Disabled sailors on course for record
Skipper David Pescud and his six disabled crewmembers left Sydney on Sunday in wild, wet and woolly conditions. On Wednesday morning, their yacht KAZ was sailing off the Sunshine Coast nearing Fraser Island in 18-24 knot strengthening south south-westerly winds with a poled out headsail.
Pescud and crew returned to Sydney over a week ago to get KAZ ship-shape for their Around Australia record seeking journey that will take over one month to complete.
With their record attempt underway, the Sailors With DisAbilities crew aboard their Lyons 54' yacht KAZ, are revelling in ideal conditions in their attempt to break the current Around Australia record of just under 44 days.
The yacht officially left South Head in Sydney at 13.40.19 (1.40.19pm) Sydney time on Sunday May 25 in wet conditions.
While it is a little early to start talking records, KAZ is ahead of the 44 days 19 hours mark set in 1999 by Jeremy Pearce and Kanga Birtles, both of whom are watching KAZ's efforts with interest.
Weatherman, Roger 'Clouds' Badham's predicted strong south-easterly winds in the 25-35 knot range, which are developing along the Queensland coast for KAZ and should last for at least three days, along with plenty of rain.
Pescud, a severe dyslexic, and his disabled crew aboard KAZ know they must sail non-stop and unassisted to beat the record.
For further information on the KAZ crew, go to the SWD website at: www.sailorswithdisabilities.com and click on the '03 Project' icon.

ATO boat ruling
The ATO's final draft ruling for charter boats, announced just before the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show opened appeared to be welcomed by both boat builders and charter companies. Many agree that it is fair and they can now get on with selling and chartering boats reports BoatingOZ editor Kathy McKenzie who attended the show at the weekend.
"Boat builders had reported having orders on hold until the announcement. After the publicity surrounding the initial ATO ruling, some potential charterers were reluctant to book for fear that a company may go broke. On the first day of the boat show, one charter company reported more enquiries for buying boats than for actual charters."
"Some charter boats have left the fleets, but one company reported that in the last year they have added four boats to their fleets after owners submitted business plans to the ATO."
"Mr Dagge from Euroyachts Pty Ltd, importers of Princess motor yachts and Jeanneau Yachts, believes that the ATO ruling will translate into ten yacht sales in the near future. Euroyachts Pty Ltd was one of more than 100 marine businesses, which lobbied the ATO to change its policy on charter boat investment."
"His positive comments were echoed by Jeanneau Queensland distributor Ian Douglas of Mooloolaba Yacht Club Brokerage. "There's no doubt there has been more inquiries from people wanting to own a boat for charter," Ms McKenzie said.

'Grab the rod!
Heaps of boats and fishing tackle were on display at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show but there was only one talking fishing rod holder.
The Campocatcher basic model flashes lights and buzzes when a fish bites and the more expensive model does all this and also says 'Grab the rod, the rod, grab the rod, the rod,' and then yells 'GRAB THE ROD'.
The rod holder is made from stainless steel, it's adjustable, has an independent bait light and a multi-functional base for securing in rocks, sand or a boat's rod holder.
Designed in Queensland, it has already won an award in China for ice fishing.

Boats as business
The Boating Industry Association of Queensland reports some statistics that provide food for thought. They say there are more than 172,500 Queensland boat registrations and that Queensland's marine industry employs 6,500 people with an annual turnover of $1.2 billion.

Whales at Sydney
Sea gazers down Sydney way report the annual migration of whales has started with numerous sightings of humpbacks swimming up the NSW coast.

