Caloundra Coast Guard Rescue Magazine Autumn Edition

Autumn 2014 | QF4 Caloundra Edition
This issue ...

QF4 News | Caloundra Rescue | Australian Customs Bay to Bay Race | Keeping Your Cool | Buying a Boat Radar - Part 3 | Tall Tales | Check Your Boat Fittings Shipwreck Tales - MV Cherry Venture | Caloundra Tides
1 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
The Official Magazine of AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron
CONTENTS
05 10 14
AUTUMN 2014 | ISSUE 5 QF4 Caloundra Edition
16
19
22
24
26
28 04 EDITORS CORNER 05 FLOTILLA NEWS Latest news from QF4 10 SQUADRON NEWS
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32 20 CALOUNDRA TIDES 22 KEEPING YOUR COOL 12V fridges verses iceboxes 24 MESSING ABOUT IN BOATS Buyer beware! The romance

37 30 CHECK YOUR FITTINGS!

Without maintenance your boat may not be in as good a condition as you think
14 CALOUNDRA RESCUE QF4 commission their new

primary rescue vessel, Caloundra Rescue
of owning a boat may not be all its cracked up to be ...
31 TUNCUN STAR 20 years on, rescuing boaties in

trouble hasnt changed much
16 AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS How boaties can help protect

Australias borders
26 RADAR Part 3 of Gary Pipers series

32 SHIPWRECK TALES MV Cherry Venture 37 THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE 38 SQUADRON CONTACTS
looks at the components of Radar systems
19 BAY TO BAY YACHT RACE Preview of the 34th running of

this iconic trailer yacht race
28 TALL TALES AND TRUE ... How incorrect navigation

information affects rescue
This issues cover: Caloundra Rescue crosses the Caloundra Bar during a training exercise. Photo by John Gasparotto 3 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
PUBLISHING INFORMATION Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is published quarterly by AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron. Copies are available from QF4 Caloundra, QF6 Mooloolaba, QF5 Noosa, QF17 Tin Can Bay and QF21 Sandy Straits. Please contact the Flotilla. Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is available via email. To join the emailing list, please contact the flotilla representative for your area. Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast is also available via download. Visit the flotillas page on the Coast Guard website at www.coastguard.com.au. For advertising enquiries, please contact the flotilla representative for your area.
Editors Corner
EDITOR: Vice Captain Julie Hartwig Ph: 07 5486 4014 M: 0498 377 402 E: editor.sc@coastguard.com.au P: 2A Bass St, Tin Can Bay, Qld 4580 Flotilla Editors: QF4 Caloundra: John Gasparotto E: john.gasparotto@coastguard.com.au QF5 Noosa: Christian Dearnaley E: christian.dearnaley@coastguard.com.au QF6 Mooloolaba: Wendy Wilson E: wendy.wilson@coastguard.com.au QF17 Tin Can Bay: Julie Hartwig E: julie.hartwig@coastguard.com.au QF21 Sandy Strait: Kate Houley E: khouley1@hotmail.com
elcome to the Autumn edition of Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast. Well, summer is over for another year and apart from the odd days here and there, its been a comparatively quiet season for boating. In part, this is due to the abysmal weather that has prevailed for much of the summer, keeping boaties at home in front of the telly watching the cricket, nursing a cold tinnie instead of a fishing rod. Heres hoping the cooler seasons bring better tidings from the weather gods. Of course, fewer boats on the water means our radio rooms have been much quieter with less traffic logging on, and our boat crews have had fewer calls for assistance. The up side of this is that our flotillas have had plenty of training opportunities to ensure that our boat crews continue to be fully prepared when the calls for assistance do come in. Further to this, a new training package is now hull up on the horizon, so our boat crews will be spending more time on the water upgrading their skills to even higher levels of competency. What this means for the boating public is a continuing peace of mind that when you call for help, a professional, highly-skilled team will be there to assist you. With the afore-mentioned quietness on the operational front, stories of derring-do in the yellow boats have been a bit thin on the ground. However, weve managed to assemble another great selection of boating stories, starting off with the commissioning of QF4 Caloundras new $620,000 primary rescue vessel. We take at look at that often berated agency, Australian Customs, and discover how recreational boaties can help Customs protect Australias borders. We preview the iconic Bay to Bay Yacht Race and delve into a bit of maritime history with a look at the fateful voyage of the MV Cherry Venture, wrecked on Teewah Beach forty years ago. On the technical front, we check out the choices in fridges and iceboxes and get a few tips on how to go about buying your first boat. We learn the importance of checking the fittings on your boat and examine the bits and pieces that make up a marine radar unit. In addition, we have a selection of assist stories and all the regular news and views from your local flotilla. Enjoy the read and stay safe on the water!
Disclaimer: Whilst every care is taken by the Editor to minimise errors, no responsibility is accepted for the accuracy or otherwise of contributions made by AVCGA members, and the information, images, illustrations and advertisements contained herein. Opinions expressed in articles in this publication are those of the authors. All content in this publications is published with the consent and approval of the Sunshine Coast Squadron Board. Copyright AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron, 2014
Julie Hartwig
Editor Vice Captain Publications Sunshine Coast Squadron
Visit Coast Guard on the web: www.coastguard.com.au 4 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
A Message to Our Readers ... Please Support our Advertisers The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association is a volunteer marine rescue organisation committed to saving lives at sea. AVCGA flotillas in the Sunshine Coast region receive minimal government funding and must engage in constant fundraising activities to keep our rescue vessels on the water, train our volunteer personnel and operate our rescue bases. The support of local and regional businesses is an essential part of our fundraising activities. When you shop at any of our advertisers, please tell them you saw their advertisement in Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast. Please support our advertisers because their support ensures the continuation of AVCGAs rescue services to boating communities on the Sunshine, Cooloola and Fraser Coasts.
Commanders Dispatches
ince the delivery of Caloundra Rescue, QF4 Coxswains have taken every opportunity to familiarise themselves with a vessel very different to any they have commanded in the past. Progress has been excellent, with all but two Coxswains endorsed to command the vessel, and this program expected to be finalised late this month. Concurrently this group has trained their crews to work the vessel, and finalised equipping her for operational duty. Training to enable endorsement of Restricted Coxswains has commenced, and this effort is cascading down satisfactorily. Caloundra Rescue 1 has been taken out of service and spruced up for sale. She will be advertised shortly the offers received so far do not meet expectation. The Boat Committee is reviewing the short and long-term future of Caloundra Rescue 2 and Caloundra Rescue 3. Negotiations continue with Superior Jetties on ensuring the operational effectiveness of the float lift. The Commissioning of Caloundra Rescue and her Naming Ceremony were conducted on 21st February. The function was well attended and was the final act in placing into service the Flotillas new primary rescue vessel. Consensus is the vessel does its builder proud and will capably serve the Flotilla and the boating public of the Sunshine Coast. The Open Day conducted on 22nd February provided an opportunity for the public to have a close look at Caloundra Rescue an opportunity taken by many! Members were kept busy managing the numbers and showing off the vessels features. While not a fundraiser, the day produced a healthy return while also boosting member numbers by nine and Associate Member numbers by three. 2014 marks 40 years since QF4 was founded. It also marks 40 years of continuous service by Dennis Blumenthal, founding member and still active as Base Radio Operator. A celebratory dinner will be held at the Power Boat Club in lieu of the usual Flotilla Meeting in April. Until next edition ... Safety by All Means! Tony Barker Above: Caloundra Rescue heading out across the Caloundra Commander, QF4 Bar during a recent training exercise. Photo by John Gasparotto
Training Officers Report

NEW VESSEL MEANS ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR ALL CREWS On 10th January 2014, QF4 took delivery of its new primary rescue vessel, Caloundra Rescue, a 10.3 metre Naiaddesigned monohull built by Yamba Welding and Engineering. She is a very different vessel to her predecessor, a seven metre Shark Cat powered by twin 150 hp outboard motors. The new vessel is powered by twin 4.2 litre 315hp Yanmar diesel engines driving two Hamilton 274 Water Jet drives The challenge facing QF4 is to retrain all its volunteer crewmembers to ensure they are familiar with the new vessel and to make certain the flotillas level of response is not only maintained but also, in the longer term, enhanced. Training of personnel has been implemented with a top-down approach, with the initial training focusing on the skippers and coxswains, many of whom went to Noosa to train on their vessel. Training subsequently cascaded through the ratings so that all crew members develop the knowledge and skills to fully utilise the enhanced functionality of the vessel. The vessel is stored on a dedicated boat lift which in turn is moored to the flotillas dedicated pontoon. This has necessitated training of crew in the operation and maintenance of the boat lift facility. The new vessel is markedly different in terms of draft, controls, handling and installed electronics, all of which have necessitated changes to QF4s training regime. To date, each of the four operational crews now have sufficient skills with the new vessel to enable its launching and operation on rostered crew days. As the vessel is totally different, all SOPs have had to be rewritten and different techniques for towing disabled boats had to be tried and evaluated. Echo crew was given this task recently and in rough conditions in Morton Bay set about towing Caloundra Rescue 2. Many different ways of attaching the towline to Caloundra Rescue were tried and evaluated; some worked, others did not. Bar training followed and soon all our helmsmen were confident about tackling bar crossings in the new vessel. Current training is well advanced and the new vessel is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of March. Graeme McKenzie Flotilla Training Officer, QF4
Top right: Caloundra Rescue tackles the notorious Caloundra Bar on its way to a towing exercise in Moreton Bay. Centre right: Skipper Roger Barnes keeps a close watch on the activities on the aft deck. Right: Commander Tony Barker (right) and Trevor Pitt attaching a towline. Far right: Greg Winn with safety harness attached to Caloundra Rescues duckboard prepares to tow Caloundra Rescue 2 while Trevour Pitt prepares to assist. Photos by John Gasparotto 6 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
Radio Messages
he period has been fairly quiet, with thankfully no major incidents to report. QF4 has developed a How To card to assist skippers (thats anyone responsible for a vessel at any time) logging on with QF4 so our Radio Operators can watch out for you whilst you are on the water. We handed these out at our recent Open Day - they were well received and created a good deal of interest. If you would like one call us 5491 3533 and we will email or post it to you. Associate Members will shortly receive a request to update your personal and vessel details. Please consider this request and advise QF4 on the form provided of any change it is important our Radio Operators have current and correct details if we are called on to assist you. There are still recruitment opportunities for prospective Base Radio Operators. Please contact me if interested or if you have questions. The Flotilla has recently benefited from two trainees qualifying and other members are working hard towards that goal. QF4s objective is to provide full-day support to boaties and for that we need more Radio Operators. Enjoy great views, good company and help support your community. Until next time safe boating, Christine Carter, Radio Section Leader, QF4
COAST GUARD CALOUNDRA CONTACT LIST

