Mutiny on the Bounty boat adventure revisited

Mutiny on the Bounty boat adventure revisited

 

April 28, 2010 marks the 221st anniversary of the Mutiny on the Bounty, when Fletcher Christian cast William Bligh and 18 of his men adrift in a 23-foot open boat, which marked the beginning of one of the greatest open boat voyages in maritime history.
During the following seven weeks, Bligh and his men sailed over 3,700 nautical miles, in an overloaded boat, with little food or water and no charts, from Tonga to Kupang in Timor.
It has become more than legend of leadership, small boat seamanship and survival.
On that same day, in the same place, at the same time of day 221 year later, Australian adventurer Don McIntyre, Mike Perham; the world's youngest solo circumnavigator and two other crew, will relive Bligh's nightmare.
They will attempt to sail the same voyage under similar conditions, no charts, no toilet paper, not enough food or water, in an 18th century traditional open timber whale boat.
McIntyre is not new to adventuring, but this challenge is like nothing he has experienced before.
They will have very good safety equipment, a strong risk minimisation program, and will have a GPS, charts, torches and the emergency food etc. onboard, sealed in a box and not used.
The hardships and human dynamics of the crew is part of the experience sought, to get close to Bligh and his men.
"Can we survive on of the greatest open boat journeys in Maritime History?" asks Captain McIntyre.
"Our odds are far higher than if you were a sufferer of Motor Neurone Disease (MND)."
"We are making this journey to raise funds for the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience. This landmark initiative will create the world's first, stand alone institute dedicated to bringing an end to MND." Captain McIntyre said.

 

Too much sun

 

Boat passenger could not figure out why she got sunburnt while out on a boat.
"I didn't think I could get sunburnt because the boat was moving"
 
Dugong Beach campground

 

New defined camping sites have been well received with their design reducing damage to vegetation caused by visitors shortcutting between sites, the new post and rail completes recent work to upgrade the site. Dugong is a good alternative to camping at adjacent Sawmill Beach, which will close to camping from December 8.

 

Rubber vine reduced

 

Park Rangers have targeted outbreaks of the Class 2 pest plant, rubber vine Cryptostegia grandiflora on Gloucester Island in an effort to protect habitat of the island's Proserpine Rock-Wallaby and reduce further spread throughout the Whitsunday islands.

 

Airlie Creek fireworks

 

Mariners are advised that the Fantasea Annual Cracker Night will be held on Friday, November 27. The event commences at 1800 hours at the market site on the Airlie Beach foreshore adjacent to the Whitsunday Sailing Club.
Fireworks are due to be set off from the point of Airlie Creek at approximately 2000 hours for an estimated duration of half an hour. AUS charts 252 and 268

 

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Australian Radio Alphabet

Australian Radio Alphabet

 

 The Americans have forced their radio alphabet on the rest of the world
 but we prefer this Aussie radio alphabet, it comes courtesy of ALEX vk2fpol;

 

 A - AUSSIE
 B - BARBIE
 C - CARTON
 D - DUNNY
 E - ESKY
 F - FOOTBALL
 G - GROGSHOP
 H - HOTEL
 I - IDIOT
 J - JACKAROO
 K - "K"
 L - LONGNECK
 M - MEAT PIE
 N - NUMBSKULL
 O - OCKER
 P - PINCH
 Q - QUID
 R - RIGHT OH
 S - SICKY
 T - TROOPY
 U - U-TURN
 V - VEG OUT
 W - WEEKEND
 X - XXXX
 Y - YABBIE
 Z - ZILLIONS

 

 

Ambassadors meet and greet cruise ships

Ambassadors meet and greet cruise ships

 

With ever-increasing visits by cruise ships to Whitsunday, our cruise ship volunteer ambassadors need a hand.

The Volunteer Ambassador Program has been meeting and greeting for some years now with Judi Dunn at the helm and they need some help.

"Great news!" writes Judi.

"Yet another cruise ship added to our schedule in December.

"We have just been advised the residential cruise ship, The World, will be visiting Airlie Beach on Sunday December 13.

"The World is an apartment complex on water. You purchase your own apartment and permanently live onboard, continually travelling the world. There are 165 apartments, catering for 300-400 residents and their guests.

"This of course gives us six ships within 12 days in December, so our volunteer

Ambassadors will need extra help to keep up their enthusiasm and good spirits.

"Our volunteers are a critical ingredient in the successful experience for the passengers and therefore ensuring the cruise ship companies continue using Airlie Beach as their 'port of call' in the Whitsundays," Judi added.

