APRIL 2017

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MARINE RESCUE NSW – PORT STEPHENS UNIT Postal Address: PO Box 20, Nelson Bay, NSW 2315

Location: Nelson Head, Nelson Bay, NSW Email: base.portstephens@marinerescuensw.com.au

Phone: (02) 4981 3585 Fax: (02 4984 1944

VOLUNTEERS SAVING LIVES ON THE WATER

Patrons: Kate Washington MP State Member Port Stephens

Meryl Swanson MP, Federal Member Paterson

Stephen Bromhead LLM MP, State Member Myall Lakes

Dr David Gillespie MP, Federal Member Lyne

The Hon Bob Baldwin

Unit Commander Lee Uebergang

Deputy Unit Commander Neil Hansford

Operations

Operations Officer Tony O’Donnell

Duty Callout Officers Penelope Highland (Lead)

Neil Fraser

Angus MacKenzie

Jenny Frost

Steve Harris

Communications Centre Manager Colin Foote

Ashes Scattering Coordinator Harold Gibson

Rescue Vessels Manager Ken Johnson

Chief Engineer Bill Haskell

R.F.S. Liaison Ross Debenham

Coxswains Mike Smith Sue Freeman

Ken Johnson Noel Corcoran

Robert Johnson Barney Pinney

Nigel Waters

Finance

Treasurer Peter Merlino

Assistant Vacant

Community Relations

Community Relations Officer Neil Hansford

Public Relations/Social Media Matt Darby

Editor Port Chatter Penelope Highland

Asst Editor Port Chatter Frank van Druten

Marine Radio Service Database Graeme Abberton

Social Committee Laurie & Deb Nolan

Frank & Deb van Druten

Gift Shop Manager Sandra Scheuber

Grants Officer Tony Dawson

Fund Raising Officer Vacant

Education and Training

Unit Training Officer Brian Bibbing

Training Systems Officer Graeme Abberton

Rescue Vessels Training Officer Richard Pizzuto

Course Presenters: Peter Dentrinos

Paul Buckley Neil Fraser

Mick Milton Richard Pizzuto

Graham Pretty David Rogers

Welfare / Liaison Harold Gibson

- Assistant Jenny Fitzsimons

Corporate Services

Administration Officer John Reid

Base Centre Services Jenny Fitzsimons

W.H.& S Officer Kevin Griffey

Base Security Graham Pretty

Membership Stephen Harris

Loris Webster

Rosters Peter Baldwin

Maintenance and Supply David Bacon

Paul Sullivan

John P Smith

John Vassallo

Margaret Morrison

Data Base/Stats Maureen Wheatley

Awards and Recognition Iain Blackadder

Technical Services Lee Ryman

Brian Richardson

Peter Baldwin

Robert Johnson

Dieter Greiter

Historian Paul Farnill

Protocol Officer Harold Gibson

Trust Management Sub-Committee

Chairman Kevin Griffey

Treasurer/Deputy Chairman Peter Merlino

Secretary Vacant

Committee Peter Fitzsimons

Port Stephens Historical Society Dennis Corr

Welfare / Liaison Harold Gibson

Wedding Events Co-ordinator Jenny Fitzsimons

Tours John Cook

The Port Chatter is the bi-monthly newsletter of Marine

Rescue NSW, Port Stephens unit. It is available free to all

members of the unit, its advertisers, sponsors, and other

interested members of the community.

Contributions are most welcome from all members,

advertisers, sponsors or other interested community

members. They should be accompanied by the author’s

name, address and phone number, and can be emailed to

the editor at editor.portstephens@marinerescuensw.com.au

Contributions are subject to review by the Executive

Committee prior to publishing.

Advertising enquiries are welcomed. Contact the editor

at editor.portstephens@marinerescuensw.com.au for more

information.

Sponsors can make tax-deductible donations to Marine

Rescue NSW Port Stephens. All sponsorships will be

acknowledged in Port Chatter if requested.

Cover Photographs - Geoff Clark. & Penelope Highland

MARINE RESCUE NSW, PO Box 579 Cronulla NSW 2230 Tel: 02 8071 4848 Fax: 02 9969 5214 E: admin@marinerescuensw.com.au

COMMISSIONER: Stacey Tannos ESM

UNIT APPOINTMENTS

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OUR GOAL

To be the most effective Marine Rescue Unit in NSW

OUR PRIMARY FOCUS

Saving lives at sea on open and closed waters in and around Port Stephens

Category One Marine Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre (SARCC). Located at the former Inner Light

and now Heritage Site at Nelson Head, 32°42.632 S; 152°09.667 E (overlooking Shoal Bay and looking out through

the entrance to Port Stephens). Accredited by the State Rescue Board.

Communications Centre, Nelson Head - VMR217. Operated by trained and qualified volunteers, 24 hours a day; 7

days a week; 365 days a year. Monitoring 27MHz, and VHF marine frequencies, emergency and calling channels.

Open during each day to the visiting public.

Apart from radio coverage generally to the local boating community, the Communications Centre offers:

Emergency support to vessels in trouble

Emergency and routine after hours communications for Rural Fire Service operating in the Lower Hunter district

A Marine Radio Safety (MRS) service – Boat Register

A checkpoint and radio coverage for recreational vessels transiting up and down the coastline adjacent to Port

Stephens.

Weather readings and local conditions observations and

Current Bureau of Meteorology weather forecasts, sea observations and tidal information. (These can be

obtained by contacting the Comms Centre by phone or radio and are also offered in regular radio skeds).

Accredited Rescue Vessels Available on a 24 hr call-out basis, subject to Police tasking. (See ‘Rescue Vessels’ page).

Weather recording facility Accredited by the Bureau of Meteorology. Regular reports on local conditions are

electronically communicated to the Bureau, as well as to Radio, TV and Print media outlets in the local area.

Nelson Head Reserve and Heritage Inner Light Cottage. The Nelson Bay Unit of Marine Rescue NSW is

responsible to the State Government for upkeep of this heritage precinct, through its ‘Nelson Head Lighthouse and

Rescue Station Reserve Trust Management Sub-committee’ (which includes a representative of the Port Stephens

Historical Society).

A small museum is operated by volunteers and is open to the public, 7 days a week from 10am to 4pm.

A portion of the building is leased to a private operator for morning/afternoon teas/coffee and lunches.

Wedding Ceremonies. Bookings can be made to hold these in the grounds (see Lighthouse Weddings page).

Below the Comms Centre, on the ground floor, is a tourist Gift Shop operated by Marine Rescue Port Stephens.

Without profits from the Gift Shop, together with support from the local community, clubs and businesses, the Unit

would find it very difficult, if not near impossible, to operate.

MARINE RESCUE NSW – PORT STEPHENS UNIT SERVICES PROVIDED

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UNIT COMMANDER

Welcome to the April 2017 edition of Port Chatter. In mid

March I sent out the “Awards Ceremony Commemorative

Edition” of Port Chatter which was produced to celebrate

the awards ceremony on 10February where MRNSW

Commissioner Stacey Tannos, ESM bestowed twenty

one meritorious service and courage awards on Members

of this Unit at Soldiers Point Bowling Club. The awards

were in recognition of the work of the Unit in relation to

the MAYDAY incidents involving vessels “Out of Sight”,

“Amante”, “Jem”, “M3” and PS40 “Danial Thain” on 6

and 7 January 2016. During the ceremony Leading Crew

Laurie Nolan was awarded the inaugural Medal for Valour

in the presence of over 220 people. Congratulations to

Laurie and all the award recipients. I trust you enjoyed

the magazine and thanks to Editor Pen for a great job.

My main focus over the last two months has been the

wrap-up of the awards ceremony and the hosting of

several VIP visits to further enhance the profile of MR

Port Stephens:

on 22 February Dr David Gillespie MP, Federal

Member for Lyne met with Neil and I in the Mid

Coast Council offices at Tea Gardens. Following

the brief, we went on board PS31 “John

Thompson” for a demonstration of her

capabilities.

Meryl Swanson MP, Federal Member for

Paterson visited on 9 March. Her visit

followed the usual format of briefing, tour of Gift

Shop, Cottage and Comms Centre before a visit

to the Dock and trip on “John Thompson”. Meryl

did an impromptu video which you should check out on

our Facebook site. I laughed when Meryl described

MR Port Stephens as “Emergencies R Us” referring to

the maritime and Rural Fire Service emergency

services we provide.

My main focus over the next few months will be fund

raising. Neil has done some very good community liaison

work to get numerous fund raising opportunities for MR

Port Stephens …. all we need now is Members front and

centre to sell art union tickets and rattle the bucket to

collect donations. See Neil’s article for dates and times.

April is shaping up as “The Month” for fund raising so

please lend a hand to maximise this opportunity.

Work continues on the ICT Upgrade Project, the Dock

Facilities Project and the Fire Protection & Prevention

Project. Full reports are included elsewhere.

ANZAC Day. Since 2013 members of MR Port

Stephens have participated in the ANZAC Day

commemoration activities in Nelson Bay. It is proposed

that we participate again as a Unit in 2017. Participation

is open to any Member or ex-Member of MRNSW who is:

a returned veteran

an ex-service man or woman or a current serving

member of the ADF

any member of our Unit who wishes to March in

honour of a departed family veteran

Dress for the March is Blue uniform: long pants, short

sleeve shirt, baseball cap, medals and name tag.

Serving member of the ADF are invited to March in

their ADF uniform if that is their preference.

Members wishing to March on behalf of a family

member are to wear appropriate medals on the right

hand side.

The March will commence at 1030 hrs at the Nelson

Bay Bowling Club and move down through Stockton

Street to Apex Park, followed by a short memorial

service. We will assemble at 1015 hrs in the car

park of the Nelson Bay Bowling Club.

So that I have some idea as to the numbers

attending would you please let me know of your

intention to participate.

That’s enough for now. Thanks for your support.

Lee Uebergang

"Volunteers doing our jobs

professionally”

FROM THE BRIDGE

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VISIT

MARINE RESCUE PORT

STEPHENS FACEBOOK PAGE

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MRPRTSE

Your advertisement could appear here.

Email the Editor

editor.portstephens@marinerescuensw.com.au or phone 4981-3585

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER

March/April is a major time for fundraising for the Unit and

the primary focus is selling as many Art Union tickets as

we can before the 30 May draw.

During March, we attended:

Bunnings for three days with good sales. Next date

Easter Saturday

17 March saw us have our first Seafood Raffle at

Nelson Bay Bowling Club which is a new venue for

us. The Club provide the prizes and all we must do is

sell the tickets and keep all the proceeds

Jaguars Prowl Port Stephens 2017 - again a new

event at Fly Point with only MR, RFS, Highway Patrol

and Koala Rescue invited to fundraise.

Trailer Boat Fishing

Competition Registrations on

30 March

April is a big month for us to get

volunteers out:

1 April we will be at St Phillips

College Founders Day Fair

from 1000 to 1600. Over 4,000

people are expected to attend

and many of them won’t have

been exposed to Marine Rescue.

3-9 April we are at Sail Port Stephens every

afternoon from 16:00-18:00 to rattle the buckets and

sell raffle tickets for prizes donated by the promoters.

We are the chosen charity. This is a major event with

over 120 yachts from around Australia competing over

the week long event.

On 3 April delegates from Women Who Sail Australia

will be coming up to look at the base as their 3-day

conference ends. On 2 April Richard Pizzuto will talk

to the delegates about the 6-7 January 2016 rescues.

Details are being finalised for a community paddle out

of D’Albora on the afternoon of Anzac Day. All

proceeds will come to us.

There’s more!

We have three dates in September, October and

November to do the Bunnings barbeque. More details

closer to the agreed dates.

New Unit Polo Shirts

By the time, you read this we will have for sale a Port

Stephens non-iron Polo Shirt that can be worn other than

on duty. Full range of sizes available from Margaret

Morrison on 0419198188. These are being sold to

members at cost.

Donation Boxes

We are looking for more sites for our

collection boxes. If you know a site

where the business primarily deals in

cash, please call Laurie Nolan on 0406

747847 after mid-April.

Grant Applications

In past years, we have been quite

successful in gaining grant funding for

projects. This year we haven’t had any

success despite the professional

(Continued on page 9)

FROM THE BRIDGE…… AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

DEPUTY UNIT COMMANDER

In addition to the Community relations Officer duty it has

been a busy month for the Deputy Unit Commander.

Clearly Project managing the Awards ceremony was a

bigger task than the Commissioning of PS31 and De-

commissioning of PS40.

During the month, Lee and I attended a UC and DUC

conference at Tuggerah in addition to the Local Area

Emergency Management Committee.

During the month, we also sat down with the Regional

Operations Manager over a wide range of issues where

Operations Officer, Tony O’Donnell provided very key

inputs.

We are almost complete on determining how we will

provide internet services to the base after the NBN roll out

is complete. It is unlikely an NBN feed is going to be

available to us. We will determine our solution during

April. We are paying the price for being at the end of a

line to nowhere. Depending on which solution is selected

we are considering the provision of a very high

magnification camera to show the entrance to the Bay

which we would commercialise to bodies like TV stations

and RMS.

In addition, I have been working with our supplier to

ensure 27Mhz channels go on the ReadiTalk screens so

that they are available to three operators without having

to move to the current sets. We are of the belief we paid

for the installation back in 2013. Will resolve in April.

This was part of the stabilisation of our internet capability.

Also, I am working on the securitisation of our tenure on

Nelson Head.

Neil Hansford

At the Jaguars Prowl Port Stephens 2017

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applications submitted by our Grants Officer, Tony

Dawson.

We are expecting some success in grant applications for

first-aid training equipment in late March.

April will be critical when we lodge our Grant Submissions

for Clubs NSW Community Grants. Results from these

will be advised in May.

Awards Ceremony video

We had the Courage Award ceremony filmed for start to

finish.

It has taken some time for the producer to edit the three

cameras into the sound track.

A copy of the Ceremony will be available to members at

cost. This is designed as a memento in addition to the

Special Edition of Port Chatter that has been circulated.

Details for ordering will be circulated by e-mail.

Signage Update

It is now four years since all the signage around the dock

and Comms Centre were brought up to date.

The UC and DUC in conjunction with our designers will do

an audit of all signage in April and refresh, add or replace

all the items that help to create our image.

Gift Shop

Another great performance by the ladies who presented a

cheque for $3,000 at the March Monthly meeting. We

would have all loved another large cheque as in February,

but the Shop is very reliant on how many people visit

Nelson Head. There will be specials and discounts over

Easter. Where else in Nelson Bay can you purchase

quality gifts from $5?

Port Chatter

I am sure you will agree that the contributors and

Penelope Highland did a great job producing the

memento of the Courage Awards. Thanks to Soldiers

Point Bowling Club for meeting the printing costs of

copies sent to our Patrons and Donors.

Public Relations

Not only did the awarding of the Bravery medals and

Citations get us exposure in places we have never been

before it was coupled with some interesting rescues that

caught the media attention. We had good TV, Radio,

magazines and press coverage. I commend to you a

piece in the Newcastle Herald headed “Marine Rescue

Heroes redefine bravery” by Simon Walker.

Member Geoff Clark produced a highly professional

portfolio of shots of the award ceremony. Thanks to Matt

Darby for the audio equipment and singers.

All in all, we had great exposure which is already being

rewarded by 25 new members.

New Web Site

The Unit web site has had a makeover. Go to

www.marinerescueportstephens.com.au and see all the

new features like direct weather feed from the base and a

feed from Facebook every 10 minutes.

I am sure you will see our focus on getting members and

donations. All our advertisers and supporters are now

exposed on the site. Please support them as they support

our Unit. There will be more improvements on the site

almost every week so get in the habit of logging on each

week or so if for nothing else than latest news.

Fingal Sports and Recreational Club

I spoke at a Ladies Champagne Fund Raising luncheon

on our work and financial needs. We expect the cheque

from the day very soon.

Another busy month as we push out strongly into our

community.

Neil Hansford

(Continued from page 7)

COMMUNITY RELATIONS….. AND OPERATIONS

OPERATIONS OFFICER (Incorporating Comms Centre, Duty Callout and Boat

operations).

Our Comms Centre operates 24/7, 365 days per year,

and is staffed every day, every hour by unpaid volunteers.

Over the summer period our Comms Centre crews have

handled thousands of radio calls and thousands of

telephone calls. Our main focus during all those times is

to monitor the distress frequencies so that we can

respond to somebody in trouble on the water (Our

Mission).

An incident in our terms is anything which requires us to

inform the Marine Area Command of the Water Police. If

we did nothing else we would be performing a great

public service (be assured we carryout many other

functions including RFS Radio Communications at night,

weather reporting, boating advice, community relations

etc.)

In the month of February our Comms Centre crews

handled 24 such incidents and at the time of writing in

March the tally was 11. Many of these incidents require

on-water assistance and our boats have been tasked 14

times over the Feb/March period. the Water Police also

respond frequently.

Each time there is an incident our Duty Callout Officers

become involved. They are the communication link

between Marine Rescue Port Stephens and the Nelson

Bay Water Police and of course our boat crews. They are

the people who at maybe 0200 call our crews with a

“smile in their voice” and ask them to get out of bed and

go out to sea and assist somebody in trouble.

Over the past two months we have had a rash of flat

batteries in boats. In the past we would have towed them

back to the Bay but now we carry Hi-Tech mini jump

starters where we are able to safely assist the vessel to

get their motor going. We use very strict safety

procedures to ensure the safety of all involved.

(Continued on page 11)

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These jump

starter packs

are reducing

our fuel

expenses by

not having to

tow vessels

long distances

back to shore.

In March a

small vessel

was stranded

close to Seal

Rocks over-

night due to a

flat battery.

Our newest

vessel PS31

was tasked at

0500 to travel to Seal Rocks and assist the weary

fishermen. PS31 with its high speed capability was

soon on site and had the vessel started and on its way

in a relatively short time.

Codi-K II (PS30) was twice involved in rescuing

people out of the water near the heads. Due to some

very fast and

professional work by our

Comms Centre

operators, two men

were rescued from an

overturned catamaran

which was drifting out to

sea.

Two ladies were

pulled from very

choppy water

when their

outrigger canoe

broke up in the

waves. This

rescue was due

to the keen

eyesight of our

Skipper when he

noticed two

people in the water.

All members of the Operations crews supported once

again the RAAF rescue helicopter with exercises out on

the water. While these exercises are in progress our

Comms Centre is advising boats on the water (Securite

broadcasts) of the exercise and the restricted

manoeuvrability of the helicopter/boat combination.

During the winching exercises the helicopter is just a few

meters above our boat.

Dock facilities. Although we are unpaid volunteers

are boats are registered commercial vessels and have to

be managed according to the regulations set for such

vessels. Our dock facilities are satisfactory for berthing

our boats however we struggle for space to organise the

management of the boats, brief and de-brief crews, store

vital equipment etc. Wet weather brings other

challenges. We have developed a project which would

see a structure on a pontoon beside the docks which will

allow for efficient organisation of this vital function.

Currently we are seeking support to fund this vital project.

Danial Thain. Our faithful old vessel has a potential

buyer. On 27

March she was

slipped for a hull

inspection followed

by sea trials on 28

March. A sad time

for us at Marine

Rescue however if

the sale proceeds

she will be going to

a good owner and

a new life on the

waters around Adelaide.

Footnote: During March we had a visit of a

passenger off a Cruise Liner berthed in Newcastle. He

was once a crew member of Spirit of Tayside (as Danial

Thain was known in Scotland before she moved to

Australia). He visited the vessel and was delighted to

find her in such good condition. They had a very happy

reunion after about 18 years.

Our Radio

and Boat

Crews

regularly train

so they can

be ready in

an

emergency.