Headquarters........................(07) 5491 3533 For Boating Assistance......0429 913 533 Fax.............................................(07) 5491 7516 Postal Address......................PO Box 150, Caloundra 4551 Email (general enquiries).. qf4@coastguard.com.au National Web Site...............www.coastguard.com.au EXECUTIVE Commander Tony Barker E: fc.qf4@coastguard.com.au | Mob: 0439 913 533 Deputy Commander Peter Vaughan E: dfc.qf4@coastguard.com.au | Mob: 0439 913 522 Training Officer Graeme McKenzie E: fto.qf4@coastguard.com.au | Mob: 0458 913 522 Flotilla Purser Verity Hingston E: fp.qf4@coastguard.com.au | Mob: 0429 999 620
QF4 Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/caloundravolunteer coast guard-QF4
Quarterdeck News
COAST GUARD CALOUNDRA CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY WITH OPEN DAY
QF4s new primary rescue vessel, Caloundra Rescue, has been commissioned and will soon be ready to respond to emergency calls for assistance. To mark this event, Coast Guard Caloundra held a Family Open Day on Saturday February 22 to allow both residents and visitors to come and see this state-of-the art vessel and to help us celebrate our 40th Anniversary. Commander Tony Barker said, It was a great day filled with activities for both adults and children alike, and an excellent way to celebrate our 40th Anniversary and raise much needed funds. Not only was our vessel on display, but also an exhibition on Coast Guard Caloundra highlighting our history over the past 40 years. Glenda Mills and Trevor Pitt prepared the exhibit and the display attracted widespread interest from members and visitors alike. Well done Glenda and Trevor for all your efforts in preparing and manning this eye-catching display!
Top: Local residents and visitors alike paid us a visit. Above: The historical display attracted much interest.
Top: Glenda Mills and Trevor Pitt created an excellent and informative display. Above: Silvia Winn and Silvia Harrison manned the cake stall. Thanks to all the members who donated cakes for the stand.
All photos by John Gasparotto
Our own Verity Hingston and her team provided her Gourmet Cooking Made Easy demonstration. Her selection of fine spices attracted many of the food lovers in the crowd. Children were not forgotten; they enjoyed playing in a supervised jumping castle. As well as our regular boat raffle we also drew a raffle on the hour with lots of good prizes on offer. Silvia Winn and other volunteers manned a cake stall, which proved very popular, while the Bunnings sausage sizzle team kept the hunger pains at bay, offering sausages on bread for a gold coin donation, and tea, coffee and soft drinks kept the thirsty satisfied. Queensland Water Police made a surprise visit to see our new primary rescue vessel, Caloundra Rescue; they even offered to swap their vessel for our vessel, a swap that we quickly declined. North Coast Marines display also attracted interest from the boating fraternity. The day proved very successful raising muchneeded funds, as well as a number of applications for both regular and associate membership. John Gasparotto, QF4
Top: Visitors took the opportunity to see Caloundra Rescue up close. Above: Echo crew Coxswain Roger Barnes was more than happy to show visitors over Caloundra Rescue.
Top: Rod Ashlin (left) and Ian Hunt (right) from QF6 discuss the high-tech equipment installed in Caloundra Rescue with QF4s Deputy Commander Peter Vaughan (centre). Above: The QF4 headquarters on Open Day.
Squadron News
LOCAL MP SHOWS SUPPORT FOR QF5 The Honourable Member for Noosa and Queensland Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs, Glen Elmes, recently declared his support for QF5 by announcing that he would like to become a Patron for QF5. Mr Elmes said that he felt it would be the best way to support such a valuable community group. QF5 has been an integral part of the Noosa community since 1972 I have the utmost respect and admiration for the volunteer members who make up QF5, some of whom have chosen to take on a role that will at times put their own lives at risk in order to save others. For a volunteer to take on such a risk goes far beyond commendable, he said. QF5 Deputy Commander Alan Hall said QF5 looks forward to working with Mr Elmes on many subjects like fundraising and other important flotilla matters, where Mr Elmess experience and expertise will prove invaluable. Christian Deanaley, QF5
Right: Glen Elmes with QF5 Commander John Milland at the recent renaming of Rotary Rescue.
REVAMP FOR NOOSA RIVER BOAT RAMP Work has begun on the Albert Street boat ramp (closest to the tennis court) to improve the ramp and cut down wait times for the usually very busy facility. Local boaties should be aware of the work and make plans to use other ramps in the area because, while the other shallower ramp is open, parking for vehicles and trailers is reduced while the work continues. The work is scheduled to finish by mid-2014, at which point the ramp will be reopened with a new floating walkway for added safety. Christian Deanaley, QF5
Right: The Albert St boat ramp. The revamp will create a better facility for boaties launching in the Noosa River.
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Squadron News
QF6 HEADQUARTERS EXTENSION AND MEMORIAL WALL DEDICATION The morning of Tuesday 25th March saw a final burst of feverish activity at QF6 from a very dedicated group of volunteers preparing to host a ceremony that afternoon to mark the culmination of many years of determined planning and sheer hard work. Yes, at long last we had completed our massive Joint Community Project with the help of Rotary Clubs of Mooloolaba and Alex Headland. This project had completely transformed a dark, cramped and very overcrowded building. We were doubly excited as we had also completed our Memorial Wall project, built to mark the passing of those gone before. By 2.00 PM that afternoon, 150 invited guests had gathered upstairs in the newly extended meeting and Training Room, where QF6 Commander John Annabell greeted and welcomed all those present. He recognised special guests, Speaker of Queensland Parliament the Hon. Fiona Simpson MP and Qld Minister for everything Steve Dickson MP, before giving due recognition to so many people who had contributed to the projects magnificent success. Along with Rotary Club Presidents Phil Ballinger and Sue Quinn, Commander John then introduced two very special contributors: first Roger Wright of Wright Construction (who managed the entire construction gratis), and QF6 member Robert Bohn, who was Site Manager (and was on the job, hands-on for every aspect). Along with the essential support from Council and Qld Transport, MSQ and TMR, recognition was given to the local tradies and businessmen who had also jointly contributed so much and helped make this truly magnificent structure possible. Last (but far from least), came recognition for the volunteers at QF6 who had jointly contributed thousands of hours not only demolishing, cleaning up and rebuilding, but also performing the essential fundraising needed. It is worthy of note, that across the whole project only one grant was received and that was for $3,180 from Mayor Mark Jamiesons discretionary fund. The rest of the funds were donated, subsidised or provided at cost to QF6. The Hon. Fiona Simpson then addressed the gathering, before unveiling the plaque that dedicated the structure to her as it would never have happened without her. Much to his obvious surprise, the plaque also recognises Commander Johns commitment in driving the project. QF6 Chaplain Rev Nev Geddes proceeded to call for Gods blessing on the building and those who work in or from it. He also noted the appearance of His hand in this project already as being significant, because even God cannot help idiots. Minister for Sport and Recreation, Hon. Steve Dickson then addressed the gathering and stressed the absolute importance of volunteers in our community, before highlighting the special dedication of QF6 members in providing a 24/7 marine rescue service to the boating public and marine industry. The gathering then moved to the adjacent Penny Lane Park, where Hon. Fiona Simpson addressed those present before unveiling an appropriate plaque and inviting Rev Nev Geddes to call for Gods blessing on the memorial to those who have gone before. A very sociable gathering then met upstairs to enjoy a sumptuous repast and refreshments, concluding a most memorable day.
11
Squadron News
QF5 FAMILY OPEN DAY A RAGING SUCCESS
On Sunday January 12th, QF5 opened its doors to the public as part of the 2014 Family Open Day. Local groups and businesses including Rotary Noosa, Surf Lifesaving QLD, Ray Scholes Marine, Yamaha Australia and Davos Tackle World and many others, joined QF5 volunteers in welcoming well over 500 people through the gate. Members of the public were treated to a free sausage sizzle as well as free coffee and cake while they looked over QF5s rescue vessels, attended one of the many information seminars during the Local businesses exhibited their products in QF5s car day or simply sat and enjoyed the atmosphere, looking out over park. Photo by Bill Watson, Fishing Noosa. the beautiful Noosa River. The Water Police, Surf Lifesavers and the Noosa Outriggers also had their vessels on display, while the Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club came to the party by bringing down some sailboats and taking people out on the water. The fun didnt stop there; at 11am and 1pm all eyes were on skipper John Crotty as he set about giving a practical flare demonstration which filled the skies with brightly coloured smoke, demonstrating the correct way to use and then dispose of a marine flare.
QF5 vessels and the Water Police RIB were open for public inspection.
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Squadron News
Fifteen lucky door prizes were drawn throughout the day, as well as a major raffle at 3pm. By the end of the day, QF5 had handed out over $2000 worth of prizes, all generously donated by local businesses and organisations. The kids were also looked after with balloons, face painting and fun and games in the sand to find a lucky prize. There was also a guessing competition for the kids with one lucky youngster going home with a fantastic fishing pack. Deputy Commander Alan Hall voiced the thoughts of all QF5 members by saying the day was a resounding success. We wanted to show the community more of the job we do and I think it was a perfect day; we set out for it to be a family day and that worked out Above: QF5 members Andrew Smith, Geoff really well the kids really enjoyed themselves, he said. Jessop and Dick Patterson served up tasty Guests supported this feeling on the day, with event organisers snags. reporting overwhelming positive feedback. I had around 20 people come up to me on the day and comment on how good it had been and how much they and their families had enjoyed it, co-organiser Christian Dearnaley said. It was great to see people having a good time, enjoying the day and learning about Coast Guard and what we do. We couldnt have done it without all our regular sponsors, those who donated prizes for the day and all the local businesses like Davos and Ray Scholes Marine who brought along displays for the people to see, he said. QF5 wished to thank the following businesses for their generous support for the 2014 Family Open Day: Ray Scholes Marine, Davos Tackle World, Rotary Club of Noosa, the crew from Surf Life Savers Jetboat 3, MSQ, Yamaha Marine Australia, Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club, Noosa Outriggers, our Fantastic Odore Family Facepainters and the Sunshine Coast Water Police who all were present on the day and made the atmosphere and event terrific. Thanks to all of our supporters who donated products for our raffles and catering needs: Richies Bakery of Tewantin, Fishing Offshore Noosa, Noosa Charters, Noosa Bluewater Charters, Divine Dental, Noosa River Fishing Safaris, Noosa Cruising Restaurant, Noosa Thriller, Noosa River and Canal Cruises, Noosa Ferries, Noosa Civic Woolworths, Noosa Civic Shopping Centre, Noosa Village Woolworths, Tewantin Woolworths, Noosa Junction Coles and many others. Christian Dearnaley, QF5
13
Caloundra Rescue
Original members of Coast Guard Caloundra christen Caloundra Rescue by John Gasparotto Editor, QF4
n Friday 21 February, under a bright sunny sky, Coast Guard Caloundra commissioned its new state-of-the-art primary rescue vessel, Caloundra Rescue. In front of a large group of invited dignitaries, Commander Tony Barker of Coast Guard Caloundra introduced The Hon. Mark McArdle, the local member and Coast Guard Caloundras patron. In his speech, Mr McArdle told the audience it took over ten years of hard work by members fundraising to finance the building of the vessel. National Training Commodore and Sunshine Coast Squadron Commodore Robin Hood, then read the Naming and Commissioning Order before Deputy Commander Peter Vaughan hoisted the Australian and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard flags on the vessel. This was followed by the christening of the vessel by two of Coast Guard Caloundras founding members, Dennis Blumenthal and Graeme Sloan, who are both still active members with over 40 years of dedicated service to the boating community. It was the tragic death of a BOAC air hostess and the wife of a BOAC steward on the Caloundra Bar in 1973 which prompted the formation of the Caloundra Coast Guard, Dennis said. In September 1973, we were officially formed and had to use our own boats to carry out our patrols from Bulcock Beach out to the bar. Dennis used to house the first QF4 vessel at his home and his first crew member was his daughter Sharon. In the early days you used to get the calls from the Caloundra Signal Station which was located at the lighthouse up the hill from my home, and they called me out at all hours, Dennis added. It was hard to get crew members in the early morning, so I trained my 12-tear old daughter Sharon to assist me. Forty years on, Coast Guard Caloundra has upgraded from members using their own boats to the commissioning of its new high-tech vessel.
Above: Local MP and QF4 Patron, Mark McArdle, addresses the gathering at Caloundra Rescues commissioning ceremony. 14 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
Left: Peter Vaughan was given the honour of hoisting the Australian and AVCGA flags on the vessel.
Right: Dennis Blumenthal and Graeme Sloan, two of Coast Guard Caloundras founding members, were given the honour of christening Caloundra Rescue.
Above: Kathie Clarke and Bill Collingburn of Yamba Welding and Engineering present QF4s Deputy Commander Peter Vaughan and Commander Tony Barker with the ships bell.
Above: QF6 Chaplain Neville Geddes blessed the vessel and all crew members who will crew her.
After Dennis Blumenthal and Graeme Sloan named the vessel with the traditional bottle of champagne, Neville Geddes, Chaplain from QF6 Mooloolaba, blessed the vessel and all the crew members who will crew her. After the Commissioning ceremony was over Dick Waterer, a past Commander, was given the honour of unveiling the Waterer Wing at Coast Guard Caloundra. Dick was instrumental in building our headquarters.
Left: Dennis Blumenthal and his daughter Sharon attended the post launch celebrations.
Above: Dick Waterer unveils the Waterer Wing at the QF4 headquarters while official guests look on. 15 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
Australian Customs
Protecting Our Borders
Compiled by Julie Hartwig Editor, CGRSC