Old time feeling
"Nostalgia isn't what it used to be."
David Anderson, ABC Radio Capricornia

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Sailors with disABILITIES record on hold
David Pescud and his six-crew members from Sailors with disAbilities sailed back into Sydney, unnoticed in the heavy rain and mist aboard their yacht KAZ, their attempt to break the Around Australia record on hold.
Just short of two days after exiting Sydney Harbour, Pescud, the yacht's owner and skipper, decided it was prudent to return to Sydney when they encountered a rudder problem on KAZ, just north of Sugerloaf Point on the NSW coast, a repair at sea not viable.
'It wasn't dangerous, it just meant we would have had to bail the boat a bit during our trip, which just takes a bit of the fun out of it. We also had a couple of other little problems with the boat, so we decided we would come home, fix the yacht, and head out again when our meteorologist, 'Clouds' (Roger Badham) tells us when the next best weather opportunity is.'
Whilst the crew, which consists of Pescud, a severe dyslexic, and six other disabled sailors, whose disabilities range from amputees to polio, deafness and spina bifida, were obviously disappointed at having to return home after all the hype of organising the trip, then finally leaving on Monday, they realise that it will only be a matter of a week or so before they can head out again.
KAZ returned to its home base, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, all crew on board in good spirits. The yacht was taken to River Quays, where repairs were undertaken.
Pescud and crew originally set out on Monday to circumnavigate Australia non-stop and unassisted on the group's Lyons 54' yacht, KAZ. In doing so, the aim is to beat the Jeremy Pearce/Kanga Birtles time of just under 44 days, set in 1999, to create a World Record - a first for a disabled crew.
An extremely experienced crew who have done a number of ocean miles together, including completing the disastrous 1998 Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, in which they won the PHS class, Pescud's crew comprises Phil Thompson, Kim Jaggar, Harald Mirlieb, Allan Grundy, Albert Lee and Brett Pearce.
For further information on the KAZ crew, go to the SWD website at: www.sailorswithdisabilities.com and click on the '03 Project' icon.

Speaking of weather:
Writer Mark Twain said some readers complained that there wasn't enough weather in his stories. So, he said he wrote some weather, which they could insert wherever they thought it would help.
Mark Twain was born Samuel Clemens of Hannibal, Missouri. "Clemens," as a first name, is like the name "Clementine," derived from the adjective "clement." To be clement is to be lenient and compassionate, or, in the case of weather, perfectly heavenly.
Which is just what we have been having. Enjoy.

Fish numbers plunge
A global survey spanning nearly half a century reveals a 90 percent plunge in the population of large ocean fish, from tuna to cod, since commercial fishing vessels took to the high seas, Canadian researchers report.
With fish numbers decreasing by as much as 80 percent in 15 years, the depleted communities could crash delicately balanced ecosystems, with unknown worldwide consequences, the surveyors of pelagic creatures warned.
"More than 90 percent of the fish we like to eat are gone," said Jeremy Jackson, a renowned marine ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California.
The statistics -- which some industry scientists questioned -- emerged from a 10-year analysis of trawler surveys and U.S. and Japanese long-line fishing records compiled over 47 years for 62 predatory species.
"From giant blue marlin to mighty blue fin tuna and from tropical groupers to Antarctic cod, industrial fishing has scoured the global ocean," said lead study author Ransom Myers, Chair in Ocean Studies in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "There is no blue frontier left."
"Since 1950, with the onset of industrialized fisheries, we have rapidly reduced the resource base to less than 10 percent -- not just in some areas, not just for some stocks, but for entire communities of these large fish species from the tropics to the poles," said study co-author Boris Worm of Dalhousie and the University of Kiel in Germany.
"Even if the authors' numbers are off by as much as 50 percent, this is a big, big problem," said Randy Kochevar, science communications manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and principal investigator with the Tagging of Pacific Pelagics research project, an international collaboration to study migration patterns of large open-ocean animals in the North Pacific.
"The trends they've identified have profound consequences for the future of ocean life," he said.
"We have forgotten what we used to have," Kochevar said, "We had oceans full of heroic fish -- literally sea monsters. People used to harpoon 3-meter-long swordfish in rowboats."
The great fish are meeting the fate of other great beasts that were hunted to the brink of extinction, and beyond, researchers said.
Even the open ocean, widely viewed as an untapped reservoir of large fish, has suffered severe depletion, the researchers found.
"The long-lining data tell a story we have not heard before," said Daniel Pauly, a fisheries scientist. In this technique, particularly favoured by Japanese fleets, single-stranded fishing lines hoist endless rows of baited hooks over vast stretches of open ocean that can extend thousands of miles.
"Whereas long lines used to catch 10 fish per 100 hooks, now they are lucky to catch one," Myers said.
Conservation efforts have had mixed results, noted Rich Ruais, executive director of the East Coast Tuna Association in Salem, N.H.
"Are there still problems of illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing?" Ruais was asked in a telephone interview. "Absolutely there are, as there are still subsidies that are problematic."
However, there are also success stories such as the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, a commercial treaty involving 33 countries that is conducting ground-breaking work to blow pirate fishing out of the water.
"We think about the oceans as being a source of endless bounty, and look on the idea of hunting animals to extinction as a folly from the distant past,"
"The need for more knowledge is both urgent and critical," he concluded.

