February March
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The Wind, the Sea..... and Lister The " Atlas Rogger'', a 47ft. motor sailer built in Holland, is fitted with a JW6MGR Lister Marine Diesel. The reliability and dependability of Lister is worth thinking about when the time comes for you to re-engine. OFFSHORE Number 40 February/March 1978 FEATURES Who said it wasn't the roughest-ever Hobart 2 Slowbart '77 8 'The Roughest Race on Record' -What Bull! 11 Sydney to Eden 13 Mia Mia's Hobart 15 Radio Sked Disqualifications 22 Biggies' Column 29 C.Y.C. Cruise/Race to Port Stephens 32 N.Z. Wins World Half-Tons 38 TECHNICAL Watson's Knavi-guessing Know-how 36 1.0.R. Rule Changes 37 OFFSHORE SIGNALS 39 BOOK REVIEWS 41 Late Afternoon watch down the Tassie coast Hobart 1977. CLUB NOTES Photo by Rob Stirling 42 MARINA NEWS 44 'Offshore' is published every two months by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, New Beach Road, Darling Point, N.S.W. 2027. Telephone 32 9731, Cables "SEAWYSEA" Advertising and Editorial material : The Editor, 'Offshore'. C/ C.Y.C.A. Subscriptions: Australia $5.50. Overseas $7.00. Air Mail rate on application. Editor: David J. Colfelt Printer: Wymond Morell (Printers) Pty. Ltd. 160 Parramatta Road, Camperdown, N.S.W. 2050 *Recommended price only OFFSHORE - February/March 1978 There has been much debate, much media discussion, much bar talk, even argument as to whether our recent event was the roughest on record. Some said it was bad but they had been through worse. Some said the anemometer failed after being stuck beyond 60 knots for too long . Some said it never exceeded 35-40 knots after the first auick onslauaht. As to the sea conditions, similar disagreements persist, evaluations varying from moderate to mountainous seas with great holes behind them to fall into. In order to add perspective to these opinions, it is necessary to look at the scene from the overall viewpoint as seen from the nerve centre at the C.Y.C.A. which doubles as a clearing house for information from all quarters. After th start at 1200 Monday 26th starboard in the lee of the ferry, leaving problems of recovering money from a Decem er, the initiating activities insufficient room for Helsa! who hailed Kings Cross working girl who had includEid a police enquiry into the for room. Mercedes V responded apparently accepted it from a visiting serio collision between maxi yacht immediately by pulling away but in doing crewman in advance of nocturnal enter Helsa! and spectator ferry Lady Cutler, so her transom momentarily closed the tainment, whereupon she disappeared whic/i is alleged to have been occupying gap even more. Helsal's choice was to without delivering the goods. Despite out-Of-bounds space in the yacht collide with Mercides V or the ferry and, avid study there was no guidance to be manoeuvring area just before the start. choosing the latter, suffered severe found in the Handbook for Yacht Race lrn;leed the same ferry apparently topside damage and punctures from the Administrators for this sort of situation, obstructed the path of the yacht Winston ferry's sponson, the seriousness only so we went back to plotting yacht Churchill near the Heads after the start. becoming evident later when she tacked positions and feeding the Honeywell Helsal's Crew advised that after onto port to clear Sydney Heads and computer. As you can see from the first reaching away from the starting line they commenced to make water. few hours of activity, this Race was tacked onto starboard near Shark Is. and Following this enquiry was another by shaping up to be a rough one. headed for the line with about 1 V2 the Maritime Services Board, a visit from minutes to go, electing to sail to leeward a police officer regarding the lost of the ferry ahead of them. Shortly passport of a visiting crewman and yet afterwards Mercedes V tacked onto another police officer discussin In the Communications Centre at be easier to take people aboard a yacht commence a green flare search pattern, C.Y.C.A. , the atmosphere became than a ship in those rough conditions. were stood down. electrified at 1440 on Tuesday, a mere 26 hours 40 minutes after the start, Penando reported her position as 50 Needless to say, the atmosphere in the when radio relay ship Mia Mia came up miles east of Jervis Bay, subsequently Communications Centre all day on sked to report positions and the first amending the distance-off to 40 miles. In approached sheer bedlam, being spate of retirements following the the Communications Room , Duty Officer packed with journalists of the press onslaught of the first of several cold Campbell Scott laid out the 6-metre-lor.g gallery, TV