BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

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allegra
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BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by allegra »

Her name is 'Seahorse' and she is pretty, just needs a tidy up for two men, two 'gulls' and lots of gear.
Seahorse.jpg
THCL500J8
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by THCL500J8 »

She looks good, even though she's an inboard.
more pictures please we like pictures.
TC - 1960 LLS - 1961 LLS - 1966 THCL - 1968 EFNRL - 1986
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

The boat belongs to the Living Boat Trust (LBT) Franklin Tasmania, and may be available; if so we will be removing the engine, prop and rudder for the trip and mounting the gulls on stern brackets. Built in 1950 as a work boat on Sydney Harbour she is reported to be a great sea boat and with the weather decks, is relatively dry. Speed is expected to be around the 6kn max easily making the 4.5kn average. Currently fitted with a simplex single cylinder engine driving through a wet clutch box. length on the water 16 ft

With the engine gone there will be plenty of room for fuel and gear plus a bit of space for the odd cat naps.

Its all coming together now and we are firming up for mid March, the actual date being fixed for the neep tide at Port Philip, adjusted for weather.

AJ.. I still cant load pictures off my computer.
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

Went along to the Living Boat Trust (LBT) tonight and after dinner and a talk got the approval subject to final committee agreement on Thursday. so now have a boat plus the two engines so will start work on preparing her for the trip.

AJ
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Collector Inspector
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Collector Inspector »

I admire all of this!

Very outstanding this man.

B
A chicken is one egg's way of becoming others
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

Tide tables for 2016 have just been published so we now have an accurate window for the trip> Starting point Stanley, between 19th March 2016 and 24th March 2016. giving a 5 day window for favourable weather. Finishing Queenscliff Marina Port Philip approximately 36 to 40 hours later.

The actual start date cant be narrowed further until close to the start window but ideally will be on the 20th March.

Hope a couple of people can slot it in their diary to be on hand with a celebratory libation at the finish point!!

Ill post more details as time goes on

AJ
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Collector Inspector
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Collector Inspector »

I may just book a room for a week to see you arrive somehow during.

I do not move around Oz as much as I should but this is a good incentive.

Ya never know in that I may meet Hugo or many many others locally in the EAST?

Keep all of us informed as to setting off date when set in stone as early as you can dude!

Very Interesting yeh!

B
A chicken is one egg's way of becoming others
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

Thanks for the support B. Today is the day for the LBT to have the committee meeting re Seahorse I hope to be picking her up shortly thereafter and motor her to the property using one of the wspc"s selected for the crossing. That will give me a good look at speed and fuel consumption. Distance from Franklin to Great Taylors bay is about 40 nm so will be a good run in open water.

Ill get Allegra to post some photos of the event..

AJ
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AusAnzani
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by AusAnzani »

The entrance to Port Phillip Bay can not be taken lightly AJ. Opening is a little over 3km wide so the currents very run hard, big swell and standing waves are common and tide / time charts tell only a very small part of the story.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvV1LnaD7yw

If you like, I can put you on to a friend who's been fishing the heads for many, many years and knows it intimately. Alternatively, it would be worth your while getting a full heads up from Coast Guard.

And yes, I will definitely be there for your arrival.
www.vintageoutboardsaustralia.blogspot.com
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

Nice video to "wet the appetite" I am using Tidetec for the current and tide predictions, and by picking the March dates am aiming for the lest of the monthly tides. Weather takes precedence though so delays may and probably will occur.

Pass my email on to your mate it would be interesting to hear from his perspective. Truth is though most people advise against it but that is what makes it worthwhile.

Great to here you will be part of the welcome!

AJ
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

Great news... the LBT have approved my use of Seahorse for the Bass Strait crossing so now the work begins to get her seaworthy.
After removal of the inboard engine and placing her in a wet berth to tighten up I intend moving her back to Bruny under the power of a WSPC and a WSPCL to test the differences between the long and short shafts. For that trip and to give some speed comparisons I shall also take along a TC102 with a standard 9inch prop.
Seahorse is quite a heavy boat being clinker built of hardwood (Tassi oak) on oak frames. She was original built as a sturdy work boat and not the design that our racers would approve, but for a long open boat trip her strength and seaworthiness combined with ample room for gear and two people make her a good choice.
Once over to Bruny we will head off into the Southern Ocean again and do some sea trials in inclement weather to really test her in close to actual conditions.
Large bilge pumps will be fitted to clear the expected water!!
I will record the progress both written and photo/Video for the LBT and the media as well as SOS as we will be looking for sponsorship to provide addition funds for the Trust.

For those interested go to the LBT web site http://lbt.rforster.org/home they are also on face book.

AJ
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flyguy
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by flyguy »

AusAnzani wrote:The entrance to Port Phillip Bay can not be taken lightly AJ. Opening is a little over 3km wide so the currents very run hard, big swell and standing waves are common and tide / time charts tell only a very small part of the story.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvV1LnaD7yw

If you like, I can put you on to a friend who's been fishing the heads for many, many years and knows it intimately. Alternatively, it would be worth your while getting a full heads up from Coast Guard.

And yes, I will definitely be there for your arrival.
I wish everyone involved safe passage, you are a lot braver than me
either that or off ya trolley lol
I am counting the days down until I see the video
1965 40 - 1990 55 - 1954 - Little Forty -1986 EF
Adrian Dale
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Adrian Dale »

Not been a good day … last night we moved Seahorse from the veranda she had sat under for the past three years or so to a mud berth to take up. This gave us the opportunity to remove the covers and cobwebs to see what was below. The move took 10 old age pensioners to lift her onto a dolly and thence to the reed beds were we could take stock. Unfortunately there was evidence of some planks cracking and dry rot… Not a good sign.

Today we enlisted the services of a shipwright to give an impartial view of her condition and unfortunately the result was not good. She has rot identified in a couple of planks with cracking in a few others plus the frames in several locations where cracked and wasted. She has had a hard life. The result of the inspection was to rule her out of contention as a candidate vessel. This means we are back to square one re the boat for the Bass Strait crossing. We are trolling Tasmania for a suitable boat.

It’s interesting when I look through the posts following the different members I see the extreme flying machine of Paris, driving a gull to 30 knots on foils. Charles, tuning gulls to new levels of power and speed and carrying those same engines around the world to compete. Bruce in Perth, modifying and changing old conceptions to reach new levels of reliability and finding new ways of keeping engines running.
We are all connected and might I say driven.. Today was a setback but tomorrow brings new opportunities. How different are our quests, but how similar also..

I will get the right boat and Paris will better the world record, Charles will get the most power from a gull and Bruce will have the most reliable Marston and, just may be, next year (2017) a gull will cross the ditch… is it possible, I think so but first the Bass Striat. Goals are set in stone and plans are fluid…
Gulls will always fly
AJ
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by Horsley-Anarak »

Adrian Dale wrote:and Bruce will have the most reliable Marston.
AJ
But it won't be the fastest OA :lol:

Image

Bad luck with that boat Adrian, keep looking.

H A
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AusAnzani
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Re: BASS STRAIT CROSSING - MARCH 2016

Post by AusAnzani »

G'day AJ,

Spoke to Charlie briefly last night and he is happy to share what he knows about Port Phillip Heads with you. He runs a Community TV show and is about to head interstate or overseas again, so it will be a couple of weeks before that happens.

In the meantime, just bear in mind that slack water at Port Phillip Heads does not occur at High or Low tide. It occurs approx. 3 hours after each (or mid-tide) and is influenced by the huge volume of water that enters and exists Port Phillip Bay through that narrow passage which is otherwise known as the RIP.

As you seem to have a huge amount of seagoing experience, it should not be too much of a problem for you. That said, I still think it would be worth your while speaking with Charlie in a couple of weeks (general overview about the RIP) and again when you're closer to finalising dates. With the dates known, Charlie will be able to review tides as well as whether forecasts and advise best times to enter.

Regards,
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