Problems we face . . .
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
Albert Einstein (1879-1955),

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Sailors with disABILITIES Aim for Around Australia Record

Seven Sailors with disAbilities quietly slipped out of a sparkling and sunny Sydney Harbour on Monday, heading north aboard their yacht KAZ, in their attempt to break the unofficial Around Australia record.
In an announcement at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), skipper David Pescud said that he and his crew would circumnavigate Australia non-stop and unassisted on the group's Lyons 54' yacht, KAZ. The aim is to beat Kanga Birtles' unofficial time of just under 44 days, set in 1999 and therefore create an official World Record - a first for an able-bodied or disabled crew.
Pescud's crew comprises Phil Thompson, a cancer sufferer who had his left arm amputated, Kim Jaggar, also a left arm amputee after a skiing accident as a child, Harald Mirlieb who is deaf, Allan Grundy a polio sufferer, Albert Lee, a double leg amputee after falling from a train, and Brett Pearce who has Spina Bifida.
The official starting point is South Head, from where an official from the World Sailing Speed Record Council (WSSRC), based in the UK, will take an official start and finish time
Roger 'Clouds' Badham, Australia's most prominent yachting meteorologist said the ideal time for the yacht to leave would have been on the weekend, but unfortunately Pescud and his crew were still completing final tasks on the yacht.
Officially, KAZ left South Head at 12.42.42pm Monday Sydney time, in a light 6-8 knot easterly breeze, to circumnavigate Australia in an anti-clockwise direction.
KAZ needs to average a 6.2 knot boat speed to crack the record, and although today's conditions were not ideal, Badham said, 'today is not too good on the Queensland coast, but it's better than waiting another few days.
The breeze will go further south on Thursday, and could be light for them off Brisbane and Fraser Island.
Pescud and crew will communicate as regularly from KAZ as the conditions will allow and is carrying a tracker allowing the public to follow their progress. The SWD website at: www.sailorswithdisabilities.com and click on the '03 Project' icon to follow their exploits.
Any guesses on their Whitsunday ETA?

Exhibit liquidised

A Danish museum director has gone on trial on charges of cruelty to animals for an exhibit in which goldfish were liquidised in a blender to test visitors' sense of right and wrong.
The exhibition caused controversy at the Trapholt Kuntmuseet with animal rights groups warning the museum it could be fined for animal cruelty after two goldfish died when visitors pressed the button.
Chilean-born Danish artist Marco Evaristti, created the exhibition made up of ten blenders on a table, each containing a fish, reports the BBC.
Each blender had a button and it was left to the visitors to decide if they wanted to turn it on. Several fish got the chop during the exhibitions short lived run.

Underwater cooking

Peanut oil is used for underwater cooking in submarines. Undersea fleets like it because it does not smoke unless heated above 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).

