Friday, January 31, 2003


Well behaved boaties enjoy holidays
Recreational anglers and boating enthusiasts across the State were generally well behaved during the Christmas and New Year period with the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol (QBFP) reporting a relatively law-abiding public.
QBFP regional manager Ross Lloyd said patrol officers spoke to more than 5000 people throughout Queensland resulting in 56 fisheries and 101 boating infringement notices issued or breach reports being submitted.
Mr Lloyd said 83 fishing and 89 boating cautions were delivered but patrol officers reported a generally quiet holiday break.
"The strong message which comes out of this holiday season is that most people complied with the fishing and boating regulations," he said.
"This is a great result and shows that people really do understand the sustainability issue behind fishing rules which is to protect valuable fish stocks for future generations.
"Most people also realise that boating safety is an important part of a happy and successful holiday."
Mr Lloyd said the major fishing infringements were for undersized fish and crabs, fishing in closed waters and not holding a freshwater fishing permit to fish in stocked dams.
Mr Lloyd said the boating infringements were mainly for speeding and insufficient safety equipment.
"Having up-to-date and fully functioning safety equipment is vital for any boat operator. Like car drivers, boat operators have a duty of care to all the people on board," he said.

Fishing drawcard

Recreational fishing is a major drawcard in Queensland, luring large numbers of local, interstate and international tourists to coastal and rural communities.
To find out just how valuable tourist fishers are to the State, the Department of Primary Industries Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) Recreational Fish Monitoring Program (Rfish) is undertaking a series of comprehensive angler surveys.
These surveys will help QFS better understand recreational anglers, their social and economic profiles and importantly, their spending habits.
Mr Higgs said estimates of just how important interstate and international anglers were to Queensland would soon be available as part of the National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (NRIFS) conducted in 2001.
Mr Higgs said the national survey used the same sampling methods across all States to document the size of recreational catches and expenditure associated with fishing activities.
"Although the results are still being analysed, they are expected to show that Queensland attracts more interstate visitors than most other states," he said.
Mr Higgs said QFS had just started a survey of the State's commercial charter and tour guide operators to document the importance of tourist fishers to their operations.
"Some sections of the tour and charter boat industry have a long history of attracting international fishers such as the big game fishery where anglers' spending habits have generated significant incomes for local communities," he said.
"Changes in international tourist markets have also seen shifts in types of fishing activities visitors are involved in."
Mr Higgs said anecdotal information suggested international visitors were becoming an increasingly important market segment for many tour guide and demersal charter boat operators.
He said information collected from the surveys would be used to ensure the State's fisheries resources were sustainably managed.

Top fishing story

In June 1497, when Italian explorer John Cabot landed in North America, cod fish off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada were so plentiful that they slowed the progress of his ship and could be taken from the sea in baskets.
Due to mismanagement of the fisheries it collapsed in 1992. Ten years later the fishery has not recovered.

Fishers cop fines

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority expressed increasing concern in regard to poaching in Green Zones today after six fishers, all from the Gladstone area, were handed down separate fines for illegal activities relating to fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The fines were handed down in the Gladstone Magistrates Court last Friday and came just four days after a New South Wales man was fined $27,000 for illegal fishing at MacKay magistrates Court.
According to GBRMPA Executive Director, John Tanzer, the authorities from Commonwealth and State Governments are working well together and detections are on the increase.
"We are getting better at catching culprits out to plunder the reef and it's quite unfortunate to know that there are still people out there willing to take the risk at the expense of one of Australia's natural treasures," Mr Tanzer said.

Light out

Mariners are advised that the F.G(F by day) leading light bearing 329° in approximate position Latitude 20°01.34'S, Longitude 148°15.1'E which marks the channel to the wharf in Edgecumbe Bay at Bowen is temporarily unlit.
Mariners should use caution in the vicinity. Charts affected: AUS 268, 826

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Saturday, January 25, 2003


When to call for help

Boaters and anglers are being urged by safety experts to have a clear safety process developed before they leave the shore. Recent incidents have indicated that in some situations of distress, boaters have hesitated in calling for outside assistance, with loss of life being an unnecessary outcome.
Your friends and family will respect you for putting their safety first. It is the responsible thing to do and shows that you are in command of your ship. People expect you to have the correct safety gear and know how to use it if needed.
Boaters who face an engine failure, dead battery, swamping or the like, invariably need to call on outside assistance So it makes good sense to practice before leaving the dock and for everyone on board to know what safety resources are on the boat, where they are, their purpose and how and when to use them.
According to boat safety expert Garry Schipper, knowing how to react in certain situations will save lives. Garry is well known to boaters across Australia through his video safety talks and as a veteran racing offshore yachtsman who has also contested 20 Sydney to Hobart races.
"All too often, we are confronting a tragic boating fatality that could have been avoided had the boaters activated a flare or their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)."
"In one instance, a person on Port Phillip Bay, in Victoria, decided to swim 500m to shore for help, rather than set off a flare and in his mind 'trouble' the rescue authorities. Tragically, the swimmer drowned but all others on board were rescued when they set off a flare."
In the ideal world, vessels should be equipped with a marine radio, flares and an EPIRB in addition to the standard kit of safety equipment required by local state laws and regulations.
In circumstances where you are unable to reach the shore or safety on your own, you are in a position where rescue is needed. Sometimes you may need urgent assistance where a boat is sinking, other times there may be no immediate danger, however further life threatening problems could arise if affirmative action is not taken.
"The first action is to use a marine radio to call for help," Garry Schipper said. "A mobile phone is a poor substitute for a marine radio as cell phones can have flat batteries, do not like the water environment and can be outside signal coverage when at sea."
"An EPIRB should be used if genuinely in distress or if there are people on board who are injured. Once activated, the golden rule is that you do not turn the EPIRB off until told to by the search and rescue authorities. The search and rescue people rely upon the beacon to home in on the location. Also, an EPIRB that suddenly stops transmitting after a short period may be regarded by authorities as a hoax."
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) says that an EPIRB should be used when you are in grave and imminent danger. This is almost certainly the case if the only way out of the situation is a long swim to the shore.
If in the event of an EPIRB being activated, flares, like the recently released Aurora hand held distress signal pack from Pains Wessex, can be used to pinpoint your position once a rescue vessel or aircraft is within sight or hearing.
"If all a boater has on board is a pack of flares, these should be used when you think there is a chance of the signal being spotted," Garry Schipper said. "You may see a passing boat, aircraft or people on the shore and try to attract their attention with the flare."
Other means of attracting attention can include waving arms above the head, waving a shirt tied to an oar, V sheet, Seamarker dye or at night, using a torch or strobe light to flag down other boats.
"Just as we advise 4WD people never to leave their vehicle in the bush, the same principle applies to boaters," Garry Schipper said. "It is a lot easier for searchers to find a boat at sea, than the head of an individual bobbing about in the water."
"The golden rule is to never leave your boat, even if it is upturned." Garry Schipper said.

Fashion notes:Brazilian fashion revealed in Whitsunday

While I'm not generally known for being a fashionista, occasionally something catches my eye.
We don't want sugar from Brazil, but you won't hear complaints about the new "Brazilian" bikini as modelled by a couple of Brazilians on board the ship this week while sailing around the Whitsunday islands.
The ship's dive instructor said the fashion almost-garment was "cheeky" while the cook regarded the well-exposed rump as "tasty".
Mrs. Capt. Dan has just told me about the "Brazilian Wax" but I don't believe anyone would put themselves through such torture! But then again, we are talking fashion.