Recently

while out on

the bay the

boat crew

noticed a

large car carrier at anchor (sheltering from wild seas off

the coast). Taking the opportunity presented the master

of the carrier was contacted for permission to practice

coming alongside such a large vessel. This is a rare

opportunity here at Port Stephens but valuable

experience should we have to for example take a

(Continued from page 9)

(Continued on page 13)

OPERATIONS …...

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Your advertisement could appear here.

Email the Editor

editor.portstephens@marinerescuensw.com.au or phone 4981-3585

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BOATS MANAGER

Well after a great break on a large ship in the southern waters where I did not have to do any maintenance I am back into the thick of it. Thanks Robert for ensuring the team remained focussed and our craft met all tasks allocated to them.

PS40 or better known as DT, while not the centre of attention, was consistently requiring attention as Bill Haskell and Eryl Thomas dealt with one minor problem after another. This weeks was a broken alternator belt on the port engine and a failed water pump impeller in the Onan generator.

She will be slipped on Monday morning when the final Marine Rescue livery will be stripped off the bow and her bottom cleaned and anti-fouled. An Out-Of-Water inspection will then be carried out by the potential buyer before she is put back in the water on Tuesday for a Sea Trial.

PS30 is running faultlessly with only a minor problem with battery charging. A fix has been postulated, but

further work will not take place until PS40 has departed.

A major expense is on the horizon for Codi K II in that the sponson covers need replacing in the not too distant future and at the same time a couple of small air leaks in the port sponson cells will be repaired.

PS31 on the other hand has had a series of minor problems hat keep the maintenance team on their toes. These include such things as the port windscreen wiper water pump failing and then its replacement being faulty also, a boat hook extension being lost overboard and a belt loop on one of the PLBs breaking.

We have finally receive back our satellite antenna that converts our IPhone into a Sat-phone when we are operating outside the 4G network. Also our Surf Life Saving radio has been returned correctly programmed for this area.

Finally, PS31 has had her bottom scrubbed thanks to Robert Stewart (see photo left) who plans to dive monthly from now to clean and look for any

underwater problems on the John Thompson.

Things are progressing slowly with dock

maintenance. We now have a new generator

as well as a new fuel/chemical spill

containment locker. Ian Peacock is heading

the team that is progressing this cause. Once

he has the plans together we will be pushing

hard to get the funding to provide some dry

storage for the crew members and their

equipment, (see similar setup at Port

Macquarie photo).

Ken Johnson

OPERATIONS ….. AND BOATS MANAGER

Paramedic

to a larger

ship than we

usually deal

with.

This did

happen

when PS30

was tasked

to deliver

paramedics

and transport them and their patient back to a waiting

ambulance after the patient fell down a companionway

on the 34.7m luxury vessel Beluga.

Thanks to all our Operations Crews, you do a wonderful job.

We are always looking for new members willing to take

the challenge of the important work we do.

Experienced / qualified boat crew

personnel are always welcome.

Tony O’Donnell

(Continued from page 11)

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RESCUE VESSELS AT WORK

LT30 assisting a stranded vessel back to

Lemon Tree Passage

Helicopter Training

Helicopter Training

Saturday Training.

PS31 assisting a vessel back to Little Beach

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AROUND THE BAY

Meryl Swanson and Lee Uebergang on board P2131 John Thompson

Saturday Training.

Solar Sailor Green Credential visitor to the Bay

D’Albora Nelson Bay

First in line at the fish shop!!

Three of our younger crew members, all still work for the RAAF.

Samara - luxurious visitor to the Bay

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COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE MANAGER

Comms Centre Update

Operating 24 hours a day 7 days a week, the holiday season is almost behind us but with Easter still to come we continue to focus on following our Standard Operating Procedures, to ensure that we are in a position to respond to that call which may need us to react quickly to save a life at sea.

Since the beginning of the year we have seen an influx of new Trainees and it is great to see the new faces in the Communications Centre. Well done to our New Member Committee. Our Training Team now have the task of running the mandatory courses to prepare these new members for their first qualification level and of course, all of our

Watchkeepers and Radio Operators play an important role in assisting with the practical knowledge of our Trainees.

We are excited to be involved in a ‘Live Cross’ to Port Stephens FM on 100.9 to provide the BOM Marine Weather Forecast in conjunction with our Local

Observations. The forecast is provided by our Watchkeepers or Radio Operators at 0740 Monday to Friday and so far we have had positive feedback from PSFM and their listeners. This is a great example of two local Volunteer Community Groups working together to provide important information to the Bay.

Overnight, we monitor the Phones and Radio for Marine Rescue Newcastle and provide Communication support for their Rescue Vessel NC30. During March, NC30 has been involved with searches for missing swimmers and we have been pleased to be able to assist them with those incidents.

In addition, we continue to provide overnight Communications for the Lower Hunter Region of the Rural Fire Service. Tragically, while we have been monitoring their radios, the RFS have had to attend Motor Vehicle fatalities as a part of their volunteer role supporting the Community.

A reminder to all of our members involved in any critical incidents (Marine Rescue or RFS) that we have access to free confidential Counselling through the RFS if needed.

To all of our Members, have a Safe and Happy Easter. The Comms Centre will be open right throughout the long weekend but let’s hope that our Boating Community doesn’t need our services.

Enjoy..

Colin Foote

COUNSELLING SERVICE

Marine Rescue has access to the RFS

counselling service, the Critical Incident Support

Services (CISS). If after a critical incident

(rescue vessel, radio, elsewhere) you feel you

need help contact the CISS on 1800 049 933.

Use of the service is fully confidential between

the member and the Counsellor. It is not a

sign of weakness to ask for support –

it is a sign of strength.

UNIT TRAINING OFFICER

After a quiet December and January due to increased

Operational Activity, our Training Calendar has again

resumed in February with a well-attended First Aid and

Advanced Resuscitation Course. 12 members

participated in First Aid and 14 in Advanced

Resuscitation. It is reassuring to know that our Boat

Crews are well qualified in the event of an on-water

emergency / assistance call.

March saw the commencement of LROCP (Long Range

Operator Certificate of Proficiency) with seven members

in attendance. We wish them all well in their upcoming

Exam and look forward to seeing some new faces joining

our Radio Room Rosters.

Brian Bibbing

COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE

Paddy Twohill - PSFM 100.9

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RFS LIAISON

Statistics for January, 2017: House fire 1, Bush fires

14, motor vehicle accidents 10, gas cylinder fire 1,

community first responder 3, car fires 18, automatic fire

alarms 5, tree fire 1, yard fire 3, pile burn 1, grass fires 6,

bonfire 1, smoke report 3, mulch fire 1, factory fire 1,

rubbish fire 1, shed fires 2, house alarm 1, ambo

assist 1, camp fire 1, building material fire 1, power

pole fire 1, diesel fire 1, tree over lines 1.

