Reef Fest Recycled Raft Race

                                                                                                           

Reef Fest Recycled Raft Race 

 

Build your raft from recycled stuff and enter in the Reef Festival Recycled Raft Race on Sunday afternoon August 18 at the Airlie Lagoon. 

Start planning your entry now following the simple provisional rules informed by the Pirate's Code - guidelines really- that the craft be made of recycled materials, sailed / paddled by two or more crew and may be recycled into a JJ Richards bin following the race.

Rules Note: Subject to judge's whim or payoff and of course no correspondence will be entered into unless the protest is secured to a bottle of rum in adult division; see 'fine print' for the junior divisions (Hey, the kids have to learn!)

 Over the last few years a wonderful collection of craft has taken to the water; some have even managed to float! However under the watchful eye of our mighty Lagoon lifeguards we haven't lost anyone, although the level of seamanship has left something to be improved upon.

The Whitsunday Reef Festival -15-18 August- is a celebration and showcase of our vibrant and diverse community. It is our largest annual festival that engages the local community while entertaining visitors so they may experience our unique Whitsunday lifestyle.

The four day festival attracts all ages and a crowd of 10,000+ from all walks of life. Chock-a-block with fun events; fireworks, live music, a street parade, comedy gala, family fun day, Lions markets, competitions, fashion and wearable art, sand sculpting, a recyclable regatta, reef education and the iconic Great Whitsunday Fun Race sailing event.

Now in its 13th year, a rich history has developed in the community bringing different people together to celebrate what we all share, a fabulous lifestyle and beautiful place in the tropical north to call home.

To register or for further sponsorship details email to

raftrace@theelectricparrot.com

 

CIA Bowen report

 

The Port of Abbot Point is an existing operating coal port located just north of Bowen. Since obtaining a 99-year lease of the X50 Abbot Point Coal Terminal, operator Adani identified the need to increase terminal capacity.

They are proposing a 35 Mtpa expansion of the existing terminal, along with an additional two offshore berths.

The Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) Report has been finalised following a public comment process.

The proponents say the CIA will help ensure that the Port of Abbot Point is designed and developed in a manner consistent with environmental best practice and considerate of the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. NQBP, Adani, BHP Billiton and GVK Hancock Coal came together to produce a consolidated assessment report that will provide comprehensive information to inform individual approval decisions at the port. The report will also provide useful information to help guide future assessments at the port and also the strategic assessments underway across the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

An environmental assessment which included a review of 16 environmental studies found the port expansion would not have a significant impact on the Great Barrier Reef and that Greenpeace claims regarding the expansion's impact were overstated.

 

Record set

 

Congratulations to Francis Joyon, who set a new west to east singlehanded trans Atlantic record sailing from New York's Ambrose Light to a line linking Lizard Point, Cornwall to Ushant in a remarkable 5 days 2:56 minutes and 10 seconds, beating the previous record set by Thomas Coville in 2008 by 16 hours 34 minutes and 30 seconds.

Joyon sailed a Groupe IDEC 29.7 meter trimaran covering a distance over the bottom of 3,222 miles at an average speed of 26.20 knots. Francis Joyon, 57, is a French professional racer and yachtsman who also holds the record for the fastest single-handed sailing circumnavigation.

 

Marine notice

 

Port of Airlie marina, Boat Haven Bay – Work has been completed on the Superyacht berths on the northern Beacons side of the marina. The declared exclusion zone A has been revoked. Schedule B is still current; this is the area just to the north of the public boat ramp. There is a chartlet map S9-170 attached to Queensland NtM 964(T) of 2011. There is also an issue with the white light on berth 'A' being unlit. AUS charts 252 & 268

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

                                                                                                                                                         

Going nuts for Airlie!

Going nuts for Airlie!

All over the world the coconut palm is celebrated as a thing of great beauty and a provider of almost everything a human being could ever need.

Coconuts offer us sweet, drinkable juice. Their flesh provides nourishing food. Their husks make cups, toys and a dozen different kinds of implement. Their fronds provide baskets, hats, mats and roofing and their timbers, too many items to list.

"It seems that, here in the Whitsundays, we think of coconut palms as an annoyance, as a source of dangerous missiles, as simply unsightly refuse; rubbish to be disposed of."

So says local activist Rory McCourt who adds "The coconut is not a nuisance, not a scrap of litter. It's one of nature's great gifts."

"In the Whitsundays we have current plans to remove, to destroy, at least forty of our gracefully arching mature coconut palms - and who knows how many more in the future."

"It seems that the relatively modest cost of occasional de-nutting is not worth paying."

Years ago there was a small business that harvested coconuts under the banner, "All we want are your nuts!"

"So, how about, instead of perceiving the town's coconuts as a costly inconvenience, a problem to be disposed of, we try to see them as an opportunity.

"Why not consider doing something positive with them.  At the appropriate time each year, when the bulk of the area's coconuts are ripening why not persuade our tourism marketing gurus to consider a celebratory event?

"How about, 'The Airlie Beach Coconut Harvest Festival?  Mr McCourt concluded.

We would be nuts if this is not considered; in the meantime Keep the Coconuts!

 

Blooming Jellyfish burgers!

 

The rise of jellyfish populations in many of the world's oceans may be more than just an inconvenience for swimmers who want to take a dip.

According to expert Lisa-ann Gershwin, the rapid growth over the last few decades of these creatures is a sign of the planet's deteriorating marine health,

In her new book 'Stung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean', Gershwin says that these "enchanting and lovely" invertebrates are in fact harbingers of the health of the oceans.

Unfortunately, the rise in jellyfish numbers is far from benign. Gershwin said that jellyfish are able to "take this damaged ecosystem and actually drive it to a much worst state."

Although jellyfish rank low on the evolutionary tree - they don't even have brains - they have the unique trait of eating things higher up on the food chain than themselves – things that are bigger, faster and smarter than they are.

An example, she points to a species of jellyfish called Mnemiopsis leidyi that was accidentally introduced into the Black Sea in the early 1980s.

"Within just a few years, it had taken over so completely with this double whammy of predation and competition that Mnemiopsis was now 95 per cent of the biomass in the Black Sea," Gershwin said. "Ninety-five per cent of every living thing is this one species of jellyfish."

 

Gershwin said she fears that the biodiversity of the world's water will eventually resemble that of the Precambrian era, when oceans were ruled by jellyfish and mammals and reptiles did not exist.

Another source is Daniel Pauly: Jellyfish Burgers or How We Changed the Oceans and They Changed Us.

 

Mermaid Parade Saved!

 

The thirty-year-old Coney Island Mermaid Parade was nearly shut down by Superstorm damage to Coney Island New York USA earlier this year.

Through crowd funding online many small donors gave over $102,000, beating the $100,000 fundraising target.  $10,000 was raised in a benefit concert headlined by Amanda Palmer, an entertainer who champions causes other than just mermaids. 

The parade, scheduled for June 22, attracts over 750,000 spectators and is an annual kickoff to the summer season, featuring artists and performers in wild and imaginative costumes, with an aquatic theme.

 

Mariner Notices

 

Port of Airlie public boat ramp - pile driving for the construction of abutment and queuing pontoon on the public boat ramp has commenced and will continue this month. Pile driving work is being carried out by barge 'Invincible' that will display appropriate signals. Mariners should use caution and give a wide berth when approaching the area. AUS chart 268

 

Unsafe Passage - There have been at least three notices issued about the unlit front and rear leading lights on Daydream Island, which mark Unsafe Passage, between North Molle and Mid Molle Islands. AUS charts 252 & 253

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

Ten years online -- waterfront.blogspot.com.au

Official start: Season of Sail

Official start: Season of Sail

 

The 24th Blessing of the Fleet on Sunday marked not only the naming of Whit Sunday and Pentecost Island in 1770 by James Cook but also signalled the start of the Whitsunday Season of Sail

It is time to stretch your sea legs for plenty of experiences right on our doorstep with boats you could hire, racing yachts looking for crew or learning to sail so you may explore our backyard of islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Learn to SCUBA dive and experience the underwater world. Check the zone for fishing, cast a line and put a fish on the boat barbie.