QF17 Tin Can Bay recently received a visit from Australian Customs officers from Bundaberg. The purpose of their visit was to brief Coast Guard members on Customs activities in the local area and to identify situations where Coast Guard can assist Customs.
ustralian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) is Australias frontline agency for monitoring the movement of goods, people, ships and aircraft into and out of Australia. The agency plays an important role in protecting Australias borders by intercepting potentially harmful people and products. In particular, Customs officers are involved in the fight to stop smuggling of drugs, people and weapons. Considering the vastness of Australias 37,000km coastline and the sparseness of the population in many areas of the coastline, this is a formidable task. Even with sophisticated technology and intelligence gathering, providing effective cover on a continual basis is a massive challenge. Threats to Australias Borders Most of us have probably heard or watched the TV programs about border security. But securing Australias borders consists of much more than monitoring the nations airports and ports. Australia is one of the largest countries in the world with a coastline of more than 37,000 km. In addition to land-based operations, Customs also patrols around 12 million square kilometres of inshore and offshore waters, protecting our borders from the entry of illegal and harmful goods and unauthorised people. Threats include people smuggling, illegal fishing, drugs, environmental and health threats, wildlife smuggling and weapons. How Customs Patrols Australias Borders Customs provides physical presence in regional and remote locations around Australia through a network of district offices. District officers monitor the movement of people and cargo through regional ports and provide operational bases for Coastwatch and marine surveillance activities. Customs officers in regional and remote locations also conduct patrols, often by 4WD and boat, talking to local communities. Coastwatch Customs undertake daily Coastwatch surveillance flights to detect and report potential illegal activity. Coastwatch operates a fleet of specialised aircraft and helicopters from bases in Broome, Darwin, Cairns and on Horn Island in the Torres Strait.
Far left: A Customs Officer briefs QF17 members on what suspicious activity to look out for in the Tin Can Bay area. Left: A Customs officer at sea. 16 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
Customs National Marine Unit The Customs National Marine Unit operates a fleet of eight Bay-class Customs patrol vessels. Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) operate around the Australian coast and up to 200 nautical miles offshore, conducting strategic patrols of high-risk areas and responding to reported or suspected border incursions. Customs also operates the armed patrol vessel, Ocean Protector, which is normally tasked to patrol against illegal fishing activity in Australias Exclusive Economic Zone in the Southern and Indian Oceans. Identifying Customs Aircraft and Vessels Coastwatch aircraft and vessels can be seen on patrol around any part of Australias coastline. Coastwatch aircraft are white and red and are clearly marked with the words Customs and the Customs Above: ACV Ocean Protector. badge. ACVs also carry Customs markings. Customs aircraft and ACVs will always identify themselves in radio communications. What to do if Contacted by Customs Coastwatch aircraft and vessels regularly contact vessels at sea. When calling, they will request the vessels name, the last port of call and the next port of call and the vessels port of registration. The initial call will be made on VHF Channel 16, with a change to a working channel after confirmation of the identity of the vessel being Above: Coastwatch aircraft heads off on patrol. called. Coastwatch aircraft may conduct low level passes a minimum of 100ft above sea level and 150ft abeam of the vessel to take photographs and positively identify a vessel. How You Can Help Customs relies on local communities to hep identify illegal activities at the border and along the coastline. The people who live in local communities know what is normal activity and what looks suspicious, whether it be on land, at sea or in the air. By being alert to suspicious activities, members of local communities can assist Customs by providing information about these activities. In some cases, this information may be the small piece of information that leads Customs to a successful operation. Customs encourage residents in local communities to report any apparently unlawful, unusual or suspicious activities. If any such activity is witness, it is important to act quickly - prompt action could make a difference. Residents are advised not to get involved - simply report what you see or hear. Dont risk your own safety by boarding foreign vessels or intervening in an incident, and its very important not to distrub or remove anything from a scene as this could destroy vital evidence. What to Look For Helping Customs protect Australias borders is as simple as being aware of your surroundings. People are encouraged to use their instincts and if something appears suspicious, report it. Customs takes all reports seriously. A range of activities could indicate potential illegal activities. As boaties, you can assist Customs by keeping an eye out for suspicious activities at sea. These include: Possible unauthorised landings by foreign vessels Merchant ships at anchor unusually close to land, islands or other vessels Vessels operating outside normal shipping lanes Ships signalling to or being met by small craft Yachts and pleasure craft in remote or unusual areas Anyone making landings in remote areas Unusual objects at sea or ashore (eg. Buoys, rubbish, signalling devices) Salvage operations on shipwrecks Vessels operating at night without lights Vessels apparently abandoned or left unattended for long periods of time Unusual activity on beaches or in remote areas Unexplained lights or signalling devices Vessels loading or unloading goods in unusual locations Cryptic or unusual radio messages People making cash purchases for large amounts of fuel or equipment not normally used in coastal boating activities. When to Call Customs Its important to record details of any incident you witness at the time of sighting or as soon as possible. Dont wait for office hours to call Customs. Prompt action could make a difference. The Customs hotline is available 24 hours a day.
What Information Does Customs Want? The time, date and place of the incident. If at sea, provide GPS coordinates if possible What you saw or heard A description of the people, and the transport involved (eg. Vessels, planes, vehicles) Registration numbers or call signs you saw or heard Any piece of information you can supply is valuable to Customs, but dont put yourself at risk to obtain information. What Happens When I Call Customs? Your call is taken by a trained operator at Customs 24-hour National Monitoring Centre. You may choose to provide your personal details in case call back is required, or you can remain anonymous. Either way, you will be asked to confirm as much detail as possible. Your information will be assessed quickly and passed on to operational areas within Customs for a response. In the case of reported sightings of foreign fishing vessels or other potentially harmful threats to Australias border, that response may include local Customs officers in vehicles or vessels, Coastwatch aircraft or helicopters, Australian Navy vessels, chartered boats or aircraft or other law enforcement agencies. Customs have produced a useful reporting guide for local, workers and travellers in regional and remote area. This guide contains information to help you decide what information is useful for Customs, how to record it and how to report suspicious activity. By reporting suspicious activity, you can help Customs to protect Australias borders. Contacting Customs To report suspicious activity, call the Customs Hotline on 1800 06 1800. Alternatively, you can contact your local district office. For more information about Australian Customs, visit www.customs.gov.au.
Above: After a lengthy investigation by the Australian Federal Police, AFP and Customs officers search the yacht Friday Freedom at Bundaberg Port Marina in November, 2011. 300kg of cocaine was concealed on board the vessel which entered Australia as a participant in the Port to Port Yacht Rally from Port Vila in Vanuatu to Bundaberg. Since this operation, several cruising yachts adopting similar means of disguising their activity have been apprehended carrying large shipments of cocaine.
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Bay to Bay Race On Again
by Julie Hartwig Editor, QF17
ts that time of year again. The summer sailing season is over and trailer yachties are turning their thoughts to the first of the winter sailing events, the annual Bay to Bay Trailable Yacht Race. The event may lack the glamour and prestige of the Sydney to Hobart or the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht races, but this iconic race still holds its place on the Australian sailing calendar as one of the countrys biggest trailer yacht regattas. The first race was held in 1981 when a group of die-hard trailer yachties thought it would be a good idea to have a race up the Great Sandy Strait from Tin Can Bay to Hervey Bay. The organisers, Hervey Bay Sailing Club, expected an entry of around 30 boats. Imagine their astonishment when 114 boats turned up to race! Clearly there was a place on the sailing calendar for such an event. In the following years, the event went from strength to strength, with entry numbers steadily increasing until 1999 saw a record entry of 230 boats. Recent years have seen numbers declining, but the 2013 race still attracted over 140 entries and Principle Race Officer Colin Verrall expects a similar number of boats to face the starters gun for this years 34th Bay to Bay. Run over two days, this Category 5 passage race covers a 90km course up the Great Sandy Strait between Tin Can Bay and Hervey Bay. The fleet is divided into five divisions for mixed fleet and class-based racing for all eligible classes of trailable boats, including standard and sports monohulls (4 divisions) and standard and sports multihulls (1 division). Various handicapping formulas are employed to ensure exciting racing and close results. Boats begin arriving in Tin Can Bay during the week leading up to the race and come Friday evening, an air of great anticipation and excitement grips the town as friends meet up and old rivalries are renewed. But come 11.00am on Saturday 4th May, the race faces go on and the gloves come off as the fleet heads for the starting line to get down to the serious business of two full-on days of trailer yacht racing. This years race will again stop overnight at Garrys Anchorage on Fraser Island. Then, on Sunday 5th May, leg two gets underway north of Stewart Island and the fleet races north to Hervey Bay and the finish line off the north end of Big Woody Island. Rescue vessels from QF17 Tin Can Bay (Saturday) and QF21 Sandy Strait (both days) will be on the water once again, and apart from getting great views of the proceedings, the five Coast Guard vessels provide an all important safety boat coverage for the competitors should the need arise. In past years when the race has been affected by strong winds and rough conditions, the appearance of Coast Guards rescue boats to assist the crews of dismasted, capsized and damaged vessels has been gratefully welcomed. Heres hoping this years race delivers fair winds, calm seas and close racing for all.
Above: Close action in the race to Garrys Anchorage on day 1. | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
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CALOUNDRA- LATITUDE 26.8000 S, LONGITUDE 153.1333 CALOUNDRA LATITUDE 26.8000 S / LONGITUDE 153.1333 E E
MAY 2014
Time 0328 0915 THU 1512 2147 0411 0954 FRI 1548 2226 0454 1033 SAT 1625 2306 0542 1117 SUN 1706 2350 0636 1209 MON 1756 Date
JUNE
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0041 0738 1319 1859 0142 0842 1447 2018 0249 0940 1556 2135 0348 1028 1649 2239 0438 1109 1732 2331
m Date Time m 0.45 0521 1.55 1.47 1144 0.40 0.29 SUN 1810 1.63 1.91 0.51 0016 0.56 1.38 0603 1.57 0.37 MON 1220 0.32 1.84 1848 1.75 0.57 0059 0.49 1.31 0643 1.58 TUE 0.46 1254 0.25 1.76 1926 1.86 0.63 0140 0.43 1.24 0724 1.58 WED 0.55 1331 0.19 1.67 2006 1.95 0.67 0224 0.39 1.19 0811 1.56 THU 0.64 1410 0.17 2047 2.01 1.59 0310 0.37 0.69 0851 1.52 FRI 1.16 1451 0.18 0.72 2132 2.03 1.53 0359 0.38 0.67 0939 1.47 1.19 SAT 1536 0.22 0.76 2220 2.00 1.50 0453 0.41 0.63 1031 1.41 1.27 SUN 1625 0.30 0.75 2311 1.94 1.51 0553 0.44 0.56 1130 1.36 MON 1.38 1720 0.40 0.70 1.53 0008 1.86 0.48 0657 0.47 1.50 TUE 1237 1.33 0.63 1824 0.50
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
WED
21 22 23
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24
SAT
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Time 0112 0803 1354 1940 0219 0904 1510 2102 0323 1000 1616 2216 0421 1051 1713 2321 0515 1137 1803
m 1.78 0.46 1.35 0.58 1.71 0.43 1.42 0.61 1.66 0.39 1.54 0.60 1.62 0.33 1.66 0.56 1.58 0.28 1.78 0.52 1.55 0.24 1.87 0.48 1.51 0.23 1.92 0.47 1.47 0.23 1.95 0.46 1.43 0.26 1.94 0.48 1.38 0.30 1.91 0.50 1.34 0.36 1.85
Time 0431 1010 SUN 1558 2238 0511 1052 MON 1638 2317 0555 1137 TUE 1722 2400 0643 1233 WED 1815
Date
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
m 0.53 1.30 0.43 1.79 0.56 1.26 0.51 1.71 0.59 1.23 0.59 1.64 0.60 1.21 0.68 1.56 0.60 1.22 0.74 1.50 0.58 1.28 0.77 1.46 0.53 1.38 0.75 1.45 0.46 1.50 1.69 1.45 0.38 1.64 0.61 1.46 0.29 1.78
Date
0017 0604 MON 1219 1848 0106 0650 TUE 1258 1930 0151 0732 WED 1335 2009 0232 0813 THU 1411 2047 0312 0852 FRI 1446 2124 0351 0931 SAT 1522 2201
0048 0738 THU 1342 1919 0143 0832 FRI 1458 2036 0242 0924 SAT 1600 2149 0339 1011 SUN 1652 2253 0432 1054 MON 1737 2347 0521 1137 TUE 1819
Time 0036 0609 WED 1220 1902 0124 0657 THU 1305 1946 0211 0747 FRI 1350 2032 0259 0837 SAT 1437 2119 0349 0929 SUN 1525 2207 0441 1023 MON 1616 2258 0536 1119 TUE 1711 2351 0633 1222 WED 1812
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
FRI
m 0.52 1.48 0.21 1.91 0.43 1.49 0.14 2.02 0.36 1.50 0.11 2.08 0.31 1.50 0.10 2.11 0.29 1.48 0.14 2.08 0.30 1.46 0.22 2.01 0.33 1.43 0.34 1.90 0.35 1.41 0.46 1.77 0.37 1.42 0.57 1.64 0.38 1.47 0.64
THU
10
21
SAT
0250 0924 1556 2202
0046 0731 1333 1923 0147 0828 1446 2043
1.53 0.37 1.55 0.66
New Moon
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TIMES MAY JULY TIDE TIDE TIMES MAY JULY 20142014

