August 05, 2002

The CO of Townsville LCDR Jeff Goedecke on the bridge wing. Townsville took former COs and local dignitaries on a sea day (pictured at right and above) as part of her 21st birthday celebrations. Photo by Cpl Jason Weeding.

Past and present crew members of the second Fremantle Class patrol boat to be built in Australia celebrated HMAS Townsville's 21st birthday this month in the city where she was launched.

Old and bold remembered 21 years of operational history in functions while the boat was alongside at HMAS Cairns on July 18, including the arrest of eight foreign fishing vessels (FFV) in the past six months and a mercy dash in pitch blackness through wild seas to rescue the crew of a sinking yacht.

Attended by the Commander of the Australian Patrol Boat FEG, CAPT Frank Kresse, past and present crewmembers, local dignitaries from Cairns and Townsville, RAN Corvette Association members and families and friends, the celebrations comprised a formal parade and a cake cutting, followed by an all hands reception aboard Cairns.

Also included were representatives from the many government and civil agencies that have supported Townsville over the past 21 years.

The celebrations followed a highly successful sea day on July 17 in which VIPs (including three former COs) and media were given a realistic taste of life in a patrol boat as the crew put the old girl through her paces.

Unable to attend the activities, Queensland's Governor, MAJGEN Peter Arnison, sent the following message:

"May I extend my congratulations to you and your crew upon this significant milestone for the ship, and upon the wonderful work that you and your predecessors have done, and continue to do, in support of Queensland's and Australia's interests."

According to the CO, LCDR Jeff Goedecke, this year Townsville has boarded 10 illegal FFVs and apprehended eight of them.

In January, the boat was involved in the rescue in wild seas (sea state 7 and 6-7 meter swells) of a 22-meter yacht wallowing in distress off Bathurst Island. It was taking on water and had no steering or engines.

Townsville arrived in pitch darkness, fired a line across and connected a tow. The rescue was completed the next day, though in the early hours of the morning the tow parted and had to be re-initiated - a very complex seamanship evolution in poor conditions that precluded the use of the rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB).

All part of a day's work for the patrol boat.

The sea day was attended by the commissioning CO, CAPT Ian Watts (Rtd) and his wife Desley, LCDR Bill Ruse (Rtd) (CO 89/90) and CMDR Piers Chatterton (97/98). The boat sailed with sister HMAS Whyalla as consort and conducted Officer of the Watch Manoeuvers, boat transfers, a Damage Control Exercise and a formation anchorage of Fitzroy Island for lunch.

"They all had a wonderful time and the tears in the eyes of the former COs weren't caused by diesel engine exhausts," LCDR Goedecke said.

More recently, Townsville completed a very successful South West Pacific Deployment, visiting Port Vila, Apia, Pago Pago, Tonga and Luganville as part of Australia's initiatives to promote peace and stability within the region.

This is achieved by surveillance cooperation through the Defence cooperation program; the provision of equipment and 'manpower' to repair and maintain AUSAID projects such as schools, hospitals and playgrounds. Townsville and her sisters have proven outstanding ambassadors in this role.

In keeping with her proud motto 'Bold and Ready', on July 19 the boat put to sea to once again patrol Australia's northern waters.

Over the past two decades the Cairns-based boat has sailed 540,000 nautical miles - almost 50,000 hours underway. In addition to exercises with other naval vessels she has boarded and apprehended many FFVs fishing illegally within Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as well as rescues at sea and many other tasks, often at short notice, while patrolling the Zone.
Townsville is the third Fremantle Class Patrol Boat and the second built in Australia, by the NQEA yard in Cairns. The boat was launched on May 16 1981 commissioned into the Navy on July 18 the same year.

She is the second ship of the name. The first was a Bathurst Class Minesweeper, which served during World War II.