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The Yellow Engine Peter, Dianne & SY Leah somewhere.... From TCP # 30 our cruise back in friendly Carnavon. We had had a grand time of it, but the familiar itch to carry on and find other unexplored anchorages around Australia was strongly upon me and I began restocking my little ship with food. My crewmate, who had plied me with beautiful meals and companionship during our Shark Bay excursion wanted to come as well. I thought about it. I knew she was a good sailor, and didn't get sick or frightened, but she would be giving up a career job, a unit full of her own lovely furniture, a car and all her friends. Still, had not I done the same thing myself when the urge By Peter Utber, SY, Leah fishermans co-op. Off I happily peddled on Rusty, my to become the master of my own destiny had given me long suffering pushbike, my heart singing for there is the courage to throw off the shackles of conformity. Wispy clouds hung high in an impossibly blue sky. Poetry nothing that a cruising sailor understands more than a So away we sailed to be come time millionaires, and rested on my mind as Leah purred along singing her bargain. And it was a bargain, a great big bag of ice for easily fell into the sailors lifestyle of work, cruise, work, engine song. Ahhh! Back in Shark Bay again, one two dollars. I heaved it over Rusty's handlebars and cruise, rich, poor, rich, poor, that the cruising yachtie hundred miles of protected waterway on the Western wobbled down the hill towards the yacht basin. All was knows so well. I fell in love with my crew and came to Australian coast, a waterway which offered all the delights going well until I reached the bend at the bottom of the realize that she was not my first mate, but my best mate. that a cruising yachtie could ever hope for. Clean water, hill. A corner of the bag became entangled in the front Di and I were married on a remote beach eight years later good anchorages, crayfish, baldchin groper, a cute little wheel, jammed in the forks and stopped it dead. I did a surrounded by our extended family of cruising sailors. town called Denham, and the amazing dolphins of perfect keystone cops somersault, landed on the bitumen Guitars played long into the night under a starlit sky, my Monkey Mia that rub up against you in welcome. hard, then slid along on my backside in a shower of mentor the Southern Cross danced with the Pointers, and How happy I was to be back on board again. There is no snow. I lay there for a moment, stunned, under the close the bonfire threw long shadows at one and all . better place in the world for the wandering sailor who only scrutiny of two little girls in school uniforms standing on So what about the yellow smoke, you may ask? Well, knows one home. The brasswork on the wheel hub the footpath. One of them giggled. Then, to really cap back in Carnarvon as we were stocking Leah, Di sparkled, the paintwork fresh from a slipping, and the things off, a car came whizzing around the corner and discovered that the fire extinguisher in the aft cabin under newly installed frig. working perfectly. What did it matter nearly killed me. It was a near thing, missing me by the steps had fallen off its bracket and discharged. The that the wind had decided to stay in bed for the day? I inches; and as I limped back to the yacht basin carrying a fumes had moved through the bilge and been sucked into had only recently returned from a delivery job that buckled Rusty I resolved to explore the mysteries of the engine. The chemical result of combustion was a required of me to sail a ketch from Lemon Tree Passage refrigeration before I became an alcoholic, died of food bright yellow smoke!!! Yep, that's boats! in Port Stephens NSW, to Carnarvon Western Australia, poisoning or turned into a road statistic. via Darwin. The south east trades had blown strongly the So all was good on the fine ship Leah; cold beer, a pretty If but that I with an artist's eye, whole way and I was more than happy to enjoy some girl and a clean hull. The water was so clear we could see could draw a steady line, calm waters for a change. the seagrass gently waving back and forth on the ocean I would make a sketch of a little ketch, Whilst delivery trips are traditionally lowly paid floor, fifty feet below us. Then, unbelievably, great clouds her sails all standing fine. occupations if one bothers to work out the hourly rate, this of bright yellow smoke gushed out of the engine exhaust particular voyage which took around eight weeks set new outlet which is mounted amidships on the starboard side. With artistic flair I would daub with care, standards. The rich owners paid me nothing at all, which I blinked, then dived for the throttle lever. Thick, heavy and paint the living sea, made it easy to work out the hourly rate but left me in that and banana yellow, the smoke drifted around us as we and place upon its living back, very common predicament in which the cruising yachtie slowly came to a halt. I shut the engine down and raised my little ketch and me. often finds himself; flat broke. the hatch. What on earth would cause the engine to blow The high sand dunes stood out clearly on Dirk Hartogs yellow smoke was beyond me. My crew and I looked at With my artists quill I would draw until, island a good distance away over the starboard bow, as each other as the smoke dissipated and a total quiet my canvas told a tale, the Cape Peron Peninsular drew closer almost dead invaded us. I raised the engine hatch with a sinking of a wind filled sky and a seabirds cry, ahead. We were heading for Broadhurst Bight and hoped feeling in my stomach. Boats are like that, just when you and