessel matches the wiringdiagram.

It never hurts to wash the engine down with fresh water after a trip, butthis should only be done when the engine is cold. A light spray of Lanolin overthe outside of the connectors will help keep the salt water out.

This is just a quick overview of operator level maintenance. If youralternator belt is still in place and the no charge indicator is showing, not muchcan be done outside of a workshop. If the solenoid on your starter is kicking inbut the starter is not turning, the battery is OK and the connections are good -

another workshop job.The most important thing is to know your limits. Owner/operators who

discover their limits halfway into the repair are good for business. It usually takeslonger to diagnose and repair than if we can start at the beginning.

Have fun and enjoy your boat.


27/36


Preserving Lifeby Julie HartwigEditor, QF17

Alife jacket or Personal Flotation Device (PFD) may be dened as a garment or device which, when

correctly worn, will provide the user with a specic amount of buoyancy which will increase thelikelihood of survival.The terms life jacket and PFD are generally interchangeable. However, the terms may be used

specically to dene a particular class of life jacket (e.g. coastal life jacket or PFD Type 1).Life jackets and PFDs have developed along with new materials and design ideas. They range from

the bulky SOLAS life jackets you wear at drills on a passenger ship to fashion items worn by water skiers.Niche markets are catering for 275 Newton otation inatables designed to keep a worker and his tool beltaoat, to 50 Newton jackets with drinking water containers attached for kayakers. There are PFDs for alloccasions. Yet lives are still lost for the want of a readily available and serviceable life jacket.A life jacket wont save your life if youre not wearing itDeaths in Queensland waters have been steadily declining from 14 deaths in 2009 to just 6 in 2014. TheMaritime Safety Queensland report Marine Incidents in Queensland - 2014states that the 5 people who

died (reported incidents) were all in charge of a Queensland regulated ship at the time the incident occurred.Two of these cases involved motorboats, 2 involved PWC and the fth involved a paddled boat. In each case,the vessel was appropriately registered and the master appropriately licensed. Two deaths were the result ofcapsizing, 2 were the result of person overboard incidents and the fth was the result of a collision with anobject. Four of the masters drowned, one while wearing a life jacket. The fth master, who was also wearing alife jacket, died from injuries.

Looking at these gures with regards to the eectiveness of life jacket use, 3 out of 5 fatalities werenot wearing life jackets at the time of the incident. These statistics show that individuals can take steps toensure their own safety and the safety of this companions when at sea.

Compliance with PFD standards and servicing requirements, and wearing a life jacket at times ofheightened risk increases a persons chance of survival should an incident occur. What these statistics do

not reveal is the loss to families and communities when lives are lost.A recent drowning incident in Tin Can Bay highlighted this. A father and son set out in their 3.5mtinnie. The weather forecast included a strong wind warning for local waters that had been in place forseveral days. The vessel was operating in smooth waters, yet was still capsized by rough seas. The sonleft his father clinging to the upturned hull and swam to shore for assistance. Upon returning to the lastknown location of the upturned boat, no sign of either the boat or man were found, though items from theboat were found in the water. A search was initiated and the mans body was located a short time later. It isbelieved neither man was wearing a life jacket.Youre the Skipper - Youre ResponsibleThe Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulations require: A life jacket or PFD to be carried for every person on board with very few exceptions That PFDs are worn by certain persons on certain vessels in certain

heightened risk situations That life jackets and PFDs comply with certain standards That the type of jacket to be carried depends on the class of ship and

operating area That inatable PFDs are serviced on a regular basis according to the

manufacturers recommendations.Be prepared for the unexpected - Wear your life jacketApart from the mandatory wearing requirements in the regulation, wearinga life jacket is also strongly recommended: In any emergency situation At the rst sign of bad weather

At night or when visibility is restricted When boating in unfamiliar waters When operating in a following sea By persons who are poor swimmers When boating alone.

Andrew Symonds

(former Australian cricketer):One minute we hit a wave and the next wewere in the water. Swimming more than akilometre without a life jacket taught me thehard way - be prepared and wear a life jacket.


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History of Ships:

HM Bark EndeavourCompiled by Julie HartwigEditor, QF17

HM Bark Endeavourwas a Royal Navy research vessel commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on hisrst voyage of discovery to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771.Construction

Built by Thomas Fishburn and launched at the coaland whaling port of Whitby in North Yorkshirein June, 1764, as the merchant collier Earl ofPembroke. She was ship-rigged and sturdily builtwith a broad, at bow, a square stern, and a longbox-like body with a deep hold.

