The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
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data that would assist in the establishment of green lipped mussel farming. Lew was also teaching boat building at an evening institute when he ran into Sergeant Ross O'Dell, OC of the marine side of the Wharf Police. "Ross mentioned that the police department had just ordered a new 17m launch from Salthouse Bros in Greenhithe and that they were going to be short of a launchmaster and would I be interested." The answer was no, because of the disruption to family life of working night shifts. Subsequently however, Ross explained if the launch was required after 2300 hours it would be manned by way of "call out" from home. Enrollment at the Police College followed, as did 10 years of much varied and often challenging operations in the maritime search and rescue scene, and in many others for that matter. Divers drifting in Cook Strait commanded a lot of time, especially before the advent of helicopters and also yachties attempting to close the entrance from the east and west in howling northerly gales. Lew remembers responding to a call for towing assistance from a sloop southbound from Gisborne, giving her position as 10 miles due east of Cape Palliser. "Her sails had blown out and fuel was running low. On closing the position there was nothing in sight. Conversation on HF established she could see the Kaikouras and cloud formations we couldn't, leading to the conclusion she was south instead of east of the Cape, as it transpired, with 90 degrees of error in her compass. Another recollection is of a couple who purchased a Cavalier 32 in Whangarei, filled out a 10 Minute Form and cleared for Wellington. "Seven days later when east of Cape Palliser they picked up a forecast for a southerly change to 60 knots. They altered to the east to give themselves as much sea room as possible. Sometime later, in the early hours of a Good Friday, the boat rolled through 360 degrees. The rig, including the back stay, carried away. The mast was hammering away at her topsides and the hull was half full of water." By daylight the southerly had eased enough to resume passage under jury rig for Wellington. Lew noticed that the Good Friday was also a Black Friday. Probably on another Black Friday (Lew cannot recall exactly when) the Government of the day floated the idea of sending Lady Elizabeth II north to replace the aging Deodar in Auckland. As massive public debate ensued, morale at the wharf base plunged. Many months of uncertainty prevailed with no end in sight, when a position for a tug master was advertised by the Wellington Harbour Board. By now Lew had a Small Home Trade Certificate, which was commensurate with the minimum qualification required. Also he had exchanged teaching boat building for Coastguard's Boat Master Certificates, so decisions had to be made as his application had been successful. Three weeks of solid training in the voith tugs Kupe, Toia and Ngahue followed before Lew was ready to "go it alone." 30 years on he says there has been a multitude of changes, for instance the discarding of wire pennants, towing from a winch instead of a hook, a reduction in manning from six to three and much improved technology in paint product required for the allimportant matter of maintenance. More recently of course there has been the introduction of the Azimuth Stern Drive tug Tiaki. He says ships too have changed, in that most now have bulbous bows, to a degree thrusters, anchors that are heaved up into pipes that protrude out on stalks, short parallel bodies at the waterline (as in the case of ro-ros), hi-lift rudders and of course more, in fact much more, windage. Lew never fails to be impressed by the maritime industry. He sees its future as both endless and exciting, and he feels extremely privileged to be part of it. THE ORIGINAL GPS: THE LOST ART OF REALLY NAVIGATING (BYO TURNIPS) BY MICHAEL PIGNÉGUY O n a recent visit to the crowded port of Victoria on Vancouver Island for the occasion of their Classic Boat Festival, I came across a motor yacht fitted out with an original GPS unit. I thought it would be of interest to the modern navigator, who may think that real navigation didn't happen until electronics came along. I'm sure there aren't many seafarers around these days who really know what the letters GPS stand for. Way back in the days of sail, vessels in the inter-island trade in the Caribbean always used to carry a pig on board and they were not there to be company for eggs at breakfast. No, they had a much bigger mission in life, and that was in their having the ability to be able to direct the vessel towards land should it lie below the horizon. Those pigs with a navigatory snout were highly prized, but the method used was somewhat bizarre as they had to be tossed over the side for their homing instinct to "kick in." No doubt a stout line was firmly attached to the animal as it took to the water, with the captain carefully noting the direction in which the pig would swim. A bearing would be taken of the heading, the pig carefully hauled aboard, undoubtedly amidst some loud squealing, and the vessel's course directed onto the pig's heading. But, not all pigs could swim apparently and ship's captains were always on the lookout for Good Pigs that could Swim: a GPS in other words. Now those pigs are flying in orbit around the earth! Who would have thought it possible? But, if you do go for the old fashioned GPS make sure that you have a good supply of turnips on board. Isn't modern technology a wonderful thing? May/June 2013 Professional Skipper 39