a lifetime under sail. to snag a mackerel on the lure before dropping anchor for think everything is going alright, it goes all wrong. the night. That would leave about twenty miles for the run Everything looked normal in the engine room, however. My canvas done would be proudly hung, tomorrow to Monkey Mia, which is a very civilized distance The Yanmar deisel gleamed with its new coat of for all the world to see, to undertake when one is in no particular hurry. Caterpillar yellow paint reflecting off the white bulkhead so they may know the reason why, My crew was a lovely lady I had met at the yacht club walls. I dipped the oil, it was normal, I checked all the a sailors life for me. during my enforced stop in Carnarvon. She was a good belts, everything was normal. Rattled, I started the motor sailor and we had got along rather well during my stay again which fired up straight away without any sign of there whilst I addressed the cash flow predicament. smoke, yellow or otherwise. There being no more tests I Ready work had been easily found in this remote town. could think of doing, we resumed our trip. I helped a member of the yacht club member modify his We had a great voyage around shark Bay over the next Shockwave catamaran by installing a solid bridge deck two weeks, swimming with the dolphins, catching crayfish and full saloon cabin between the hulls, then picked up and eating oysters. The engine ran faultlessly, but I other work around the place. Carnarvon folk are very remained puzzled. I could think of no good reason why friendly, and have a wonderful yacht club. These days on earth a thirty horsepower, three cylinder, raw water they even have a marina that they dug themselves! One cooled diesel engine would suddenly belch out bright of the members kindly made his yacht jinker available to yellow smoke for about thirty seconds. When we visited me so I hauled Leah and gave her a spit and polish. I Denham I rang Sier and Johnson the Yanmar agents in painted out the engine room and the engine and she Perth who had supplied the engine, but they had never looked smart indeed with teak decks scrubbed and jarrah heard of this phenomenon ever happening before. I appointments oiled. wasn't happy and wracked my brains, harking back to the Another job that I ticked off the list was the design and modifications I had carried out in the engine room. Sure, I fitting of a eutectic plate refrigeration system into the had installed a belt driven compressor for the refrigeration icebox. My knowledge of refrigeration systems could system, but could not for the life of me see why this would quite easily be written on the back of a postage stamp, so make the engine spew out yellow smoke. The one glaring had opted for ice or nothing at all when I had first set off fact that did stand out was that I had pulled the engine out cruising. All the books that I had devoured on the subject of the boat and did a very thorough job of painting it bright written by mentors such as Eric Hiscock and Larry and yellow with approved Caterpillar engine enamel. The Lyn Pardey told of the simplicity of preserving foodstuffs, colour selection was deliberate on my behalf; oil leaks are and the substitution of room temperature table wine for easy to spot should they occur. It seemed too much of a that great Australian icon; an icy cold beer. Thus I had coincidence that the smoke that blew out of the exhaust blundered around the West Australian coastline for a was exactly the same colour as the new engine paint. couple of years, half stung, vaselining my eggs, living on Perhaps some had entered the inlet manifold when it was pumpkin and cabbage, and throwing away crayfish and sprayed, though firstly I had stuffed plenty of rag in the other delicacies that I was too scared to eat because of manifold to prevent this, and secondly why did it wait ten the risk of food poisoning. It all came to a head in or more hours of engine running before it happened. Geraldton when I heard of the availability of chipped ice Weird indeed! in large bags for a reasonable price from the Geraldton We sailed on, circumnavigating Shark Bay and ending Peter & Di
Seasick?? Who?? Left: Anaconda made it to Lord Howe Island... too! Right: Who worries about seasick? Not me?! Story and photos by 35 knot winds. Anaconda is sailing well. The dolphins the proverbial bottom of a cocky's cage. Ines and Ari Noordhuis, SY Anaconda are with us. I have a hot Ovaltine and some sweet The little bit of saliva I swallow makes me retch some biscuits. With the auto pilot on I doze on and off in the more. We DO NOT, I repeat NOT get seasick. Good sailors cockpit as the stars come out. Strangely, the Skipper don't get seasick do they? You hear stories about some doesn't want dinner. No way I'm going below decks “Land Ahoy!” shouts the Skipper. I don't care but I turn sailors who love the sea so much they are prepared to anyway! During the night a flying fish lands on the the computer on and sure enough we are drawing close go through a 3 day acclimatization each time they leave deck. I'd read about that happening and was quite to Lord Howe Island. I feel that I have been waiting so land. Most yachties though, don't leave land for more thrilled that it was happening to us. I threw the fish long for this moment that it must be a figment of the than a couple of days at a time as they cruise the coast back into the sea and was rewarded with a smelly glove computer screen's imagination. I hate this island, I tell or a group of islands. No, you can't be the seasick type for my trouble. the Skipper before I make radio contact. Thankfully it is to enjoy the sailing life. The Skipper has never been calm in the