Travel sickness recalled

Mariners' attention is bought to the urgent medicine recall issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration about Travacalm travel sickness tablets. Seasickness tablets are fitted to all inflatable liferafts and may also be found in the medical cabinets/stores onboard ships. As a result of a lack of uniformity in production it has been necessary for the Therapeutic Goods Administration to issue a recall on various batches of travel sickness tablets.
Considering the possible implications, Maritime Safety Queensland recommends:
Owners or crew check the ships medical cabinet and remove the recalled product as soon as possible.
Owners or crew contact their liferaft service station to determine if any of the recalled products are packed in the liferafts, and if so, arrange for its replacement. This should be done at the first opportunity and before the ship returns to sea.
Further information is available from a marine operations centre in your area. MSQ Airlie Beach 07 4946 5699. MSQ Mackay 07 4944 3700.

That's art!

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers."

Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973), artist.

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan


Anniversary of the sinking of the Centaur

Hundreds of people gathered at Point Danger on the Gold Coast this week to pay their respects to those killed in the sinking of the Australian hospital ship, the Centaur, 60 years ago.
The boat was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off Cape Moreton on May 14, 1943 and 268 people died.
One of eight remaining survivors, 87-year-old Alan Dickson, says the memories are still strong.
"It's very hard to explain," he told ABC Radio.
"It's very emotional for me, I shouldn't be, I'm old enough not to be, but I still can't help it and I think of those fellas that more or less didn't have a chance, and I think how lucky was I to more or less survive it."

One month before the Rotary Airlie Beach Boat Show the event is really shaping up.
The annual boat show will feature one hundred exhibits and non-stop fishing, boating safety, SCUBA diving, cooking demonstrations. All this and fashion parades, music and fitness will take place at the centre of the complex at Abel Point Marina - twice the size of last years' show.
The long weekend of June 7 & 8 will see boating enthusiasts and their families from around the region visit the show to see the latest in boats and boating and fishing equipment. The new Abel Pt Marina will host a large number of floating display boats in their new marina berths.
Channel Seven's Creek to Coast Scott Hillier is the celebrity guest who will be demonstrating fishing techniques twice each day.
There might be a space left at the show and Rotary's Michael Merrick is the person to call on 4946 4212.

Change suits
Whitsunday charter and dive boat crew have become used to their passengers wearing stinger suits to prevent Irukanji syndrome. Safe, but they still look a bit silly. Comments by passengers range from "like taking a bath with your track suit on" and "not what we were expecting to wear at the beach."
One of our ships' crew, known for 'tall tales' was telling a fair-haired northern European guest that "next month you will have to wear butterfly stinger suits as the butterfly stingers will be in full aggressive mating season".
Our story telling lad was expecting a response along the lines of "You have so many strange creatures in Australia" but instead was asked "What colours do those suits come in?"

Gremlins strike
The typo gremlins crept into the column last week with the price of the new Small Ships Manual listed as $40 while it is in fact $28.40 from newsagents and Maritime Safety Queensland.

Reality TV not new
Some viewers of Gilligan's Island apparently took the television show seriously in the 1960s. The U.S. Coast Guard received several telegrams from concerned citizens asking why they didn't rescue the Minnow's crew

Safety recall
Attention: All yacht owners, sailing masters, crew, life-raft service operators and ships' suppliers.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has listed two Travacalm seasickness items for urgent recall. The TGA is warning the public not to take some batches of the Travacalm travel-sickness tablets, as analysis has shown a higher than recommended content of an active ingredient, creating the risk of unintentional overdose.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has issued an urgent notice, requesting that ships' medical stores be checked to ensure that any batches of the tablets are removed. AMSA also urges life-raft service providers to check their records and determine if any of the recalled product have been packed in life-rafts, and if so that the owners be contacted; and that ships' suppliers check to see if the product has been supplied to a ship (possibly in a medical kit for example).
It is believed that many SOLAS and Coastal liferaft emergency packs contain seasick tablets from the batch that is listed for recall.
AMSA have issued a Marine Notice to specify the batch numbers and urgency of the recall. If the suspected tablets are found, they should be removed as soon as possible and replaced with an alternate product.
Some symptoms from consumption of the problem batches include blurred vision, agitation and loss of balance.
For further information or assistance on this recall please contact AMSA (02) 6279 5955.

