BY NIGEL MOORE, FLOTILLA RADIO OFFICER, QF2
Hello Baysiders! Events at Coast Guard QF2 Manly are moving on, so here’s the latest news updates. Saturday, 16th August, on M Roster turned out to be a very busy day, with several breakdowns and a request to assist in a search for a missing jet-skier from the Water Police.
As most of you know, our rosters start at 06:00 and usually finish at 18:00, but on September 16th, we finally wrapped up at 20:00; it certainly was a long, but weather-wise, lovely day. Both primary rescue vessels, CG22 and CG23, were busy all day.
On Saturday, September 6, CG23 was en route to perform safety duties at Riverfire and at 14:20 came across an upturned tinny on the river with three people in the water. Our skipper notified the Water Police, who came to assist and safely retrieved the three people and the tinny to a safe place. It goes to show that a potential disaster can happen at any time, so always be prepared and always wear your lifejackets when on the water.
CG23 also managed to rescue a credit card for someone who had dropped it in the water and was unable to retrieve it. The second successful rescue was on the way to Riverfire! CG23 then continued to the site and took the fireworks safety inspector around the fireworks barges for the final checks before festivities kicked off. Another long day, finishing up around 23:00.
Having said goodbye to our old CG20 a few weeks ago, our new (to us) CG20 has been undergoing an extensive internal refit back at base for some time, so on M roster Sunday, September 7, she went out on a ‘shake down’ run in the bay to test everything, which proved to be successful. One of our members, in particular, put a lot of hours into getting her ready for service. If you see her out on the water (a white twin hull with blue detailing, not our usual yellow), give the crew a wave; they will appreciate it!
The transition to Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) continues to gather pace; several VMR units have recently transitioned, including our colleagues at VMR Brisbane, who are now known as MRQ Sandgate. Watch this space for further updates.
Finally, if you would like to obtain a certificate of proficiency in Marine Radio, please email [email protected] for further details. We offer both SROCP & LROCP (Short Range and Long Range Operators Certificate of Proficiency) on a one-day course held monthly at Coast Guard Brisbane Manly.
Until next time, please stay safe on the water, and remember to log on with us over the radio on Channel 73 or call us on 3396 5911.