2014
Date
JULY 2014
Time 0352 1018 1656 2312 0450 1109 1747 0009 0543 1154 1832 0057 0631 1236 1913 0139 0714 1315 1951 0217 0754 1352 2027 0253 0832 1427 2101 0327 0909 1501 2136 0402 0946 1536 2210 m 1.45 0.35 1.65 0.64 1.40 0.32 1.74 0.59 1.38 0.29 1.81 0.54 1.36 0.27 1.86 0.50 1.36 0.26 1.89 0.47 1.36 0.26 1.89 0.46 1.35 0.28 1.87 0.46 1.34 0.31 1.84 0.46 1.33 0.37 1.79 Date
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22 23 24 25 26 27
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
MON
WED
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Time 0437 1024 1613 2245 0514 1106 1652 2323 0554 1151 1737 0003 0638 1247 1831 0048 0727 1354 1940 0142 0820 1508 2059 0245 0915 1610 2217 0349 1009 1704 2323 0449 1102 1754 0019 0545 1155 1842
m 0.48 1.31 0.43 1.73 0.49 1.29 0.51 1.65 0.51 1.28 0.60 1.56 0.51 1.27 0.69 1.48 0.51 1.30 0.75 1.41 0.48 1.37 0.76 1.36 0.43 1.49 0.71 1.34 0.36 1.63 0.62 1.36 0.27 1.78 0.51 1.40 0.18 1.92
Date
11
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12
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13 14 15 16 17 18
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SAT
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Time 0109 0639 1246 1929 0157 0732 1336 2016 0244 0824 1425 2103 0331 0916 1515 2150 0419 1008 1605 2238 0508 1101 1657 2325 0559 1159 1754 0015 0652 1304 1901 0111 0747 1418 2024 0215 0846 1532 2151 0324 0946 1637 2305
m 0.39 1.44 0.10 2.04 0.29 1.49 0.04 2.11 0.22 1.52 0.02 2.13 0.18 1.55 0.06 2.09 0.18 1.55 0.14 1.99 0.21 1.53 0.27 1.84 0.26 1.50 0.43 1.67 0.32 1.47 0.57 1.51 0.36 1.48 0.67 1.37 0.39 1.52 0.70 1.28 0.39 1.59 0.67
Date
22 23 24 25
FRI
TUE
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Time 0431 1043 1730 2401 0527 1135 1815 0045 0616 1220 1855 0123 0658 1259 1931 0156 0736 1335 2004 0228 0812 1409 2037 0259 0846 1442 2110 0330 0922 1516 2141 0402 0957 1550 2214 0434 1035 1627 2247
m 1.24 0.37 1.66 0.61 1.25 0.33 1.72 0.54 1.28 0.30 1.77 0.48 1.31 0.26 1.81 0.44 1.34 0.24 1.82 0.41 1.36 0.24 1.82 0.38 1.38 0.26 1.80 0.37 1.39 0.30 1.76 0.37 1.38 0.36 1.70 0.38 1.37 0.44 1.62
THU
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29 30
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21 |
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Keeping Your Cool
by Christian Dearnaley Editor, QF5
s the majority of us breathe a sigh relief that the scorching summer months have passed, its a good time to evaluate how the cooling methods on board your vessel (or 4WD, campervan etc.) faired throughout the hot conditions. You may have found, as I did a few summers ago, that the good old Esky just doesnt cut it anymore and that its time to start shopping around for a new cooling option. However the decision isnt as easy as it used to be, with recent the influx of 12v fridges and freezers on to the market and the ever growing range of iceboxes currently available. To make matters worse, many options available are accompanied by high three, and even four figure sums. So if youre considering making some kind of investment in this area, be sure to keep your cool and read on for some important factors to consider. 12 VOLT COMPRESSOR FRIDGES To start with, lets have a better look at whats available and examine the pros and cons of each. First off the ranks is the relatively new technology (last 5-10 years) of 12v, 2-way or compressor-run fridges. 12v absorption fridges that can also run off LPG have been around longer than their newer counterparts. However, they are typically less efficient and more affected by ambient temperatures. For the purposes of this article, we will focus solely on compressor type fridges. The biggest advantage of 12v fridges is their capability to freeze food and drink items and keep them frozen as long as the fridge has power. Many modern units have done away with the original knob-style temperature gauges and now have digital thermostats, meaning that your Cornetto or Rainbow Paddlepop will be rock hard, even after the fridge has been sitting in the 40-degree heat all day long. This brings us to the second main advantage: the temperature inside the unit will not be affected by conditions outside. So, if you decide to purchase a fridge for your 4WD or car, youll be able to go straight to the cinemas after you go shopping, and the ice-cream you just bought will still be nice and frozen when youre done - even if you park in the sun. Another advantage of a 12v fridge is that you need a smaller size unit when compared to an icebox because you do not need to provide room inside for ice. In order to keep items properly chilled in a non-powered icebox, you do require a large amount of ice, nearly 1/3 of the available space in fact. With all that room no longer needed, you will be able to chill the same amount of food or drink without taking up nearly as much room. With 12v fridges seeming like the perfect option for almost every application, lets take a look at some of the drawbacks of running such a unit. The first, and most obvious drawback is that you will require a 12v power source. Almost every unit on the market today is powered by a conventional 12v cigarette plug that will fit into the sockets nearly all vehicles are fitted with. These sockets are commonly fitted to boats as well and Right: A 57L fridge/ can be easily installed if not fitted from the factory. freezer valued at $1849.
| Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
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Before you go thinking that youll simply be able to plug into your current 12v system and all will be fine, you need to consider the current battery in your boat or car, or wherever you are planning on using the unit. Without getting too technical, a typical fridge is going to draw 25-75 Amp hours per day, meaning your current starter battery, be it for a 2-door hatchback, a V8 Landcruiser or a 300HP outboard, isnt going to cut it. Some starter batteries do have deep-cycle capabilities, but to run a fridge for more than a couple hours and still have enough spark to start your engine, you will need to invest in another battery and possibly a dual-battery system - unless of course youre technical enough to make your own! Another consideration to factor in is the higher price of these units when compared to a similar sized icebox. Although you will need less room due to the lack Above: A 110L 12v fridge/freezer of ice, you will still be looking at paying nearly triple the price of an icebox that will valued at $1990. take a similar amount of food (ice included). One final consideration for those thinking of using a 12v fridge on board a boat, particularly larger vessels travelling offshore, is the interference that can occur with HF radios. The inverters used in some units to power the compressor are known to cause interference problems with HF radios. If you are considering a 12v fridge, or any other electrical appliance that uses an inverter to modify 12v power, and your vessel has an HF or MF/HF radio, be sure to test it works properly first as modifying the unit can be very expensive and sometimes impossible. ICEBOXES Now lets take a look at the ups and downs of iceboxes and just how they shape up against a powered unit. To begin with, the most obvious benefit of an icebox is that you do not require power to keep your food cold for up to 7 days or more if you know how. By using block ice (not the bagged ice from the servo) you can easily make a good quality icebox work for your week-long camping trip, overnight fishing trip or journey into town just as well as a 12v fridge so long as dont need to freeze anything. Block ice is also now commonly available at many fishing and tackle stores so as long as you can make it to a store that has block ice, you can extend your icebox cooling life for another few days. This is a serious consideration for those tossing up between an icebox and a 12v fridge because with power comes Left: A top-ofresponsibility well maybe not responsibility with 12v power but some thought must the line 60L fibreglass be given to safety, storage location and power supply availability. icebox valued at $350 - thats For example, some salty spray over the gunnel of a boat onto an icebox isnt going one fifth the price of a similar to do much but leave salt crystals when it dries. However, the same thing on a 12v unit sized 12v unit. stored in the same spot may spell the end of your fridge. And, while this next example may be a bit extreme, an icebox makes a very large buoyant float if your vessel ever does capsize. As a rescue-crew member, I can confidently say I have pulled many iceboxes on board after a vessel has capsized and they are almost always in perfect condition, even if the owner isnt! Another benefit of a modern day icebox is that their typical construction, be it fibreglass or moulded plastic, provides a hardy and durable exterior, something that is essential if its going to be used in a boat, in the back of a 4WD or around a campsite. It also means no rust so its one less thing to clean off when you come back in after a long day on the reef. Perhaps the biggest benefit of iceboxes in comparison to a 12v fridge is the low cost and large range of sizes available. Even if you choose a top-of-the-line fibreglass box, youll still be paying around 50% of what you would for a similar capacity fridge (room for ice included). In addition, the larger range of sizes means that you can usually get something that fits your needs exactly, so youll be able to use it as a bench seat at the back of the boat or an extra seat around the fire. The last point Ill make on iceboxes is their lightweight characteristics. An empty 12v fridge is heavy, and a full one is even heavier, so storing one if it isnt fixed permanently can be tricky. The extra weight can also be a hindrance to your vessels performance so think carefully about this if you have a smaller vessel that is more affected by weight and its placement. An empty icebox, even one of considerable size like the 80L one we have for Coast Guard sausage sizzles is quite light when its empty and easily managed by one person. This means that the weight of it solely depends on what you put in it because it isnt that heavy to begin with something else to give careful consideration to if you have a bad back or dont wont to get one in the future.
Left: A 110L icebox valued at $400. 23 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
by Rod Ashlin Operations Officer, QF6
wise man once said, There is nothing, absolutely nothing as satisfying as simply messing about in boats. When I was asked to write an article for this magazine, I thought perhaps I could make a few observations which may be helpful to people who are fairly new to boating. These observations have been formed after a lifetime of simply messing about in boats. BUYING A BOAT I believe the single biggest mistake people make when buying a boat is not buying the right boat for the purpose they ultimately use it for. This may apply a little more to yachts than power boats, but over the years, I have seen many people buy boats that are capable of long ocean voyages or equipped with every conceivable navigation and home comforts device, no doubt inspired by visions of calm anchorages and swaying palm trees, only to find that they get seasick, anchorages are often not calm, their wife/partner doesnt like boats and there is more to this boating business than they thought. Consequently, this complicated vessel never goes much more than ten miles from home port and they could have bought a much more suitable vessel for the purpose they actually use it for. I guess the lesson to be learned here is that when buying a boat, try to make a realistic appraisal of what you will do with the vessel and buy something appropriate. It is best to err on the conservative side here and if over time you find you can handle something more adventurous, then you can move to another vessel with the advantage of experience. EARLY DAYS When you have bought this great new boat and cant wait to get out there, be careful. Speaking from a Coast Guard point of view, the number of calls for assistance from people who have only recently bought a boat is quite astounding. Much of this is no doubt attributable to people with limited experience going to sea in a vessel they know very little about, as well as being on a steep learning curve as to their own and the boats capabilities. SUGGESTIONS Join the Coast Guard as an Associate Member and for an annual membership fee, we will come and get you if you are in trouble any time of the day or night, 365 days a year for no cost. This arrangement is reciprocal with other Coast Guard Flotillas in Queensland. If you have bought a second-hand boat and intend to deliver it over a lengthy distance to your home port, be sure to get some idea of fuel consumption and size of fuel tanks before you leave. Dont just accept that the previous owner says he thinks the tanks hold about 800 litres; measure them and work it out if possible and treat with suspicion any comments like, you will make it there easy mate. Electrical problems seem to have replaced mechanical problems as the main cause of breakdowns resulting in calls to Coast Guard over recent years. Engines have got better and more reliable, but the increasing reliance on electrical/electronic components means that this is now the most common area of concern. Having spent nine years as a boat broker, I have learned that most second-hand boats have batteries well past their use-by date and when the former owner tells you they are only about a year or two old, his memory is often as unreliable as the batteries may turn out to be! It is usually a good idea to replace batteries if any doubt about their age exists and this is a simple and cost effective way to short circuit many electrical problems. If you have bought a new boat and have limited experience with the type of vessel or the waters you are going to operate in, try to get an experienced person to go with you on your first few trips. One problem that QF6 crews have had to deal with on several occasions with larger vessels is something that few people would consider until it happens. Most people know that it is seamanlike to ensure the bitter end of the anchor chain is fastened to something solid in the anchor
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locker to prevent the anchor and chain being accidentally lost overboard. When a vessel is anchored or has anchored due to problems, often in rougher conditions and the anchor becomes snagged or cannot be raised due to electrical problems (a direct lightning strike is one we have encountered), the anchor winch becomes inoperable and the easiest answer is to let the anchor and chain go once we have got a tow line aboard. It is then often discovered that the end of the anchor chain has been shackled off in a difficult to reach area and this shackle has now rusted solid over time and is impossible to let go. The suggestion here is to check your chain and fasten the bitter end to the boat with good quality rot proof rope so that it can be cut loose should the need arise. Good maintenance and correct safety gear are obvious choices for any boat owner and always be aware of what the tide is doing, along with the very latest weather
Above: Coming home on the end of a Coast Guard tow rope is one way of spoiling your boating experiences.
forecast, which is always available from Coast Guard. On the Sunshine, Cooloola and Fraser coasts, radio operators are on duty 12 hours a day (and in some flotillas, 24 hours a day), 365 days a year and if they cannot come up with an answer to your problem then they have access to people who probably can. Enjoy your time out there because as another wise man has said, There are a lot of great days at sea.
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Part 3: The components of Radar