WARNING :
SARS CASES IN CANADA... It has been confirmed by the South Central Health Foundation in Newfoundland that two residents have been diagnosed with SARS. One poor fella' has a sar elbow and the second a sar knee. Lordy b'y, better be careful.
Note: Mrs Cap'n Dan told me "nobody will understand the Newfie humour or the accent". Perhaps she's right.

Yacht series
The Whitsunday Offshore Yacht Racing Series (WOYRC) is with us again, this year with a totally new format that will make the event much more attractive to many of our competitors, says Whitsunday Sailing Club President David McMahon.
"In the past the race was run over three weekends, making the logistics of locating the boats and crews a real problem." Mr McMahon said.
"The format this year is; - Wednesday Night 14th - Hamilton Island, Meet and great and competitors briefing, overnight in the marina if required.
Thursday, 15th - Hamilton Island. Start in Dent Passage racing to the finish at Mackay Harbour. Race 1 Presentation Mackay Yacht Club and lay day Friday.
Saturday 17th --- Mackay. Start, Mackay Harbour racing to finish at Bowen.
Race 2 Presentations at NQCYC and lay day Sunday.
Monday 19th --- Bowen. Start, racing to finish at Airlie Beach with Presentation for race 3 and the series at Whitsunday Sailing Club."
"This year our club is defending champions having won the trophy last year. The series is one of the most testing races on our calendar and competitors can expect strong on-water challenges from other clubs only being equalled by their capacity to celebrate victory regardless of who won."
"Please join in and lets show those other clubs that we can do it again. Kevin Fogarty, Rear Commodore off shore, is the man to contact for full details on 0419 775 282, or the club on 4946 6138." Mr McMahon said

Most popular names
The ten most popular boat names for 2002, according to the Boat Owners Association of the United States were: 1. Liberty 2. Victory 3. Aquaholic 4. Bite Me 5. Endless Summer 6. Seahorse 7. Footloose 8. Silver Lining 9. Miss Behavin 10. Moondance

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
Thomas Edison, inventor of the electric light globe

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Share farming out

The Department of Primary Industries is warning people against raiding crab pots ('share farming') following a spate of incidents in the Bowen area.
Bowen-based Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) field officer Glynn Aland said anyone caught interfering with or stealing crab pots faced a heavy fine.
"There have been a series of thefts involving crab pots as well as people removing crabs from pots," Mr Aland said.
"These are all offences under the Fisheries Act 1994 and anyone found breaking the regulations will be dealt with accordingly."
Mr Aland said people needed to be aware of all the current crabbing regulations including crab pot rules as well as the size and take and possession limits.
"There is a take and possession limit of 10 male mud crabs and a minimum size limit of 15cm," he said.
"People are also only allowed to use four crab pots. They need to be clearly marked with the owner's name and address and if using a float must also have the owner's name on it."
Mr Aland said fisheries regulations were aimed at sustaining Queensland's valuable fisheries resources.
"Rules are in place to protect and conserve mud crab stocks. By following the regulations these valuable fisheries resources will be around for current and future generations of Queenslanders," he said.
For more information about fisheries rules and regulations, contact the Bowen QBFP office on (07) 4786 3444, call the DPI Call Centre of 13 25 23 or visit the DPI Fishweb site at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb.