Your sea legs may take you to experience the invigorating joy of a fast passage on a yacht to a quiet cove; there to sip a Sundowner with friends. Or enjoy the lifestyles of the rich and famous available for hire every day – no experience necessary. In fact, you don't even need a boat licence or a fancy pair of deck shoes to sail in Queensland.

Explore Whitsunday Islands on a bareboat charter yacht. Dip a toe in with a sunset champagne sail, cheer on the racing yachties from the balcony of the Whitsunday Sailing Club. Or just sit back and let a skipper (or motor) do all the hard work for you.

It is said that once you taste the adventure of the sea you never forget it. The feeling of the wind, the salt spray, the activity of the deck or relaxing in the cockpit; you decide your own adventure experience level.

Rub shoulders with the world's yachting glitterati at Hamilton Island Race Week, or join a crew for fun racing every Wednesday in Airlie Beach.

Gather your best stowaways and start planning your sailing and boating today.

 

Crew cops count

 

The 'Queen of the North' was several hours into a routine overnight passage from the northern community of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island, when it struck Gil Island and sank in March, 2006. Of the 103 passengers and crew onboard, two passengers drowned.

The person in charge of the 125-meter ferry has been convicted of criminal negligence causing death. After six days of deliberations the jury returned with the verdict against a deckhand who was filling in as the ship's fourth officer.  Crown prosecutors argued that the crewman, 59, neglected to steer the ship because he was distracted by a crewwoman who he had been having an affair with up until just weeks earlier.

The fateful voyage marked the first time the two had worked alone together since their breakup, after both their spouses found out about the affair. It is unclear what they were doing on the bridge when the crash took place, the prosecution argued.

Electronic records that showed the ship did not alter course for 20 minutes before the crash, saying that showed that the crewman was not doing his job.

It is extremely rare in Canada to see criminal negligence cases involving commercial crew members, which makes this case of particular interest from a legal perspective.

In its report of the sinking, the Transportation Safety Board noted that the two crew were engaged in a personal conversation that had lasted at least 14 minutes before the grounding, and that this was their first shift alone on watch since the end of a "recurrent relationship" between them two weeks before.

 

Jelly fish farm

 

In what could be regarded as a glowing report, nine glow-in-the-dark sheep were born at Uruguay's Institute of Animal Reproduction in a genetics experiment in conjunction with the Institute Pasteur. The scientists say that they used the fluorescent protein from a species of jelly fish to give sheep a distinct glowing green colour when exposed to ultraviolet light. Wonder why? So do I.

 

Marine Notices

 

St. Bees Island - a control program requiring the use of live firing of weapons will take place on St Bees Island in the Mackay National Parks Management Area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Feral animal control operations will continue until 1800 hours Friday May 24. Exclusion zones will be placed around St Bees Island extending seaward 500 metres. All vessels are to remain clear during the above detailed times. Qld Park & Wildlife vessel 'Tamoya' will patrol during these times. St Bee's Island is located 15nm NE of Mackay Harbour. AUS charts 251 & 824

 

Pioneer River entrance - Mariners are advised that the lighted Port Lateral Mark No.2 buoy Fl.R.2.5s in the entrance to the Pioneer River has been re-established in position. AUS chart 249

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

Australia's top 10 islands: The Whitsundays

Offshore mission: Australia's top 10 islands: The Whitsundays

 

"In a nutshell: A bit like heaven really," says backpacker travel magazine TNT Downunder.

"Tell me more: Angels serve you free beer and... Nah. But the scenery is out of this world. We've cheated a little bit here – we simply can't choose one island above the rest, so we're including all 74.

"Most isles are sandy with tropical rainforest and several have accommodation options, ranging from five-star resorts to basic camp grounds (34 in all). It's all shallow, gently swirling turquoise waters and talcum powder beaches, with the famous Whitheaven [sic] Beach on Whitsunday Island the 'must-have' photo.