by Gary Piper QF5
This is the third article in a series which covers all aspects of marine radar. Earlier articles published in the 2013 Winter and Spring editions of the Coast Guard Rescue Magazine covered a brief history of Radar and Microwaves. This issue we look at the components of modern marine radar systems.
Radar
he modern radar is made up of five (5) basic components: Radar antenna, Radar transmitter, TR Cell Duplexer, Receiver and the Display. Radar Antenna The radar antenna rotates in sync with the radar display screen at approximately 20-40 revolutions per minute. (30 RPM = one revolution every 2 seconds). When it comes to radar antennas, size does matter; the longer the antenna the narrower the Horizontal Beam Width (HBW). A 30cm antenna has a HBW of approximately 8 degrees where as a 120cm antenna has a HBW of approximately 1.8 degrees. We will cover HBW in the next article in this series. Ever wonder why you see two radar antennas on larger vessels? So far in this series of articles we have discussed X band radar, (sometimes referred to as 3cm radar) which operates in the 8 to 12 GHz frequency range. This frequency range of radar is affected by sea clutter, rain and fog. There is also an S band radar (sometimes referred to as 10cm radar) which operates in the 3 GHz range. This radar provides better detection of vessels in rough seas and heavy rain conditions. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 2002 requires that vessels over 3,000 Gross Tonnage must have both X and S band radar. Next time you are in the harbour of a shipping port look for ships with both a large S band and smaller X band radar antennas. Radar Transmitter The transmitter produces microwave pulses between 400 and 4,000 times per second (typycally 2,000). We will cover radar pulse rates in a later article. For Pulse radar, its all about power. The more power that can be transmitted, the greater the probability of some of that energy being reflected back and thus displayed. A well-known domestic microwave transmitter is the microwave-oven, which generates between 900 and 1,200 watts of energy, where as a marine radars generates between 2,000 (2 Kw) and 50,000 watts (50 Kw). Usually, on small vessels, the radar generates between 2 Kw and 4 Kw. This is why you should never operate pulse radar when there are people on the deck. Safe Distance The lower power 2kW and 4kW marine radars are not absolutely safe. The minimum safe distance as defined by the International Maritime Organization IEC standards 60936 and 62252 is dependent on the power output of the radar and the antenna width as mentioned above. A wider antenna produces a narrower beam thus less microwave exposure per revolution. A generalised safe distance for lower Left: A closed array radar antenna often seen power pulse radar is: 2Kw = 2 metres, on smaller vessels. 4Kw = 4 Metres. Having said that, Above: An open array radar antenna usually assume there is no safe distance. seen on larger vessels.
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TR Cell - Duplexer The duplexer is often referred to as the TR Cell or the Transmit / Receive Cell. Its job is to switch the antenna between transmit and receive modes. The radar transmitter transmits a very high-energy pulse and a very small amount of that energy is reflected back to the receiver. The receiver circuitry is very sensitive in order to pick up the small amount of energy being reflected back from the target. Thus, if the receiving circuitry is active at the same time as the transmitter, the high levels energy produced by the transmitter would damage the receiving circuitry. Receiver The receiver amplifies received echo and sends the signal to the display. The radar receiver needs to be very sensitive as radar pulse energy degrades over distance inversely with the square of the distance as per the following formula: If your target is 2nm away, the strength of the signal when it reaches the target is approximately of the transmitting power of your radar; when the energy is reflected back the 2nm to your radar receiver it is 1/16 of its original signal strength. A 2Kw pulse for a target at 2nm will return with an approximate signal strength of 125 watts A 2Kw pulse for a target at 4nm will return with an approximate signal strength of 30 watts Display The display simply presents the received information mostly in a pictorial form. Your radar calculates the targets bearing by synchronising the rotating antenna with the radar display and the ships heading or compass bearing. Note: The size of the radar image does not represent the size and shape of the target. The display only shows the amount of energy being reflected. Now we have described each of the five (5) basic components of radar, it is worth spending a little time covering some related detail Broadband Versus Pulse Radar There are two (2) prime differences between Pulse and Broadband radar: Broadband radar has a transmission power level of approximately 0.2 watts which according to the Simrad 4G data sheet is, less than 5 times the energy of an Above: Radar display. average cell phone. With broadband radar, before turning it on, we no longer have to ensure the decks are clear of personnel and declare RADAR ON. Broadband radar uses Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology. The radar signal, rather than being a pulse of a fixed frequency, is a continuous signal with a frequency that changes in a linear saw tooth pattern. The basic principle is that, if the frequency is continually changed with time, the frequency of the echo signal will differ from that transmitted and the difference will be proportional to round trip time. As a result, broadband radar is much safer and does not have the issues associated with pulse length and range discrimination. We will cover both pulse length and range discrimination in a later article. Radar Beam The radar beam transmitted from the radar is not a simple pencil beam but more of a lobe shape. As such the radar beam is defined in two planes, vertical and horizontal. Vertical Beam Width (VBW) The vertical beam width of the radar is measured in the vertical plane and is typically 20 to 25 degrees. This large vertical component of the bean allows the radar to detect targets during large pitching and rolling movements of your vessel. Horizontal Beam Width (HBW) The horizontal beam width of the radar is measured in the horizontal plane and on most small vessels is typically between 4 to 6 degrees. A smaller horizontal beam width increases your radars ability to discriminate between two targets at the same range at slightly different bearings. We will cover Horizontal Beam Width and Bearing Discrimination in more detail in a later article. Antenna Size As we said earlier, Size Does Matter. A larger antenna provides a narrower Horizontal Beam Width (HBW) and thus more accurate Bearing Discrimination: Bearing Discrimination is the radars ability to discriminate between two targets at the same range at slightly different bearings. Typically, a 50cm antenna will have a HBW of approximately 5 degrees, where as a 2m antenna will have a HBW of approximately 1 degree making bearing discrimination much more accurate. Part 4 of the Radar series will cover: Pulse length, range discrimination, horizontal beam width and bearing discrimination
Tall Tales & True ...
by Jon Colless Flotilla Radio Officer, QF21
An old skipper I trained with in my early days in Coast Guard had a saying to cover stories told of the rescues of earlier years, immediately after the formation of QF8 in 1972. He called them tall tales and true of the legendary past. Some grew with the telling, but others remained more or less unsullied by vivid imaginations because of the stark reality of the conditions we faced, with far less navigation and communication equipment than we have now. QF8s patch is about 4,500 square nautical miles of reefs, islands and shoreline, extending 65 nautical miles out to the continental shelf. This tale is of my first operation as a fully-fledged skipper ...
n those days we kept a 24-hour radio watch from 0700 hours on the first day of the weekend to 1900 hours on the last day of the weekend. The available communication equipment was a 27 MHz radio, a single sideband HF tuned to 2524 KHz and an AM radio tuned to 2182 KHz. This was a valve operated Weston, about half the size of a butter box, generating enough heat to warm the 12 foot caravan we worked out of in winter. The early shift operator called our commander to advise that a vessel, the Michelle II, had called in on 27MHz and advised that he was out of fuel 6 nautical miles off John Brewer Reef. A nice simple find-and-tow-home mission, we thought. The commander rang me and we agreed to set out at first light. The mid-summer weather was picture perfect - 0-5 knots and smooth seas - but it was expected to be 35 degrees. No trouble for our 23-foot Shark Cat, equipped twin 140 HP Chrysler outboards, which were only a few months old. All went to plan and we reached the advised position 28 nautical miles out from Townsville just after sunrise. No sign of Michelle II. We ran on the 6 miles to Brewer Reef and retraced our course to the exact position, nothing in sight. We called Michelle II and advised that we were at the given position and there was no sign of them. A trawler chipped in to told us he was anchored at Brewer and had us on radar, in exactly the position we had given. Where was Michelle II? Bear in mind that we had charts, an accurate compass and a hand bearing compass to navigate with. GPS, in its first rudimentary form, was a decade in the future. We called them up again and told them we would fire a white flare, and to keep an all-round watch to spot it. Having warned all and sundry by radio of our intention, we fired on a Above: The search area. count-down and waited. No response. We called and asked if
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they had spotted the flare. They hadnt. Conclusion: they were 25+nautical miles from our position. Next question: which direction? They had said in conversation that there were no reefs in their vicinity, and no beacons. There were no other vessels in sight, and as far as they knew they were where they said they were. This caused some deep thought and lateral thinking. I called them up and asked how many pieces of land they could see from their position. The answer stunned us, one! If they were anywhere within 20 miles of us they should see 3 at least: Palm Island, Mount Stuart and Mount Cleveland. If they were north west of us they should see Mount Bowen on Hinchinbrook Island as well. We asked them to describe what they saw, which they did. It was Mount Cleveland and the aspect described put them north east of the mountain. That put their position 30odd miles south east of the position they gave, which we now occupied. We asked them to give us a bearing on the mountain they could see. We waited and waited Finally they called back and gave us a magnetic bearing, which we plotted. Theyd paddled the boat around until it pointed at Mount Cleveland We asked where their anchor line was pointing, to get an Above: QF8 rescue vessel, circa early 1970s. idea of the current. The answer was straight down. They were in upwards of 20 fathoms of water. Interesting We plotted the bearing which put them on a line between Wheeler Cay (48 nautical miles northeast of Townsville) and Mount Cleveland, some 35 miles away from us. We couldnt do a straight line run because of the currents around the reefs, so we opted for a dog leg course to a reef about 15 miles away, then on a new course to intercept the bearing. The marker on the reef came up on schedule and we set the new course and ran down it with periodic position checks with running fixes on Mt Stuart and Mt Cleveland. Fortunately, conditions remained good, but the afternoon sea breeze had started to kick in. We ran down to the intercept with the bearing and stopped. No sign of Michelle II. We called them up on the radio and asked how high Mt Cleveland looked. The answer sounded to us as though they were inshore of us, so we ran down the bearing towards Mt Cleveland, no sighting. We ran about ten miles and the bottom tanks ran dry. We carried 540 litres in four tanks - two in the hulls and two beside the cockpit. The changeover valves were turned to the auxilliary positions and we set off on the reciprocal. Michelle II was obviously to seaward of our turn point. All went well for a few minutes, then one engine cut out, no fuel. We KNEW there was plenty of fuel in the tank, so the answer was a fuel blockage, probably in the selector valve, which wasnt a job to tackle at sea because of the poor access and an afternoon sea breeze that had piped up to about 10 knots, making an uncomfortable chop. We ploughed along on one engine at about 10 knots. By sheer chance, the newly launched Water Police boat, D.Trannor, was at sea on a training cruise. This was an almost identical hull to ours with a pair of 200HP outboards on it. They hove over our horizon and barrelled in on our position at around 35 knots. The Water Police on duty were good friends that wed worked with on a number of searches, and they agreed to look for Michelle II while we limped home. They disappeared over the horizon at 35 knots or more. Wed given the bearing and had figured out roughly how far they would have to run to be in position to start looking. We were right on the money. They were exactly the ten miles Id calculated north east of our turn point. In less than an hour since D.Trannor left our position, they found Michelle II and had them under tow. Our Water Police friends werent terribly well versed in the niceties of towing, so they passed us as we rounded Cape Cleveland. It is the only time I have ever seen a Haines Hunter 19C under tow with daylight showing under the keel as they bounced off the chop generated by the afternoon sea breeze. They had the ride of their lives home, which they reached a good half hour earlier than we did. We duly arrived and put the boat on the trailer, having burned up around 400 litres of fuel and travelled about 120 miles. We had our result, albeit by proxy. It was a testing maiden operation for a brand new skipper, but one that was very successful in terms of the experience and the lessons learned. The last question, how did Michelle II manage to be in a position so far from where they thought they were? The answer was quite simple when the full story emerged. They were on their first trip in a new boat, having recently moved to Townsville. They had been in the practice of having winter holidays in Townsville to escape the vile Melbourne winter weather, and had gone fishing with a relative whod been living in Townsville for years. His directions to get to John Brewer Reef: Head out before sunrise and go to Orchard Rocks (which are on the north east extremity of Magnetic Island), then run directly into the rising sun for about a forty minutes at about 25 knots, then watch the echo sounder. Simple, but effective as long as you do it in winter. They followed exactly those directions, but in mid-summer, when the sun is a lot further south. Instead of a nearly due northerly course theyd steered roughly north east and ended up out of fuel about ten miles short of Wheeler Cay. Traps for the inexperienced to fall into.
Check Your Fittings!
by Ian Cranney Skipper, QF6
ll of us who have anything to do with the marine environment have seen the end results of poor vessel maintenance (both big and small, sail and power). A little bit of preventative maintenance and a good look over your boat at the end of the day can save you a fortune (and a lot of potential embarrassment). Its fine to hose the vessel and trailer down, flush the outboard and make sure theres no beer left in the Esky, but it doesnt hurt to cast your eye over the rigging and fittings as you clean. All vessels have a multitude of different metals in their construction and its a good idea to know of the potential issues that they can have. I had a problem a few years ago with a little trailer-sailer that I had recently acquired. The boat was about 25 years old and the previous owner was a boat builder so, after doing all the usual checks to make sure she was seaworthy and a few runs around Moreton Bay and Mooloolaba, Hervey Bay beckoned. I launched from the Tin Can Bay ramp and headed out for a week of sailing around the Hervey Bay area. The wind was gusting up to 20 knots but everything was going well. I just changed course to sail up the channel when, with a crack and crunch the mast went over the side. I managed to recover the gear and motored back to the ramp, put the boat on the trailer and headed for home. What caused about $10,000 damage was a $4.00 stainless steel U-bolt. It had let go at deck level just below the flat washer. When I had a look at the remaining pieces of bolt, the reason was obvious. Stainless steel will corrode under some circumstances and will age harden as well. About 20 years seems to be the limit and the signs are a rust stain around the base of the deck fitting. Check your shrouds and stays as well. The same insidious stain will show just above the lower cable swage. The mast had snapped at the spreader bar and on closer inspection, showed bad corrosion around the rivets as well. So new U-bolts all around, new mast, all stainless rigging replaced, and ready to go again. Dissimilar metal corrosion can be a huge problem, especially on aluminium hulls and cast alloy fittings. Around the fitting area you might see a white powder or paint blisters forming. Clean and reseal as soon as possible. You may have to replace the rivets as well. Some deck winches are a cast bronze alloy and if the gasket between the fitting and deck is compromised, the deck area could be weakened to such an extent that the fitting will come free. Bad wiring or earthing in a hull can (or I should say will) cause major problems no matter what the hull construction. I have seen heads fall off screws on deck fittings on timber vessels because the fittings were not earthed, which can be dangerous for obvious reasons. Aluminium goes to powder and steel to rusty flakes. Minor corrosion around your deck and hull fittings can be a sign of this problem. As a vessel ages and owners make changes to the electrical system, the chance of electrolytic corrosion can increase. An increase in the deterioration of the sacrificial anodes can also be a sign of a problem. If youre not sure, get it checked. It does have the potential to sink your pride and joy. Boating can be fun and a little preventative maintenance and casting an eye over your boat as you put her to bed can save a lot of expense and embarrassment.
Above from top: Broken deck fittings have catastrophic circumstances Corroded fittings lead to mechanical breakdown. Metal corrosion should be investigated as soon as possible. Deteriorating sacrificial anodes can be a sign of a problem.
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The Grounding of the Tuncun Star

