The dread call came in early afternoon.  Engine failure outside the harbour, unable to drop the pick, winds picking up, cellphone coverage is nil (or phone turned off) AND its a sunday.

All emergency boats are unable to attend as its too far down the coast, so I notify the local coastguard, who request I call RCC (Rescue Co-ordination Centre)  in wellington to page the local coastguard, to attend the vessel in distress.

Meantime I’m logging the local trip reports (TR’s) and trying to stay in contact with the DV (distressed vessel), make untold toll calls and keep my wits.

After 3 calls to RCC and 1 hour later, the local coastguard have been beepered, and are launching, so I notify the DV help is on its way.  I receive a call from one our locals in their area to say, that the local coastguard has not launched, they’ve only just arrived.

However, 15 minutes later, due to their new & more powerful Niad, they call to say they’re 1/2 mile off Whale Rock, should be at the DV in approx 30 minutes.

Meantime, I have lost contact with the DV for the past 45 minutes and not surprisingly, start to get REALLY worried.  No cellphone no VHF – so I contact family members and they haven’t heard either.

Soon CG is calling to say they’ve arrived at the area and no sign of the DV!! inside I’m screaming, but staying calm describe the DV and they spot a vessell approximately 4m offshore.  10 minutes later I receive a call to say they are alongside the DV and will tow back into the bay.

Everything turned out okay in the end, but I’d like to “vent” my frustration on this site – why on earth tell someone on a DV to go to another channel to await instruction!! when another frequency i.e. 63 in working that boat and keeping family members updated of the situation?!  HOW STUPID is that then?!

Then, to add salt to the wound – as these incidents are called in, we record them (in case the Police / Authorities are called in) so, at the end of the incident, I proceeded to finalise on the tape deck – only to realise with HORROR that I was repeating myself over the VHF RADIO!

I felt awful – so phoned both the CG & the owner of the DV to apologise; they all had a good laugh – and I must admit that now I too can smile.    Molly

Russell to Paihia Ocean Swim

Well its a first for the Bay of Islands, on Saturday 12th Dec (next saturday) they’ll be a huge crowd of swimmers crossing the channel from Russell to Paihia,  by the looks of it – you WONT be able to miss them! Take a look at these safety margins – awesome!

Like I said, you Won’t be able to miss this crowd of swimmers, I do so hope the weather will be kind for them~ dare I predict the weather so far ahead? well, I’ll give it a try~ early morning variable 0-5 knots ~ around lunchtime increasing NNW 5-15 knots, with zero swell inside here!    Molly

 You should see these charts!  A lovely souvenir of the Bay of Islands and all the safe anchoring and names of the bays, which has been sponsored by so many local businesses in both Russell & Paihia.

Will be nice to have on the wall, or in you boat I reckon!  They’re on sale for $30 each and all proceeds go towards the upkeep of equipment related to the radio station.

But please folks, don’t use this chart for navigational purposes?!     Molly

Wow, you gotta be here to appreciate it!  the sea is a wonderful flat “oily” still mass of water, the only ripples caused by the local fishing boats going out.

The sun is already high in the morning sky and is the only inhabitant (for the moment), little white ketches are steaming out for a wonderful day in the bay. 

Already the fishing charters are out there catching a good amount of fish for their customers.

The road on the waterfront is covered in leaves from the Pohutukawa Trees, which are already starting to flower for Christmas~it makes a nice “scrunchy” sound as the tourists walk over it, heading for The Waterfront Cafe for a lovely Sunday breakfast!

Hmmm…..speaking of which!

I know I sound like I’m repeating myself, but its amazing what you get to witness from the office window & it’s not often you get the privelage to witness a lovely warm family event.

A very “young” 70 year old local lady was welcomed to Sally’s Restaurant by her mokopuna and family.

The children did a spectacular Haka as she arrived, and walking along the waterfront she was “called in” by all.

Yes, you had to be here to feel the warmth in the air. A very lucky woman to be surrounded by such a loving family.  Happy Birthday!  Molly

Oh wow! are the tourists having a spoilt time or what?  There is a Humpbacked Whale with her two month old calf hanging round the Brett, we have huge pods of wet & dry dolphins and about to enter the bay is a pod of Orca around 6 in a family group.

When it happens, it happens!