"As if all that wasn't good enough, the islands are surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef, so the snorkelling and diving is pretty much as good as it gets. Staying on an island or two is fun, but sailing in amongst them is arguably better.

"If you meet someone who toured the east coast and didn't go to the Whitsundays, you'll meet someone who looks marginally suicidal."

Leaving today from Airlie Beach!

 

Calling captains courageous

 

Who ever gets this job will no doubt feel the pressure of command; every move will be watched and if there is any mishap, no matter the size, it will be commented on.

But even with that sort of pressure, captains courageous are lining up to take command of the Titanic II due to sail its maiden Atlantic voyage Southampton to New York in 2016.

Reports say eight prospective captains have already applied for the position, with backgrounds on cruise ships and super tankers.

Though the captain of the original Titanic, Edward Smith, went down with his ship in the freezing waters off Newfoundland, owner Queenslander Clive Palmer hopes his new captain and crew will stay 'cool' and 'get down' on the ship.

Your Waterfront writer hopes and one would expect that, the successful captain candidate sports an impressive beard.

 

Winter Seawind rally

 

Organisers say the Seventh Annual Seawind Whitsunday Rally to sail around and about the Whitsunday Islands June 15-22 will be a fun and fantastic week of social cruising onshore activities and partying.

Open to all Seawind models, organisers are expecting 20+ vessel and around 90 people to participate in this unique experience combining great sailing with a beautiful and safe environment. The onshore activities which add another layer to experience include; karaoke, sand sculpture, golf, hiking and of course the ever popular Blind Mans Dinghy Race!

"Of course not everybody has a Seawind in the Whitsundays and we encourage everybody who is keen to be involved to book one of the many Seawind Catamarans available for charter in the Whitsundays. "

If you need to book or discuss the rally please contact Morgan McDonough on morgan@seawindcats.com

 

Beacon distress

 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is reminding people to dispose of their unwanted distress beacons properly at Battery World stores after three false alerts recently.

AMSA's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) recently responded to two distress beacon alerts in the Brisbane area, tasking rescue assets and personnel to investigate. It was determined that neither beacon was associated with a genuine emergency. One of these beacons was found disposed in a household bin, while the second and third beacons were found in waste facilities.

False alarm incidents require the use of emergency response resources and personnel, which may be diverted from a genuine emergency.

This financial year to date, AMSA has had 46 confirmed cases of distress beacons being disposed of incorrectly with 73 confirmed cases in 2011-12.

Most of these beacons were older 121.5MHz beacons, which have been phased out and cannot be detected by satellites although they transmit on a frequency used by aircraft.

Distress beacon owners need to switch to the 406MHz beacon and register (free!) with AMSA to ensure a efficient search and rescue effort.

 

AMSA note

 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will become the National Regulator for domestic commercial vessels and administrator of the National System from July 1.

The Navigation Act 2012 will also start on July 1, replacing the century old Navigation Act 1912, providing the maritime industry with a clear, transparent and flexible maritime safety regime say bureaucrats.

More information on the National System is available online at www.amsa.gov.au

 

Mariner Notice

 

Slade Rock - Mariners are advised that the lighted port lateral mark buoy Fl R 25s which marks Slade Rock has been re-established in position. AUS charts 249, 250, 823 & 824

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

 

RR ambassadors are cleaning up

RR ambassadors are cleaning up

 

A local group is combining enjoyment of the great outdoors and a bit of exercise with picking up rubbish to enhance their waterfront environment.

The group was organised through social media and gained 165 members in only a few weeks as Responsible Runner ambassador Gabrielle Costello explains.

"Being a responsible runner does not mean you have to run (although you are more than welcome to)! The idea behind it is 30 minutes of physical activity while cleaning up rubbish from our beaches/water ways."

Gabriielle was attracted to the original Responsible Runners network of runners, walkers, and pro-activists dedicated to keeping our beaches, waterways, and land clean while keeping fit.