Contributed by Julie Hartwig Editor, QF17
Heres another story from the archives and while it dates back to 1994, it proves that while the boats, the people and the operating procedures may have changed, the work that Coast Guard does, remains the same. The author is unknown, but is believed to have been a member of QF17 at the time of writing ...
t approximately 2130 hours on the night of February 1st, 1994, QF17 night watch radio operator Leo Tate, received a call from the deckhand of the Tuncun Star: the vessel was aground, waves were breaking around it and the skipper was missing. Leo tried to find out where the vessel was, but the deckhand was in a very distressed state and it took some time to find that the vessel was aground near the Lagoons at Double Island Point. The Base was opened and QF17s rescue vessel, Suntel, was launched with crew John Gate, Trevor Hinwood, John Curry and Kerry Dunn. Suntel had just cleared Snapper Creek when the port motor malfunctioned and the vessel returned to Base. Coast Guard Sandy Straits vessel was activated and arrived at Tin Can Bay some 1 hours later to pick up John Gate to take part in the search. In the meantime, the police were notified and eight trawlers that were in the area started to converge on Double Island Point, searching for the missing skipper as they came, some along the beach from the Wide Bay Bar and others direct to Wolf Rock, the area where deckhand Liz Corrigan had last seen the Tuncun Stars skipper on board just she went below deck. The vessel was returning to Tin Can Bay because of auto pilot problems. Some time after going below deck, Liz felt the vessel touch bottom. On going to the wheelhouse, she found no trace of the skipper. The radios were turned off, but the GPS was still running, which gave the vessels position. Sergeant Francis from the Water Police arrived by road and the Water Police vessel P.W. Cahill arrived at approximately 0200 hours. After refuelling, the P.W. Cahill left to join the search with two police officers and QF17 crewman Trevor Hinwood on board. Unfortunately, the vessel took the special yellow mark too close and ran aground at speed on Inskip Point. A Brisbane trawler tried to refloat the P.W. Cahill, but as the tide was dropping, was unsuccessful. The vessel remained aground until she came off on the rising tide the next day. Meanwhile, the trawler Beninda, skippered by Kevin Reibel, was in the area and Kevin was appointed on-scene commander for the search. Aircraft were organised for first light and Coast Guard Noosa was called in to search along the beach from Noosa to Double Island Point and then to join the search at sea. While the search for the skipper got underway, efforts to get the deckhand off the Tuncun Star were made by Rainbow Beach lifesavers. Darren and Gavin Bellis crewed the IRB to Double Island Point, but upon arrival found that the deckhand had managed to wade ashore where she was met by the police and the trawlers owners. The lifesavers IRB was used to pass lines to another trawler in preparation to refloat Tuncun Star, then the IRB returned to Rainbow Beach. Near Wolf Rock, the Sandy Straits vessel was hit by a large wave, badly injuring QF21s Vice Commander, Bill Willis. Bill could not be brought to Tin Can Bay as the Sandy Straits vessel was the only fast boat in the search area, but Bill was in too much pain to remain on board. The Lifesavers were called on again and Dennis Parton and Keith Clark brought Bill ashore to Rainbow Beach in the IRB, where he was taken to Maryborough Hospital. At first light, Ray Parker of Parkers Air Taxis at Rainbow Beach, was in the air and located the skippers body one mile from the trawler. The body was recovered by the Westpac chopper and taken to Rainbow Beach. The skipper was Ian Pfrunder. John Gate represented Coast Guard at his funeral at Buderim where the family requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Coast Guard.
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Shipwreck Tales: MV Cherry Venture
Compiled by Julie Hartwig Radio Operator, QF17