 

 

Well, its the 1st of November, and its scary to think that it’ll be Christmas in approx 9 weeks! AND it’ll be the year 2010 after that!!

The weather has been stunning in between my times on the radio. As I’ve come across this mornig, I see a good majority of big game fishing boats at the Russell Wharf, or some early starters heading out past Russell Point – a good sign.

Don’t forget everyone – there is still a Rahui (voluntary no fishing & taking) for the whole of Deep Water cove for the next two years in an endeavour to replenish the diminished fish and seafood stock.

The Boundaries are an outside line from Motuwheteke & Putahataha Islands and the whole of the inside of Deep Water Cove.

Scallops are hard to find this season – dare I suggest a two year closure? I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking along these lines?

Fishing has been scarce also, but with the water temperature rising slowly back to 15.5 degrees that should improve.

The radio is getting gradually busier and busier building to a busy Christmas and NewYear Season on the water.                   Molly

 

 Well, I know I said it would be a long night for Olga, and it was. I have just seen Olga with Follow Me – Follow You in tow tracking about 3 knots past Russell Wharf on their way to Opua, the skipper of Follow Me – Follow You sounded very relieved on the radio.

I wonder how many people know how much Jim does for the boating fraternity?  Well done Jim, and thank you.      Molly    

Overhearing a Securite message on Taupo Maritime Radio VHF 16 I didn’t at first let things sink in.  Taupo? no, that’s not our area.  While working our own VHF 63 radio logging calls in and out – I was half listening for another broadcast on 16;

Sure enough it came up, a 46 foot vessell Follow Me  Follow You had lost its rudder at position 34.25S 174.19E travelling a course of between 187 & 189 magnetic, any vessels in the area could they please go to their assistance.

I jumped up and plotted their position on Chart NZ512 and sure enough, they were on a B-line for Opua, with only 46 miles to go.

Thinking as quickly as I could, I rang several people who can go out to that distance, and Nick called me as I was calling him (weird when that happens) he had heard the call as well, and we were both trying to contact Jim who owns Olga (you’ll remember Olga from the Southern Cross Rescue).  After 45 minutes we had both tracked him down, and so while he was trying to get his crew together, I was now able to contact Maritime Radio and inform them we had a vessel to go out to Follow Me Follow You if they so wished it.

Well, after giving them phone details for direct contact with Jim on Olga, Jim was able to launch at approximately 1645 and duly headed out to tow them in.

At the moment as I’m writing this, Olga is still on her way out, and it could be a long night. Will update you tomorrow      Molly

Historic Race Record Tumbles 23/10/2009

At 4.43pm on Friday 23 October, the supermaxi Alfa Romeo set HSBC Premier Coastal Classic history when she crossed the finish line to set a new race record of 6 hours, 43 minutes and 32 seconds.

Starting at Devonport Wharf in Auckland, and finishing at Russell Wharf in the romantic Bay of Island township, the boat wiped more than 36 minutes off the 13-year old record held by the pink multihull Split Enz, achieving an average speed of 17.9 knots on the course.

The 30m boat owned by New Zealander Neville Crichton, has already accumulated 142 line honours victories, and is visiting New Zealand for the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic.

Apart from a very early challenge put on by the 9m trimaran, Timberwolf, the supermaxi commanded a lead from very early on, taking advantage of the strong South West conditions to stretch her legs and power up the coast, reaching Flat Rock soon after 11am, about 15 minutes inside record time, and the Hen and Chicken Islands at around 1.30pm, 25 minutes inside record time. By the time they rounded Cape Brett the boat was an astonishing predicted 80 minutes ahead of the time she needed to set history.

Sailing a rhumb line course apart from a slight detour outside the Hen and Chicken Islands, she reached the last milestone, at approximately 3pm, passing inside the infamous ‘Hole in the Rock’, where she slowed down briefly, dropped from a Jib Top and Staysail down to a Jib, and tacked into the Bay doing speeds of around 12 knots.

Top Finishers on Line:

ALFA ROMEO 06:43:32  TAEPING 07:30:59  X-FACTOR 07:37:03  FRANTIC DRIFT 07:58:35  ATTITUDE 08:01:06

TIMBERWOLF 08:09:41  DIRTY DEEDS 08:16:00  EXODUS 08:16:11  SUNDREAMER 08:26:19  LUCIFER 08:32:17      

    Molly