"Over the summer I spent a lot of time swimming with (daughter) Sierra and that's when I noticed just how much rubbish is really lying around certain areas around the Whitsundays, I wanted to do something but felt the task was a bit large size and time wise for me to try and tackle on my own."

"It was around about the same time Responsible Runners showed up in my news feed on Facebook, I followed them for a few weeks and saw just how effective just a few people doing an hour clean up could really be, that's when I decided to contact them and ask them if they would be interested in me being a RR ambassador and they happily agreed."

"I have already been asked a few times if I get paid to do this, and I do not. Everything I do is out of my own time and resources, the reward for me is a bit of fresh air and exercise and satisfaction that I know I'm doing my bit no matter how small it may seem to others," Ms Costello told the Whitsunday Coast Guardian this week.

 "It makes such a difference not just preventing the litter ending up in the ocean, but preventing it getting there in the first place by creating awareness and inspiring people to make a difference through the RR presence on the beach and the photos shared over social media (Facebook) about just how much rubbish is really out there.

RR meet every Sunday at 4pm for an hour and then afterwards count what has been collected and record the data to send off to Tangaroa Blue Australian Marine Debris Initiative, who provide us with our clean up kits.

"The name is a bit confusing for some - you don't actually have to run, I certainly don't unless I'm chasing Sierra," Ms Costello added.

 

Stung!

 

Compared to the charismatic megafauna of the oceans, jellyfish have never received the attention they deserve.

Lisa-ann Gershwin, the director of the Australian Marine Stinger Advisory Services, wrote Stung! to help correct this, arguing that jellyfish are to the oceans what canaries are in a coal mine, except their indicator behaviour is to thrive when conditions are most dire. Accounts of the various jellyfish blooms across the globe, from polar waters to tropical seas, are used to illustrate just how much the ocean environments have changed, mostly to the detriment of marine biodiversity.

Dr Gershwin has spent quite a bit of time here in the Whitsunday area and is well known for her passion for jellyfish research. Indeed, the only time over the years your writer has seen an Irukandji was a creature caught by Lisa-ann and safely pickled in a small glass vial.

This genre of nature writing is highly frequented territory. But what makes Stung! stand out is that Gershwin achieves the rare combination of being not just a talented researcher who has discovered more than 160 new jellyfish species but also a very entertaining writer, turning what could have been a worthy but prosaic book into a page turner.

Stung! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean by Lisa-ann Gershwin is published this week by University of Chicago Press

 

Mariner Notices

 

Slade Rock - Mariners are advised that the lighted port lateral mark buoy Fl R 25s which marks Slade Rock has been re-established in position. AUS charts 249, 250, 823 & 824

 

Abbot Point Berth One - Mariners are advised that Abbot Point berth 1 front lead light F G is temporary unlit due to maintenance on berth 1. Mariners are advised to navigate with caution in this area. AUS charts 255 & 826

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

Rotary needs a hand!

Rotary needs a hand!

 

Of course the Rotary Club of Airlie Beach is usually helping the community in so many ways, but now they need your help.

 

Rotary have taken on the huge task of taking all or as much as they can of the furnishings from the 250 room ex Club Med Lindeman Island Resort. Some of the chairs, tables and other items are destined for community and sporting clubs of our area. The balance of the goods will head down the Bruce Highway to help the people of flood ravaged Bundaberg.

 

"So, where do I fit in?" you ask. Well as you can imagine this is a huge undertaking. But if you could lend a hand your might be able to enjoy a trip down to scenic Lindeman Island by luxury barge in exchange for helping to load the stuff onto the barge.

 

Ok, sounds like a regular Airlie Beach job, i.e. plenty of scenery but no pay. Hang on, Rotary is always helping the community and I'd bet there would be a BBQ and a knock off drink in the offing. Plus the feel good factor one gets from doing a good job for your community while raising  a bead of perspiration.

 

Sound like something you might lend a hand for? Training for your club members? Rotarian in charge of the project is David Paddon who would really like to hear from you on 0414997942.