If you like meeting and greeting people and helping to show off our destination you may contact Judi Dunn 0408 285 915.

 

Teenage adventurer

 

Teenage adventurer 16-year-old Queenslander Jessica Watson has almost reached the equator.

Jessica is attempting to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe non-stop and unassisted; Jessica left Sydney on October 18 to embark on her 38,000km trip and has passed the 2500 nautical mile mark.

"Progress had been a little on and off over the last few days". Jessica writes, "No wind."

"This afternoon (Monday) was pretty cool, a pod of dolphins spent a couple of hours hanging around and I had a great time sitting in the shade of the sails on the bow, feet dangling over the side (and yes clipped on!!) watching them play in clear water. I'm not sure what kind they were (small and completely grey) but they hung around for ages, so they can't have thought my music was too bad! I loved the way the dolphins would play around riding and shooting along the swell and can only imagine how much fun they must have in a big sea."

 

Reef record swim

 

Two swimmers want to raise awareness of ocean conservation and aim to set a new record in open water swimming next year.

The two swimmers Rob Hutchings and Todd Cameron will embark on the world's first swim of the entire length of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. This will be a record ultra-marathon ocean swim of 2300 kilometres. They will be calling attention to ocean conservation and awareness.

In the first week since the launch of the Facebook page 'Great Barrier Reef Swim', over 300 members had signed on.

The swim will highlight the GBR and show it to be generally in good health. The organisers would like to hear from boating people who would consider helping out with their time, experience and vessels.

 

Oil spill?

 

Following a report of an oil spill at Shute Harbour, fully geared-up officers from Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) arrived to inspect the unknown offensive and possibly dangerous material at the waters' edge.

The officers would not have noticed the smell, they being enclosed in their self-contained oxygen breathing apparatus.

The smell was that of the naturally occurring oceanic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium commonly known as 'sea sawdust' and often mistakenly called 'coral spawn'.

Thankfully the smelly slick, though often confused with oil spills, wasn't.

 

Notice to Mariners

 

The Australian Hydrographic Service advises a chart update for the Historic wreck on Carlisle Island. Chart AUS824 insert stranded wreck, with magenta legend Historic Wk 20 46.730 S 149 16.620 E.

The Howard Smith Ltd iron steamship 'Geelong' 432 gross tons, built 1856; registered Melbourne; On the Sydney - Queensland ports service was at anchor off Carlisle island when run ashore, in a cyclonic gale, to save life, 17th February 1888. Two crewmen perished.

 

Important as anything

 

"When people talk about all the things needed to sail around the world they never seem to mention patience, but I'm fast learning that it's as important as anything." Teenage adventurer Jessica Watson

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

America's Cup for Whitsunday?

America's Cup for Whitsunday?

 

With America's Cup defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland suggesting holding next year's event in Queensland, perhaps Whitsunday should be put forward to host the world's most iconic yacht race.

While trying to resolve a legal battle with American Challenger BMW Oracle Racing it emerged the Swiss were happy to move the event to the east coast of Australia.

The American challenger, Oracle, had previously challenged the Swiss choice of the Persian Gulf, on safety grounds.

However, it is unlikely Whitsunday could host the international event, as it does not yet have sufficient facilities required despite boasting some of the best waters in the world for yacht racing at Edgecombe Bay, Bowen or Pioneer Bay at Airlie Beach.

Legendary Australia II skipper John Bertrand has tipped Southport as the location in Queensland to probably host the event, although the Swiss team has not revealed its preferred location.

Other than Queensland, Valencia in Spain is the only venue mentioned to host the America's Cup racing.

 

Remembrance Day

 

Originally called Armistice Day, this day commemorated the end of the hostilities for the Great War (World War I), the signing of the armistice, which occurred on 11 November 1918 - the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Armistice Day was observed by the Allies as a way of remembering those who died, especially soldiers with 'no known grave'.

Lest we forget

 

Fishing closure

 

The final Coral reef fin fish closure for 2009 is on (or is it off?) this Saturday November 14 until Wednesday November 18.

There is no Christmas closure this year (Yea!) the next being October 5 to 9 2010.

 

2011 Around Australia race and rally

 

The 2011 'Around Australia Ocean Race and Ocean Rally' feature a multi-stop anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Australia's coastline. The Race and Rally events were launched late June 2009. As at 25 September 2009, 164 yachts have taken up Race or Rally (Race 54, Rally 110).

"Australia is the only country in the world that has a continuous coastline you can freely sail around. From the tropical north to the rigours of the southern ocean, it has a magnificent coastline. Rather than dreaming about it, sailors can now do it in an organised event." Bob Williams, CEO of Ocean Events said

The Race will take a yacht capable of averaging 130 NM per 24hrs at sea around 110 days to complete the circumnavigation including stopovers.

The Rally is for the experienced ocean going cruising yacht owner and is based around the considered 'prime times' to be circumnavigating Australia. There are many excellent Rally events that take place around the Australia coastline and where practical the 'Around Australia Ocean Rally' will incorporate many of these excellent rallies.

Participants can select where on the Coastline of Australia they start and finish in The Race or Rally.

 

Marine radio call

 

Responding to concerns about declining standards in the use of VHF marine radio and compliance with the requirement to hold an operators' certificate of proficiency, the Australian Communications and Media Authority has released a discussion paper about regulatory arrangements for VHF marine radios used by recreational boat operators.

The discussion paper invites comment from marine radio users about safety and the use of VHF radio by recreational boaters and follows concerns expressed by the National Marine Safety Committee and representatives of the maritime community.

The ACMA is interested in hearing all views across the spectrum of interested parties - from individuals who operate marine radio on a recreational basis, to marine industry representatives and regulatory bodies throughout Australia.

The close of submissions for this paper is Friday, December 18.

 

Rattlesnake Island

 

Mariners are advised that military units will be conducting live firing activities between 0800 and 1400 hours this Friday, November 13. The active area is within a five (5) nautical mile (approximately 9260 metres) radius of

Rattlesnake Island, and will not exceed a height of 22000 feet above sea level.

Mariners are warned to keep well clear of this area throughout the above times.

AUS charts 256 and 827.

  

"The wise man in the storm prays to God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear. It is the storm within that endangers him, not the storm without" Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

 

NQ Junior Championship Regatta in Bowen

NQ Junior Championship Regatta in Bowen this weekend

 

Off beach sailors will converge on Bowen this weekend with junior class to the fore and some assistance from others would be appreciated.

Event organiser Jeremy Cooper told The Guardian "We hope to attract boats other than Sabots to this regatta, and look forward particularly to meeting sailors from the Open BIC, and other fleets."

"For Sabot families, the event will incorporate the AGM of NQ Sabot Association, and selection trials for the 2009-2010 National competition to be held in Gosford over the Christmas-New Year holiday.

Queensland's first Sabot sailor David Steen will be on hand to present the trophies.

"We look forward to seeing as many junior sailors as possible. Registration will open and close on October 31; however, an early indication of numbers would be appreciated, so that division prizes may be obtained. Further information 0429315939 or the Sabot website at http://sites.google.com/site/nqsabot/

 

Ambassadors meet and greet

 

With ever-increasing visits by cruise ships to Whitsunday - four ships in four days scheduled for early December - our cruise ship volunteer ambassadors need a hand.

The Volunteer Ambassador Program has been meeting and greeting for some years now with Judi Dunn at the helm and they need some help.

Judi just sent an updated program that shows visits by new ships such as the Holland America Line MS Volendam whose first visit is on December 3.

MS Volendam will cruise around Australia and New Zealand before returning to cruise Alaska's Inside Passage with Ports of Call at Hong Kong, Shanghai returning to Vancouver for the northern summer season.

The most exciting, the grandest, most magnificent ocean liner ever built; Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is due here on Sunday February 28 on a two-month cruise from New York with about 3000 passengers. She will be a sight to see and it would be good if a charter operator took sightseers out for a turn or two around her.

Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas will visit six times with 2435 passengers.

So add those new visitors to the usual Princesses, Suns, Dawns and Jewels and you can see that our volunteers could really use some friendly help. If you like meeting and greeting people and helping to show off our destination you may contact Judi Dunn 0408 285 915.

 

Hugh Williams Day

 

On December 5, 1664, a ship sank in the Menai Strait off the coast of Wales. Of its 81 passengers, the sole survivor was a lucky fellow named Hugh Williams.

On December 5, 1785, 121 years later, another ship sank in the Menai Strait. All 60 souls aboard perished… except one. His name was Hugh Williams.

On December August 5, 1820, 35 years later, yet another ship, a small 25-passenger vessel, sank in the Menai Strait. Once again, there was only one survivor. Once again, his name was Hugh Williams.

"So if you're ever going sailing in Wales on December 5, I won't be offended if you forget to invite me," says the modern day Hugh Williams who stays away from the sea.

"There are many versions of this story in circulation that have all three events taking place on December 5; I only recently found the source material that dates the third event in August, not December" Mr Williams added.

 

Let's dance!

 

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain"

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan