Race marks 100-year yachting event

Race marks 100-year yachting event

 

The Hayles Dent to Dunk Race and Cruising Rally hosted by Abel Point Yacht Club this year celebrates a century of yachting history in North Queensland.
The two events in one include nine days cruising the beautiful waters inside the Great Barrier Reef for the cruising fleet rally and a race of about 220 nautical miles through tropical islands to Dunk Island and on to Port Hinchinbrook.
In this event, each crew member pays $10 that is donated directly Volunteer Marine Rescue Stations and Coast Guards who provide radio schedules to ensure the safety of the cruising and racing fleets.
Starting at Hamilton Island, destinations along the way include Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island, Bowen, Magnetic Island, Townsville, Cardwell and Dunk Island.
 The rally includes sailing yachts, motorboats, classic vessels and Tallships and runs from June 13-23, visits six resorts and features beach BBQs and island stopovers.
The race starts on June 20 from Dent Island.
Abel Point Yacht Club and Townsville Museum Inc have an agreement that links the event back to the original Hayles trophy discovered in a second hand shop many years after it was sailed for in 1909.
More information on the 2006 Dent to Dunk Yacht Race visit www.apyc.yachting.org.au

 

Citizen scientists' urged to help

 

Researchers want divers and tourists to help monitor the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
The Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies has developed a waterproof booklet to help identify coral diseases.
The centre's Dr Bette Willis says enlisting the help of 'citizen scientists' will give researchers a better overview of the situation.
"We can only look at less than 2 per cent of the whole Great Barrier Reef and there are many people out diving on reefs that we can't get to on a regular basis," he said.
"If there is something unusual and particularly if people go back to the same site over time and they see something unusual developing, that's where people can act as eyes on the reef."

 

Royal yacht sale

 

Once used by the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne the former royal yacht Bloodhound is up for sale.
The 63-foot fully restored 'Bloodhound' is no ordinary yacht. She is one of the few authentic classic 1930s racing yachts left. Her uniqueness and attraction lie in the fact she was one of the most successful racing yachts ever built, becoming the Queen and Prince Phillip's personal yacht during the 1960's.
Built in 1936, she was one of three yachts designed and built by Camper & Nicholson to the twelve-metre class.
This yacht not only has great provenance, she is also capable of establishing herself as the yacht to beat on the classic circuit.
"In a sense, these boats are irreplaceable and part of living history," current owner Cindy McGrail said.

 

Run down?

 

Offshore sailors worry about being run down by ships. The danger is less now than anytime in recent memory party of new technology, but much of it because of economics. There's just not as much shipping as there used to be. With oil having dropped over $100 a barrel, some 50 mega-tankers around the world are being used solely for storage, as on-shore storage is nearing capacity.
With world trade dropping, international shipping has plunged. Perhaps the best indicator is that for the first time in many years the cost has dropped significantly. The cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Hong Kong to Rotterdam has dropped from $2,700 last year, as low as $200 this year. What's more, many ships are now operated at lower speeds to save money on fuel. I guess that's what is meant by the economy slowing down.

 

Oar what?

 

An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. The oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. What distinguishes oars from paddles is that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by means of rowlocks or tholes that act as a fulcrum.

 

Terms

 

"She handled like a gumboot full of wet sago" was heard the other day. Do you have any great sayings or expressions that need to be used? Send them in C/ The Guardian.

 

Three sheets to the wind

 

On a small boat, three sheets control the sails. The Main Sheet controls the mainsail, and two sheets that control the headsail the Windward Sheet and the Leeward Sheet. Therefore, a person that has three sheets to the wind means that the sheets are flying with the wind i.e. they do not have control of the boat. Much like someone who has three sheets to the wind does not have control over themselves.

 

Notice to Mariners

 

Mariners are advised that the lighted port lateral mark No.2 beacon Fl.R.1s in approximate position latitude 20°20.80'S, longitude 148°56.84'E outside the entrance channel into Hamilton Island Marina has been reported to be unlit. Mariners should use caution in the vicinity. AUS chart 254.
 
Grab an oar

 

"I don't believe in just ordering people to do things. You have to sort of grab an oar and row with them," Harold S. Geneen CEO of ITT

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

 

 

Whitsunday annual Blessing of the Fleet - 20 years May 31, 2009

Your new sailing enterprise sounds great - all the best for future success. Fair winds, Cap'n Dan

 

http://blessingofthefleet.blogspot.com/

 

Blessing of the Fleet - 20 years anniversary May 31, 2009

Our Blessing of the Fleet in Airlie Beach is held each year On Whitsun Day or Pentecost Sunday as our special day.

 

A Blessing of the Fleet is part of the activities of many seaside and fishing communities around the world. Here in Whitsunday, we celebrate Whitsun Day and the naming of our area by James Cook in 1770.

 

Whitsun or Pentecost Sunday is on different dates each year as is Easter. Cook and his crew sailed through the magnificent passage he named Whitsunday on his voyage of adventure and discovery. In addition, Cook named Pentecost Island for the religious occasion.

 

If you saw the movie "The Perfect Storm," then you know how dangerous it can be to fish for a living or work and play on the sea.

 

Indeed, traditional services of songs, prayers and scriptures focus on the reality reflected in the ancient Breton fisherman's prayer "O Lord, the sea is so wide and my boat is so small. Protect me."

 

Special thanks, recognition and prayers are given to those who serve on the sea, those of the Navy, merchant service, and the Water Police and rescue services who do a dangerous job to benefit all.

 

Father Keith Felgate was inspired to conduct an annual blessing of the fleet here at Whitsunday in 1989.

 

"As we conduct the Blessing of the Fleet on Whitsun Day my thoughts turn to Father Keith who in his retirement is no doubt also thinking of us" says co-founder Cap'n Dan Van Blarcom

 

"Father Keith gave me 'the call' so we formed the Blessing committee of two," Cap'n Dan recalls. "We knew the committee was too big, but it was a nice number to get together over a couple of beers and plan the Blessing."

 

Rev John Williams also contributed as an organiser and a sailor. In 2003, Rev Father Don Fernance of the Mission to Seafarers in Townsville conducted our service when Whitsun coincided with the Airlie Beach Rotary Boat Show.

 

For the last four years the Blessing has been conducted by Terry Ayling, minister of the Uniting Church who will again rise to the occasion on Whitsun Day.