reporters, camera gear and fronts to sweep the fleet during the next expanded chart of the Race course and lights, together with many who were 24 hours or so. plotted Penando 's reported positions interested in the continuing spate of Immediate action was taken to contact since the start. retirements which, by that evening, had good friends down the coast to seek Her previous reported position at 1900 reached 52 in number. The volunteer their assistance for up-to-date Tuesday put her 8 miles east of telephonists were working non-stop as information of yacht arrivals and request Bateman's Bay, and our deliberations as all inward lines had been running hot for berthing assistance as necessary. to her possible movements during the 30 hours, except from 0200 to 0630 Graham White in Eden , Hon. Social night clearly indicated that she was when we went off watch for a spell. Secretary of the Twofold Bay Yacht Club likely to be on a latitude just north of Thursday, day 4, brought about the need and owner of the ocean-going tug E.B. Batemans Bay, some 45 miles or so to conduct an audit of the coast to try to Cane, was a tower of strength and came south of her MAYDAY position report. locate yacht Cordon B/eu which had up many times each day by landline to This we conveyed to Marine Operations failed to come up on any of the four radio report arrivals and sightings until, finally, Centre which took the decision to move skeds since Tuesday evening. The twenty-eight yachts were enjoying the the search south from the original area Maritime Services Board deputed John haven of Twofold Bay and Graham's of Wollongong to Batemans Bay and 60 Hi Ider of the N.S.W. State Boating hospitality, with hot showers and all miles seaward. · Service to assist us, but no sighting was manner of other very kind assistance to made in any of the ports and boat the crews. As it transpired, Penando reached Ulladulla at about 1640 under own sail havens on the coast south of Sydney. At the same time, M.O.C. had assisted by Fisherman John Jubb and Fisherman's and power and confirmed that her stated Co-op Manager Daryl Goodyer kept us position was in error, advising that they arranging for coast and aircraft radio stations to send out XXX-CO calls, being informed about the thirteen yachts to had seen a light Gp. Fl. (4) and identified calls at 2-hour intervals for sightings. seek refuge in Bermagui, and part-time it as Kiama from the list of lights Harbour Master Keith Thorpe was up included in the Race Navigator's Log Yacht Mulberry efficiently reported to early and to bed late monitoring the Book. The light they saw was actually Mia Mia her sighting of a yacht in an movements at Ulladulla. Indeed his Burrewarra Pt. light about 70 miles unplotted position, whereupon she was normal work pattern was punctuated by further south (just south of Batemans asked to start her engine and close for visits to the harbour, where three yachts Bay) which also displays a Gp. Fl. (4) positive identification, which she did. skurried for shelter including the characteristic, although of 16 secs. Regrettably, the yacht sighted was not distressed New Zealand yacht Penando. period and 8M range in contrast with Cordon Bleu, the same result coming It was on Wednesday, day 3, when Kiama of 20 secs. period and 17M from all of the other efforts that day. unscheduled traffic from Radio Relay range. Mulberry was invited to claim time Ship Mia Mia at 0840 relayed the 0830 The Burrewarra light, being of allowance for her excursion off-course, MAYDAY call from Penando following secondary importance, was not included to which she responded in the negative saying she neither lost nor gained by the her initial PAN call at 0725. Penando in the Navigator's Log Book list (which reported that she was taking water incidentally included several more lights exercise. faster than the crew could cope with it. than previously); however, it is shown on Two yachts reported to Mia Mia that they Weather conditions at the time were all copies of Chart AUS807, Montagu had sighted Cordon Bleu on Tuesday separately reported as being wind from Is. to Jervis Bay and others sold since evening south of Montagu Island when SSW ., force 6 to 7, seas rough with a 23rd May 197 4 when the light was she was well reefed, heading south and heavy swell. established. It seems that Penando's looking snug although not displaying navigation lights. Marine Operations Centre at Canberra charts must have been of even earlier was immediately contacted and a vintage, remaining uncorrected. Four more retirements during the day search and rescue operation mounted Obviously the intended guide for brought the tally to 56 , one of which with an R.A.A.F.