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| by Bob Norson |
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Tuesday, Febuaray 12, 2008. Yesterday and this morning strong northerly winds with heavy rain, ripped through the exposed and crowded anchorage off Airlie Beach and Cannonvale leaving much of the fleet on the bricks and many others damaged by collision with dragging boats. Late yesterday warnings were being made of 40+ knots to come and they did. Earlier today helicopters were rescuing 32 passengers from the charter vessel "Romance" accoding to an ABC report. The large gaff schooner was on the rocks at Hook Island and the passengers were reported to be lifted off to Hayman Island. The seas were reported as too rough and rocks too dangerous to risk another boat. The same storm broke a bulk coal carrier off it's mooring near Mackay Queensland which then slammed into the jetty at Hay Point leaving a reported 30 foot gash in her port side. Update; Friday, feb, 14, 2008.... Confirmed that Abel Point Marina in Airlie Beach has made berths available to vessels from local moorings at half price until the situation eases. Sources say that local insurers have 35 vessels lost out of 64 total claims for damage. The amount of wrecked and uninsured vessels is unknown. TCP hears that investigators are finding much untested, probably Chinese made chain on moorings that broke during the storm. TCP has had many reports over the years of unregistered, illegal moorings being rented out in Airlie. TCP's brief investigation of this last year revealed that many mooring buoys in the field did not wear the required registration numbers. Corruption in this regard has been alleged by many sailors and reiterated by a person in the safety equipment business today to TCP. Many regard it as "common knowledge". One owner of 2 moorings in the bay reported however, that one of his also broke and he claims his are serviced every year. He blames a combo of unlimited fetch from the north and shallow waters in the bay that stack up bow killing waves. In any case it was a bad night out there. Skippers who have lost uninsured vessels may want to pursue their own investigation. Further south, Mackay has had reports varying from 360 to 600mm of rain this morning and still going. Downtown area is flooded, some reports as much as one metre under water. These photos courtesy of Jim Gard of Fusion Catamarans, Airlie Beach. |
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