 

We invite all people of good will to join us.

 

The Blessing of the Fleet on Whit Sunday is for those who go down to the sea in ships as, 'sailors are atheists, except when in a storm at sea.'

 

Community groups are invited to participate in the twentieth annual Blessing of the Fleet on the seafront lawn at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.

For further information please contact the club or Cap'n Dan Van Blarcom

http://blessingofthefleet.blogspot.com/

 

 

Click image for full size page

Barrier Reef swim to highlight climate concerns

There's nothing new about people taking on physical challenges to raise awareness for a cause they believe in.
But a man's plan to swim the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef to highlight climate concerns is one that stands out from the crowd.
Rob Hutchings,a native of Newfoundland, Canada who now lives in Adelaide hopes his 2,300-kilometre quest will raise awareness of global warming and the threat it poses to the reef.
"I'm a regular guy with slightly irregular ideas about how to enjoy myself," says the 33-year-old chiropractor.
The swim, which Hutchings hopes to begin on November 1, 2009, will be akin to making 90 crossings of the English Channel.
Hutchings says the reef, and by extension the millions of species that live on it, is considered especially vulnerable to changes in water temperature, and climate change.
"It's the best icon I can think of to show 'look, this enormous reef that is the size of Japan, the biggest in the world by far...it will go extinct,'" Hutchings said.
"And if the largest reef in the world can go extinct, the only living organism visible from space, what else will happen that can affect the rest of the world? It's not an Australian issue, it's a global issue."
Hutchings, who has been competing in triathlons since the age of 13, and represented Canada at the 1997 world championships, came up with the idea while on a hike with his wife.
"I kind of suggested it as a joke, but by the end of the hike we were discussing how to make it happen because it had never been done before," he said. Since then he has embarked on a rigorous training schedule, swimming during his lunch hours and often logging 20 kilometres in the pool on Saturdays and Sundays.
With favourable wind and currents, barring injury, Hutchings estimates he can swim about 30 kilometres per day.
Money raised by the event will go towards installing solar panels on community and sports centres around Australia.
For more information check out the Facebook group Great Barrier Reef Swim for Climate Change.

VMR Whitsunday Ship's Log

The winner of the EPIRB donated to VMR by Home Hardware at our open day late last year was David Pratchett of Proserpine. Congratulations, David

Pirates drown with ransom

Proving that you can't take it with you, five pirates who hijacked a Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a $3 million ransom, the day after the bundle of cash was dropped by parachute onto the deck of the ship.
The drowned pirates' boat overturned in rough seas, and family members were still looking for four missing bodies, said Daud Nure, another pirate who knew the men involved.
Piracy is one of the few ways to make money in Somalia. Half the population is dependent on aid, and a whole generation has grown up knowing nothing but war. A recent report by London's Chatham House think-tank said pirates raked in more than $30 million in ransoms last year.
Abukar Haji, uncle of one of the dead pirates, blamed the naval surveillance for the accident that killed his pirate nephew Saturday.
"The boat the pirates were travelling in capsized when running at high speed because the pirates were afraid of an attack from the warships patrolling around," he whined.

Solo sailor saves self

A solo Canadian yachtsman whose boat was badly damaged by heavy seas in the Southern Ocean has sailed safely into Hobart.
Derek Hatfield of Halifax, Nova Scotia retired from the Vendee Globe endurance race after his yacht, Algimouss Spirit of Canada, battered by freezing winds on December 28 was upended and its mast badly damaged.
He was below deck when the yacht was damaged but despite this, he was determined to continue on unaided and sailed 900 nautical miles to Hobart.
Hatfield, who sails out of the Port Credit Yacht Club in Mississauga, Ont., was the 13th competitor to retire from the challenging Vendee Globe round-the-world race, which began on November 9 when a flotilla of 30 boats left the western French port of Les Sables d'Olonne.

Proverb proven

A volunteer at the Sabot Australian Championships sailed in Airlie Beach recently found the truth of the old proverb: Between two boats you get wet.
All hands came to the rescue and it's good that Dave didn't loose his glasses.

Royal yacht sale

Once used by the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne the former royal yacht Bloodhound is to be put up for sale.
The 63-foot fully restored 'Bloodhound' is no ordinary yacht. She is one of the few authentic classic 1930s racing yachts left. Her uniqueness and attraction lie in the fact she was one of the most successful racing yachts ever built, becoming the Queen and Prince Phillip's personal yacht during the 1960's.
Built in 1936, she was one of three yachts designed and built by Camper & Nicholson to the twelve-metre class.
This yacht not only has great provenance, she is also capable of establishing herself as the yacht to beat on the classic circuit.
"In a sense, these boats are irreplaceable and part of living history," current owner Cindy McGrail said.

Oar what?

An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. The oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. What distinguishes oars from paddles is that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by means of rowlocks or tholes that act as a fulcrum.

All in same boat

"We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty." - G. K. Chesterton, English Novelist, 1874-1936.

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Paddle and trek Ngaro Sea Trail

Paddle and trek Ngaro Sea Trail

 

Following in the footsteps of the Ngaro people, the traditional owners of the Whitsunday area; undertake a journey through a region of unsurpassed natural beauty and rich cultural history. Blending seaways with a range of walks, the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail will be truly unique.
The Whitsunday Ngaro (pronounced Nah-ro) Sea Trail will highlight many iconic features that have made the area famous. Walk across pure white sands, sail over turquoise waters, see ancient rock art, rugged headlands, dry rainforest, rolling grasslands and experience the breathtaking views.
When completed, you may take in all of the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail — travel from sea to summit with varying grades of difficulty and length across South Molle, Hook and Whitsunday islands, as well as journeying its sea paths for a different and refreshing perspective.
Nearing completion, some features will be the Nara Inlet rock shelter filled with Ngaro art motifs and Tongue Bay to Hill Inlet lookout and beach. The lookout takes in the vista over Hill Inlet; a highly significant area for the Ngaro people and the sweeping sands of Whitehaven Beach.
Work is continuing, so get information from EPA

 

Boaties distressed over beacons

 