GPS problems
It has come to the attention of authorities that certain consumer electronics-grade active VHF/UHF marine television antennas, including some that are sold in Australia, are causing operational degradation in the performance of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. This interference may be realized as a display of inaccurate position information or a complete loss of GPS receiver acquisition and tracking ability.
The interference is not limited to the GPS equipment onboard the vessel with the installed active marine television antennae. There have been reports of interference occurring on other vessels and installations operating up to 2000 feet away from vessels using such antennas.
In one particular case, the interference caused the position of the vessel as displayed on the electronic chart to move erratically and dramatically often across large expanses of land. As can be expected, various data displays indicated erroneous information such as excessive speeds. In these instances the problem would occasionally correct itself while at other times required resetting the system. To the vessel's crew these annoyances were frustrating and caused concerns that perhaps less obvious inaccuracies were occurring. Ultimately this affected their confidence in the performance of the GPS and Electronic Chart Display and Information System.
If you are experiencing recurring outages or degradation of your GPS receiver operation you should perform an on-off test of your TV antenna. If turning off the power to the antenna results in improvement in the GPS receiver performance, the antenna may be the source of interference in the GPS band. In that case, you should contact the manufacturer of the antenna and identify the symptoms.
A list supplied by the U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Communications Commission of some devices that have caused interference is available from Waterfront at ahoy@whitsunday.net.au

This weekend: Media Challenge Yacht Race for Charity, Australia Day at Mackay Harbour - Go ABC Radio!

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan

Wednesday, January 15, 2003


Media Challenge for Charity


Print, radio and television media will clash head to head in the Mackay Yacht Club's 5th Media Challenge Fun Race for Charity on Australia Day, Sunday January 26.
This will be the 5th Media Challenge conducted by the club with business houses donating $2000 prize money for first place, $1000 for second and $500 for third. There is over $5500.00 in sponsorship/ prizes up for grabs for the winning media contingents to donate to their preferred charities.
A range of activities will allow spectators to visit the recently constructed yacht club at the Mackay marina. Australia Day activities will include Seadoo road tests, sailing displays for kids and the young at heart and an exciting kite surfing display.
The Fun Race for Charity will provide an excellent opportunity for spectators to see the sailing skills of our local media personalities and to later meet them at the new yacht club.
A function will be held at the new Mackay Yacht Club this Friday January 17 for the Media organizations to draw their yachts. If previous years are anything to go by, it is probably rigged.
Your Waterfront writer will be sailing with ABC Radio again this year and reporting for the Guardian. It's a tough job that includes weekend work but someone has to do it.
For further information, contact Bernard O'Brien - 4953 3003 or 0418 982521 Mackay Yacht Club Australia Day Media Challenge - Fun Race for Charity 2003

GPS, chart plot

An incident involving a 35' vessel occurred at night in clear visibility in moderate sea and wind conditions. The vessel ran aground and sank with three people onboard who were able to successfully abandon the vessel and were rescued without injury after an hour.
During an investigation of the incident conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard it was found that the operator of the vessel was navigating with a recently installed GPS system. The operator was utilizing the GPS unit's 'course to steer' function along a set of waypoints previously entered into the GPS system.
The waypoints in use had previously been entered by the operator through a practice known as relative navigation, which involves observing a position with an electronic navigation system and entering that position as a waypoint. On future voyages the vessel is navigated to that previously observed waypoint utilizing that electronic navigation system.
At the time the waypoints were observed, the operator of the vessel had unknowingly observed and entered an erroneous position recorded at that moment by the GPS system. When attempting to return to that position, the GPS unit calculated the entered position correctly, and the "course to steer" function took the vessel across a submerged ledge.
Had the waypoints in use been plotted on a chart prior to the voyage the vessel operator would have discovered the GPS system error.
"Navigators of vessels equipped with GPS units are advised that the current system accuracies for GPS units are approximately 328 feet (100 meters) when attempting to navigate to a known geographic point (latitude and longitude calculated from a nautical chart) and approximately 463 feet (141 meters) when attempting to return to a position previously observed with a GPS unit." A Coast Guard spokesperson said.
"These distances are 95% accuracies, meaning that 95% of received position fixes will fall within 100 meters of calculated geographic points (specific navigation), and within 141 meters of observed geographic points (relative navigation). More accurate position fixes may be obtained but mariners should allow for the 95% accuracy values."
All mariners are advised that when operating in the vicinity of navigational hazards vessels must be navigated with regard for the vessels position in relation to the hazard. Any electronic navigation system including GPS may be subject to occasional errors in excess of designed system accuracies and should not be solely relied upon to determine a vessel's position.
The U.S. Coast Guard advises against the use of relative navigation practices in the vicinity of navigational hazards. The recommended methods for calculating voyage waypoints are to calculate the positions directly from a nautical chart.
An up to date chart is also part of the vessel safety equipment.


