November 2017

November 1st 2017Task: Assist a VMRW member who has broken down East of Deloraine Island. 3POB. Crew: Tom Manning (Snr Crewman), Jim Dunn. Fin Forbes (skipper) Our 24/7 Emergency Phone Holder Celia rang at 1600 hrs. looking for a crew for the activation. Abell Point Marina VMR1 left APM at 1630. There was a slight problem with exactly where the vessel was, due to a difference in the description and the coordinates given. This was easily sorted using the radio. We were at the vessel at 1730 hrs and towing within minutes using ‘Tom’s Hook’.  The tow back to Port of Airlie was uneventful except for the spectacular lightning show in the whole area – we thought we might be testing our flash lightning rod. We dropped them off at Port of Airlie and went back to APM. We were refuelled and back in our pen by 8pm. Our trusty Phone Holder was informed of our safe return, as was Hay Point VTS.        Time on Job  =  3 hrs. 30 minutes      Fin Forbes (VMR Skipper) ____________________________________________________________________________________November 18th 2017 (17 days since the last activation)Task: 24’ SeaRay sinking between Gumbrel and Saddleback, 2 POB. Crew: Ronnie Roberts, Rod Wilson, Michel del Aguila, Geoff Smith. Gay rang from the radio room; a member was sinking. He was drifting  Gumbrel/ Saddleback but couldn’t give an accurate position. When we arrived at Abell Point Marina VMR1 we learned he was only taking water when the motor was running which is why he was drifting. We left APM at 16.35 and headed for Gumbrel in a slight chop and 15knots from the SE. On the way we found out the target was now on the western side of Gumbrel. We arrived there at 17.30 and after circumnavigating Gumbrel contacted the target again. The phone was unreadable because of a very loud, shrill noise. Fortunately the target sent us a text saying they were anchored on the western side of Olden. Off we went again, this time to Olden, and found them easily. The shrill noise was their high water level alarm. We got alongside and whilst we moved them further into the lee of Olden transferred our electric bilge pump across. It didn’t take long for the water level to drop and the bloody alarm to stop howling. Everyone gave a huge sigh of relief. We felt sorry for the two on the Sea Ray as they had had to put up with it for a couple of hours. It transpired the boat had been checked over and declared “all OK” yet neither of the fitted bilge pumps were pumping and there was a large leak on the motor side of the salt water pump! 17.50 saw us heading back to APM with Toms hook in place. 2,500 revs and 14 knots was too much for it, the hook straightened out and the bow shackle distorted. Returning to the Sea Ray we exchanged the hook for Toms Cat Bridle attached to the boats midships cleats. Feeling a little less confident we set off at 2,000 revs and mid 9kts slowing to 8’s rounding Grimstone. We were alongside the APM ramp finger at 19.40, fuelling at 19.50 and pen by 20.10. Time on Job  =  3 hrs. 35 minutesGeoff Smith (VMR Skipper)

November 27th 2017    A day to remember – was this a double or triple activation?Task: 36’ Steel Fishing Boat sinking at its mooring. Crew: Tom Manning, Michel DelAguila, Jim Dunn, Geoff Smith. Bill, the emergency phone holder, called at 12.00. A vessel in the middle of the moorings out the front of APM was sinking. The call originated from MSQ/Water Police. The owner had been contacted, he was on his way from Townsville and we had permission to board and pump out what we could. Later we were warned that the hold was full of oily water and couldn’t be pumped without a major pollution risk but the water in the tiller flat looked OK. We then learned we had a Medivac from Hammo as well as a prisoner to be delivered from Hammo to APM as soon as we had finished the inspection. All very confusing. We left APM at 12.35 and it took a while to find the boat as it was on the SW edge of the moorings (nowhere near the middle) and didn’t have a name or number showing. When we arrived we had a quick inspection. The duck board was almost underwater and no Antifoul was showing in the stern area. The hold had a lot of very foul water with all sorts of rubbish floating in it. The tiller flat had some floating stuff as well but the water, although rusty, was relatively clear. We transferred the petrol pump and hoses across and soon had the water level dropping.

When we had the level down as far as we could and couldn’t see any obvious leaks, we left the pump on board ready to go, if necessary, and returned to APM to pick up the Paramedic. En route we contacted MSQ to let them know what we had done. We picked up the Paramedic and departed at 13.35 arriving outside Hammo at 14.30 and finally Abell Point Marina VMR1 was alongside at 14.50 as the Marina had not been told of any incident and were not expecting us. The trip across the passage was a good tryout for the new boat as we had a solid 20 knot breeze against the tide. The boat hardly noticed the bumps. The Paramedic went off to check out the patient whilst we kept trying to find out what was happening and when.