Russell Radio is running its own Charity Auction today at 4pm. There are so many prizes available, its unbelievable how generous people have been, there are HEAPS of 1/2 day fishing charters, days out on luxury launches, day diving trips on warm dry boats, fishing tackle, full body massages – you name it; it all seems to be there on the list.

NEVER fear, the weather will be clearing up nicely for the auction – it will be heaps of fun, with a special auction for the children (why shuold THEY miss out on all the fun?)

No doubt Stewart will update this site when the Auction is finished….

Molly

It’s finally raining! well, it was briefly since about 5am and now its stopped just before 9am – we need MORE SIR – we need MORE!!

Annual Charity Auction for Russell Radio

It’s started already, our TR count has shot through the roof since Christmas Day, not unusual, as everyone has “done their thing” with family and friends and are now heading out to spend the rest of their holidays on the water.

But have they all planned safety? No -

Incident: Receive a call over VHF 63, a vessell in distress on windward side of Roberton, dragging its anchor heading towards the island, and one person in the water.  Unable to give description as he’s received a cellphone call.  I request the phone number he received and announce an All Stations to immediately go to the assistance.  Within 100th of a second two vessels respond.

Meantime, I’m calling the AUSTRALIAN cellphone – who is an observer from the island and she is unable to give me a description apart from “its a regular yacht” unable to see a name, as its blowing away from her.

Person is still in the water, with one person on board unable to do anything.

Eventually after 2 hours, the yacht is pulled off the rocks and the person in the water is also pulled to safety.

Damage Control:It is discovered that the yacht has lost its rudder and has no steering, so is in tow back to Russell.  A huge launch cuts across the tow vehicles bow and causes such a bow wake, that both vessels are tossed about quite badly and one of the passengers on the tow vehicle is tossed OVERBOARD!

Conclusion:  It was discovered that the distressed unamed vessel had NO RADIO, OR CELLPHONE ABOARD!

If they weren’t spotted by a tourist on the island who knows what further disaster could have occured? If they had had radio or form of communications aboard, the damage wouldn’t have been so bad.  

When you see a vessell in tow – KEEP A WIDE BERTH AND SLOW DOWN!! 

 Molly 

A Merry Christmas to all our blog readers from the team at Russell Radio, yes, we are here every day of the year

Safe boating, great fishing (and sailing) or just enjoying life on the ocean waves.

Stewart and Bev

Today at 1400 the first Marlin to be tagged and released was caught by Richard Van Dijk from his own boat Baska Voda.  Estimated weight 78 to 80 kg, a Striped Marlin.

All he did was to go out and have a look at the surface conditions and what do you know? He’s the lucky first!  Congratulations Richard, a lovely start to your Christmas celebrations.                                                            Molly

 Good news for the boating public!  DOC are towing out the rubbish barge for use on 23rd December to the 8th February 2010 again.

The Barge will be anchored off Pipi Bay, Moturua Island.  Boaties can drop their PREPAID RUBBISH BAGS onto the barge.  Any recycling will be free, all DOC ask is the boaties separate glass, plastic etc.    Molly

 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