VMR

Friday 25th November 2022 – 46 Active Members and partners attended the last Sunset Drinks for 2022. There was a Christmas theme, and the meal was excellent, with carved leg ham, roast chicken portions, potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, tomato cucumber lettuce salad, with various condiments, bread rolls, and topped off with individual servings of trifle and mini pavlovas. Congratulations to the Social Committee for providing such a wonderful spread. Of course, drinks were at our usual great prices and our usual raffles were held (two ½ leg hams for 1st & 2nd prize, a bottle of wine 3rd prize) along with many door prizes. This was the first Sunset Drinks with Ces Luscombe as Commodore and Kelly Langworthy as Coordinator of the Social Committee.

John, Kaye, and Brenda Hammond in the meal line-up.

Members enjoy the evening, Jim Brown, Natalie Hill, Mike Looney, Jeff and Tracey Wall, and Kate Brown with her back to the camera.

Sheryl Traill is presented her raffle prize of a ham by Santa and Commodore Ces Luscombe.

The 3 Amigos in the Busy Fingers Kitchen, Sheryl Traill, Cheryl Robinson, and Kelly Langworthy. Betty Snell won the 3rd prize in the raffle a bottle of red!

The LROCP Radio Course was run by VMR Radio Officer Peter McNamara and Deputy Radio Officer John Rice and Senior Radio Operator Keith Walters. 11 VMR Members attended and sat for their Radio License. Part of the Radio Course is a practical section where candidates have to demonstrate how to use a Marine Radio, the other part of the LROCP Course is a 50-question multiple choice exam. VMR Bribie will be running more courses in the New Year

Deputy Radio Officer John Rice instructing at the LROCP Radio Course.

Congratulations to Garry Beros, who was recently appointed Senior Crew at VMR Bribie. Well done on the anchors Garry.

Surprise, Surprise, the weather is not looking too good for the rest of the week so make sure you check the weather, wind and sea state before venturing out in your boat. New VMR Bribie Radio Operator Steve Moon will be waiting to take your call.

This yacht was hard against sea wall, the owner was made aware of the situation and required no further action from VMR.

Steel hulled yacht aground in the passage.

The Yacht Swag which had broken free from its mooring buoy Jon Brice on board attaching tow ropes to his vessel. Yacht had broken free from its mooring buoy at Bongaree.

The dismasted yacht.

Deputy Radio Officer John Rice with Coxswain Jim Brown who were joint winners of the winner of the John Burge Training Award, announced at the recent AGM. Jim has been away so this was the first chance we got to give him his plaque and get a sneaky picture.

Saturday 3rd December 2022 - Two sessions were held at 10.00am and 1400. The two sessions were conducted by Deputy Radio Officers John Rice and John O’Hagan, and Radio Officer Peter McNamara. All part of VMR Bribie educational program for member boaties

Deputy Radio Officer John O’Hagan talking about the importance of someone at home knowing your boat and trip details.

All our Rescue Crews, Radio Operators, Maintenance Team, Office, and IT Support Teams are all here volunteering their time to help make your Summer of Boating an Enjoyable and Safe adventure for you, your family and friends. Please read the following advice from all the teams here at Volunteer Marine Rescue Bribie, The Home of Safe Boating. Once you have logged on with VMR or Coast Guard please remember the following:

Make sure someone at home knows where you going to, and they have ready access to your boat and trailer details and your mobile number. If you are catching too many fish and want to extend your return time, please contact the VMR or Coast Guard you logged on with, otherwise you will be deemed to be overdue, and this could spark a full-scale search for you if you cannot be contacted. Such a search could involve Water Police, Helicopters, VMR’s and Coast Guards. If during your trip, you change location, ensure you advise the coastal station you Logged On with of your new destination, as it will save valuable time if we have to search for you. When using your marine radio please remember to re- secure your microphone after your call, do not put it on the seat and sit on it as it sometimes leads to you having an open microphone which blocks all other calls, and everyone will hear your conversation good or bad on your vessel. Make sure if there are other people on board that you should show them how to use the radio, we also recommend that everyone on board wears a life jacket and knows where the spare ones are located. We also recommend that you have a VHF Radio installed on your vessel, as they have greater range and reliability. You do require to have a license to operate them, it is a lifetime licence and VMR’s and Coast Guard’s run regular courses. Make sure that your VHF radio is on dual watch for example in our local area it would normally be on Channel 16 and 73. Please leave your radio on, Channel 16 is the international Emergency Channel and if you ever hear a Mayday Call you should stop and be prepared to take down any details. You might be the closest vessel to assist or pick up some detail that other vessels or land base stations have missed. You could save someone’s Life. Be aware of the Green Zones in the area you are going fishing and of size and bag limits of fish and crabs.

Stay safe, catch plenty of fish, and have fun.

From 21st January 1977 approval was given by the Lands Department to use the land on which the current building now stands. At that stage the land was often covered by water at very high tides and so the members with some other local assistance set

life memberships for $100 per family group. The building was constructed during 1981 by Mervin Ally, a local building contractor, with labour provided by local volunteers and members. The cost of the construction and some internal fittings was between $70,000 and $80,000. While waiting for the completion of the building, meetings were held at the Bribie Island Hotel, and at the Blue Pacific Hotel, with Executive Meetings held at the home of the Commodore. The new Bribie Island Air-Sea Rescue Building was opened on the 10th October 1981 by the then Commodore Darryl Gatehouse.

Initially a 21-foot Star aluminium boat was purchased for rescue work, the motors being donated by the Bribie Island Darts Club.

Bribie Rescue 1 a 6.4m monohull with 2 x 115 Evinrude outboards.

During the week, Radio Watch was still being carried out by the Walters family from their home and from the home of Barney McMahon who also installed radios at his home.

12,482 Calls, 3,369 vessels logged on, 255 Vessel Assists, 1,410 Sitreps, 761 Requests, 33 overdue vessels, 32 Vessel Tracking, 1,454 Radio Checks, 6 Weather Broadcasts, 132 Securite Broadcasts, 0 Pan Pan 2 Mayday.

THU 24/11 1446PM – 4.75m Tinny member with motor issues, required a tow from Passage just North of Bridge to Bellara Boat Ramp. SUN 27/11 0905AM – 6m Cruiser non-member with motor issues, required a tow from Deception Bay to Spinnaker Sound Marina. SUN 27/11 1000AM – 3m Jet Ski non-member with a flat battery required a jump start 1km South of Bongaree Jetty. SUN 27/11 2305PM – Tasked by Water Police to search for Dinghy from Newport to Caboolture River. SUN 27/11 2343PM – Tasked by QAS to transport ambulance officers to Tangalooma and pick up patient and return to VMR Bribie Pontoon for ambulance pickup and transport to hospital. MON 28/11 1144AM – MOP reported loose mooring of vessel at Banksia beach – investigate, owner contacted no further action. WED 30/11 1333PM – Tender had left main vessel and motor stopped off Toorbul, couldn’t row against tide and wind, required a tow back to vessel. THU 01/12 0900AM – MOP reported a boat had sunk at anchor near Banksia Beach – investigated, sitting on bottom, advised Water Police. THU 01/12 1542PM – 9m Sloop member drifting near Bongaree Bowls Club. Investigate and secure. FRI 02/12 0722PM – 9m Sloop member return to complete securing from yesterday with another line. FRI 02/12 1214PM – MOP reported that a Yacht nonmember appeared to have slipped mooring, investigate, and notified Water Police. SUN 04/12 1537PM – 4.5m Runabout non-member with motor problems, required a tow from off the entrance to Pacific Harbour into Tradewinds Drive. TUE 06/12 0712AM - Tow 10.5m Yacht member with dismasted yacht off the sand at Bongaree back to its mooring at Bongaree. TUE 06/12 0849AM – 14m Yacht member drifting at Bongaree required a tow to deeper water. WED 07/12 2326PM – 6.7m Bowrider broken away from pontoon mooring, required a tow back to Tradewinds Drive pontoon. WED 07/12 2340PM – 10m Yacht non-member stuck on sand bar Southern tip of Bribie Island required a tow to deeper water. THU 08/12 0612AM – 10m Yacht non-member from last night incurred a damaged rudder requested a tow to Newport. Yacht managed to repair rudder enough to motor OK under own steam to Newport.

SAFETY DAVE THE FRENCHIE’S MESSAGE: Safety Dave says “With the weather improving check that your boat is in good order, check that you have all your safety gear and everyone on board knows its location, ensure it is easy to get at in an emergency, ensure your flares are in date, that your torch works, check your battery and your fuel. Ensure you let someone know of your plans, who is with you, where you are leaving from, where you are going, what time you are returning, and make sure you have either a mobile phone, VHF or 27Mhz marine radio on board.” PLEASE WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKETS!”

Response without prejudice, to Concerned Woorim Resident, Council’s dismantling of stick structures, presently littering Woody Bay/Skirmish Point at Woorim Beach is a contractual obligation to the State government to care for and maintain the Woorim foreshore. The MBRC website states: • Council and the Queensland

Government continually monitor and manage our coastal areas, but there are things we can all do to help protect our coastal landscapes. If you live near or are visiting our coastal areas, you can: • Leave driftwood and fallen branches on the beach or dunes where you found it. Fallen timber plays an important role in stabilising dunes. • Don’t light fires on the beach. It could start a wildfire that damages a large area of dune vegetation. • Stick to the designated beach access tracks and stay off dune vegetation. The roots of coastal grasses are very sensitive and easily damaged by trampling. • Don’t drive on dunes and dune vegetation. Fallen trees and driftwood provide habitat with little bugs, grubs, etc., food for birds and bush critters in this Conservation Area adjacent to Bribie’s coastline. Disturbance of this natural environment compromises the health of interdependent ecosystems in Nature’s Living Beach ecology. Bribie Island is a protected Fauna and Flora Sanctuary with Marine and National Parks and Conservation Areas. It is important that local residents set expectations and examples for visitors in protecting Bribie Island’s fragile natural assets. To avoid interfering with and disorienting endangered nesting turtles during their breeding season, minimise impediments to their path from ocean to dune nesting habitat, such as: stick structures, tents, sandbags, rock walls, beach access infrastructure, and other man made hard structures. Extinguish artificial light polluting the beach from coastal development, streetlights, picnic shelters, recreational fishermen using bright lights to attract fish, camps and flashlights. Do we value a pristine natural beach or one littered with man’s calling cards.