Cruising through winter
Cooloola Rescue III out of the water for the engines and sterndrives servicing
Finally the weather has settled into a pattern where the rains have lessened and the big southeast trade winds are calming down.
This means a bigger workload for Coastguard Tin Can Bay with the annual migration of yachties from southern latitudes coming over the Wide Bay Bar and through the Sandy Straits on their way north.
Just like the grey nomads heading north for the winter in caravans, there are a surprisingly large number in boats doing the same thing.
In order to keep us ready to respond to any calls for help during this busy period, we have just had Cooloola Rescue III out of the water for the engines and sterndrives to be serviced, an expensive exercise.
Fortunately she was only out of service for one day. Our secondary vessel, however, is out of service for a week while local boat repair guru, Mark Parry, gives her a first ever antifoul and a cosmetic makeover.
With antifoul, she can stay floating at our pontoon ready for action, where she is mainly used to assist local boaties needing assistance on waters inside the bar. Both vessels were hauled out thanks to the great crew at the Tin Can Bay Marina.
Our crews continue to upgrade and maintain their skills with frequent training sessions. To a casual observer, it seems like our boats are always breaking down. However, we regularly practice our vessel recovery techniques and our crew drills.
If you see us on the water, wave and say hi; if you see us at the Country Club on Friday nights, come buy a raffle ticket. Your support is vital to our ability to help you when you need it on the water. Safe boating.