Lagoon and we are soon following orders seasick in his life. I only had one instance of it myself, DAY TWO from Clive the harbourmaster, on to our mooring. The a day of deep sea fishing between the Heads out of Port Do you remember those old Hollywood movies of Skipper instantly cooks himself a big meal and we start Jackson. There was a big swell and only a very few skullduggery on the high seas? As battle rages on the to recover. Later, with our radio turned on, we hear how souls were immune. Of course, all that burley certainly decks the helmsman is saying “Aye aye Skipper, hard the last boat that came in had to have a crew member helped to increase the day's catch. a'lee”, as Special Effects tosses another bucket of water rushed off to the hospital, with seasickness! Later in the over him from off set. Preferring to be in the cockpit to evening we listen as a local catamaran comes in, also So when we took off on our big adventure we carried being below it amused me to think of buckets of water from Southport. They have completely lost their tarp in no seasick pills on board and if it was rather rough being tossed from offstage each time I got soused. It the rough weather. during a day's sail and we didn't feel like eating all day, ceased to be amusing when they stopped using a well, we were fine as soon as we got to land at nightfall. bucket and brought out the bloody fire hose! I am A week later I can tell you that Lord Howe is a wedged into the cockpit with my head down on a spectacular island, well worth a visit, even if you have to First Mate: “That wasn't so bad was it darling? Another sopping wet pillow. I have sopping wet gloves on my fly there. Now I know why yachties have pictures of helping of bacon and baked beans?” hands. And still I sleep! Only a call of nature can get their boats in every port of call. Each photo says, “See, I Skipper: “Mmm, thanks. Nothing more than a slight me below decks towards the end of Day 2. Once there made it here too.” queasiness earlier and we were out in big swells of 4 -5 I strip off and get under the blankets to warm up. metres with a strong wind warning of more than 40 Reality check... the few cherries I tried to eat came up knots.” again. I must be feeling seasick! Self delusional? Not at all. Not us. Time for our biggest adventure to date. We are sailing to Lord Howe DAY THREE Island. It's December and we're leaving from Southport. Can't believe it! I open my eyes and it is morning. I We checked the synoptic weather chart at the Yacht don't feel too bad. Just then we seem to pick up speed. Club ship chandlery. Nothing to deter us. The boat heels over further. I feel worse and dry retch over my bucket. I have to find out what is going on out DAY ONE there. The Skipper has dozed the night away in the After collecting fuel in the morning we set off. My cockpit and wakes to find that the wind has died a bit (a daughter rings me but I have to hang up on her to take little bit!) so he has put the full genoa out and is taking the helm as the sails are being hoisted. I intend to ring pictures of Anaconda with its sails dipping into the water. her back but a strange thing happens. Although it is We are tossing up a spectacular spray as we fly along. only about 11a.m. I fall asleep for 3 hours! Not seasick, I try to chuck some more. Having got used to being no, no, no! My system just shuts down for a while. I below I am loathe to go back up into the weather. I try take the helm for a couple of hours when I wake up, 30- to chew a square of gum because my mouth feels like Ari and Innes MARINE INSURANCE Are you getting the run-a-round trying to find the right cover? DG Marine is able to help! From Ferro to Multihulls- (including Blue Water Cruising) Also Third Party only! get an online quote: www.dgmarine.com.au or call: 0438 563 164 DG Marine From TCP # 15 FOR DIESEL BUG BUSTER CALL: www.fueltreat.com.au 1800 034 442 Contact David: solutions@fueltreat.com.au Don’t accept any “Fuel Treatment”. They are not all the same!!! Ask for FUELTREAT BC250 or FT400. Available through the following stockists: Townsville: (07) 4721 5588 (Reliance Oil) Cairns: (07) 4035 2538 (MTUDDA) Darwin: (08) 8947 0233 (AFD, Winnellie) Townsville: (07) 4774 4977 (MTUDDA) Brisbane: (07) 3899 5555 (Pacific Petroleum) Mackay: (07) 4952 2122 (MTUDDA) Brisbane: (07) 3877 6060 (MTUDDA) Bowen: (07) 4786 1954 (Reliance Oil) Gold Coast: (07) 5588 1900 (MTUDDA)
Page 1 and 2: Sept. - Oct. 2011 E-TCP E-TCP Racin
Page 3 and 4: www.fusioncats.com jim@fusioncats.c
Page 5 and 6: RACING ON RUBY On one of the days a
Page 7 and 8: TCP is printed on very modern press
Page 9 and 10: PLAIN SAILING WELCOME TO yOur ONE-S
Page 11 and 12: “The guys did an awesome job to b
Page 13 and 14: Finish Line - Official Boarding Par
Page 15 and 16: GOOD NEWS FROM TCP ADVERTISERS What
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Page 21 and 22: www.stitchitawl.com For additional
Page 23 and 24: In late 2008 while I was living at
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Page 27 and 28: INSURANCE WOES IN THE WHITSUNDAY'S
Page 29 and 30: Hi Dave, maritime case law be subor
Page 31 and 32: SEAGULL MANIA photo: Chris Ayres's
Page 33 and 34: Andy & Jenny photo Australia is for
Page 35 and 36: Lynelle & Lloyd, onboard Chappie sh
Page 37 and 38: Yacht Haven Anchorage Ratanachai Wo
Page 39: NOW IS THE TIME 0401 235 534 Adam W
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Page 51 and 52: 37' Wilf O'Kell Gaff Cutter Reduced
Page 53 and 54: The BareBones Project-The Editor Bu
Page 55 and 56: AUCTION NOTICE Sailing & Motor Yach
Page 57 and 58: Sail on Vicky It is with deep sadne

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