The at-bottomed design made her well-suited to sailing in shallow waters and allowed herto be beached for loading and unloading of cargoand for basic repairs without requiring a dry dock.Her hull, internal oors, and futtocks were builtfrom traditional white oak, her keel and stern postfrom elm, and her masts from pine and r. Plans ofthe ship also show a double keelson to lock the keel, oors and frames in place.Purchase and Reft by the Admiralty

On 16 February, 1768, the Royal Society petitioned King George III to nance a scientic expedition to theSouth Pacic to study and observe the Transit of Venus across the sun in 1769. Royal approval was grantedfor the expedition, and the Admiralty elected to combine the scientic voyage with a condential missionto search the South Pacic for signs of the continent Terra Australis Incognita(or "unknown southern land").

The Royal Society suggested command be given to Scottish geographer, Alexander Dalrymple, whoseacceptance was conditional on a brevet commission as a captain in the Royal Navy. However, First Lord ofthe Admiralty, Edward Hawke, refused, saying he would rather cut o his right hand than give commandof a Royal Navy vessel to someone not educated as a seaman. In refusing Dalrymple's command, Hawkewas inuenced by previous incidences of insubordination aboard the sloop HMS Paramourin 1698, whennaval ocers had refused to take orders from civilian commander Dr. Edmond Halley. The impasse wasbroken when the Admiralty proposed James Cook, a naval ocer with a background in mathematics and

cartography. Acceptable to both parties, Cook was promoted to lieutenant and named as commander ofthe expedition.On 27 May, 1768, Cook took command of the Earl of Pembroke, valued in March at 2,307. 5s. 6d.,

but ultimately purchased by the Royal Navy for 2,840. 10s. 11d., and assigned for use in the Society'sexpedition. She was retted at Deptford on the River Thames for the sum of 2,294, almost the purchaseprice of the ship itself. The hull was sheathed and caulked to protect against shipworm, and a third internaldeck was installed to provide cabins, a powder magazine and storerooms. The new cabins provided 22square feet of accommodation each for naturalist Joseph Banks, Banks assistants Daniel Solander andHerman Spring, astronomer Charles Green, and artists Sydney Parkinson and Alexander Buchan.

A longboat, pinnace and yawl were provided as ship's boats, though the longboat was rotten and hadto be rebuilt. These boats were accompanied by two privately owned skis, one belonging to the boatswainJohn Gathrey, and the other to Banks. The ship was also equipped with a set of 28ft (8.5 m) sweeps to allow

her to be rowed if becalmed or dismasted. The retted vessel was commissioned as His Majesty's BarkEndeavour, to distinguish her from the 4-gun cutter HMS Endeavour.

On 21 July, 1768, Endeavoursailed to Galleon's Reach to take on ten 4-pounder cannons to protecther against potentially hostile Pacic island natives. Six cannon were mounted on the upper deck and the

Above:Earl of Pembrokeleaving Whitby Harbour, 1768.Painting by Thomas Luny.


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remainder stowed in the hold. Twelve swivel gunswere also supplied and xed to posts along thequarterdeck, sides and bow.

The ship departed Deptford for Plymouth on30 July, for provisioning and to board her crew whichincluded twelve Royal Marines and eleven civilians.Cook also ordered that twelve tons of pig iron bebrought on board as sailing ballast.

VOYAGE OF DISCOVERYEndeavourdeparted Plymouth on 26 August, 1768,carrying 94 people and provisions for 18 months.Livestock on board included pigs, poultry, twogreyhounds and a milking goat.

The rst port of call was Funchal in the MadeiraIslands, which Endeavourreached on 12 September.The ship was recaulked and painted, and fresh

vegetables, beef and water were brought aboard for the next leg of the voyage. While in port, an accidentcost the life of Master's Mate Robert Weir, who became entangled in the anchor cable and was draggedoverboard when the anchor was released. To replace him, Cook shanghaied a sailor from an American sloopanchored nearby.