Getting it right for marine safety and training
The latest edition of the Small Ships Manual continues a tradition that began about thirty years ago. Many marine candidates have studied for their exams using the various editions of the 'Small Ships' and they will have many memories of the hours spent with this book.
The manual has been redesigned with a new clean and modern look and has been completely rewritten to reflect changes with the national training syllabus. It is both a text for people studying for their Master Class 5 and Coxswain certificates and an onboard operational manual for the professional skipper. It includes day-to-day boating information like weather, tides, radio, and navigating and collision rules as well as technical boating details like stability and engineering.
This edition of the Manual has evolved into a more training orientated publication with the participation of John Armstrong as Principal Education Advisor. John has a long history of bringing candidates up to scratch for their examinations with the Marine Board, Queensland Transport Maritime and now with Maritime Safety Queensland and the new national competency based assessment regime.
The Manual is ring bound and has colour-coded sidebars for easy use and quick reference. The paper is of excellent quality as are the many illustrations and learning aids. The Small Ships Manual is clearly designed to be kept close at hand by those new to the sea and old salts alike.
The Manual is available from better newsagents and specialty bookshops, some Queensland Transport Customer Service Centres and MSQ offices for $28.40.

Biggest wave?
The largest wave recorded in Queensland waters was 13.1 metres. The wave was recorded at the Environmental Protection Agency's Brisbane wave recording buoy moored in 80 metres of water off North Stradbroke Island on 17 March 1993, during the passage of tropical cyclone Roger. At the time the wave was recorded, TC Roger was centred 420 kilometres northeast of the wave recording buoy.

Boating survey
Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) is conducting a survey to assess boating knowledge, skill and behaviour on Queensland waterways. MSQ conducts the survey every two years and the results assist with planning in relation to safety, pollution and boating facilities. All responses are confidential and for research only.
All completed surveys will go into a monthly and a final draw for marine equipment prizes. Monthly prize draws will be valued at over $100 with the final draw on 1 August 2003.
The Recreational Boating Registration Survey 2003 is available from MSQ or can be downloaded. A version of the survey that can be completed online will be available soon at www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/maritime.

What's a puff?
In nautical terms, what's a puff?
A) Flag on the Bow
B) Gust of Wind
C) A Magic Dragon
D) Sail on a Boat

Lighthouses
Photos are required for a new web site just for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Ocean lighthouses. http://lighthouses.net.au

"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once."Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan
(((((((( extra items)))))


History of Hog's Breath Race Week
This year marks the 14th running of the Annual Hog's Breath Race Week in Airlie Beach. It's an event that has grown each year from humble beginnings, as an idea of the founder of the Hog's Breath Cafe to help promote the opening of the first Hog's Breath Cafe in Australia.
Founder of the Cafe chain Don Algie, had arrived in the Whitsundays aboard his classic 55' sloop Storm in 1987 looking for a site to start his brainchild Hog's Breath Cafe after spending 4 years in Florida. His first taste of big boat regattas was the Hamilton Island Race Week in Easter of 1988 where Storm performed well enough in Cruising division for Don to look at staging a regatta on the mainland at Airlie Beach.
A year later, after discussions with the Whitsunday Sailing Club and the upcoming opening of the first Hog's Breath Cafe in Australia, plans were put in place to sponsor a major regatta. The regatta was to include a mixture of bay racing around the buoys and long distance races around the adjacent islands of the area over a period of a week and to tie the regatta into the famous Fun Race.
So the event did not clash with Hamilton Island Race Week and to stage the event at the peak sailing period of the year, the club and Don decided to hold the first regatta in the lead up to the famous Fun Race in September of 1990. This event was to be called the Hog's Breath Cruising Classic to cater for the influx of coastal cruising yachts which visit the Whitsundays at that time of the year.
The success and growth of the regatta in the early years saw a few changes in the sailing scene. The event moved from a Cruising Classic to a full on Race Week. Hamilton Island then moved their regatta from Easter to the same time as Hog's Breath Race Week. This necessitated a move by the Sailing Club and Hog's Breath to hold the regatta prior to the new Hamilton Island dates.
Later this was to change so the Fun Race and Hog's Breath Race Week were held in conjunction with each other. Fun Race was then moved back to coincide with school holidays and Hog's Breath Race Week became a stand-alone regatta prior to Hamilton Island.
Then out of the blue Hayman Island started a race week organised by Rob Mundle that was staged on top of Hog's Breath Race Week. Once again the Hog's Breath regatta was changed and held after Hamilton Island and now there were 3 major regattas in the Whitsundays. The timing of the Hog's regatta after the other two turned out to be a disaster for the Hog's Breath supporters.
Fortunately for them, the Hayman Big Boat Regatta folded and Hog's Breath Race Week was again held prior to the major event, Hamilton Island Race Week.
At that time Sydney Yachts had released the Sydney 38, a new one-design sailing boat that was to become an instant success. Don Algie and Miles Wood (then marketing manager for Hog's Breath Cafe), struck up a deal to promote and stage the Australian Sydney 38 championships for the next 3 years. That event introduced a lot of owners to the benefits of sailing in the protected waters of Pioneer Bay at Airlie Beach.
In the year 2000 the Hog's Breath regatta attracted over 70 entries, in 2001 and 2002 there were in excess of 100 entries. The 14th staging of the event in 2003 is expected to see over 120 entries.
One of the main reasons for the success of the Race Week at Airlie Beach is the low cost for teams to race for a week compared to the costs for owners at Hayman Island and Hamilton Island. There is also a more diverse social life attached to racing on the mainland and that pleases the crews to no end. They are the ones who pass the word around about the fun of racing in Airlie Beach.
Hog's Breath Race Week has been a part of Airlie Beach for 14 years and the best is yet to come. Plans are in place for the 2004 Race Week with new ideas for class racing and of course the ever-important aspects of keeping the owners, skippers and their crews happy and entertained.
From the founder and patron of the event, Don Algie, "have fun, good partying and oh yeah, great sailing."

Airlie Beach 8th August until 14th August 2003

((((((((99ends ))))))))))

Seasickness by Kathy McKenzie
Boating OZ Editor

Most people don't get seasick on boats on enclosed waters such as Sydney Harbour and around the Whitsunday Islands, but when they go offshore they may get a bit queasy and lethargic, especially in windy conditions with high seas. Some people never get seasick, others just need to step on a boat and they are very ill.
If you get car sick, you'll probably be seasick too. If you can read in a car without feeling queasy, chances are you won't get seasick.
Seasickness happens when the body, inner ear, and eyes all send different signals to the brain, resulting in confusion and queasiness.
Hints on how to avoid seasickness
* The evening prior to boarding avoid alcohol, fatty and spicy foods and get a good sleep.
* If possible sleep on board the night before departure.
* Read medication directions - you are advised to take most seasickness medication before boarding. Taking them the day before will also help your body to adjust and you will know if you are going to suffer any side effects.
* Never go to sea with an empty stomach.
* Find the part of the boat with the least motion - usually in the centre at the back of the boat on the lower deck.
* Stay in fresh air and take a few deep breaths.
* Watch a fixed point on the horizon - a land point if possible. Avoid focusing on moving objects. The more land you can see the less likelyhood there is of you being seasick, this is why most people don't get sick inshore.
* Keep away from engine fumes.
* Don't do any close work, look through binoculars, read a book or magazine.
* Avoid cramped spaces.
* Avoid anxiety and fatigue.
* Occupy your mind, focusing on something other than being seasick.
* When you first start feeling queasy eat a snack of dry savoury biscuits, ginger biscuits, bread or non-acidic fruit. Ginger and honey are recommended for settling the stomach. Avoid fatty or salty foods.
* Drink plenty of water or ginger ale. A small beer may help you relax but drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
* Talking about seasickness increases the risk
* If really ill, lie on your back and close your eyes. Sip water to avoid dehydration.
* If you are about to vomit do so from the leeward side of the boat if safe, not the windward side.
Seasickness may disappear without treatment when the brain learns to compensate for the swaying and pitching. Remedies including herbal, drugs, bands and patches are discussed on the following websites -
Seasickness - http://seasickness.co.uk
Worried about seasickness? Some Suggestions http://www.hmlanding.com/maldemar.htm
Gusto Charters - http://www.alaska.net/~gusto/asst.html
Travel-Ascending.com http://www.travel-ascending.com/seasick.htm
What is seasickness? http://www.jimbaughoutdoors.com/SeaSick.htm