No brain, no pain


The starfish is a sea animal that has no brain.


Magnetic field could flip

Navigation and communications satellites could be destroyed and migrating animals could get lost if the prediction from the Paris Geophysical Institute that the earth's magnetic field is vanishing is true.
New research suggests that the field is dwindling near the north and south poles and this could be an early indication that the poles are about to flip. However, it is unclear how long a change in the poles would take and while this process is taking place Earth will be more exposed to intense radiation bursts from the sun.
Earth's magnetic field - the force that protects us from deadly radiation bursts from outer space - is weakening dramatically. Scientists have discovered that its strength has dropped precipitously over the past two centuries and could disappear over the next 1,000 years, says Observer science editor Robin McKie.
"The effects could be catastrophic. Powerful radiation bursts, which normally never touch the atmosphere, would heat up its upper layers, triggering climatic disruption. Navigation and communication satellites, Earth's eyes and ears, would be destroyed and migrating animals left unable to navigate."
"Earth's magnetic field has disappeared many times before - as a prelude to our magnetic poles flipping over, when north becomes south and vice versa," said Dr Alan Thomson of the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh.
"Reversals happen every 250,000 years or so, and as there has not been one for almost a million years, we are due one soon."
But now Gauthier Hulot of the Paris Geophysical Institute has discovered Earth's magnetic field seems to be disappearing most alarmingly near the poles, a clear sign that a flip may soon take place.
Using satellite measurements of field variations over the past 20 years, Hulot plotted the currents of molten iron that generate Earth's magnetism deep underground and spotted huge whorls near the poles.
Exactly what will happen when Earth's magnetic field disappears prior to its re-emergence in a reversed orientation is also difficult to assess. Compasses would point to the wrong pole - a minor inconvenience.
In addition, many species of migrating animals and birds - from swallows to wildebeests - rely on innate abilities to track Earth's magnetic field. Their fates are impossible to gauge.
As to humans, say the researchers, our greatest risk would come from intense solar radiation bursts. Normally these are contained by the planet's magnetic field in space. However, if it disappears, particle storms will start to batter the atmosphere.

Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan


What happened to the boat that sank in the sea full of piranha fish?
It came back with a skeleton crew.

Wednesday, January 08, 2003


Fish and fishy fishers netted


A Queensland man will face court after being found in the illegal possession of two fishing nets and two barramundi during the current barramundi closed season.
The fisheries offences came to light when a Police officer detained three men in a utility towing a boat with an unlicensed trailer on the Bruce Highway.
Department of Primary Industries Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district officer, Mike Broadsmith, said the dual offences carried maximum fines of up to $75,000.
"It was the unlicensed trailer that attracted the attention of the police officer who located the nets and fish in the tray of the utility and contacted the Patrol," Mr Broadsmith said.
Mr Broadsmith said one of the three men had taken responsibility for the possession of the nets and the two barramundi averaging 70cm in length.
The apprehension highlighted the cooperation between Queensland Police and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol.
Mr Broadsmith praised the activities of the region's recreational boating and fishing enthusiasts during the holiday season. To preserve the valuable fish stocks for future generations, he asked that any members of public report suspected fisheries offences on the freecall Fishwatch Complaints Hotline 1800 017 116.