 

                              

People's Day Blessing

 

The 2013 Airlie People's Day and Blessing of the Fleet is on Whit Sunday May 19 at the Whitsunday Sailing Club in Airlie Beach. There are usually Sunday markets along the foreshore and a variety of activities.

 

First Lieutenant James Cook named the Whitsunday Passage in 1770 so the Blessing of the Fleet is held each year on Whitsunday, otherwise known as Pentecost Sunday.

 

A Blessing of the Fleet is part of the calendar of many seaside and fishing communities around the world.

 

Community groups are invited to participate in the Blessing of the Fleet on the seafront lawn at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, Airlie Beach from 10am, Sunday, May 19. The sail past of yachts and other craft is from 11 am from the sea wall.

 

For further information, contact Heidi Walton at the Whitsunday Sailing Club or Cap'n Dan Van Blarcom on ahoy@whitsunday.net.au

 

Carbon contained

 

With a view to cut carbon emissions by up to 50 per cent by the end of 2015, France-based shipping company CMA CGM Group has finalised the purchase of 50,000 containers with bamboo flooring.

"CMA CGM reaffirms its long standing commitment to global environmental policy," Jacques R Saadé, CEO of the Group said.

"The preservation of the oceans, and the ecological solutions offered to customers are an essential part of the Group's activity and organisation," Saadé added.

The company is planning to use the containers on the world's largest container ship, the 'CMA CGM Marco Polo'. This ship employs electronically controlled engines that significantly reduce CO2 emissions, as well as an exhaust gas bypass system that improves the energy efficiency of the vessel when slow steaming. This reduces CO2 emissions by up to 1.5 per cent at low speeds. A twisted leading edge rudder, meanwhile, improves the hydrodynamics of the vessel by optimising water flow and thereby reducing energy expenditure and further cutting emissions.

"Ever cleaner ships will be a requirement in the near future for cargo transportation," Ludovic Gérard, vice president of CMA Ships said.

These container solutions allow savings of up to one or two tonnes of fuel per day, representing a reduction of up to three to six tonnes of CO2 emissions.

           

Two happiest days

 

Yarr! Well, it be said that the two happiest days of a boat owners life are the day they buy a boat and the day they sell it. Welcome aboard for the adventure of a lifetime. Enjoy all the fun of tearing up $100 dollar bills standing under a very cold shower in the dark. BOAT = Bring Out Another Thousand. Ye be warned! It is an addiction, but it can be cured.

 

Mariner Notice

 

Unsafe Passage between North Molle and South Molle Islands - Mariners are advised that the front and rear leading lights 2 F Bu, F Day, on Daydream Island which mark Unsafe Passage are reported unlit. Mariners should use caution in the vicinity as this seems to be an ongoing problem. AUS charts 254 & 825.

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

Sea art tourist attraction mooted

Sea art tourist attraction mooted

 

The three mast sailing ship 'Magic' firmly aground just off Cannonvale beach just needs the sails put up to become a major tourist attraction.

People who know more about art and photography that sailing would find they could get great photos without the worry of the yacht stirring and spoiling their shot. It would be easy to wait and get the right light on the stationary white sails without the disappointment of the ship moving on.

 

Of course, one could imagine it as monument to poor seamanship or the high cost of anything to do with yachts, but that would be a churlish, ill-natured spoiler really. We should make the best with what we have.

 

Comedian, writer and classic boat owner-sailor Griff Rhys Jones gave out the prizes for inaugural Classic Boats awards ceremony in London last week.

 

Griff made light of some of the absurdities of boat ownership as he quipped: "I bought a boat for £70,000, spent £500,000 on her over the years and I find she is now worth... £70,000."

 

Marine radio exam change

 

The Office of Marine Communications at the Australia Maritime College is advising boating people of important changes to VHF Examinations, especially that from April 1 the exams are 'Open Book'.