QUOTES:
Ron Pearson, Mooloolaba:
There are those who want to die, those who believe they have and others who just keep on trying to do their best. They usually beat the seasickness quicker.

Karen Wilson, Bright Morning Star Yacht Charters - sail training and racing (including the Sydney to Hobart) on Australia's east coast. http://www.boatingoz.com.au/charter/brightmorn.htm
Stugeron is the difference between going offshore and actually having fun as opposed to feeling lousy and basically useless. On so many occasions we have had crew who, if they had swallowed a couple of Stugeron, not a packet of other pills, they would have had a great passage. The other good thing about Stugeron is there are little or no side affects.

Editor of Boating OZ:
I'm like most people, I don't get seasick inshore unless I am at anchor and cleaning the bilge and by that time it's usually time to go ashore anyway. However, I would not venture offshore without Stugeron. I usually take a couple before I step on board but I have found that if it blows up later and I start feeling queasy I can take them again and be right in about an hour. Also I have found that if you don't take them before you step on board you can take them later and be alright. Stugeron is not available in Australia but it is widely used in Europe.

Cap'n Dan: "One sure way to overcome seasickness is to sit under a palm tree."

(((ends))

Wednesday, 23 April 2003

Green Zone Recreational Fishers Face $13,400 in Fines
"A Warning to Poachers"

Thirteen recreational fishers received a total of $13,400 in fines in
Rockhampton and Cairns Courts on Monday for offences in Green Zones in
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The offences, committed between August 2002 and March 2003, included
both spear fishing and line fishing in Marine National Park 'B' zones.
These are commonly referred to as Green Zones and are protected areas
that help safeguard the health of the Great Barrier Reef and sustain
local fisheries. Fines ranged from $800 to $1,500 per person.

According to the Chair of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GBRMPA), Virginia Chadwick, the increased level of fines handed down
highlights the seriousness with which the courts now treat illegal
fishing.

"In fact after Magistrate Tom Bradshaw of Rockhampton had fined 6
individuals for illegal fishing, he stated that even the recently
increased fines were not getting through to individuals and that minimum
fines should be lifted to at least $2,000," Mrs Chadwick said.

"Only a few years ago, fines for these sorts of offences would have been
only a couple of hundred dollars, if that, and the chances of detection
were substantially lower. Now we have dramatically enhanced enforcement
programs in place which are demonstrating how serious we are about
protecting the reef," Mrs Chadwick said.

"Everyone knows the GBR is under pressure from a wide range of factors
along the coast and poaching in green zones cannot be tolerated. It is
particularly disturbing that all of these offences occurred at major
tourist areas such as Green Island and Keppel Island. Tourism in the
Marine Park is worth more than $1 billion to the region and employs many
thousands of locals. It's future is jeopardised by this sort of
activity."

"Pressure from recreational and commercial fishing is a real issue on
the reef. Hopefully these fines will serve as a warning to those who
think 'fishing the green' is an acceptable activity."

"Intentional fishing in green zones by recreational or commercial
fishers not only potentially ruins the future fishing for everyone, but
also simply makes it tougher on the majority of law-abiding fishers in
the community," Mrs Chadwick said.

"Most of our intelligence for targeting illegal fishers comes from the
law abiding members of the fishing community who are sick and tired of
seeing their future fishing resource plundered by a thoughtless few."

All thirteen were apprehended by Queensland Parks & Wildlife patrols.