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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LETTERS CONTINUED… MONKEY'S FISTS! Dear Sir The practice of weighting monkey's fists obviously dies hard. Despite the obvious dangers, deckhands still want their heaving lines to go the furthest and straightest. Your item reminded me of a little episode that occurred when I was fortunate enough to be appointed a junior watchkeeper in a Hong Kong based gunboat. At that time the squadron navigator was a certain Lt Cdr Preece, a naval officer of forthright views and novel ways of expressing them. A particular bete noire for Preece was the weighted monkey's fist. One evening as we approached the wharf in Victoria Basin our enthusiastic fo'c'sle hands hurled their heaving lines, both weighted, one of which unfortunately went through the window of a dockside shed. Preece, on the jetty awaiting our arrival, immediately drew his "pusser's dirk" (seaman's knife), sliced off the offending "fists" and disdainfully tossed them into the harbour with a glowering smirk at our crestfallen fo'c'slemen. However Preece's was not the last laugh. A month or so later on Christmas morning the ship's company, families and squadron staff, gathered onboard for a party. Part of the festivities was a parcel for everyone, provided by anonymous donors, from Santa's sack. The fo'c'slemen gathered close as Preece unwrapped his, revealing a miniature heaving line beautifully fashioned from Coston Gun line complete with a tiny weighted monkey's fist! Peter Usher, Maritime Head of Department, Mahurangi Technical Institute RECREATIONAL? REALLY! Dear Sir I have a deckhand who worked on Cerveza II back in 2007 and 2008, who has just done a couple of years working on a private vessel registered in the Cayman Islands, as first mate. He has just completed a US Coastguard 200 ton Masters ticket and wants to return to New Zealand in the off season to work here. He is trying to get his ILM, but Maritime NZ are telling him that his sea time from overseas is recreational. I know that under QOL this will change, but by the time that happens he will have lost the entire New Zealand summer charter season. These people are pathetic. The vessel is 82 feet long and he has circumnavigated the Caribbean and down through central America to Cost Rica and Panama, logged over 10,000 miles and has kept service records. In addition he has worked as a deckhand here, two seasons up the Kings and one off Greymouth. How does one bypass this sort of stupidity? Dave Wooff, Christchurch MARINE MASTERS OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE NOW! We have full time vacancies for marine masters to join our on-board crew. This role will involve managing the crew, overseeing the day-to-day care and safe navigation of the vessel and ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone on board. Requirements: • Minimum 3 years' experience with high speed (25+ knots),large (20+ meters) passenger vessels • Full driver's licence and own transport • MEC 5 quals preferred but not essential • Tourism experience preferred We operate seven days a week so this role will involve working shifts on a rotational roster basis, WWW.FULLERS.CO.NZ VIP.S88 8 Professional Skipper November/December 2012 including regular weekend shifts and public holidays. This is fantastic opportunity for those who love being at sea and working in a dynamic environment. A big plus of this role is that you get to go home at the end of every day instead of being at sea for months at a time! Visit our careers site at http://careers.fullers.co.nz for further information to submi an online application. ODINS CLOSED Dear Sir Many thanks for the copies of Skipper magazine you have forwarded. I have closed Odins Marine in Tauranga down and shuffled off into retirement so have no further use for the magazine even though it is a very good read. Many thanks and keep up the good work. Ron Managh (retired), Tauranga GREAT SEAMANSHIP Dear Sir As a surveyor for insurers there are many articles that I read of in Professional Skipper, in which I have had some involvement. Usually I am not able, or free, to add much but read with interest and pleasure when you put things into context and get them right. Last night I was having a beer with shipmates and mentioned that we are appointed as surveyors to hull insurers of MFV Amaltal Columbia following her fire off the South Island coast on September 12. I heard it said that the crew had abandoned her. It seemed they thought the crew escaped and left her to burn. That is so far from the truth that I am writing to encourage your inquiry into this story. Her Master performed an exemplary balance of saving all of his crew without any harm or loss, and also saving his ship. Conditions were boisterous with 35 plus knot winds and four metre swells. As soon as the fire was noticed crew got hoses onto it, continuing as long as they could, working below the intense smoke. At the alarm all crew went to muster stations and were accounted for. The ship was turned head to wind and crew went to the bow out of the smoke. Fire crew were quickly in Damage Control Breathing Apparatus sets and onto the fire with CO2 . Ventilation was closed down. Boundary cooling was set up. The towed trawl net was released. When another ship arrived a suitable core was kept on board and the rest of crew moved to safety using life rafts towed by the Zodiac. With all of the ship's DCBA and CO2 used, the master pleaded for more to be sent out to them. Conditions became untenable and the master had to abandon her to San Discovery. On learning that no fire service assistance or more fire appliances were coming, and on seeing the smoke was dying down, the master and a small team went back on board. They got the refrigeration going again to save the catch. Using the last of DCBA air they set up boundary cooling again and closed every possible vent connection to the burned factory deck below. It worked and the fire subsided enough for San Discovery to take her in tow to port where the Fire Department took over. There is much more than I have included here. The Orion just happened to be in the air nearby and had heat seeking ability to guide them to the hot spots. The Zodiac sunk. Some crew actions were too risky, almost foolhardy. It really shows the importance of good exercising so everyone knows what to do, such as the importance of closing ventilation and boundary cooling, as without a second round of this the ship would probably have flared up again and been lost. They got the Zodiac back and the recovered the net. It is a great story of seamanship, a really competent but quite humble Master, Chief Engineer, and others, who have acted splendidly in a very hazardous and frightening situation. The public ought not to be left with the mainstream media story half told with the most important parts left out. Hope you can follow this up, as there are lots more people involved and bits to be added than I have learned and they are great folk Mike Austin, Marine Surveyor, Auckland