 

Why open book examination for VHF only? In 2012 AMC had 4169 applications for the MROCP (full licence) and 1629 applications for the MROVCP (VHF). Both qualifications show an average fail percent of 5%. In the past VHF was mainly used by people working in the marine industry, but over the years leisure boat operators began purchasing VHF marine radios. As more and more people move from 27Mhz marine radios to VHF marine radios it has become extremely important that VHF marine radio users are aware of the correct channels, terminology and procedures as well as being aware that large ships also use the VHF radios.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and AMC have new videos showing correct use of VHF radio and they and others are now on YouTube.

 

Marconi Day

 

In December of 1901, using an antenna held aloft by a kite, Guglielmo Marconi sat quietly in the former fever and diphtheria hospital on Signal Hill, St. John's, Newfoundland, now part of Canada and received the first successful transmission of a trans-Atlantic signal, the letter "S" in Morse code, sent from a transmitter in Poldhu, south Cornwall, England.

 

This Saturday, radio operators around the world and in space on the International Space Station will be making contact to commemorate the birth of Marconi on 25 April 1874.

 

Last year, Guglielmo Marconi's daughter, Princess Elettra Marconi, was contacted in Italy via short-wave radio and Skype.

 

The radio operators on board the Titanic were employed by Marconi - and using his equipment they were able to alert the Carpathia, the ship which rescued around 700 survivors. The Titanic sank to the south east of Newfoundland.

 

In Ireland the Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio will be celebrating International Marconi Day. The tower was the site for an experimental Marconi Station in 1905. The museum is located in the Martello Tower, Howth Harbour, County Dublin.

 

For younger readers, Morse code was the original digital form of communication. As this is a High Frequency event using various modes, it will be shared all over the world by radio operators with the right HF gear.

 

Look! Up in the sky!

 

No not Superman, but the Lyrids meteor shower that has been viewed for the past 2600 years of and you may catch a glimpse from in the night sky until April 26. As a result of light pollution, observers in the country will see more. The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. These meteors can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. Look for meteors radiating from after midnight. Full moon rising.

 

Mariner Notices

 

Unsafe Passage -. Mariners be advised that the front and rear leading lights 2 F Bu, F Day, which mark Unsafe Passage between North Molle and South Molle Islands, are reported unlit. Mariners should use caution in the vicinity.

 

Shute Harbour South Channel - Mariners are advised that the No. 3 Green lateral Buoy, Fl G 2.5s has been reported missing from location.

Mariners should use caution in the vicinity.

AUS charts 252, 253, 254 & 825

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

Warrior to visit Whitsunday

 

Warrior to visit Whitsunday

 

The 58-metre Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior III will visit Airlie Beach on Wednesday, April 17.

As well as ship tours and onshore activities during the day, the Whitsunday Sailing Club has changed the weekly Twilight race to include the green ship as a mark of the course.

During the afternoon race, sailors will navigate around the ship as a mark of the course, and the club is hoping to attract a big fleet for this special event. Scuttlebutt that the traditional race prize of a bucket of rum will be replaced with a bucket of green tea is unsubstantiated at this time.

Rainbow Warrior III was purpose built and launched in October 2011 at a cost over $28 million Aussie dollars. The ship was in part funded by a crowd funding project. Supporters were encouraged to buy parts of the ship through a website and over 100,000 did. Classed as a sailing yacht with diesel-electric auxiliary, thirty passengers and crew can sail at 15 knots in good conditions with the 55-metre mast carrying 1,255 square metres of sail.

 

Bowen visit

 

The Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior will visit Bowen on Sunday April 14, before going on to Holbourne Island.

 

Mates @ sea

 

Former Airlie Beacher Libby Carrier writes, "Hi Ho... Hi Ho.... it's off across the Atlantic Ocean again I go!! We leave lovely Antigua in the morning. Good weather report & great crew!! See some of you in the Azores & see the rest of you in Palma!! No internet for a while. See ya on the flip side!!"

 

Ship-to-shore

 

The first Australian ship-to-shore wireless message occurred on April 9, 1903. The receiving station was at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane and the message was sent from HMQS Gayundah off Moreton Island.