Total for the month - 79

Statistics for February: Community first

responder 3, smoke report 8, car fires 8, monitored

alarm 1, motor vehicle accidents 4, caravan fire 1,

bushfire 6, tip fire 1, automatic fire alarms 3, rubbish

fire 3, bon fire 1, wires down 2, tree down 1, tree fires

4, unknown 1, ambo assist 1, truck fire 1, pile burn 1,

house fire 1, coal fire 1, grass fires 8 , tree across

power lines 2. Total for the month- 62.

RFS Radio Communications for February.

On the night shift last night among the fire calls I

decided to enumerate the number of RFS radio calls

the base carried out in that month. The number

would have been inflated because of brigades going

out of area to work on the Sir Ivan Fire in the Upper

Hunter Fire and Central West Fire Zones. The total

could be slightly off as it was done in the early

morning. TOTAL CALLS FOR FEBRUARY -1189

Upper Hunter Fire Zone

When on a night shift a few weeks ago the Duty

Officer telephoned to say that the Upper Hunter Fire

Command at Bulga had suffered a massive power

outage, would be off the air for a indeterminate time,

and could we take over the comms on a limited

basis. When paging these brigades lyou can find them at

the bottom of the drop down list of brigades (see photo).

They are in red and can be paged as per normal. It might

be beneficial if Watchkeepers familiarise themselves with

this section of the drop down screen.

Ross Debenham

CORPORATE SERVICES GROUP

ADMINISTRATION OFFICER

The first three months of the year are usually the busiest

in terms of new member recruitment and this year was no

exception. The Membership team of Loris Webster and

Steve Harris have been kept exceptionally busy with new

member inquiries and meetings together with induction

meetings.

In these first three months we have received 29 inquiries

for new membership, 17 of which resulted from the

advertisement which appeared in the Port Stephens

Examiner in early February. The interests of these

potential new members ranged across all areas of MRPS

operations from boats/radio room to gift shop/cottage and

also to fund raising. This latter area of operations is of

vital importance to the success of the Unit as, without

funds, it would be impossible to run the Unit at the level

we require. We are hoping to appoint a Fund Raising Co-

ordinator in the near future to manage all of the various

activities of fund raising that we have available to us.

This person will report to Neil Hansford in his role of

Community Relations Officer.

Getting back to membership activities there were 13 new

members inducted in January/February and there were a

further 19 inquiries in February/March. Some of these

potential new members have already been inducted and

the balance will be inducted in April. Overall it has been a

very pleasing result and it will add substantially to our

current membership base. We will report on the final

intake numbers in the next issue.

In other Administration areas, Margaret Morrison has

assumed full responsibility for the Supply Officer role from

Erica Smith. Thankyou Erica for all of your good work in

this area over the last few years. Graham Pretty has

taken leave of absence for a period and a new Security

Officer will be appointed shortly.

John Reid

20

FEBRUARY AND MARCH MONTHLY MEETING

Clockwise from top left: Sandra Scheuber and Di Baillie 5 year

pin. Sandra Scheuber presenting $18,000 Gift Shop cheque

or February. Steve Raymond presenting Lee Uebergang with

5 year pin, Rod Reeson 30 year pin and certificate, Nigel

Waters with Meritorious Service and Courage Award for the

January 2016 event, Jess Lighton 5 year pin and Bob Coghlan

with MRO epaulettes.

21

LIGHTHOUSE TRUST AND LIGHTHOUSE WEDDINGS

LIGHTHOUSE TRUST COMMITTEE

Kevin Griffey is enjoying cruising the high seas for the

month of March and has asked me to write the Trust

report this month

The Local Area Command of

the NSW Police held a

Memorial for Sergeant

Geoffrey Richardson who lost

his life in the line of duty a year

ago. The memorial was

attended by a large number of

family, friends and colleagues

of Sergeant Richardson.

Sixty eight Year 9 students

with their teachers from St

Philip’s school, and 12 local

Girl Guides and their leaders

will be visiting the Lighthouse.

The purpose of their visit is to

understand the history of Port

Stephens, the Inner Lighthouse

and Marine Rescue. Volunteers Harold Gibson and

Dennis Corr from the Port Stephens Historical Society,

will provide guided talks of the grounds and

Communications Room.

A Focus Group has reviewed the Nelson Head

Lighthouse Trust Policy and Procedure Manual and it is

now with the Trust Management Sub-Committee for its

consolidated view on the revisions. The Manual is

required to be reviewed every three years. It is an

abridged version of the NSW Department of Industry, &

Lands broad guidelines for Managing Reserve Trusts on

Crown Lands.

The Trust is following up on the following matters,

Port Stephens Council review of the boundary Asset

Protection Zone. Council and RFS gave approval to a

10 metres Zone in late last year but staffing changes in

both organisation has delayed the implementation of

establishing the Zone,

Lighthouse Road Signage warning the public that they

must not drive vehicles with caravans and boat trailers

up the Lighthouse Road,

Reviewing our cleaning service agreement and

providing additional services including seven days a

week cleaning of public and Comms Centre toilets.

Painting of the insides of the public toilets,

Functional and economical Bush Fire Prevention

system to primarily protect the reserve and buildings.

LIGHTHOUSE WEDDINGS

The wedding season for 2017 has commenced and the

Nelson Head Lighthouse Reserve Trust would like to

especially thank Jenny and Peter Fitzsimmons for their

continued support and enthusiasm with our weddings.

Weddings provide a major fund raising activity for the

Trust.

We would also like to thank our other

Trust sub-committee members Peter

Merlino, Harold Gibson and Kevin

Griffey who have willing put up their

hands to help until another wedding co-

ordinator has been found. These

members also have many active roles

within the Trust and Marine Rescue.

Weddings are generally held in

October, November, March and April

each year and we have over twenty

weddings booked this year alone.

A wedding committee was formed in

November last year. Changes were

implemented to reduce the impact

weddings have on the reserve due to

the number of visitors, small car

parking, Tea Rooms, museum, gift

shop and Marine Rescue members on

duty, training courses and meetings.

These changes are from 1 January 2017 for new wedding

bookings:

Weddings are not to commence before 3.30pm.

Not available during peak season January, Easter and

long weekend public holidays

Restricted to maximum of 75 guests

No longer offer the use of the command centre as a

wet weather alternative

No alcohol will be served or consumed on the grounds

Increase in fees and the non-refundable deposit

Kevin Griffey and Jenny Fitzsimmons are currently in

discussion with a person who is interested in taking over

the wedding co-ordinator position. She is a local, well

qualified and has visited the grounds on a number of

occasions being a registered wedding celebrant.

(Continued on page 23)

22

There is no more beautiful setting in Port Stephens to hold your wedding

ceremony than the Nelson Head Lighthouse Reserve.