The Queensland Government has ignored a request by the Opposition LNP to give boaties a period of grace in the mandatory transition to digital distress beacons.
Boaties who haven't already replaced their old analogue distress beacon now face fines, despite the fact that the analogue system will not be disabled until February 1, 2009.
LNP water spokesman Andrew Cripps said many boat owners had been unable to replace their old analogue beacon with the new 406 digital unit by the Bligh Government's 1 November deadline because of a backlog with distributors.
"I asked Transport Minister John Mickel to show some understanding of the circumstances that many boat owners find themselves in, through not fault of their own. Those boaties who have placed orders for digital beacons before 1 November ought to be exempt from penalties until 1 February next year," Mr Cripps said.
"Mr Mickel has refused this request and boat owners will now be penalised for something that is out of their control. Unlike the Bligh Government, I hope water police and fishery patrols can exercise some common sense and show understanding towards boaties who have tried to do the right thing.
"The analogue signal will continue to operate worldwide until February next year, so boat owners who are still waiting for their digital system to come through won't be without a functional beacon for another three months.
"Boat safety is extremely important. I have no argument with that. We are coming into the holiday season when boating is a popular family pastime for many Queenslanders. While the analogue beacons will be perfectly operational, boaties who carry them will be at risk of a fine from the Bligh Government."

 

Turn on lights

 

"VMR is frequently called out at night, and we are appalled at the number of boats anchored off Abel Point and adjacent areas that do not display correct, or indeed any anchor lights," reports VMR's Malcolm Priday.
"The Collision Regulations requiring any vessel anchored at night to display all round white lights meeting range of visibility requirements under the regulations."
"Even if you are anchored in an approved mooring area you must display appropriate anchor lights at night, and MSQ may be having a blitz on vessels not in compliance." Mr Priday added.

 

Coke caught near Cork

 

Three men were charged after a luxury yacht packed with more than £400million of cocaine was raided off the Irish coast.
Two Britons and an Irishman were arrested after armed officers stormed the 60-foot 'Dances With Waves' in international waters, 150 miles off Cork.
The 1.5tonne drugs haul was seized in operation Sea Bight following a tip-off from European investigators.
The yacht, under surveillance since leaving the Caribbean carried at least 70 bales of cocaine.

 

Only in America

 

HOBE SOUND, Fla. -- A Treasure Coast restaurant waitress said she was offered a US$50,000 boat as a tip.
Cindy Brown was waiting tables at the Catfish House in Hobe Sound when she said a long-time customer offered her the boat as a tip.
"I said, 'You're kidding, right?'" she said. "I cried and cried, because I'd lost my boat in Hurricane Wilma. I love to fish."
Brown said she never expected anything like the big tip.
She said she's glad to know there are still generous people out there who care.

 

Top yacht job

 

Yachting Australia is seeking an experienced and highly competent full-time Manager for the Australian Sailing Team.
The Australian Sailing Team (AST) was established in 2005 with a view to providing a greater focus on winning medals at the Olympic Games. The AST is the official national representative sailing team for the Olympic classes. Members of the Australian Sailing Team won two Gold and one Silver Medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. Australia is currently ranked number 1 in the ISAF Rankings for the Olympic Classes.
the AST Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the AST maintains its dominant place in international Olympic Class sailing and that Australia meets its medal target at the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Australian Sports Commission funds Yachting Australia's high performance programs

 

Record run

 

The new generation of Volvo 70 racing around the globe in this year's Volvo Ocean Race is a hotrod yacht.
The 24-hour monohull speed record was bettered this week as the crew of Torben Grael's Ericsson 4 turned in an amazing 594.2 nautical mile 24 hour run, an average speed of 24.7 knots on the way to Cape Town.
ABN AMRO 2 set the previous record of 562.9 miles in the last race.

 

Brampton Island

 

Mariners are advised that the works associated with the refurbishment of the Brampton Island Wharf have now been completed. AUS chart 251.

 

Sea sense

 

"A passage under sail brings out in the course of days whatever there may of the sea love and sea sense in an individual whose soul is not indissolubly wedded to the pedestrian shore." Joseph Conrad (Author)

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

World record killer storm surge hit Qld coast

World record killer storm surge hit Qld coast

 

At Bathurst Bay, near Princess Charlotte Bay on Cape York on March 4, 1899 at least 307 crew members died from the Queensland pearling fleet and about a further 100 persons died onshore.
Reports say 152 vessels were sunk or wrecked, indeed, some were found kilometres inland, because of a 14.6-metre storm surge associated with Tropical Cyclone (TC) Mahina.
Over 100 Aboriginal people died in forest country or trying to help the shipwrecked men, when the back surge swept them out into the sea and they drowned.
Tonnes of fish and dolphins were found 15-metres above sea level over a mile inland and rocks were embedded in trees. On Flinders Island, dolphins were found over 15 metres up on the cliffs.
On that night of March 4, Constable J.M.Kenny reported that a 48-foot storm surge swept over their camp at Barrow Point, south of Cape Melville atop a 40 foot (12m) high ridge & reached 3 miles inland, the largest storm surge ever recorded.
After crossing Bathurst Bay, Mahina - historically known as the Bathurst Bay 'Hurricane' - continued on with diminishing strength but considerable flooding, across the peninsula to the Gulf of Carpentaria. There it doubled back on its tracks and 'died' altogether over the land on March 10.
A mate, ABC Radio journalist Ian Townsend, has for a few years now been researching the Bathurst Bay 'hurricane'.
"The hurricane provides a sort of snapshot of the pearling fleets of
that 1899 period and so I'm interested in anything at all to do with
the sailing luggers and crews especially those that were in the area, no matter how small the details" Ian writes.
" And if anyone wants to discuss any particular vessels or other aspects
of the 1899 hurricane, let me know"
Fourth Estate/HarperCollins has recently published Ian's novel about the event "The Devil's Eye."
It's fiction, but he has used the names of the people and vessels that were actually there. He is now researching from a historical perspective.
 "And so I've become a bit obsessed with the sailing luggers and crews. Maybe someone can help me solve some of the many mysteries of this storm and the fleets that were there," Ian added.
Weather terms

 

Weather terms or coming to terms with the weather? Long time local big game fisher Capt Ken Bryant was heard on ABC Radio the other morning explaining his interpretation of the Bureau of Meteorology terms.
"So when BOM say 10/15 knots, that means you add them up and get 25 knots."
It certainly seems that way during the windy years, and Capt Ken was steaming south down the coast.