HMQS Gayundah was a flat-iron gunboat operated by the Queensland Maritime Defence Force and later the Royal Australian Navy (as HMAS Gayundah). Built in 1884 and decommissioned in 1921, she then served as a barge for Brisbane Gravel Pty Ltd until 1950, when she was scrapped. In 1958, Gayundah was run aground at Woody Point at Redcliffe, to serve as a breakwater structure.

 

Koala Island

 

A tropical Whitsunday Island may seem a strange home for a colony of koalas and St Bees Island is an untouched paradise, has a beautiful climate and, best of all, no people; a perfect home for koalas.

The koalas were brought to the island in the early 1900s by the Busuttin family for purely aesthetic reasons. It is believed that the original colony had about 17 koalas. During the 1960s, koalas from St Bees were taken unofficially to establish populations on both Newry and Brampton Islands.

 

Live firing

 

St. Bees Island - Mariners be advised that this week a feral animal (goats) control program requiring the use of live firing of weapons will take place on St. Bees Island in the Mackay National Parks Management Area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Exclusion zones will be placed around St Bee's Island. The exclusion zone extends seaward of the High Water mark by 500 metres; all vessels are to remain clear. VHF security calls will be made on channel 16 by Queensland Park & Wildlife vessel 'Tamoya'. St Bee's Island is 15 nautical miles north east of Mackay Harbour. AUS charts 251 & 824

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan

 

Pearls of the Coral Sea

Pearls of the Coral Sea

 

Pearls of the Coral Sea Festival is planned for Townsville in September and will feature pearling luggers and traditional timber ships of a bye gone era.

Centred on the major restoration of pearling lugger ANTONIA, organisers are talking with various lugger owners about heading to Townsville for one of the largest gatherings of luggers for some time.

The Australian National Maritime Museum will present all lugger owners that are on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels with their flag and certificate during the festival.

The plan includes a multi-venue precinct between the Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre, Museum of Tropical North Queensland, Townsville Maritime Museum, Reef HQ and more… lugger and traditional rig movies, markets, children's activities, and hopefully a lugger race and a sunset sail.

 

Learn to Sail

 

Don't worry if you missed the Whitsunday Sailing Club Registration Day for young sailors or 'tackers' you might just get you child into the course that starts this Sunday at 0830.

The course will be sailed in the new Opti Tackers, specially designed for training younger children. The age range is about seven to 12 years.

Any parents wishing to assist are welcome if you have any sailing background. Contact, Heidi Walton, Whitsunday Sailing Club 4946 6138

  

Boat fall, fine

 

A huge $100,000 fine has been copped by a NSW university following an injury to a student falling off a boat during a field trip.

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) was fined after a 23-year-old science student was injured in a boat incident during a course work-related field trip.

The woman suffered severe leg injuries and a broken wrist after falling from an inflatable vessel owned by the University near Darling Harbour on July 2009

"The incident occurred when a research assistant, who held a boat licence and was employed by the University, lost control of the inflatable vessel while doing a turn, causing three passengers who were not wearing lifejackets, to fall off.

"An inspection of the inflatable vessel revealed too much weight in the bow caused 'bow steering' or inadvertent steering to the left or right."

UNSW was found guilty by the NSW Industrial Court of a breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW)

 

Mariner Notice

 

Tongue Point, Whitsunday Island - Mariners are advised that a heli-lift operation is planned to take place in Tongue Bay, Whitsunday Island in the Whitsunday National Parks Management Area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This operation will be conducted from 1330 hours to 1700 hours on Wednesday, April 24.

This program will require the use of a barge platform and helicopter for multiple lifts during the stated times. A temporary exclusion zone will be placed in Tongue Bay from the public moorings east to Tongue Point during this operation. Mariners are advised to remain clear of exclusion zones and surrounding islands during the operation. Marine VHF security calls will be made morning, midday and afternoon on channel 16 and a Marine Parks vessel will be patrolling the area. AUS charts 252, 253, 824 & 825

 

Fair winds to Ye!

Cap'n Dan