Endeavourcontinued south along the coast of Africa then crossed the Atlantic to South America,arriving in Rio de Janeiro on 13 November, 1768. Fresh food and water were brought aboard and theship departed for Cape Horn. Stormy weather greeted their arrival o the Cape on 13 January, 1769, andattempts to round the Cape over the next two days were unsuccessful and saw Endeavourrepeatedly drivenback by wind, rain and contrary tides. Cook noted that the seas o the Cape were large enough to regularlysubmerge the bow of the ship as she rode down the crests of waves.

On 16 January, the wind conditions eased and the ship was able to round the Cape and anchor in theBay of Good Success on South Americas Pacic coast. The crew went ashore to collect wood and water,while Banks and his team gathered hundreds of plant specimens from along the icy shore. On 17 January,two of Banks' servants died from cold while attempting to return to the ship during a heavy snowstorm.

Endeavourresumed her voyage on 21 January, 1769, heading west-northwest into the South

Pacic. She reached Tahiti on 10 April, and remained there for the next three months. The transit of Venusacross the Sun occurred on 3 June, and was observed and recorded by astronomer Charles Green fromEndeavour'sdeck.Pacifc ExplorationWith the Transit observed, Endeavourdeparted Tahiti on 13 July, 1769 and headed northwest to allow Cookto survey and name the Society Islands. Landfall was made at the islands of Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora,providing opportunities for Cook to claim each of them as British territories. However, an attempt to landthe pinnace on Rurutu in the Austral Islands was thwarted by rough surf and the rocky shoreline. On 15August, Endeavournally turned south to explore the open ocean in her search for Terra Australis Incognita.

In October, 1769, Endeavourreached the coastline of New Zealand, becoming the rst Europeanvessel to do so since Abel Tasman's Heemskerckin 1642. Unfamiliar with such ships, the Mori people atCook's rst landing point in Poverty Bay thought the ship was a oating island, or a gigantic bird from theirmythical homeland of Hawaiki.

Endeavourspent the next six months sailing close to shore, while Cook mapped the coastline and

Above:Endeavourdeparting Plymouth, 26 August, 1768.Painting by Geo Hunt.

Left:Endeavourtrack chart by

James Cook(1728-1779) andW.J.L. Wharton.


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concluded that New Zealand comprised twolarge islands and was not the hoped-for TerraAustralis. In March 1770, the longboat fromEndeavourcarried Cook ashore to allow him toformally proclaim British sovereignty over NewZealand. On his return, Endeavourresumed hervoyage westward, her crew sighting the east coastof Australia on 19 April, 1770. On 29 April, she

became the rst European vessel to make landfallon the east coast of Australia, when Cook landedone of the ship's boats on the southern shore ofwhat became known as Botany Bay, New SouthWales.ShipwreckFor the next four months, Endeavourheadedgenerally northward while Cook charted theeast coast of Australia. Just before 11 pm on 11June, 1770, the ship struck a reef (today calledEndeavour Reef) within the Great Barrier Reefsystem. The sails were immediately taken down, akedging anchor set and an unsuccessful attemptwas made to drag the ship back to open water. Thereef Endeavourhad struck rose so steeply from theseabed that although the ship was hard aground,Cook measured depths up to 70 feet (21 m) lessthan one ship's length away.

Cook then ordered that the ship be lightenedto help her oat o the reef. Iron and stoneballast, spoiled stores and all but four of the ship'sguns were thrown overboard, and the ship's drinking water pumped out. The crew attached buoys to thediscarded guns with the intention of retrieving them later, but this proved impractical. Every man on board

took turns on the pumps, including Cook and Banks.When, by Cook's reckoning, about 40 to 50 tons of equipment had been thrown overboard, a second

unsuccessful attempt was made to pull the ship free on the next high tide. On the afternoon of 12 June,the longboat carried out two large bower anchors, and block and tackle were rigged to the anchor chainsto allow another attempt on the evening high tide. The ship had started to take on water through a hole inher hull. Although the leak would certainly increase once o the reef, Cook decided to risk the attempt andat 10:20 pm, the ship was oated on the tide and successfully drawn o. The anchors were retrieved, exceptfor one which could not be freed from the seabed and had to be abandoned.

As expected, the ship began to take on more water once o the reef, and all three working pumpshad to be continually manned. The prospects if the ship sank were grim. The vessel was 24 miles (39 km)from shore and the three ship's boats could not carry the entire crew. Despite this, Joseph Banks noted inhis journal the calm eciency of the crew in the face of danger, contrary to stories he had heard of seamenpanicking or refusing to obey orders in such circumstances.

Midshipman Jonathon Monkhouse had previously served on a merchant ship and proposed fotheringthe hole in the ships hull. He was entrusted with supervising the task of sewing bits of oakum and woolinto an old sail, which was then drawn under the ship to allow water pressure to force it into the hole inthe hull. The eort succeeded and soon, very little water was entering, allowing the crew to stop two of thethree pumps.

Endeavourthen resumed her course northward and parallel to the reef, the crew looking for a safeharbour in which to make repairs. On 13 June, the ship came to a broad watercourse that Cook named theEndeavour River. Cook attempted to enter the river mouth, but strong winds and rain prevented Endeavourfrom crossing the bar until the morning of 17 June. She grounded briey on a sand spit but was reoatedan hour later and warped into the river proper by early afternoon. The ship was promptly beached on the

southern bank and careened to make repairs to the hull. Torn sails and rigging were also replaced and thehull scraped free of barnacles.

An examination of the hull showed that a piece of coral the size of a man's st had sliced cleanthrough the timbers and then broken o. Surrounded by pieces of oakum from the fother, this coralfragment had helped plug the hole in the hull and preserved the ship from sinking on the reef.

Above:Endeavourapproaching New Zealand, 1769.

Above:HM Bark Endeavouro the coast of New Holland, 1770.Paining by Samuel Atkins.


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Northward to BataviaAfter waiting for the wind, Endeavourresumed her voyage on the afternoonof 5 August, 1770, and reached thenorthernmost point at Cape YorkPeninsula fteen days later. On 22August, Cook was rowed ashore to asmall coastal island to proclaim British

sovereignty over the eastern Australianmainland. Cook christened the landingplace Possession Island.

Endeavourthen resumed hervoyage westward along the coast,picking a path through intermittentshoals and reefs with the help of thepinnace, which was rowed ahead to testthe water depth. By 26 August, she wasout of sight of land, and had enteredTorres Strait between Australia and NewGuinea, rst navigated by Luis Vez

de Torres in 1606. To keep Endeavour'svoyages and discoveries secret, Cook conscated the log books and journals of all on board and orderedthem to remain silent about where they had been.

After a three-day layover o the island of Savu, Endeavoursailed on to Batavia (now Jakarta), thecapital of the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), arriving there on 10 October. A day later, lightning during asudden tropical storm struck the ship, but the rudimentary "electric chain" or lightning rod that Cook hadordered rigged to Endeavoursmast, saved her from serious damage.

The ship remained in very poor condition following her grounding on the Great Barrier Reef. Theship's carpenter, John Seetterly, observed that she was "very leaky makes from twelve to six inchesan hour, occasioned by her main keel being wounded in many places, false keel gone from beyond themidships. Wounded on her larbordside where the greatest leak is, but I could not come at it for the water."

An inspection of the hull revealed that some unrepaired planks were cut through to within inch (3 mm).Cook noted it was a "surprise to everyone who saw her bottom how we had kept her above water" for theprevious three-month voyage across open seas.

After riding at anchor for two weeks, Endeavourwas heaved out of the water on 9 November and laidon her side for repairs. Some damaged timbers were found to be infested with shipworms, which requiredcareful removal to ensure they did not spread throughout the hull. Broken timbers were replaced and thehull recaulked, scraped of shellsh and marine growth, and repainted. Finally, the rigging and pumps wererenewed and fresh stores brought aboard for the return journey to England. Repairs and replenishmentwere completed by Christmas Day 1770, and the next day, Endeavourweighed anchor and set sail westwardtowards the Indian Ocean.Return voyageThough Endeavourwas now in good condition, her crew were not. During the ship's stay in Batavia, all but10 of the 93 people aboard had been taken ill with malaria and dysentery. By the time Endeavourset sailon 26 December, seven crew members had died and another forty were too sick to attend their duties.Over the following twelve weeks, a further 23 died from disease and were buried at sea, including Spring,Green, Parkinson, and the ship's surgeon, William Monkhouse.

Cook attributed the sickness to polluted drinking water, and ordered that it be puried with limejuice, but this had little eect. Jonathan Monkhouse, who had proposed fothering the ship to save her fromsinking on the reef, died on 6 February, followed six days later by the ship's carpenter John Seetterly, whoseskilled repair work in Cooktown and Batavia had allowed Endeavourto continue her voyage. The healthof the surviving crew members then slowly improved as the month progressed, with the last deaths fromdisease being three ordinary seamen on 27 February.