It could be argued that cyclones have a lot to answer for and when it comes to the number of ships that have been wrecked along Queenslands coast as a result of encounters with cyclonic weather, this is definitely the case. Very few of these wrecks remain and one of the last to be removed was the ill-fated Cherry Venture, which ran aground on Teewah Beach in 1973 and for many years was a popular tourist attraction.
he Cherry Venture was a cargo ship with a short but chequered history. Passing through a succession of owners, each resulting in a name change, her demise perhaps adds weight to the sea myth that changing a vessels name brings bad luck. History Originally named Scania, the ship was built by Svenska Lloyd at Lindholmens Shipyard in Gothenberg Sweden in 1944. In 1962, she was sold to Skibs A/S Karlander of Fredrikstad in Norway and renamed Slott. In 1970 she was sold again to Thorne & Co Ltd of Singapore and renamed the Timor Cherry. A year later in 1971, Sea Tanker Shipping Co of Singapore purchased her and renamed her Cherry Venture. The Storm During the winter of 1973, the Queensland coast was battered for days by unseasonal cyclonic storms which moved north out of the Tasman Sea. In early July, twenty-two ships were endeavouring to reach shelter in the Port of Brisbane (which was closed to shipping) to escape the ferocious conditions. On 8 July at the height of the storm, the wave measuring buoy at Double Island Point recorded swells of forty feet (12 metres) from peak to trough as 140km/h winds lashed the south east Queensland coast. MV Cherry Venture was bound for Brisbane from Auckland. With little ballast and no cargo on board, the Singaporean ship sat high in the water and was at the mercy of wind and tide. When
Main picture: Cherry Venture aground on Teewah Beach. Far left: Cherry Venture at sea. Left: Cherry Venture battered by big seas as she is driven aground.
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Above and right: Cherry Venture aground on Teewah Beach.
the captain strayed too close to Double Island Point, even full steam ahead and facing into the wind, Cherry Venture was unable to make headway to gain sea room to clear the Point. As the winds pushed the ship towards the shore, the wave action increased and each time the ship crested the massive swells, the propeller would rear up out of the water, spinning uselessly. Just before dawn on Sunday 8 July, the ships Indonesian captain issued a Mayday call. One hundred kilometres away, rescue helicopters of No. 9 Squadron RAAF were rigged with winches and readied for a rescue attempt from RAAF Base Amberley. Despite the coastal conditions, the aircraft launched at midmorning, battling their way as far as Maroochydore where seventy mile per hour winds made flying suicidal. With cloud down almost to sea level and the Cooloola sand dunes towering hundreds of feet high, the rescue choppers could see no way through to the ship. They landed at Maroochydore Airport to wait for a break that would not come. Aboard the Cherry Venture, the best the twenty-four officers and crew could hope for was to hold their ground. They dropped both anchors, but in quick succession, both cables snapped. As the local media followed the drama, Sir Reginald Barnewall, a charter pilot from Tin Can Bay, contacted the Air Force. Barnewall had founded and managed major airlines in the South Pacific. He was also a classic bush pilot and knew an inland route from Maroochydore to Double Island Point. From his own aircraft, parked on his grass runway at Tin Can Bay, Barnewall offered to talk the pilots through. If conditions aboard the Cherry Venture were frightening, the flight in the Iroquois helicopters would not be forgotten. The helicopters were flown at tree-top height, following creeks and gullies to hide from the gale-force winds behind low ridgelines. But despite pin-point navigation, precision aviation and some of 9 Squadrons most remarkable peace-time flying, the Vietnam Veteran aviators were too late. At 1.00pm, the Cherry Venture was driven hard aground and at the top of the flood tide, carried up the beach. None of the crew was injured, but getting them ashore as the breakers crashed around them was almost disastrous. The RAAF helicopters abandoned the idea of a helicopter rescue and landed in near-by dunes as some of the crew rowed ashore in a lifeboat, hauling rope and cable. While the captain and five officers remained aboard the stricken ship, nineteen crewmen (and two pet monkeys) climbed into a bosuns chair and slid down the rope to the beach where local residents, sand miners and the RAAF crews were waiting. No one was injured in the rescue and the crew were safely airlifted to Tin Can Bay. As driving rain and cyclonic winds continued unabated, an end-loader was brought to the site from a nearby sand mining operation, and a small group of people secured the ships cable to railway sleepers and buried it deep in the sand. The ships winches took up the slack as huge waves continued to pound the ship, straining the cable, while everyone endured an anxious wait for the arrival of the tug, William R. Golding from Gladstone. Two days after the Cherry Venture grounded, William R. Golding attempted to fire a line onto the ship, but each time was driven back by the rough seas. The next morning, with the Cherry Venture now trapped behind an everincreasing sandbank, all hope of refloating the ship faded and the captain shut down the engines for the final time. Two three-man caretaker crews remained on board the ship until insurers wrote the vessel off in September 1973. Salvage In October, 1973, Peter Vaggelas, Australian entrepreneur and then owner of South Molle Island, successfully tendered for the stranded ship. Purchasing it for $10,000, Vaggelas has visions of re-floating the ship and converting it into a luxury liner and floating casion to be anchored off South Molle Island as a tourist attraction. Salvage operations began. Bulldozers scooped thousands of tons of sand from around the hull. Pumps then filled the hole with water and the dozers cut a channel to the sea. But each time the ship headed towards the sea, steel cables snapped or high waves pushed it back onto the beach. In 1979, after eight salvage attempts costing over a quarter of a million dollars, Vaggelas abandoned his plans for the ship and passed the rights to his brother, Percy Veggelas, to cut the Cherry Venture up for scrap. However, the
Above: Aerial view circa 2003 showing the collapsed superstructure.
ships thick steel plating proved too hard for oxy cutting equipment and in 1980, Percy surrendered the Cherry Venture to the sands. Tourist Attraction Over the following 33 years, the wreck became a popular stopping point for tourists travelling along Teewah beach between Noosa and Fraser Island. Tour operators capitalised on the much-photographed wrecks crumbling presence, but nothing could halt its decay as souvenir hunters and scavengers gradually removed every piece of brass, door hinges and port hole frames. Sands crept into the skeletal remains of the wreck and by 1984, it no longer resembled the ship that ran aground eleven years earlier. By 2003, the wreck became increasingly dangerous when the superstructure collapsed into the hull. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service declared the wreck a restricted area and erected warning signs and danger tape around the site. But despite the safety warnings regarding the rusting structures unsound nature, visitors continued to climb over the wreck. Removal The decay continued and by 2006, the wreck was badly deteriorated and asbestos from the engine room had been exposed. A huge excavator was brought in to demolish the remains of the hull and cover the wreck with sand to decrease safety concerns until it could be removed. The final chapter in the Cherrys Venture story began in midFebruary, 2007 when Australia Wide Demolition and Earthmoving Pty Ltd removed the final rusty remains of the wreck from its sandy Above: The grafitti-covered wreck in the 1990s. graveyard. The Cherry Ventures propeller was acquired OWNER Sea Tanker Shipping Co by the Rainbow Beach Business and Tourism PORT OF REGISTRY Singapore Association. It was restored and is now on display in OPERATING ROUTE Auckland - Brisbane Lawrie Hanson Park at Rainbow Beach. It is all that remains of the Cherry Venture. BUILDER Svenska Lloyd, Lindholmens Shipyard, Gothenberg, Sweden TYPE TONNAGE CONSTRUCTION LENGTH BEAM DRAFT PROPULSION SPEED CREW LAUNCHED OUT OF SERVICE
Right: Cherry Ventures propeller preserved as a memorial at Rainbow Beach 34 | Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast
Cargo Ship 1,625 tonnes Steel 299ft / 91.4m 42ft / 12.8m 19ft / 5.8m Single shaft diesel engine Single screw 13 knots 19 1944 1973 Wrecked on Teewah Beach, July 1973 Demolished, February 2007
FATE STATUS
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CALOUNDRA POWER BOAT CLUB GOES CELTIC AGAIN

Caloundra Power Boat Club will again host its highly successful Celtic Festival on June 13, 14 and 15. Celtic entertainers of international and national renown will entertain both members and visitors alike. The three day festival will start on Friday 13th with the Queensland Irish Association Pipe Band at 7pm. This band has performed all over Australia and Europe. Murphys Pigs will follow at 8pm. They will drag you head first into a world of Celtic melodies and songs. If you like singing, clapping along or just enjoying some good craic, then Murphys Pigs are not to be missed. On Saturday 14th, the entertainments starts at 12pm with McGuinness & Co taking to the stage. In 2013, this band was chosen as the featured band for the Titanic celebrations in Macau, New York and London. This will be followed by a demonstration of Irish Dancing by dancers from Scoil Ard Rince, one of Brisbanes largest dancing schools. The Barleyshakes will also perform, followed by The Jar who play traditional and contemporary folk music with a modern edge. Sasta will take to the stage followed by The Kelly Family Band, Maleny Ceili Band, The Famous Jimmies, and Mick McHugh. Sunday will feature Sunasat, Katherine Allan and Celtic Fusion. While Robbie Dunn, International Irish Chef, will demonstrate the art of Celtic cooking on Saturday and Sunday. Visit the Trade Travel Marquee for a chance to win a $5,000 Back Roads Touring Co Travel Voucher. Meals will be on sale and there will be free transport. For more information call the Caloundra Power Boat Club on (07) 5492 1444.
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The Lighter Side of Life

GUIDE DOGS Two women were out for a Saturday stroll. One had a Doberman and the other had a Chihuahua. As they walked down the street, the one with the Doberman said to her friend, Lets go over to that bar for a drink. The lady with the Chihuahua said, We cant go in there. Weve got dogs with us. The one with the Doberman said, Just watch, and do as I do. They walked over to the bar and the one with the Doberman put on a pair of dark glasses and started to walk in. The bouncer at the door said, Sorry, lady, no pets allowed. The woman with the Doberman said, You dont understand. This is my seeing-eye dog. The bouncer said, A Doberman? The woman said, Yes, theyre using them now. Theyre very good. The bouncer said, OK, come on in. The lady with the Chihuahua thought that convincing the bouncer that a Chihuahua was a seeing-eye dog may be a bit more difficult, but thought, What the heck, so she put on her dark glasses and started to walk in. Once again the bouncer said, Sorry, lady, no pets allowed. The woman said, You dont understand. This is my seeingeye dog. A Chihuahua?, the bouncer asked, with a doubtful look on his face. Horrified, the woman replied, A Chihuahua! They gave me a Chihuahua?! A MESSAGE FROM THE PAST ... My late great uncle, a commercial traveller in the time between the two World Wars, used to send a post-card with his itinerary to his customers in the Northern Rivers towns of NSW. Originally, my uncle travelled by coastal steamer, calling into the many towns that supported the then thriving coastal shipping lines. Later, when road and motorcar technology improved, he travelled by hire car and driver. On the back of his card he usually included a short homily. I have such a card dated October 1931. As you will recall, 1931 was in the period of prohibition in the USA. The heading is, Water. I will let it speak for itself ... WATER Colonel Marks is acknowledged as the greatest impromptu speaker in America, and is also the leader of the AntiProhibitionists in that country. Some of his friends, knowing the Colonels views, on one occasion invited him to a banquet, and without any previous warning, the Chairman called upon the Colonel to respond to the toast of Water. The following is the Colonels impromptu effort:-
Mr Toastmaster, Gentlemen. You have asked me to respond to the toast of Water, the purest and best thing God ever created. I want to say I have seen it glisten in tiny teardrops on the sleeping lids of infancy. I have seen it trickle down the blushing cheeks of youth, and rush in torrents down the wrinkled cheeks of age. I have seen it glisten in tiny dewdrops on the blades of grass and the leaves of trees; flashing like polished diamonds as the morning sun breaks resplendent oer the eastern hills. I have seen it trickle down the mountainside in tiny rivulets, with the music of liquid silver breaking on polished beds of diamonds. I have seen it rush to the mighty river, trickling over pebbly bottoms, purling around jutting stones, and rushing over mighty cataracts to the father of waters. And in that father of waters, I have seen it sweep on majestically to the ocean. I have seen it in that mighty ocean, on whose broad bosom floats the commerce of the world and the navies of all nations. But I want to say to you, Gentlemen, that, as a beverage it is a damn failure.
HEALTH WARNING Scientists have recently discovered the following facts: The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Australians, Britons, Canadians or Americans. However, Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Australians, Britons, Canadians or Americans. Africans drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Australians, Britons, Canadians or Americans. However, Italians drink large amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Australians, Britons, Canadians or Americans. Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and the French eat lots of high-fat pastries like croissants. However, both suffer fewer heart attacks than Australians, Britons, Canadians or Americans. CONCLUSION: Eat and drink whatever you want. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
Thought for the Quarter ...

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day . . . teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day
Contributed by Greg Cassin, QF4
QF21 SANDY STRAIT
Squadron Contacts
QF21 SANDY STRAIT
Commander: Jukka Manttari - 0417 199 070 Deputy Commander: Don Archer - (07) 4129 8803 Base: Phone 07 4129 8141 | Fax 07 4129 8907 Email: qf21@coastguard.com.au | Operations - operations.qf21@coastguard.com.au Post: PO Box 341, Maryborough, QLD 4650 Location: 126 Eckert Rd, Boonooroo Hours of Operation: 0700 - 1800 daily | 1800 - 0700 Duty Skipper on call Radio Call Sign: VMR421 or Coast Guard Sandy Strait Radio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 80, 82 | 27MHz 88, 90 Area of Operation: Great Sandy Strait south to Kauri Creek and north to McKenzies Jetty; Mary River up to the Barrage
QF17 TIN CAN BAY
QF17 TIN CAN BAY
Commander: Colleen Johnson - 0402 037 319 Deputy Commander: John Van Der Heijde - 0447 166 906 Base: Phone - 07 5486 4290 | Fax - 07 5486 4568 | Mob - 0419 798 651 Email: operations.qf17@coastguard.com.au Post: PO Box 35, Tin Can Bay, QLD 4580 Location: In the boat ramp carpark, Norman Point at 25 54 S / 153 00 E Hours of Operation: 0600 - 1800 daily Radio Call Sign: VMR417 or Coast Guard Tin Can Bay Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 67, 80, 82 | 27MHz 88, 90 Area of Operation: Tin Can Inlet & adjacent creeks; Great Sandy Strait north to S38; Offshore waters north to Indian Head, south to Double Island Point & 50nm to seaward
QF5 NOOSA
QF5 NOOSA
Commander: John Milland - 0403 339 050 Deputy Commander: Alan Hall - 0414 957 427 Base: Phone - 07 5474 3695 | Emergencies - 07 5449 7670 Email: fao.qf5@coastguard.com.au Post: PO Box 274, Tewantin, QLD 4565 Location: Russell St, Munna Point in the Noosa River Caravan Park Hours of Operation: 24/7 | 365 days Radio Call Sign: VMR405 or Coast Guard Noosa Radio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 22, 80 | 27MHz 88, 91 Area of Operation: The entire Noosa River and its lakes; Offshore waters north to Double Island Point, south to Point Arkwright and 50nm to seaward.
QF6 MOOLOOLABA
Commander: John Annabell - 0412 545 600 Deputy Commander: Ian Hunt - 0411 351 001 Base: Phone - 07 5444 3222 | Email: operations.qf6@coastguard.com.au Post: 65 Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba, QLD 4557 Location: In the boat ramp carpark, Parkyn Parade at 26 41.1 S / 153 07.6 E Hours of Operation: 365 days 0600 - 2200 | 2200 - 0600 Night watch (CH 16) Administration Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 0800 - 1200 Radio Call Sign: VMR406 or Coast Guard Mooloolaba Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 67, 73, 80 | 27MHz 88, 90 Area of Operation: North to Point Arkwright, south to Point Cartwright and 50nm to seaward
QF6 MOOLOOLABA
QF4 CALOUNDRA
QF4 CALOUNDRA
Commander: Tony Barker - 0439 913 533 Deputy Commander: Peter Vaughan - 0439 913 522 Base: Phone 07 5491 3533 | Fax 07 5491 7516 Email: operations.qf4@coastguard.com.au Post: PO Box 150, Caloundra, QLD 4551 Location: Tripcony Lane, Caloundra off Maloja Avenue Hours of Operation: Weekdays 0530 - 1200 | Weekends/Public Holidays 0530 - 1700 Radio Call Sign: VMR404 or Coast Guard Caloundra Radio Frequencies Monitored: VHF 16, 73 | 27MHz 88, 91 Area of Operation: Offshore waters north to Point Cartwright, south to approximately halfway down Bribie Island and 40nm to seaward
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Caloundra Coast Guard Rescue Magazine Autumn Edition

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Autumn 2014 | QF4 Caloundra Edition

This issue ...

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

The Official Magazine of AVCGA Sunshine Coast Squadron

AUTUMN 2014 | ISSUE 5 QF4 Caloundra Edition

37 30 CHECK YOUR FITTINGS!

14 CALOUNDRA RESCUE QF4 commission their new

of owning a boat may not be all its cracked up to be ...

31 TUNCUN STAR 20 years on, rescuing boaties in

16 AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS How boaties can help protect

26 RADAR Part 3 of Gary Pipers series

looks at the components of Radar systems

19 BAY TO BAY YACHT RACE Preview of the 34th running of

28 TALL TALES AND TRUE ... How incorrect navigation

information affects rescue

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Training Officers Report

COAST GUARD CALOUNDRA CONTACT LIST

QF4 Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/caloundravolunteer coast guard-QF4

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Protecting Our Borders

Compiled by Julie Hartwig Editor, CGRSC

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Bay to Bay Race On Again

by Julie Hartwig Editor, QF17

0250 0924 1556 2202

0046 0731 1333 1923 0147 0828 1446 2043

1.53 0.37 1.55 0.66

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

TIMES MAY JULY TIDE TIDE TIMES MAY JULY 20142014

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Keeping Your Cool

by Christian Dearnaley Editor, QF5

by Rod Ashlin Operations Officer, QF6

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Part 3: The components of Radar

Tall Tales & True ...

by Jon Colless Flotilla Radio Officer, QF21

Check Your Fittings!

by Ian Cranney Skipper, QF6

The Grounding of the Tuncun Star

Shipwreck Tales: MV Cherry Venture

Compiled by Julie Hartwig Radio Operator, QF17

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Above and right: Cherry Venture aground on Teewah Beach.

Above: Aerial view circa 2003 showing the collapsed superstructure.

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

CALOUNDRA POWER BOAT CLUB GOES CELTIC AGAIN

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

The Lighter Side of Life

Thought for the Quarter ...

QF21 SANDY STRAIT

QF17 TIN CAN BAY

QF17 TIN CAN BAY

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast

Coast Guard Rescue Sunshine Coast