Paluma, Mermaid up creek

HMAS Paluma up the creek, literally, while waiting out cyclone Craig.

By Graham Davis

LCDR Mick Gulyas and his ship’s company in HMAS Paluma and LCDR Ross Bowden and his ship’s company in HMAS Mermaid, both survey ships, recently had the opportunity to explore, by necessity, new reaches of Darwin Harbour.

Both vessels were in Darwin on a port visit while tasked to survey Port Essington. Then tropical cyclone Craig came on the scene forcing Darwin Harbour to empty of RAN and commercial vessels.

With the patrol boats on the hard stand or at sea and with HMAS Leeuwin disappearing west, LCDRs Gulyas and Bowden looked for somewhere to weather the storm. As is the practice in Cairns of going “up the creek” and hiding in the mangroves, they decided to try the same in Darwin.

After discussions with Darwin’s Harbourmaster and the Port Services Manager, Hudson Creek was deemed the place to go.

Situated past East Arm in the southern part of the harbour, it was considered well protected from storm surges and the strong winds expected with the twister.

With a local pilot embarked Paluma led Mermaid up the creek. Literally.

As the creek narrowed and depths decreased a likely haven was found.

It was only slightly larger than the ships. Turning each 90 degrees in a narrow channel proved once again the manoeuvrability of the SMLs. With a few gentle nudges “ahead” the ships were soon enveloped on three sides by mangroves.

“Subsequent investigation found we had not only gone where no ship had gone before, but also past where the chart of the area ended,” LCDR Gulyas said.

“Night soon fell, and the tide went out and kept going out.

“The early hours of the morning had Paluma and Mermaid high and dry an embedded in a metre of mud.

“A small stream ran between the hulls. The cyclone eventually passed with little effect,” he said.

Both craft returned safely to the Darwin Naval Base.

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