FISHING, BOATING AND ADVENTURES
VMR
BRIBIE ISLAND
The tow from Tangalooma early hours of the morning Tuesday 1st Feb 2022 - as you can see good clear conditions.
BUSY WEDNESDAY Wednesday 2nd February 2022 - The first assist was a small runabout near Donnybrook. As the tow started you could see the storm was heading over Mission Point. Second job was attending to a drifting cruiser at Turner's Camp, followed by an unmanned small half cabin whose anchor line had broken and was taken and secured to the MSQ mooring.
Assisting runabout near Donnybrook.
6m Half Cabin towed to MSQ Mooring
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The storm rolling in from Mission Point area.
SATURDAY 5TH FEB 2022
Conditions in the passage Saturday 5th February 2022, were of 25-30knt winds and a high tide. Saturday morning 5th Feb 2022 started with many calls from the amazing public about 2 vessels all but beached on the foreshore, so the crew headed off and were all found floating happily in the passage safe and sound. Back at the base the wind was blowing a good 25knots, the next job was putting the trainees through their SSSS-SHIPBOARD SAFETY SKILL SET and, in very challenging conditions they did an amazing job.
Trainees clamber aboard the life raft.
www.thebribieislander.com.au
The Bribie Islander
The crew then got a call at around 2.30pm they were tasked to conduct a search by the Water Police from Woorim in the direction of Caloundra and, as some of you will be aware, conditions were less than favourable, as you can see from the photos below, where they had not even left the Pumicestone Passage the crew were taking 3-metre waves over the bow all the way. The Rescue 500 Helicopter was out there with us on the search and Coast Guard Redcliffe. The crew joked that they were not in a boat, they were in a submarine!
Above and below: Bribie 1 still in the Passage!
Above and next column: Coast Guard Redcliffe were tasked by the Water Police to join the search.
John Traill
Public Relations Officer Volunteer Marine Rescue Bribie Island Phone: (07) 5327 2747 Mob: 0407 537 323 publiclrelations@vmrbribie.com
As Bribie 1 and crew were making their way to Woorim a call came into the base for a drifting catamaran in the passage, 2 crews were called in and Bribie 2 and Jonkers Bribie 3 were off to help the catamaran. Bribie 2 picked up the owners from the shore and put them on the vessel and then the tow began in awful conditions there was a good 3-metre swell and 30knt winds; this was going to make this extremely hard for all involved. It was also getting dark just to add to the difficulty, it was decided that Bribie 1 would need to help as she was now coming back from the search slowly into the passage; this was around 6.30pm. Bribie 1 made it to the passage and attached the tow rope and pulled the big catamaran not once, but twice around, to get her on the mooring, we cannot stress how difficult this was in the conditions, Bribie 1 was assisted by both other vessels and finally she was safe on the mooring. All crews worked extremely hard and overcame all the obstacles thrown at them in terrible conditions. Thankfully everyone was safe, and the vessel was secure. We cannot stress enough how amazing our volunteers are, even in these challenging conditions.