 

Life preserver

 

During World War II, Allied soldiers and sailors called their yellow inflatable, vest-like life preserver jackets "Mae Wests" partly from Cockney rhyming slang for "life vest" and partly because of the resemblance to actress Mae West's curvaceous torso. A "Mae West" is also a type of round parachute malfunction which contorts the shape of the canopy into the appearance of an extraordinarily large brassiere, presumably one suitable for a woman of Mae West's generous proportions.

 

Saddam yacht for sale

 

The Iraqi government trying to sell a luxury yacht that was one of many opulent treasures belonging to former dictator Saddam Hussein, a senior Iraqi official said.
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the 270-foot pleasure boat, expected to fetch $US30 million and features gold-tap bathrooms, a mini-operating theatre, a helicopter landing pad and a secret escape passageway.
Mr Dabbagh said an ownership dispute over the yacht had concluded in a French court. "The ruling was in favour of Iraq," he said.
However, the yacht is not attracting too many bids brokers say.
US missiles and bombs destroyed another luxurious Saddam yacht, the Al Mansur, in southern Iraq in 2003.

 

Royal Navy shoot out

 

Pirates caught red-handed by one of Her Majesty's warships after trying to hijack a cargo ship off the lawless East African country of Somalia made the grave mistake of opening fire on two Royal Navy assault craft packed with commandos armed with machineguns and SA80 rifles.
In the ensuing gunfight, two Somali pirates in a Yemeni-registered fishing dhow were killed, and a third pirate, believed to be a Yemeni, suffered injuries and subsequently died. It was the first time the Royal Navy had been engaged in a fatal shoot-out on the high seas in living memory.
By the time the Royal Marines boarded the pirates' vessel; the enemy had lost the will to fight and surrendered quietly. The Royal Navy described the boarding as "compliant."
The dramatic confrontation, the latest in a series of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden in recent months, took place 60 miles south of the Yemeni coast and involved the Royal Navy Type 22 frigate, HMS Cumberland, which has a Royal Marine unit on board, on short-notice standby to engage in "non-compliant boardings".

 

Pioneer Bay pontoon

 

Mariners are advised that operational works to replace the public pontoon at the Combined Marine Club, Cannonvale are proposed to commence on Tuesday, November 25 and continue until Wednesday, December 24 2008. Barge and associated vessels will be in attendance during this period. Mariners are advised to navigate with caution in this area. AUS charts: 253 and 268.

 

Power line

 

"The curve is more powerful than the sword" Mae West

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

 

 

New Boat Race around Oz

New Boat Race around Oz

 

Organisers bill the 'Great Australia Ocean Race' as an epic voyage around the vast and varied coastline of the continent of Australia.
The competition is a race for solo and crewed racing yachts and long distance speedboats.
Crewed yachts have raced around Australia non-stop. Solo sailors have not. Speedboats have not.
Can Speedboats circumnavigate Australia without pit stops? Contemporary thinking suggests not. It was not so long ago that placing a vehicle on Mars was considered impossible. With advances in science and new forms of fuel, anything is possible!
The race is conducted on the 'Great Australia Racetrack' - a three-lane ocean racetrack circumnavigating Australia complete with 'Lanes', 'Sectors', 'Gates', 'Ocean Zones' open each year during the months of April through to September with fleet races starting on Anzac Day the 25th of April.
With its unique racetrack gate naming system the 'Great Australia Ocean Race' celebrates all of Australia's capital cities, many famous coastal resort towns including Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island.
The Famous Russian adventurer/sailor and inaugural Antarctica Cup ocean race record setter- Fedor Konyukhov is the first confirmed entry with his 86-foot yacht 'Alye Parusa'.
The yacht will first compete in the 2008 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, after which Konyukhov will sail to Albany and prepare to start in the 'Great Australia Ocean Race' on Anzac Day, April 25, 2009.
Fedor will skipper 'Alye Parusa' with an Australian co-skipper and Russian and Australian crew members.
Want to take part? Further information at: http://greataustraliarace.com/

 

Govt Perks

 

A U.S. government worker in California took illegal perks from his job — including a plane, yachts and heavy-duty trucks, federal prosecutors say.
Steven Bradley Smith, a field technician with the Federal Aviation Administration in San Diego, abused an internal computer system to claim surplus items from other government agencies.
Among the 215 items, Smith obtained since 2004 were a 44-foot Navy sailing yacht formerly used by the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Washington, a Cessna 210 from the Forest Service and a Boston Whaler from the Coast Guard, the charging document said.
The Boston Whaler was found on a trailer in front of Smith's home along with a boat previously used by the Border Patrol and a Chevrolet K2500 truck once used by NOAA. Attached to that truck was a 600-gallon tank trailer formerly used by the Air Force, said an affidavit filed by Christopher M. Bjornstad, a special agent with the inspector general.
"There's another Boston Whaler missing and a bunch of other boats we're still looking for," he said

 

Syn-co-pe

 

1. [sing-kuh-pee] as in grammar, the shortening of a word by the loss of sounds or letters in the middle of the word as in the reduction of never to ne'er; bosun for boatswain, tops'l for topsail.
 
Only in America

 

HOBE SOUND, Fla. -- A Treasure Coast restaurant waitress said she was offered a US$50,000 boat as a tip.
Cindy Brown was waiting tables at the Catfish House in Hobe Sound when she said a long-time customer offered her the boat as a tip.
"I said, 'You're kidding, right?'" she said. "I cried and cried, because I'd lost my boat in Hurricane Wilma. I love to fish."
Brown said she never expected anything like the big tip.
She said she's glad to know there are still generous people out there who care.

 

Record run

 

The new generation of Volvo 70 racing around the globe in this year's Volvo Ocean Race is proving to be a hotrod yacht. The 24-hour monohull speed record was bettered this week as the crew of Torben Grael's Ericsson 4 turned in an amazing 594.2 nautical mile 24 hour run, an average speed of 24.7 knots on the way to Cape Town.
ABN AMRO 2 set the previous record of 562.9 miles in the last race.

 

Shute Harbour buoys

 

Mariners are advised that the three temporary marker buoys associated with the proposed Shute Harbour Marina Development have been removed. AUS chart: 253

 

A thousand gems

 

"Gracefully, gracefully glides our bark on the bosom of Father Thames, And before her bows the wavelets dark break into a thousand gems." — Thomas Noel, author of A Thames Voyage.