New barra regs

New rules allow fishing for barramundi in the closed season in 18 stocked dams in Queensland. In these dams, a take and possession limit of only one barramundi applies during the closed season. This fish can also be greater than the previous 120cm size limit.
Outside the closed season, a take and possession limit of five barramundi will apply in these dams and one of these fish may also be greater than 120cm.
Maximum size limits are in place to protect female fish and closed seasons are introduced to protect spawning fish. However, these protections are not really necessary in stocked dams because they don't rely on breeding females to maintain the fish population.
There is no practical way to identify a stocked dam barramundi from a wild fish so the new take and possession limit is a compromise.
On the east coast the closed season for barramundi runs from 1 November to 1 February but changes annually in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
For information about the new recreational fishing rules visit the DPI Fishweb site at www.dpi.qld.gov.a/fishweb or contact the DPI Call Centre on 13 25 23.

From the flybridge

Sorry for the long delay in reports but we have been very busy fishing over the Christmas Season. I trust you all had a great time over the holidays and that Santa brought you all the right fishing gear.
On the fishing front things have been a little quiet as they often are at this time of the year. Reef fishing has been very average with sharks taking almost every fish we hooked up. The sharks are in their breeding period and very hungry at the moment. The gamefish side is little better with only a few sailfish tagged in the past weeks. Tuna are everywhere and the only fish that is bending rods at this time.
Tight lines, Ken Bryant on Marlin Blue

Earth's magnetic field could flip

Navigation and communications satellites could be destroyed and migrating animals could get lost if the prediction from the Paris Geophysical Institute that the earth's magnetic field is vanishing is true.
New research suggests that the field is dwindling near the north and south poles and this could be an early indication that the poles are about to flip. However, it is unclear how long a change in the poles would take and while this process is taking place Earth will be more exposed to intense radiation bursts from the sun.
Earth's magnetic field - the force that protects us from deadly radiation bursts from outer space - is weakening dramatically. Scientists have discovered that its strength has dropped precipitously over the past two centuries and could disappear over the next 1,000 years, says Observer science editor Robin McKie.
The effects could be catastrophic. Powerful radiation bursts, which normally never touch the atmosphere, would heat up its upper layers, triggering climatic disruption. Navigation and communication satellites, Earth's eyes and ears, would be destroyed and migrating animals left unable to navigate.
'Earth's magnetic field has disappeared many times before - as a prelude to our magnetic poles flipping over, when north becomes south and vice versa,' said Dr Alan Thomson of the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh.
'Reversals happen every 250,000 years or so, and as there has not been one for almost a million years, we are due one soon.'
But now Gauthier Hulot of the Paris Geophysical Institute has discovered Earth's magnetic field seems to be disappearing most alarmingly near the poles, a clear sign that a flip may soon take place.
Using satellite measurements of field variations over the past 20 years, Hulot plotted the currents of molten iron that generate Earth's magnetism deep underground and spotted huge whorls near the poles.
Exactly what will happen when Earth's magnetic field disappears prior to its re-emergence in a reversed orientation is also difficult to assess. Compasses would point to the wrong pole - a minor inconvenience.
In addition, many species of migrating animals and birds - from swallows to wildebeests - rely on innate abilities to track Earth's magnetic field. Their fates are impossible to gauge.
As to humans, our greatest risk would come from intense solar radiation bursts. Normally these are contained by the planet's magnetic field in space. However, if it disappears, particle storms will start to batter the atmosphere.

No brain, no pain

The starfish is a sea animal that has no brain.

Marine radio survey

A survey of recreational users of the Bureau of Meteorology marine HF radio services is being conducted.
The objective of the survey is to evaluate the usage patterns of the services, broadcast reception, impact of the change to the new services which were introduced on 1 July 2002, and the effectiveness of the public education campaign which was undertaken in association with their implementation.
The survey is conducted by phone via a professional marketing research organisation. Your details will remain confidential for the purposes of the survey and will not be given out to any other group or for any other purpose. Contact Phil Parker National Program Manager, Marine Weather and Oceanographic Services, P.Parker@bom.gov.au

"Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names."

John F. Kennedy

Fair winds to Ye!
Cap'n Dan