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Sergeant
Peter Richmond, second from left, and Leading Aircraftman
Andrew McKinnel, standing on his right, prepare to receive
a tow line from Alexander off Port Stephens after it suffered
engine failure.
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THE challenges of heavy swells and seasickness have been offset
by the joys of whale watching for Air Force participants in Northsail
2004, the ADF’s largest adventure training expedition.
They have been aboard the Navy yachts Alexander and Lady Penrhyn,
which are sailing from Sydney to Townsville and back in stages
of five days each.
Some 160 uniformed and civilian Defence members are participating.
Flight Lieutenant Gavin Barnett, of RAAF Base Williamtown, said
the “timing for the first leg was spot on for the start of the
whale migration season”.
“We caught up with two adult humpback whales and a calf heading
north near Seal Rocks,” FLTLT Barnett said.
“We were careful to stay outside the exclusion zone and only got
to within a mile or so, and right on queue they burst out of the
water, over and over – through our binoculars, it was an awesome
sight. As we left them behind, one of them swam along on its side
absently twirling a fin in the air, almost as though it was waving
us goodbye.”
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SIMPLY
MAST-ERLY: Flight Lieutenant Gavin Barnett takes time out
from routine maintenance aloft the mast of Alexander near
Broughton Island, NSW, to take this photograph of himself
during Northsail 2004. He is one of a number of Air Force
personnel involved in Northsail.
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But
it has not been all plain sailing. Early on, the wind filled
to 18 knots and the yachts were forced to reef their mainsails
and change headsails under difficult conditions.
Many of the crew became sea sick in the confused swells offshore
from the Sydney coast. Near Port Stephens the Alexander’s engine
stopped and could not be restarted. Lady Penrhyn towed her to
the Port Stephens marina, where the mechanic was able to rectify
a fuel blockage.
Leading Aircraftwoman Veronica McKenna, of RAAF Base Williamtown,
sailed on the fourth leg from Bundaberg to Mackay – her second
Northsail. LACW McKenna said the most unnerving part was the southeasterly
swell at night.
“We had the longest leg and everyone really pitched in to do his
or her part,” she said. “Our watch always was doing something
to make the boat sail faster, which was fun and also made the
watches go faster.
We had a couple of container ships pass us, which was exciting
although there was no danger.
“We had to motorsail for the first part but on the second couple
of days the wind came up and we did some really exciting sailing,
mainly broad reaching. “The swell was either just abaft or on
the beam and at night you couldn’t see it, which became a bit
unnerving when it reached the yacht.”