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Olympian for Airlie Beach sailing titles

Olympian for Airlie Beach sailing titles

 

Beijing Olympic Games and world champion 49er sailor Nathan Outteridge, has announced he would attend the opening of the Australia National Sabot sailing titles on December 27 in Airlie Beach.
It has only been a few months since Outteridge and Ben Austin were leading at the Beijing Olympics 49er final until a capsize 100 metres from the finish line. Amid the carnage and chaos of the final race, they plummeted to fifth place and watched the gold medal slip from their hands.
Outteridge was the national Senior Sabot champion in 1999-2000 so he is well versed in Sabot sailing and will provide an inspiration for the young sailors attending the Whitsunday event.
Unlike many of his international rivals who have taken a year off before preparing for the London 2012 Olympics, he wanted to "play and explore" the latest developments to keep ahead of the pack.
The 49er class is introducing carbon-fibre rigging from March, which makes the handling more difficult in strong winds, more tippy, but lighter and faster.
"I've been putting more time into the A Cat, (a lightweight high competitive catamaran class) because I'm trying something different and sailing in those World's in early January," says Outteridge.
Outteridge will visit Airlie Beach before competing at the A class catamaran World Championships to be held in Lake Macquarie, NSW in January.

 

Coral reef fin fish

 

Fishers will be able to enjoy catching coral reef fin fish during the Christmas holidays with Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin confirming that the last of three spawning closures for 2008 has now been lifted.
 "The lifting of the December spawning closure is now official," Mr Mulherin said.
"This follows an amendment to the fisheries regulation to remove the December closure.
This closure would have spanned the Christmas period effectively stopping many people from fishing through their Christmas holidays because the Barra closed season is also in force.
"Recreational and commercial fishers, as well as charter boat operators, have been in favour of removing the December closure as it has a significant impact on these sectors."

 

Just a sec

 

As if this year hasn't felt long enough, an extra second will be added so that we stay in sync with atomic time.
With a brutal economic slowdown, 2008 may feel as if it will never end. Now the world's timekeepers are making it even longer by adding a leap second to the last day of the year.
Along with the economy, the Earth itself is slowing down, requiring timekeepers to add an extra second to their atomic clocks to keep in sync with Earth's slightly slowing rotation. So an extra second will be tacked on to Dec. 31 after 6:59:59 p.m. and before 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
That extra second will make 2008 — already long with an extra day on Feb. 29 — the longest year since 1992.
Historically, time was based on the mean rotation of Earth relative to celestial bodies and the second was defined in this reference frame. However, the invention of atomic clocks defined a much more precise "atomic time" scale and a second that is independent of Earth's rotation. In 1970, an international agreement established two time scales: one based on Earth's rotation and one based on atomic time. The problem is that Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down, which necessitates the periodic insertion of a "leap second" into the atomic time scale to keep the two within 1 second of each other.
The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) monitors the difference in the two time scales and calls for leap seconds to be inserted or removed when necessary. Since 1972, leap seconds have been added at intervals varying from 6 months to 7 years, with the last being inserted December 31, 2005.

 

Great Sandy Straits

 

Mariners are advised that a series of marker buoys are deployed to depict the Great Sandy Straits Marine Park zoning near Barolin Rocks, Burkits Reef and Hoffman's Rocks at Bargara. The north-eastern sector of each of the three zones is lit with a continuous flashing yellow light. All other buoys are unlit. AUS charts: 243, 817

 

Irish Proverb holds water

 

"You never miss the water till the well has run dry"

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Judge rules on Beatle's Hamilton hideaway

Judge rules on Beatle's Hamilton hideaway

 

Hamilton Island has been ordered by Queensland's Supreme Court to allow the sale of a house built by the late Beatle, George Harrison, to a Melbourne property developer.
Queensland Supreme Court judge, Philip McMurdo, ordered Hamilton Island Enterprises (HIA) to allow the sale of a house built by the late musician who died in 2001.
Harrison and wife Olivia developed the site in the late 1980s, becoming Hamilton's Island's most famous homeowners at the fashionable resort.
Their design incorporated thatched roofs, timber and a rambling garden with sweeping water views that provided charter boat captains with a nice little story while taking guests past the island.
The pair fell in love with the island's quiet seclusion and exotic wildlife after visiting during a trip to Australia to attend the Grand Prix.

 

New fishing rules

 

Recreational and commercial fishers are affected by major changes to rules and regulations that will come into affect on March 1, 2009
"The changes include new bag and size limits for some of our most popular bread and butter species like bream, whiting, tailor, and flathead," Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said when announcing the changes.
"Changes to the Inshore Fin Fish Fishery - the largest and most diverse fishery in the State, the East Coast Trawl, East Coast Tropical Rock Lobster, Crab and Freshwater fisheries have now been finalised," Mr Mulherin continued.
"The new rules are aimed at ensuring that, with increasing population pressures, the State's fisheries remain sustainable while also maintaining a catch share balance between the two sectors.
"Queensland's population has doubled in the last 30 years to 4.3 million. Most of that growth has occurred along the coast - placing greater pressure on our fishing resources. Our outdoor lifestyle has led to an increase in boat ownership among Queenslanders. This factor, as well as improvements in fishing technology, gives greater capacity for catching fish. Mr Mulherin said
"Changes to crab pot rules will also apply to all fishers. Possession limits for crab pots now apply for recreational and commercial fishers. For example, recreational fishers will not be allowed to have any more that four crab pots in their possession at a time.
The use of 'witches hat' dillies will also be phased out, as this equipment easily drifts away and has been seen entangled around turtles' flippers.
Mr Mulherin said a number of new rules would have a strong conservation benefit.
"As part of the new rules, all sawfish and speartooth shark are no-take species, given their international and national listing as endangered species."
The Queensland Seafood Industry Association has welcomed the release of the new management plan.
QSIA President Neil Green said he believed the plan marked a "watershed" in joint government-industry development of management arrangements for commercial fisheries.
"I don't recall a time previously when seafood industry representatives have felt the Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries and a Fisheries Minister took such an inclusive approach to development of a management plan," Mr Green said.
Mr Green said sustainability was the foundation of all commercial fisheries in
Queensland and sustainability guarantees had been strengthened by rules in the new management plan.
For example, tougher attendance rules for fishermen operating nets in offshore waters meant fishermen not only would continue to be restricted in exactly where a net could be set but also would have to remain close by the net, so it could be checked and cleared regularly.
This further strengthened the industry's environmental credentials and responsible fishing practices, and is welcomed by all fishermen.