Your friends and family will also enjoy the spectacular views. Just imagine

how beautiful your wedding photos will be!

To discuss availability, fees, your options and to make a booking please

contact:

Wedding Co-Ordinator

Mobile: 0491 135 102

Email: lighthouse.weddings@yahoo.com.au

Lighthouse Weddings

23

We are still in need for a volunteer member to help on the

day with the setup, marshal guests arriving and put away

wedding paraphernalia. Generally around four hours on a

Saturday afternoon when weddings are booked.

Peter Merlino

Deputy Chairperson

RECENT WEDDINGS

(Continued from page 21)

LIGHTHOUSE WEDDINGS

5 March 2017

Sarah Thornton & Dean Wood

(Bespoke Weddings)

21 December 2016

Karin Van Arkelen &

Wolfgang Eddiehausen

11 March 2017 Dianne Pringle & Scott Pearson

23 Feb 2017

Bethanie Kerr & Dale Styles

6 January 2017

Kimberly Burton &

Wayne Gibson

25 March 2017

Jasmine Phan & Nathan

Gibson from Medowie

24

We are expecting the Gift Shop to have good

sales during April school holidays and Easter.

The shop is having an outside stall and 10%

off store wide on 15 April being Easter

Saturday.

We have lovely stock arriving which was

purchased at the trade fare in February.

Please come in and browse through the

merchandise and receive your 10% discount for

Marine Rescue members.

This discount however does not apply to hand

crafted items.

A special thank you to all the ladies who

volunteer in the gift shop, without you we don ’t

have a shop.

A group of our

ladies have just

returned from a

cruise around

New Zealand,

Shirley,

Monica, Marian

and Di were

lucky enough

to join the

captain of the

Dawn Princess

on the bridge.

Stay Safe

Healthy and Happy

Sandra Scheuber

IT SOFTWARE REPORT AND GIFT SHOP

IT & COMMS (SOFTWARE)

I have been quite lax with my Port Chatter reports for

some months as, save for some minor data entry fixes, I

have received very few requests for assistance with

MaRIO and hence have had little to report on. However,

following the decision to have a live cross to Port

Stephens FM to provide the coastal weather report, I had

something to get my teeth into.

For the actual Bureau of Metrology forecast, the format

was fairly simple to design. They have very specific

requirements attaching to the copyright they hold in

relation to all forecasts they issue. The wording I have

used does, to my non-legal brain, satisfy the copyright

conditions. The Bureau also often incorporates warnings

that reinforce to the listener the risks associated with both

expected and unexpected weather conditions. I

surmise that they have the secondary purpose of

reducing the risk of litigation associated with blind

reliance on the information being provided. By

acknowledging the Bureau as the source of the

forecasts as required under the terms of their

copyright and including their warnings, we are, I

believe, providing ourselves with a similar level of

protection.

The second part of the report we provide relates to

our own local observations. In providing this data to

the public we have similar levels of responsibility to

those of the Bureau. I have assumed that all Radio

Room members understand this, so my aim in

writing the script was to make it sound like an easy

conversation rather than presentation of a

monologue.

I guess all of the above is a nice way of saying, please

ensure that you stick to the script.

Formulation of the report was all done from the comfort of

our caravan as my wife and I crisscrossed Tasmania

taking in all the spectacular sights that State provides.

On returning to the mainland we headed west and are

venturing across Victoria’s Great Ocean Road towards

the South Australian Peninsulas and thence to the

Flinders Ranges. That should be enough for this trip so I

will not have the pleasure of listening to our newly formed

band of broadcasters until we return home to Port

Stephens in late April. I am looking forward to that as I

have received some very complementary reports about

their presentations.

Brian Richardson

25

SOCIAL EVENTS

SOCIAL EVENTS

The first official Social Event for 2017 is the BINGO Night,

at the Community Hall in Norburn Ave Nelson Bay – from

6:30pm on Tuesday 2nd May.

The inaugural BINGO Night was a great success last

year, with some absolute novices and a few serious

contenders vying for the wide array of prizes on offer. It’s

amazing how competitive some people become when

there is something to win!!!

This year the caller will again be Matt Darby, who amazed

us last time with his professionalism – seems he has

another career to pursue if the School IT program folds.

With about 15-20 rounds to be played, there will be plenty

of time for any novices to get into the swing of it. The first

game card for each round is free, with additional cards

available for $1. Daubers (coloured markers) will be

available for purchase to make it easier for you to see

how you’re going.

This is a great opportunity to get your friends along to a

Marine Rescue event – the more the merrier. If you are

intending to come, please add your name and number

attending to the list on the notice board in the Radio

Room kitchen,

Laurie Nolan &

Frank van Druten

Year 2017 Public School Holidays

Autumn Holidays 8-Apr-17 25-Apr-17

Winter Holidays 1-Jul-17 17-Jul-17

Spring Holidays 23-Sep-17 8-Oct-17

Summer Holidays 16-Dec-17 29-Jan-18

MRPS Social Calendar - 2017 schedule

Month Date Event Comments

MAY Tuesday 2 May BINGO Night - At Senior Citizens Hall, Norburn Ave Nelson Bay - !st game FREE each round. Additional games $1/card - Make a table, bring some friends

JULY Wednesday 19 July DINNER Night - At a venue TBA - Theme TBA

SEPTEMBER Wednesday 13 September TRIVIA Night - At Senior Citizens Hall, Norburn Ave Nelson Bay - No upfront cost, but side-games require "gold coins" - Make a table, bring some friends

NOVEMBER or

DECEMBER Dates TBA ADVENTURE Outing

- Details TBA… but planned to be a fitting sequel to our Broughton Island Eco Walk of last year - Anyone with a "special request" or "good idea" is encouraged to discuss with Laurie Nolan

DECEMBER Tuesday 12 December XMAS Dinner - At a venue TBA

26

27

BIRDS AROUND THE BASE

BIRDS AT THE BASE - AUSTRALIAN WOOD

DUCK (CHENONETTA JUBATA)

Australian Wood Ducks can be seen regularly

foraging or loafing on the lawns around Little Beach

and in other parks and gardens throughout the bay.

The birds are well adapted to living amongst

suburbia.

The Australian Wood

Duck is a medium

sized dabbling duck

45-55 cm long with a

wingspan of 65-75

cm. It looks like a

small goose and

grazes in flocks. The

male is grey with a

dark brown head and

mottled breast. The

female has white

stripes above and

below the eye and

mottled underparts. Both sexes have grey wings

with black primaries and a white speculum.

Juveniles are similar to adult females, but lighter

with a more strongly streaked breast.

Wood ducks are widespread throughout Australia

and Tasmania. They are found in grasslands, open

woodlands, wetlands, flooded pastures and along

the coast in inlets and bays. They are also

common on farmland with dams, as well as around

rice fields, sewage ponds and in urban parks.

Their diet consists of grasses, clover and other

herbs, and occasionally, insects. They are rarely

seen on open water, preferring to forage by

dabbling in shallow water, or in grasslands and

crops. The females call is a long, loud, rising:

“gnow” while male calls are shorter and higher

pitched. Flocks chatter when feeding.

The Australian Wood Duck forms monogamous

breeding pairs that stay together year round. They

breed between September and November.

Wood ducks nest in cavities in trees above

or near water, often re-using the same site.

The nest is a pile of down where 9–11

cream-white eggs are laid. The female

incubates the eggs while the male stands

guard. Incubation time is 28 days and the

young leave the nest soon after they hatch.

When the ducklings are ready to leave the

nest, the female flies to the ground and the

ducklings leap after her, fluttering to the

ground, although they cannot yet fly. They

then follow their parents to the nearest

water body. The young ducklings

experience a high mortality rate due to

predation by other birds such as

kookaburras and only one or two birds from

each clutch reach maturity. Young Wood

ducks are precocial and are able to feed

themselves from birth. They fledge about a

month after leaving the nest. Wood ducks

tend to be sedentary if born near the coast

and more dispersive if born inland.

Wood ducks live over a wide geographical range

and have benefitted from agriculture developments.

They are classified as a game bird, and shot by

hunters in season. They are also considered a

pest at times, because they can damage crops and

pastures. However, the species is not threatened,

and numbers are stable.

Neil Fraser

Twitcher

28

29

PATRON AND DONATION

Congratulations to the following members of the

PORT STEPHENS UNIT

with birthdays in April and May

APRIL

Barbara HAYES

Allan MILLS

Eileen KELLY

Noel CORCORAN

Colin COUPER

Trevor BRIGHTON

Garry JENSEN

Harry McNAMARA

Robert JOHNSON

Robyn WINTER

Merril LAND

Paul SULLIVAN

David GOUGH

Steven LINEY

Neil KEARTON

Matt DOYLE

MAY

Pam SMITH

Ken ROSS-SAMPSON

Trevor DOWSETT

Ken JOHNSON

Harold GIBSON

Colleen SESSIONS

Doug HILLEBRAND

Charles TRAA

Kevin GRIFFEY

Nigel WATERS

Penelope HIGHLAND

Terry GRAYSTONE

Steve ALTA

Lee UEBERGANG

Frank VAN DRUTEN

Robert STEWART

Mike BROWN

Wayne NEWTON

Ginny HOPKINS

Matt BREALEY

Patron, Dr David Gillespie MP for Lyne was

recently briefed by Unit Commander Lee

Uebergang and Deputy Unit Commander Neil

Hansford at Tea Gardens then after a briefing

on the Unit’s finances and operations joined

PS31 John Thompson with Skipper Robert

Johnson and crew, Tony O’Donnell and Ken

Johnson who took Dr Gillespie and Electorate

Officer, Brendan Seed out onto the Bay to

demonstrate the capabilities of PS31.

Dr Gillespie was present when PS31 was

launched at Taree which is part of his

electorate and the northern shores of Port

Stephens are in his seat of Lyne.

DONATION FROM RAINBOW BRICKS

Marine Rescue get surprise support!

Rainbow Bricks, the Lego User Group, have

made a welcome donation of $1,500.

Rainbow Bricks conduct an annual LEGO display at

Tomaree Education Centre which draws an audience

from all over Tomaree.

This year we were their chosen charity to receive their

profits from the event.

Love to see the PS31 John

Thompson” made out of

Lego!

We sincerely thank them for

their generosity.

See their web site

www.rainbowbricks.com.au

30

Congratulations and thanks to all the above members who have given their time and

service as volunteers so willingly. Our existence depends on it.

PORT STEPHENS WEATHER

APRIL

Peter BLISS 11

Di BAILLIE 7

Lee RYMAN 7

Brian RICHARDSON 7

Mary GUTRY 6

Charles TRAA 2

MAY

Harold GIBSON 32

Arthur HEILER 18

Eryl THOMAS 18

Kevin ABLESON 11

Dieter GREITER 9

Jenny FITZSIMONS 8

Trevor MOXHAM 5

Frank VAN DRUTEN 5

Iain BLACKADDER 4

Matt DARBY 3

Peter BALDWIN 2

Jenny FROST 2

Steve PICTON 2

Rena GARDINER 1

Marg MORRISON 1

Brett CHERRY 1

Nelson Bay, NSW - February 2017

Nelson Bay, NSW - March 2017

Date Day

Temps Rain

Date Day

Temps Rain

Min Max Min Max

°C °C mm °C °C mm

9 Th 22.4 28.2 1.7 1 We 19.5 28 12.8

10 Fr 21.5 30 0 2 Th 21.3 28.6 1

11 Sa 24 31.4 0 3 Fr 21.5 25.8 1.8

12 Su 25 30.2 0 4 Sa 20.6 24 29.7

13 Mo 20.1 26.6 0 5 Su 19.6 21.9 6.8

14 Tu 21.1 26.7 0 6 Mo 19.4 23.4 22.2

15 We 19.8 27.8 0.8 7 Tu 18 24.2 7.6

16 Th 20.4 29.6 0 8 We 18.6 24.3 0.2

17 Fr 22.5 28 0 9 Th 19.2 25 0.4

18 Sa 21.5 28.4 1.2 10 Fr 18.2 25 1.4

19 Su 20 22.4 5 11 Sa 17.7 25.6 0.6

20 Mo 17 26.7 3.1 12 Su 17.5 26.5 0

21 Tu 18 27.5 0 13 Mo 19.5 25.4 0

22 We 20.5 26.6 0 14 Tu 20.4 25 9.1

23 Th 20.5 26.6 0 15 We 22 24.8 40

24 Fr 20.5 27.8 0 16 Th 20.9 26.5 13.6

25 Sa 20.6 26.5 0 17 Fr 22.1 24.2 14.2

26 Su 22 26.5 0.2 18 Sa 22.1 26.2 14.1

27 Mo 19.5 26.1 16.4 19 Su 21.5 25.3 11.5

28 Tu 20.2 26.5 13.1 20 Mo 21.8 25.5 2.4

Statistics for the last 20 days of February 2017 Statistics for the first 20 days of March 2017

Mean 20.86 27.51 Mean 20.07 25.26

Lowest 17 22.4 0 Lowest 17.5 21.9 0

Highest 25 31.4 16.4

Highest 22.1 28.6 40

Total 41.5 Total 189.4

31

IN APPRECIATION….

Contributors to this issue of Port Chatter:

Brian Bibbing, Ross Debenham, Colin Foote, Neil Fraser, Neil Hansford, Ken Johnson, Peter Merlino, Laurie Nolan,

Tony O’Donnell, John Reid, Brian Richardson, Sandra Scheuber, Lee Uebergang and Maureen Wheatley. Other

photos by Di Baillie, Brian Bibbing, Geoff Clark, Ross Debenham, Neil Fraser, Neil Hansford, Tony O’Donnell and

Penelope Highland. You too can become a contributor and you will be most welcome. See inside front cover.

Distributors of the Port Chatter: This Monthly newsletter does not arrive in your letter-box via the tooth fairy.

The following people give of their time (and petrol) in making deliveries. Distribution Co-Ordinator: Ross Debenham,

Maureen Wheatley, Peter Merlino, Elizabeth Francis, Trevor Dowsett, Marian Chappell, and Deb Nolan.

Advertisers in Port Chatter: The following advertisers with paid advertisements in the Port Chatter help to meet

most of the costs of production.

NEXT MONTHLY MEETINGS

TUESDAY 18 April 2017

and 16 May 2017

All members are welcome to come and meet fellow members of

Marine Rescue Port Stephens.

Important information on operational matters will be discussed.

Food and refreshments will be provided.

Please show your appreciation by giving them your custom.

Community Clubs Fingal Bay Bowls Sports and Recreation Club

Hairdresser Men's Barber Shop Vince's Salamander Bay Barber Shop

Home/Office Locksmith Bay Locksmith Services

Decorating/Painting Abode Decorating

Printer Cartridges The Cartridge Family

Outdoor Furniture Outdoor Obsessions

Medical Chemists Salamander Centre Pharmacy

Shoal Bay Pharmacy

Chemmart Pharmacy, Nelson Bay

Doctors Port Stephens Medical Centre, Keel St

Maritime Marina D’Albora Marina and businesses

Soldiers Point Marina

Boating Sales and Repairs Nelson Bay Outboard Services

Charters Kunara Charters

Fishing Supplies Salamander Bait and Tackle (at BP)

Motor Vehicles Service Stations/Tyres Fingal Bay Service Station and Tyres

Windscreen Repairs Novus Autoglass Shop

Real Estate Century 21 Paradise Waters, Nelson Bay

Restaurants and Cafes Rock Lobster Seafood – D’Albora Marinas

Inner Light Tea Rooms, Nelson Head

32

PORT STEPHENS RESCUE VESSEL PORT STEPHENS 31

JOHN THOMPSON

Specifications

Make / Model: Steber International 38’ - Category 3 SAR Vessel

Length: 11.46m (38ft)

Beam: 3.84m (12.6ft)

Displacement: 11.6 tonne

Draft: 1m

Fuel: 1350L

Engines: Twin 420hp Yanmar diesel

Top Speed: 30kn

Crew: Operational - normally 4

VHF: Sailor 6222

Radar: Raymarine RD418HD 4 KW

MFD’s (Multifunction Display): ES125-12” x 3, ES9-9” x 1

AIS: Raymarine AIS950

RDF: Taiyo

27Mhz: GME GX400B

DCN: Tait TM9300

Rescue Vessel Port Stephens 31 John Thompson was built by Steber International, Taree, NSW

and completed in May 2016. Her single hull is made of glass-reinforced plastic.

Port Stephens 31 is fitted with state-of-the-art radar, direction finding and navigation equipment as

well as forward looking infra red search equipment.

John Thompson has been prepared to Marine Rescue NSW specifications with minor

customisation at the request of Port Stephens Unit and is capable of covering Port Stephens and

anywhere along the coast for example Broughton Island, Seal Rocks and 30nm out to sea or further if

tasked by MACSAR.

MARINE RESCUE NSW PORT STEPHENS RESCUE VESSELS CURRENTLY IN SERVICE

The unit currently has two purpose built, specialised rescue vessels, crewed by motivated and trained volunteers who

can be called upon at anytime, day or night, to head to the assistance of those who call.

A response time of 20 mins or less is estimated from alert to heading to sea. Our vessels boast a comprehensive

inventory of the latest navigation, communication, safety and rescue technologies on board.

33

Specifications:

Make / Model: Gemini WR-850

Type: Rigid-Hull Inflatable (RHIB)

Length: 8.5m

Beam: 2.8m

Engines: - 2 x Suzuki four-stroke Outboards 200hp each (150kW)

Fuel Capacity: 2 x 200 litre tanks

Fuel Consumption: Cruising speed - 50 litres / hour

Displacement: 3.2 tonnes

Survey: 2C

Crew: 4 operational

Speed: Top speed around 40 knots. Cruising speed 25 to 30 knots.

Rescue Vessel Port Stephens 30 Codi-K II was manufactured in South Africa, prepared by

Britton Marine of Taren Point NSW, and completed in February 2012. Her single hull is made of glass-

reinforced plastic with alloy longitudinal keel reinforcement and her cabin is glass-reinforced plastic.

She boasts among her electronic equipment a Raymarine Radar/Plotter, Furuno AIS Class-A and FLIR

Thermal Night Vision System.

Codi-K II has been prepared to Port Stephens Unit specifications in consultation with Marine

Rescue NSW, and is capable of covering all of the areas of Port Stephens; ie, the Myall River system,

Karuah River, and the other shallow areas of our waterways, as well as outside waters as required.

PORT STEPHENS RESCUE VESSEL PORT STEPHENS 30

CODI-K II

34

“have you visited d’Albora Marinas Nelson Bay recently?....

IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A PLACE TO MOOR”.

Aquablu Bistro and Bar 02 4984 9999 Nelson Bay Marine 02 4984 9777

Blue Bay Collections 02 4984 4763 Noakes Boatyard 02 4984 4150

Boat Hire and Cruise Bookings 02 4984 3843 Nelson Bay Nice Kitchen 02 4981 5883

Broughtons at the Bay 02 4981 0865 Pacific Water Colours 02 4984 1922

Cafe and Convenience on the Bay 024981 0921 Pizazz Boutique 02 4984 4177

Corner Secrets 02 4981 1160 Popeyes Laundromat 02 4984 1333

Hogs Breath Cafe 02 4984 2842 Rock Lobster Restaurant 02 4981 1813

R Marine Port Stephens 02 4984 2355 Sandbar Seafood 02 4984 3777

Lets Go Adventures 02 4981 4331 Subway 02 4984 4277

Marina Ice Creamery 02 4984 1788 The Wood Oven Pizza 02 4984 4800

Mavericks on the Bay 02 4984 1203 Tin Tin Eatery 02 4981 5883

Teramby Road, Nelson Bay Phone: 02 4984 1333

Fax: 02 4984 1390 www.dalboramarinas.com.au