RIP 'Brandy Creek Ferry' & others- Whitsunday Tropical sto

[craigjv]

The Whitsundays North Queensland got hammered by a tropical low yesterday..

One of my favourite local multis here; Brandy creek Ferry' was one of the over 25 unfortunate victims that ended their days on the man made rockwalls in the last twenty four hours..

Rocks are definitely not as forgiving as mangroves!

I managed to get some footage at high tide in the morning as well as at the height of the storm at low tide yesterday afternoon. ( uploading to youtube at time of posting; embedded videos should be below, check back later if thir still uploading)

[VIEWER WARNING: May cause distress to uninsured boat owners and the general Boatophile..]

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1-rHWQUqOoA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

high tide, including at the WSC hardstore area where my TT680 had a 'front row seat' view; close enough to get breaking waves within a few metres of it..A bit Nail-biting for me.

Some boats have already broken loose; I saw one that had been 'secured' to a mooring with nylon twine..

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vwmAHN-Tscc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Low tide, things start to go horribly pear-shaped..

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ePKJAhHWwig" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

the aftermath, 24 hours later...

 

[SCANAS]

Thanks for posting.

 

[hump101]

Thanks for capturing that. Terrible thing to see. Do you have any "lessons learned" that might be valuable in the future?

 

[craigjv]

Thanks for capturing that. Terrible thing to see. Do you have any "lessons learned" that might be valuable in the future?

After nearly losing my Cat moored in the same bay a few years ago when 52 boats went in 24 hours from a freak northerly-I decided to tie up in the mangroves as I was too poor for insurance/marinas.. It survived two direct hits by cyclones (Ului & Anthony) then it was decimated by the storm surge from cyclone Yasi; 600km away. The 10cm thick trunk mangrove trees were uprooted and ended up still tied to the beams of my International 23, well up shore. The rest of the boat was in pieces smaller than 1 metre square.

Personal lessons learnt: Got a real job, I bought a trailer boat, and insured it.

Lessons learnt by locals who've seen it before are; Move to a marina or a decent sheltered anchorage for summer or find a creek to run up (not always so easy in a multi..), keep an eye on the BOM charts so you have days of warning.

Of worthy note; the price of Development...

20 years ago this anchorage was mainly mangrove shores, with some rocky areas- but the majority of the bay is now man-made rockwalls.. Airlie Lagoon, Abel pt marina, VMR point, WSC, Boathaven marina, whisper bay, Mandalay pt's 'Gingerbread house' etc. The other downside to that is the debris is greatly increased thanks to the grinding on the rocks, and no mangroves to stop all the shit from heading out into our Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and mixing it up with the recent mining tailings dumps allowed by QLD Govt..

Sure, there is more marina space for shelter these days (doubtfully effective in a true blow apparently in some local eyes), but nowhere for the poor old unisured 'grotty yachty' to tuck in close to the centre of town like the old Muddy Bay 'Village' of yesteryear. Airlie Beaches 'Heyday' in my opinion..

 

[Doug Lord]

Thanks for that-so terribly unfortunate.

 

[cynophobe]

 

[GybeSet]

jesus

when was the last time this happened, less than a year ago ?

 

[craigjv]

Geez, and it could have been so much uglier too..

Chippy, Can you fill us in on some details? Did they have it running before dropping the mooring and it just couldnt power off or something else went awry? And did the guys get thrown into the water just from the pitching or some other reason?

Crazy...!

That surely was one tough hull, built by the Titanic's builders &Designed as a Thames river barge.. From my vantage point it was amazing to see the hull not flexing at all with that pounding even at her age!! different story on the shithouse deckhouse/ superstructure tho...

 

[janj70]

What a fuck'n joke. There is no excuse for what happen. There was plenty of warning and it is that season. Each one of those owners should be charged with negligence and made to pay for the clean up and stop fucking putting our insurances up.

 

[shane beyer]

What a fuck'n joke. There is no excuse for what happen. There was plenty of warning and it is that season. Each one of those owners should be charged with negligence and made to pay for the clean up and stop fucking putting our insurances up.

Your totally right those that left their boats out there and had insurance should not be payed out .

In this area we have lost about 300 boats in 4 years and a lot of those are just neglect. She will be right someone else will pay for it attitude has to stop.

 

[envy]

Ex- Cyclone Oswald that Battered Qld has made its way down to Sydney

We are expecting a 5.6 mt swell on monday night/ tuesday morning

http://swell.willywe...port-beach.html

 

[furr_ball]

Will not be surprised if the damage bill from Oswald is up there.

As a cyclone it did some damage.

It started in the gulf first and then has basically travelled the east coast of QLD and onto NSW.

Whitsundays, Gladstone, Rockhampton and regions took a hammering.

As Ex tropical cyclone it has flooded Bundaberg, Maryborough, Gypmie, Noosa, Brisbane, Ipswich and is now flooding Northern NSW rivers and on it's way further south.

The Lockyer valley that lost so much in 2011 has again been hammered, some 400 - 500mm rainfall.

Their creeks and rivers are over the 2011 flood heights.

The actual geographical area this storm has covered is immense.

Sad to see all the damage and lost lives.

Be safe.

 

[SCANAS]

There are two fixed keel yachts and a big cat washed up in front of the airport at redcliffe, guessing they came from Scarbrough. I think the rocks end just past the leads and they are likely to be on mud. Can't get close to make out names etc.

 

[Shute Man]

Will not be surprised if the damage bill from Oswald is up there.

As a cyclone it did some damage.

It started in the gulf first and then has basically travelled the east coast of QLD and onto NSW.

Whitsundays, Gladstone, Rockhampton and regions took a hammering.

As Ex tropical cyclone it has flooded Bundaberg, Maryborough, Gypmie, Noosa, Brisbane, Ipswich and is now flooding Northern NSW rivers and on it's way further south.

The Lockyer valley that lost so much in 2011 has again been hammered, some 400 - 500mm rainfall.

Their creeks and rivers are over the 2011 flood heights.

The actual geographical area this storm has covered is immense.

Sad to see all the damage and lost lives.

Be safe.

Need to correct the above.

As a cyclone Oswald only affected the western side of Cape York.

As a low pressure system it has been a total bastard, I think I still heard it being called a cyclone today.

 

[WetnWild]

There are two fixed keel yachts and a big cat washed up in front of the airport at redcliffe, guessing they came from Scarbrough. I think the rocks end just past the leads and they are likely to be on mud. Can't get close to make out names etc.

I believe the cat is Schools Out. Got a hole in it too.

 

[Rasputin22]

What a fuck'n joke. There is no excuse for what happen. There was plenty of warning and it is that season. Each one of those owners should be charged with negligence and made to pay for the clean up and stop fucking putting our insurances up.

Especially when they end up on the rocks with two perfectly good anchors hanging in their chocks that might have made the difference. That and roller furling sails still aloft and awnings and biminis that haven't been taken down are just signs of an insurance job!

 

[PIL66 - XL2]

Very hard to watch..

I almost bought Brandy Creek in the late 90's and she remained a fav of mine........sad

I have to agree with janj70 on his comments.

 

[fungus]

My hull Insurance has gone up 40% in 2 years without making a claim. I think that sums the situation up.

 

[cynophobe]

My hull Insurance has gone up 40% in 2 years without making a claim. I think that sums the situation up.

5 1 /2 yrs ago my house insurance was under $2000 is now over $6000.When I see pics of brand new estates under water it all becomes clear.Then to hear of the obscene profits made by insurance companies I really get pissed off.