 

Sub for Santa?

 

What do you get for that fun loving person that seems to have everything?
Well here it is, arguably the ultimate Christmas gift and prized piece of Australia's military heritage - the 2000-tonne former Royal Australian Navy submarine, the HMAS Otama.
The ultimate 'boat' is available for the discerning sailor, just log on to internet site eBay and bid about $5 million.
The first RAN submarine offered on eBay, the Otama was the last of the Oberon Class boats to be built. Reportedly, the Otama spent much of its life from 1978 to 2000 conducting dangerous top-secret surveillance missions against Soviet targets off the coast of Vietnam.
The current owner, who paid the Federal Government just $50,000 for the sub, wanted it for a tourist attraction at Hastings on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
Instead, he was caught up in a bureaucratic nightmare, the victim of planning delays and false promises by Victorian government officials over seven years.

 

Speed sailing

 

Following agreement between the International Sailing Federation and the World Sailing Speed Record Council that supports a decision to ratify the claim for the Outright World Sailing Speed Record by a Kite-board.
In accordance with this, the WSSRC announces the ratification of a new Outright World Sailing Speed Record with an average speed of 50.57 knots over a 501-metre course in Luderitz, Namibia. Set on October 8 by French sailor Alexandre Caizergues with a Fone Prototype Speed board equipped with a Fone Bandit Dos Speed 7-square metre kite.

 

The right boat

 

You're in the right boat when Jesus is your skipper.

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

 

 

Whitsunday captains 'heroes' in sea rescue

Whitsunday captains 'heroes' in sea rescue

 

A dark night; a sinking yacht calling for help. Miles off the coast the yacht was fast filling with seawater. A mayday call sent before the rising waters disabled the radio battery. Waist deep in the cold salt water the crew waited for their rescuers. Would they still be on board when the lights finally went out? How long would they wait in the darkness to be rescued, before the yacht slipped beneath the cold salt-water waves?

 

This was the reality for fourteen crew aboard yacht Georgia, 32 nautical miles off the NSW coast last Friday night. Less than ten hours after the start of the 2008 Sydney Hobart Race taking a dangerous amount of seawater due to a broken rudder.

 

Thankfully nearby in the darkness was Airlie Beach yacht Telcoinabox Merit and her skipper Leo Rodriguez. Among the crew were seven commercially qualified captains from the Whitsundays.

 

'We heard Georgia call JBW (the radio relay vessel) for help and we were asked by JBW to attend as we were the nearest vessel,' Leo said on Telcoinabox Merit's arrival in Hobart.

 

"We told them we were 35 minutes away but they were concerned that 35 minutes might be too long," Rodriguez said. "When we got there the boat was in a pretty bad state. We could see that the navigation lights were already just above the surface, so there wasn't much time left to get the crew off."
They (the crew) had been in waist deep water for quite a while so my main concern was to get them on board and get them warm and get them down below and make sure no-one was hurt in any way.' 
'Basically, the boat rolled over about 10 minutes after we got them all on board. It didn't take long at all. Georgia still had the mainsail up when she rolled. The nav lights and stern lights were still on below the surface. 
The beauty with our boat is that we have seven commercial skippers on board so we've all done it before, done our sea survival courses. I personally did the sea survival course, just as a refresher. Things like that always help.' 
'They were very thankful that we were there; very thankful that we answered their call.' Leo said.
Stricken yacht Georgia is a Farr 53 owned by Graeme Ainley and John Williams from Sandringham Yacht Club, Victoria.
Tim Cox, Race Committee Chairman liaised with the relevant authorities including AMSA, NSW Water Police and the CYCA Emergency Management Team to effect a rescue. Radio Relay Vessel JBW assisted with the rescue by communicating instructions from the Race Committee.
At approximately 23:00, all 14 crew members from Georgia were transferred to Telcoinabox Merit without incident via liferaft.
Telcoinabox Merit set course for Bateman's Bay, where the crew were transferred to the Police launch Nemisis.

 

Telcoinabox Merit is a former Volvo 60 round-the-world racing yacht that has contested many offshore races since coming to Australia, sailing under various names, including Indec Merit, News Corp and Line 7.
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Matt Allen, on behalf of the crew of Georgia, personally thanked the crew on Georgia's behalf and handed over an ample gift of (liquid) refreshments. 
'Thank you and your crew for your assistance in what was a very important time for them,' Commodore Allen said. 
Telcoinabox Merit has lodged claims for eight to nine hours redress, since, when they rejoined the fleet they were in 73rd place and sailing in far less favourable conditions. They finished in 28th place. The International Jury is currently hearing the request for redress. 
Following the race, the Merit crew were sinking a few beverages in Hobart having put Airlie Beach on the front page, for which they deserve a tourism award. A job well done captains courageous.

 

Just a sec…

 

Timekeepers have decided to add an extra second to their atomic clocks to keep in sync with the Earth's slowing rotation.
The extra second will tacked on just before midnight UTC formerly Greenwich Mean Time on the last day of 2008.
At this time it will be l0 am in Whitsunday on January 1, 2009.
Clocks will essentially be paused for a second, making it a stuttering start to the new year.
World commerce and digital technology depend on accurate to-the-second timekeeping, said Geoff Chester, spokesman for the US Naval Observatory in Washington, which is responsible for one-third of the world's atomic clocks.
Most mobile phone providers and computer operating systems check with the world's atomic clocks and update their time to add the leap second automatically, he said.
The world started adding leap seconds in 1972, sometimes twice a year. This is first leap second since December 31, 2005.
Staff at the US Naval Observatory have planned a party at 6.59.60pm, to celebrate the extra second.
 
Tri 'flipped'

 

Nine crew members aboard the French speed sailing trimaran l'Hydroptere were injured last week when the boat flipped while travelling at more than 60 knots (over 110 kilometres an hour) off the southern coast of France.
The boat, which is the world's fastest yacht over one nautical mile, has been trying to claim the world outright speed sailing record, which would require an average speed of 60 miles per hour (about 52 knots or 96 kilometres per hour) over 500 meters.
The current record is held by French kite surfer Alexandre Caizergues who managed an average speed of 50.57 knots.
Sunday's accident occurred in heavy wind gusts of over 45 knots off Napoléon beach at Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, near Marseille.

 

Newfoundland fisherman's saying.

 

'Tis another year gone
God Bless you an' yours
May 'ee grant you
FAIR WINDS
As you bend at d'oars.

 

Best wishes of the Season and
Long may your big jib draw!
Cap'n Dan

 

 

Queensland fishers get rule changes

Queensland fishers get rule changes

 

The Queensland government has made changes to recreational and commercial fishing rules.
These changes cover the recreational inshore fishery, and the commercial net, line, crab, trawl, tropical rock lobster and coral reef finfish fisheries. Most new bag and size limits will commence on March 1, 2009.
Queensland's population has doubled in the last 30 years to 4.3 million. Most of that growth has occurred along the coast - placing greater pressure on our fishing resources say government sources.
Our outdoor lifestyle has led to an increase in boat ownership among Queenslanders. This factor, as well as improvements in fishing technology, gives greater capacity for catching fish.
One of the oddest of the new rules that has everyone scratching their heads is that spearfishing for barramundi will be prohibited between 6 pm and 6 am. What's that about? Not sure, however it comes into effect on March 1, 2009
More vulnerable shark species are no-take in Queensland waters to provide additional protection and promote recovery. These are; all sawfish, speartooth sharks and whale shark in addition to the already fully protected grey nurse shark and great white shark.
Charter fishers may not retain double the bag limit of spotted mackerel, grey mackerel, shark mackerel, mulloway, black jewfish, cobia, blackspotted and goldspotted rockcod, and wahoo when on trips of longer than 48 hours.
With crab gear, recreational fisher's will not be able to possess more than four crab apparatus per person, on a boat on the water. The gear has to have a surface float attached, even if the apparatus is attached to something e.g. a tree.
The smallest part of a crab pot opening may not exceed 45 cm in circumference and fishers will need to modify pots. This may be done using cable ties.
From April 2, 2010, the use of ´witches hats´ or inverted dillies will be prohibited to reduce impacts on turtles.

 

Proverb proven

 

A volunteer at the Sabot Australian Championships sailed in Airlie Beach last week found the truth of the old proverb: Between two boats you get wet.
All hands came to the rescue and it's good that Dave didn't loose his glasses.

 

Royal yacht sale

 

Once used by the Queen, Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Princess Anne the former royal yacht Bloodhound is to be put up for sale.
The 63-foot fully restored 'Bloodhound' is no ordinary yacht. She is one of the few authentic classic 1930s racing yachts left. Her uniqueness and attraction lie in the fact she was one of the most successful racing yachts ever built, becoming the Queen and Prince Phillip's personal yacht during the 1960's.
Built in 1936, she was one of three yachts designed and built by Camper & Nicholson to the twelve-metre class.
This yacht not only has great provenance, she is also capable of establishing herself as the yacht to beat on the classic circuit.
"In a sense, these boats are irreplaceable and part of living history," current owner Cindy McGrail said.

 

Oar what?

 

An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. Oars have a flat blade at one end. The oarsmen grasp the oar at the other end. What distinguishes oars from paddles is that paddles are held by the paddler, and are not connected with the vessel. Oars generally are connected to the vessel by means of rowlocks or tholes that act as a fulcrum.

 

EPIRB change

 

In February 2009, the international Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) Cospas-Sarsat satellite system will no longer process the 121.5 MHz frequency used by older distress beacons. The only distress frequency used by the satellite network will be 406 MHz.
Many false distress alerts originate from the old 121.5 MHz and from inadvertently activated beacons.
In Australia about 97 percent of the distress alerts detected are false.
False alerts can be resolved quickly with 406 MHz beacons as they transmit a digital signal that identifies the owner. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) keeps a register of 406 MHz beacon users and can simply make a phone call to determine if there is a genuine emergency or not.
If there is a problem, a 406 MHz beacon will eliminate much of the guesswork in a search by telling Rescue Coordinating Centre Australia your name, address and the type of boat, aircraft or vehicle.
121.5 MHz beacons are based on obsolete analogue technology that does not support an identifying message. In most cases, when these beacons begin transmitting, an expensive search must be launched to determine if there is someone in distress.
These searches could divert rescue resources away from a genuine emergency and cost the taxpayer considerable sums and may endanger the rescuers.
The Queensland government has already phased out the 121.5 beacons and they do not now form part of your boats safety equipment. Local marine dealers say most recreational people and all commercial operators have made the change.

 

Climate change?

 

"Men may change their climate, but they cannot change their nature. A man that goes out a fool cannot ride or sail himself into common sense."

 

Joseph Addison, English Essayist, Poet, Dramatist and Statesman, 1672-1719

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

 

 

Crewless Navy

Waterfront 031208

Crewless Navy seeks charter captains, fishers

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, and Minister for Defence, Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, this week announced a landmark agreement, which will enable easier transfer between the civilian and military life at sea.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have agreed to recognise equivalent qualifications, providing a wider range of career opportunities for both RAN Seaman officers and their civilian counterparts.
"With appropriate bridging courses, naval officers are now able to obtain the competencies required for certification to master civilian vessels – an important outcome at a time when the local maritime industry is facing the challenges of an ageing workforce," Mr Albanese said.
Mr Snowdon said mutual recognition of qualifications has long been raised as an issue within Navy.
"This initiative not only enhances the desirability of being a RAN Seaman officer, but it potentially creates a greater pool of mariners who may like to sample life on a patrol boat or frigate, even as reservists."
The agreement enables joint recognition of the qualifications gained by RAN Seaman Officers towards an internationally recognised certificate of competency issued under the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978, As Amended (STCW).

Royal Navy shoot out

Pirates caught red-handed by one of Her Majesty's warships after trying to hijack a cargo ship off the lawless East African country of Somalia made the grave mistake of opening fire on two Royal Navy assault craft packed with commandos armed with machineguns and SA80 rifles.
In the ensuing gunfight, two Somali pirates in a Yemeni-registered fishing dhow were killed, and a third pirate, believed to be a Yemeni, suffered injuries and subsequently died. It was the first time the Royal Navy had been engaged in a fatal shoot-out on the high seas in living memory.
By the time the Royal Marines boarded the pirates' vessel; the enemy had lost the will to fight and surrendered quietly.

Change headlines

Headline: Somali pirates seize ninth vessel in 12 days.
Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, said 17 vessels are currently being held hostage in Somali waters with more than 300 crew members. Since the beginning of the year, 39 ships have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, out of 95 attacked.
Change headline to – Naval frigate sinks pirates

Govt Perks

A U.S. government worker in California took illegal perks from his job — including a plane, yachts and heavy-duty trucks, federal prosecutors say.
Steven Bradley Smith, a field technician with the Federal Aviation Administration in San Diego, abused an internal computer system to claim surplus items from other government agencies.
Among the 215 items, Smith obtained since 2004 were a 44-foot Navy sailing yacht formerly used by the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Washington, a Cessna 210 from the Forest Service and a Boston Whaler from the Coast Guard, the charging document said.
The Boston Whaler was found on a trailer in front of Smith's home along with a boat previously used by the Border Patrol and a Chevrolet K2500 truck once used by NOAA. Attached to that truck was a 600-gallon tank trailer formerly used by the Air Force, said an affidavit filed by Christopher M. Bjornstad, a special agent with the inspector general.
"There's another Boston Whaler missing and a bunch of other boats we're still looking for," he said

Syn-co-pe

1. [sing-kuh-pee] as in grammar, the shortening of a word by the loss of sounds or letters in the middle of the word as in the reduction of never to ne'er; bosun for boatswain, top'sal for topsail.

Stayin' Alive
 
The Bee Gees could be part of your next CPR training class. Doctors say the beats-per-minute in their song Stayin' Alive match almost perfectly with the chest compressions delivered in CPR.

For sail

An elderly sailor wrote to a mail order house the following: "Please send me a pair of sails for my boat you show on page 438, and if they're any good, I'll send you a cheque."
In a short time, he received the following reply: "Please send cheque. If it's any good, we will send the sails."'

Notice to Mariners

Lights restored to normal this week. Mariners are advised that the lighted West Cardinal beacon on Platypus Rock at the southern end of Shaw Island, and the lighted special mark buoy at the northern end of Fitzalan Passage, have been restored to normal. AUS charts: 252, 253, 254 and 824

Belief

"Tell a sailor that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you, tell him a deck has wet paint and he has to touch it"

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

 

Marine volunteers launch new communications room

Volunteer Marine Rescue Whitsunday is holding an open day from 10am this Sunday to coincide with the launch their new radio facility at the Combined Marine Club, Altmann Ave, Cannonvale.
The new communications facility will be officially opened around noon and is just part of the activities that include displays and information stands.
There will be prizes and raffles with some great items to win, including a family trip to Knuckle Reef with Cruise Whitsundays, and an EPIRB.
See you there!

VMR Log

Call outs included tows from Double Cones and Bait Reef. The 17-foot half cabin at the Cones was lucky to get mobile phone reception, as the vessel did not carry a VHF radio.
"Mobile phone coverage in the Whitsundays can be patchy at best and must not be relied upon as a means of communication in an emergency," advises VMR member Mal Priday.
The call out to Bait Reef took almost six hours round trip when a drive shaft failure ended a fishing trip on the stricken vessel.

Liner saves crew

A cruise ship rescued four sailors after their yacht ran aground on a reef 500 nautical miles (926km) off the Queensland coast this week.
The P&O ocean liner Pacific Sun picked up the three men and one woman on Friday, a spokesperson for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said.
Their 14-metre New Zealand registered yacht, the Sambaluka, was travelling from Noumea to Australia when it ran aground at Middle Boronia Reef in the Coral Sea, east of Whitsunday, shortly before 4am on Friday.
P&O's Pacific Sun, with almost 2,000 passengers and crew aboard, changed course about 4.30am to rescue the sailors.

Oz Popular with Poms

Australia is named in a poll of British travel agents as the top long haul destination. The number of tourists heading Down Under is expected to rise by 17 per cent in the coming year. The research also revealed that half of all Britons who take a gap year head to either Australia or New Zealand.

Life preserver

During World War II, Allied soldiers and sailors called their yellow inflatable, vest-like life preserver jackets "Mae West's" partly from Cockney rhyming slang for "life vest" and partly because of the resemblance to actress Mae West's curvaceous torso. A "Mae West" is also a type of round parachute malfunction, which contorts the shape of the canopy into the appearance of an extraordinarily large brassiere, presumably one suitable for a woman of Mae West's generous proportions.

Saddam yacht for sale

The Iraqi government trying to sell a luxury yacht that was one of many opulent treasures belonging to former dictator Saddam Hussein, a senior Iraqi official said.
Iraqi government representative Ali al-Dabbagh said the 270-foot pleasure boat, expected to fetch $US30 million and features gold-tap bathrooms, a mini-operating theatre, a helicopter landing pad and a secret escape passageway.
Mr Dabbagh said an ownership dispute over the yacht had concluded in a French court. "The ruling was in favour of Iraq," he said.
However, the yacht is not attracting too many bids brokers say.
US missiles and bombs destroyed another luxurious Saddam yacht, the Al Mansur, in southern Iraq in 2003.

Royal Navy shoot out

Pirates caught red-handed by one of Her Majesty's warships after trying to hijack a cargo ship off the lawless East African country of Somalia made the grave mistake of opening fire on two Royal Navy assault craft packed with commandos armed with machineguns and SA80 rifles.
In the ensuing gunfight, two Somali pirates in a Yemeni-registered fishing dhow were killed, and a third pirate, believed to be a Yemeni, suffered injuries and subsequently died. It was the first time the Royal Navy had been engaged in a fatal shoot-out on the high seas in living memory.
By the time the Royal Marines boarded the pirates' vessel; the enemy had lost the will to fight and surrendered quietly.

Three sheets to the wind

On a small boat, three sheets control the sails. The Main Sheet controls the mainsail, and two sheets that control the headsail the Windward Sheet and the Leeward Sheet. Therefore, a person that has three sheets to the wind means that the sheets are flying with the wind i.e. they do not have control of the boat. Much like someone who has three sheets to the wind does not have control over themselves.

Fitzalan Pass light out

Mariners are advised that the lighted special mark buoy Fl.Y.2.5s at the northern end of Fitzalan Passage, south of Reef Point, has been reported unlit. Mariners should use caution in the vicinity. AUS charts 252 and 254.

Just a thought

"When rats leave a sinking ship, where exactly do they think they're going?

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan