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Crew training
at Fremantle Sea Rescue
The following
extract of an article was kindly supplied courtesy of the
Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group -
Crew training
at Fremantle Sea Rescue takes many forms and some training
sessions are a little bit more exciting then normal.
Recently R100 became the platform for chopper winch training
with the RAC helicopter. The training involved winching
people from and lowering to R100s back deck, and retrieval
from the water. Reports from the crew indicated that they
could see the whites of the eyes of the chopper crew and the
flying was very impressive.
Two of our own
crew also had the ride of their life when they also were
winched from R100 as part of the exercise, something they
will not forget in a hurry.
Thanks to the
RAC crew for a very memorable training session.
Winds—45knots,
raining, high seas, cold and wet. Not a good forecast for
boating, lets go home and have a nice cup of coffee.
Not likely!
when others pack up, we go training. On a recent weekend
when the weather was at its worst, the Fremantle Sea Rescue
crews on both R100 and Reliant braved the conditions for
some extensive training.
Several
man-overboard drills were carried out. Much to the relief of
the crew a large fender was utilised instead of a person.
However a crew member was required to don a dry suit and
retrieve the fender.
The exercise
involved the rescuer entering the water and conducting a
lengthy swim to the fender person (fenders move a lot more
quickly then expected) supporting them in a tow
position. Then they were dragged back to R100 via a rescue
line that was attached to them, not only for safety but to
assist the passage back to the boat.
Other training
involved rope throwing, a difficult thing to do from a
violently rocking boat, but one that is very relevant to
what we do.
Training at a
high level ensures that our crew remain alert for any
situation, but it also assures the boating public that a
highly trained and efficient service is available.
Training in
these conditions is a must for a group that assists 500
boats each year in sometimes extreme conditions and readies
the crew and skippers for real life situations. Fremantle
Sea Rescue has long held the belief that rough conditions
provide the best training opportunities. It is this training
that has proven to be invaluable as there has never been a
situation were they have refused to render assistance due to
the conditions or a time when the crew have been sent home
because of the weather.
Isn't it nice
to know that when all else fails, there is a highly
organised and dedicated back up group to assist us in our
time of emergency?
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The Development of the Spacesailer 27
By
Noel Rice -
“Crossbow”
•The introduction of fibreglass hulls was a
boon to the yachting community, and the ease of fitting out by
amateurs saw a big increase of Division 2 / IOR Half ton
yachts in WA. The SS 27 design more than held its own in
popularity by comparison with the Ben Lexcen designed Viking.
The Custom 30 never really saw big numbers built, partly due
to inferior manufacturing management and poor cockpit and
exterior layout.
As is usually the
case, the local product fell prey to the knockers. The
high freeboard and the apparent lack of length giving the
appearance to some of being cut off! These criticisms
eventually turned to the benefit of 27s in that the Rottnest
appeal became obvious. The voluminous interior and huge
cockpit attracted the family man to embrace these attributes.
Contrary to the doomsayers, the 27 enjoyed instant success,
with GRP yacht building materials affordably low at that time,
and the attention to detail and finish by Swarbricks produced
a class yacht that allowed many families to realise their
dreams.
The first 27 was white with a
blue stripe. It was launched in 1973, and went to
Queensland after being sailed to every club on the river in a
promotional exercise. The second was Touché for Kim
Swarbrick. He sailed her in the Fremantle - Geraldton
Race winning easily on the way up, and being well placed on
the way back.
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Crossbow was the
third in the water on 1.11.73. On the Saturday we were
rushing to rig her for the RFB Opening Day Race that
afternoon. There was no breeze so we motored to Freshie,
hoisting sails for the first time about an hour before the
race. In the 12-15 knot breeze it was unbelievable how
high we pointed at the start, and rounded Mosman Buoy well in
front of our division. We did not see the fleet again
and were so far in front of the fleet at the finish; the Start
Team thought we had pulled out. The following Saturday
we were greeted by 18-20 + knots and gusting. We
circular waltzed all the way to Brick landing, rounding up
savagely in the gusts. We could do little to stop it to
our infinite embarrassment. I remember one skipper
telling us that we had bought a “lemon” and he had plenty of
support, which was quite worrying. A couple of practice
sessions, a couple of races more, and some lead ballast helped
immensely and by Christmas we were the ones laughing in all
breezes.
It is interesting to note that Crossbow,
Legend and Liberty were bought as one package, negotiated by
Arthur Millman, a particularly good accountant and a
hard-nosed Yorkshireman. The three hulls, decks,
bulkheads, keels, rudder, windows and cabin sole were
purchased for $5,000 each! Crossbow was launched fully
rigged with 2 new headsails, main and spinnaker plus a second
hand #3, for a total of $9765.
I believe that the 27 was Swarbrick’s
flagship that gave to WA yachties and their families a great
boost, with the versatility of the design providing a healthy
appeal to all ages.
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•When after
many years of small boat racing the Committee
decided to look at something bigger to race and
cruise; we were faced with the eternal triangle, of
what we would like, what we could afford, and what
was on the market. So like many would be skippers
before me, out came the note book, with the list of
what we felt, we would like to see in a boat. First
was the need to be able to sail the boat, from day
one.
•Second
came a cockpit big enough to take the crew, which
included Sue my wife, and two daughters as well as
family and friends. Third, standing headroom and so
the list went on.
•After
many visits to different Yacht clubs, and scouring
the local press the committee settled on a locally
designed West Australian SPACESAILER 27, designed by
Kim Swarbrick who is still designing boats to day.
•The
design started way back in 1973, with the
Spacesailer 24 and was followed by the 22, the 27
and then the 18.
•The
Spacesailer 27 as the number suggests is 27 foot
long, 9foot 3 inch wide and has a draft of 4 foot 9
inch, the headroom is 6 foot 10 inch, this because
the original owner, who had the boat fitted out, was
close to 7 foot, and had the floor lowered to its
maximum depth.
•We
purchased the boat in August 1988 and sailed the
Swan River for couple of seasons. Around this time,
the America's Cup was happening in the West, and a
number of new marinas were being built. This was the
opening we had been looking for this Spacesailer 27
was built for the ocean, and has been an ideal coast
hopper ever since.
•After
racing for a few years at Hillarys Yacht Club, we
changed to cruising mode, with the addition of
roller furling, a three bladed-fixed propeller, and
over a number of seasons a complete repaint and
varnish.
•She
is now looking like new, the inside is a fairly
standard arrangement, with six berths, yes six
berths, one thing the Spacesailer does do, is live
up to it's name, with the U shaped dinette dropping
down to a cosy double. We have though changed the
aft berth into a storage area and navigation
station.
•The
mast is deck stepped, so there is no mast post, but
with a substantial bulk head, this arrangement, of
deck stepped mast is part of the sailing scene on
the Swan River as there are a number of bridges at
Fremantle, and the mast has to be lowered, to exit
the river.
•Forward
of this substantial bulk head are the heads, which
is fitted, with a holding tank, an essential when
cruising with Sue. There are no doors as such, but
the privacy is in the form of a curtain. This does
the job and when folded back on its rail takes up no
space at all.
•Through
the heads and past another curtain is the forward V
berth., with the usual side shelving, lights, and
the forward hatch which when in port can be partly
opened for ventilation, all with standing head room.
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Down
the starboard side is a hanging locker for clothing
and locker with shelves for bags, and in the lower
half is a foot locker, which is were you put your
feet when resting on the day berth, and finally the
sink, cooker and cool box. I have upgraded the cool
box insulation; to 2 inch all round, now our ice
blocks last around two days.
•The
navigation station is situated in the area were the
aft berth was, and is a user friendly place,
allowing you to sit on the steps which cover the
engine, making it an easy job to speak to the helm
and do the chart work. The instruments, are a mix
and match set of three radios VHF, 27Megs,
radio/cassette, with a digital echo sounder, and
log, and a large fixed Furuno GPS with big numbers
makes life so much easer if you can read thing
without putting your glasses on .The engine is a
Yanmar 2 cylinder 16 HP diesel and has been most
reliable, and goes at the touch of a button.
•Having
done all this, and looking back over the ten years
it would be difficult to find a 27 footer with so
many modern features, considering the boat was
designed 20 years ago.
•The
walk through transom, that has a lift out section,
gives easy access to and from the rubber ducky, this
is stored either on the V berth or on deck, forward
of the mast on longer passages. An anchor locker
deep enough to house three different styles of
anchor including rope and chain, wide side decks
that can take a size 8 shoe with ease, and one
cockpit locker that I can stand up in, which house
the outboard, and ah1 the other come in bandies. The
other cockpit locker we have boxed in as a rope
store.
•But
how does she sail well like most boats she has a
good side and a not so good side, most important is
comfort, which to me means staying dry and with
ample freeboard, we almost do, if the Fremantle
Doctor is on the nose, motor-sailing is the most
profitable way to go.
•The
waterline length is 23 foot 8 inch so she has a good
waterline to length overall ratio, which in practice
means if the sails are balanced, she will sail in a
reasonable straight line, down wind. We have cruised
Ocelot up and down the coast and have been out in
some strong winds and although the crew may have
some concerns, the boat has sailed through without
any major problems, and only once have we left the
boat behided to sail home on a later date.
•There
have been about 100 Spacesailer 27 built over the
years, with about 50 in W.A. and the balance in the
Eastern States, the mould is still useable and a
boat is built now and again.
•One
advantage of a Spacesailer 27 is the Association,
based with the river clubs is very active on the
club racing side, as well as match in racing with
The Little Wheel Series, as well as a cruising and
social calendar.
•So
if you are into a strong workhorse, that will hold
its value, and can fit all the family in, without
breaking the budget, have another look at the
SPACESAILER 27.
•Regards
•Alan
Carter
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•March 20th 2000
- Solo Round the World Sailor,
John Woolhouse was welcomed home yesterday by Jon Sanders
(triple solo non-stop) and David Dicks (youngest non-stop
unassisted) sailing out to meet him as he rounded Rottnest
Island and headed for Fremantle. On the water was a fleet of
a dozen Spacesailer 27 yachts, representatives of the same
class of yacht as Breakin’ Even, John’s 8.2-metre sloop.
Woolhouse, a 58-year-old Vietnam veteran, took much longer
than Sanders or Dicks to complete his circumnavigation - 22
months and he made stops along the way but his boat was
almost 2m shorter.
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