On 13 March, 1771, Endeavour rounded the Cape of Good Hope and two days later, made port in

Cape Town. Those still sick were taken ashore for treatment. The ship remained in port for four weeksawaiting the recovery of the crew and undergoing minor repairs to her masts. On 15 April, the sick werebrought back on board along with ten recruits from Cape Town, and Endeavourresumed her homewardvoyage. The English mainland was sighted on 10 July and Endeavourentered the port of Dover two days

Above:HM Bark Endeavourcareened on the banks of the Endeavour Rive,June 1770. Painting by Tim Johnson.


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later.Approximately one month after his return,

Cook was promoted to the rank of Commander,and by November 1771, was in receipt of AdmiraltyOrders for a second voyage of discovery to theSouth Pacic and Antarctica, this time aboard HMSResolution. He also commanded HMS Resolutionon athird voyage of discovery which departed England in

1776, but Cook was killed during an altercation withHawaiians at Kealakekua Bay on 14 February, 1779.Later ServiceWhile Cook was feted for his successful voyage,Endeavourwas largely forgotten. Within a week ofher return to England, she was directed to WoolwichDockyard for retting as a naval transport. Underthe command of Lieutenant James Gordon, she thenmade two voyages to the Falkland Islands, the rst to deliver provisions and the second to bring home theBritish garrison. She was paid o in September 1774, and in March 1775, was sold by the Navy to shippingmagnate J. Mather for 645.

Mather renamed the increasingly decrepit ship Lord Sandwichand returned her to sea for acommercial voyage to Archangel in Russia. Later in 1775, he was asked by the Admiralty to provide a shipto transport soldiers to North America during the American War of Independence. Mather oered to returnthe ageing Lord Sandwichto military service, but her condition was so poor that in December 1775 she wasdeclared unseaworthy. After extensive repairs, the ship was nally accepted as a troop transport in February1776 and embarked a contingent of Hessian mercenaries bound for New York and Rhode Island.

After delivering her mercenary cargo, Lord Sandwich sailed to Newport, Rhode Island, where she wasretained at anchor and was intermittently used as a prison ship under the British ag.Final Resting PlaceEndeavoursend came in August 1778, when the British settlement at Narragansett Bay was threatened bya eet carrying French soldiers. The British commander, Captain John Brisbane, determined to blockade thebay by sinking surplus vessels at its mouth. Between 3 and 6 August, a eet of Royal Navy and private craft,

including Lord Sandwich, were scuttled at various locations in the Bay.The owners of the sunken vessels were compensated by the British government for the loss

their ships. The Admiralty valuation for 10 of the sunken vessels recorded that many had been built inYorkshire, and the details of the Lord Sandwichtransport matched those of the former Endeavourincludingconstruction in Whitby, a burthen of 368 71/94 tons, and re-entry into Navy service on 10 February 1776.

In 1834, a letter appeared in the Providence Journal of Rhode Island, drawing attention to thepossible presence of the former Endeavouron the seabed of the bay. This was swiftly disputed by theBritish Consul in Rhode Island, who claimed that Endeavourhad been bought from Mather by the Frenchin 1790 and renamed La Liberte. The Consul later admitted he had not heard this from the Admiralty, butas hearsay from the former owners of the French ship. It was later suggested La Liberte, which sank oNewport in 1793, was in fact another of Cook's ships, the former HMS Resolution, or a naval schooner ofthe same name sold out of service in 1782. A further letter to the Providence Journal stated that a retiredEnglish sailor was conducting guided tours of a hulk on the River Thames as late as 1825, claiming that theship had once been Cook's Endeavour.

In 1991, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) began research into the identity ofthe thirteen transports sunk as part of the Newport blockade of 1778, including the Lord Sandwich. In 1999,RIMAP discovered documents in the Public Record Oce (now called the National Archives) in Londonconrming that Endeavourhad been renamed Lord Sandwich, had served as a troop transport to NorthAmerica, and had been scuttled at Newport as part of the 1778 eet of transports.

In 1999, a combined research team from RIMAP and the Australian National Maritime Museumexamined some known wrecks in the harbour and in 2000, RIMAP and the ANMM examined a site thatappeared to be one of the blockade vessels, partly covered by

Rescue Magazine QF4 Summer 2015

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