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TACOMA PRESERVATION SOCIETY

www.tacoma.org.au M: 0476 173 860 P.O. Box 3088 Port Lincoln SA 5606 April 2020 - Newsletter # 15!

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! Once finished, it was just a matter, (tongue in cheek) of slipping the net back into the box on the back of the Ute and OOOPs, another hole is discovered.

Next stop, the Marina to call upon the help of the winch aboard the “Atlas” (A Haldane Bros. prawning vessel). The net was swung from the ute over the aft of the Atlas and down to Chay and PJ in the flattie. From there the flattie putted its way back to the birth at Sandy Point where the crew were ready to winch the net from the flattie back on board the Tacoma.

Ross’ ute with Another job well done, thanks to the Harts bait net (use of airstrip), Atlas (H B prawning alongside the vessel) and crew. Atlas.

Bait net being lowered to the flattie

Bait net safe on the flattie

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=! passengers rowed the dinghy to the island and did some exploring. Then in the afternoon we had a practice run for kitting up the passengers for poling tuna and they tried poling our dummy fish ‘Tina the Tuna’. A 7.00am start next day had us steaming around the southern end of Eyre Peninsula to Perforated Island where we trolled for tuna, but to no avail. Then around Point Sir Isaacs and into Coffin Bay (we did not venture into the township) for a safe anchorage as 30 knot SE winds were forecast. We set all of the anchor chain as a precaution. The strong winds came and pretty much stayed with us for the rest of the trip, so we stayed on anchor all morning. In the afternoon we moved closer to Gallipoli Beach which was the setting for the movie. Next day the wind was still blowing hard but we went with it all the way to Flinders Island in the Investigator Group, passing close to the towering Topgallant Islands. The highest of these is 101 metres high with the southernmost rock (55 metres high) looking somewhat like the image of a ship’s upper square sails. This is why Mathew Flinders named them Topgallant Islands. On the way to Flinders Island we could just make out the silhouette of the mystical Pearson Island in the haze in the western horizon. Meanwhile the boys fishing from the stern had one hookup of a tuna on the troll lines but it got off before they could get it on board. We dropped anchor in Flinders Bay on the northern side of Flinders Island which has been farmed since 1867. It is a large island of 3,642 hectares with a lot of maritime and pastoral history. Next morning Tim from JANE KERR took a few of us ashore in his inflatable boat. Some of us hiked through the low prickly scrub to the lighthouse while others walked west along the beach into the next bay and discovered a small shack which has a mooring out from it. We saw some interesting tracks on the beach which looked much like turtle tracks and a possible egg laying depression. Although turtles do sometimes come this far south, I have never heard of them laying eggs here so I now think it must have been the marks made by a sea lion hauling out and sleeping on the beach. Once back on board, TACOMA headed west to the area around Ward Island where we hoped to hook a tuna on a couple of lumps. Alas, no tuna but we did pull up some monster sweep – the biggest I have seen! We headed back around Flinders Island to our same anchorage for the night. On Thursday 5th March we left Flinders Island and steamed for Pearson Island, a place so remote that only fisherman and research teams ever get there. These islands are spectacular with their rocky peaks as high as 238 metres. Sheoak and tea tree abound, as do rock wallabies, bush rats, lizards, sea Pearson Island - the lions and fur seals. We arrived there ‘camels head rock’ around midday and hoped to have a between the side stays BBQ lunch on the only small sandy beach there in the anchorage cove, but the swell was a bit too lumpy for landing. So we went to the northern side of the island and anchored in eastern cove and had our BBQ lunch on board TACOMA. After lunch we ferried nine people to the island to go exploring. A few climbed to the ‘camels head rock’ on top of east hill and from that vantage point we had

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M*$$!8%7*!*L*+J%7*R! "#$%!&'$$(! LOTS OF LOST THINGS RETURN

Tacoma lay decommissioned for three years awaiting her fate before finally in 2009, out of the mist emerged a group of marine enthusiasts calling themselves the TPS – the Tacoma Preservation Society.

Tacoma then became a little like Humpty Dumpty and it took time to gather her pieces together again.

The “Cross Tree” you can see up the mast today was discovered on Axel Stenross’ flagpole.

The Aga lay thrown over the side at the government slip way and over time her brass fitting had found new homes.

The Signalling flags, Paper echo sounder (with hinges) were retrieved from the wreck of the Clara Alan.

Fiddles for the galley stove and the coke scoop handle jumped back on board from a garden shed.

Bits and pieces of the Atlas, the original motor found a new life. (The Atlas once used in American landing craft during WWII).

Bamboo poles, 50 years old, again bent to the pull of tuna. Waders, helmet and pads - fish lures, a chumming bait net and lights.

It was as if all had just been put away, awaiting to be used another day. Curtains neatly folded, boxes of yearly fishing logs, letters, notes, photos, sound recordings, paintings, plates, kettles, pots and pans. It was as if a conductor was standing in front of an Orchestra, all the bits were coming to life. Or Peter Pan’s flute calling all the bits out of sheds, from under beds and from dusty shelves – and ‘They All Went To Sea In A Great Big Beautiful White Boat’.

Ross Haldane

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Support Local Outlets that sell Tacoma’s Jars of Line Caught Tuna

Cruisers Hub Café 29 Jubilee Drive Port Lincoln

Fred’s Marina Cruises Port Lincoln

The Fresh Fish Place Oyster HQ 20 Proper Road Port Lincoln The Esplanade Coffin Bay

The Pantry 30 Tasman Terrace Port Lincoln

Adelaide Pasadena and Frewville Foodland sell fresh tuna in 28 Tasman Terrace Port Lincoln season during February & March

The Port Lincoln Airport Café serves tuna sandwiches & sells Tacoma’s jars of tuna

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