Signals - October 2013

Signals from Sailability
October 2013 Edition 95
p2 What’s on – Event calendar and Sailing Schedule
p3 Naval Fleet Review and Tall Ships Parade
p4 to 7 Sailing Reports and other activities.
Get Well Soon, Rory.
Rory Linski joined the group who
went out to welcome the Tall Ship
Fleet on Thursday, 3rd October. He
was thrilled with the experience and
has written an article for Signals, (p3)
A few days later, he had a nasty fall
and broke a leg. He is now recovering
in Mona Vale Hospital.
Manly Council has given us $1,000.00
to help with fuel and maintenance for
Charlie’s Chariot. (p8)
The team of Sailability NSW, of which
we are a small part, has won the
North Sydney Region Volunteer Team
of the Year Award. (p8)
Signals p1
Sailing Schedule
For latest updates visit www.mailysailability.com.au
Sailing Days
th
Dates Saturdays: 9 November. Camp Lionheart.
th
16 November. BIRDS, Inala, General Sailing. Please note; this is one week after Camp
Lionheart.
st
Sunday: 1 December. Pirate Day (President’s Cup) at Dobroyd Aquatic Centre, Canada Bay.
We need a team of volunteers for this one, please contact Eli on 9976 2747 if you would like to come and
have some fun, dressed up as pirates.
Wednesdays:
13th November. RFW, Achieve, Sunshine Pymble, Amaroo.
27th November. Arranounbai, SEALS, CAPS Forestville, HWNS.
Signals p2
Naval Review – Day 1
Bang on time, as the tall ships started to line
up to make their entry through the Heads,
the heavens opened and we were buffeted
by squalls and a choppy sea.
rd
Thursday 3 October 2013
The navy helicopter pulling the flag
In the vanguard was the Bark “Endeavour”,
the acclaimed replica of James Cook’s
famous ship of discovery. She made a
had tall ships looming up through the rain to
both port and starboard.
Some of the tall ships were easily identifiable
as they sailed or motored past – the New
Zealand Barquentine “Spirit of New Zealand”
with a silver fern across her bow; the Dutch
“Tecla” and the historic Schooner
“Oosterschelde”(one of the few sailing
vessels built in 1917 for the Atlantic trade).
The “Lord Nelson’s” name was emblazoned
across a main mast sail – a unique tall ship
operated by a British charity and sailed by
disabled and able-bodied crew.
Tom had his camera out, so we should see
some great shots of these magnificent ships
as they swung through the heads and past
George’s Head.
One of the tall ships in the rain
On Thursday 3rd October I was fortunate
enough to join MYC members, Peter,
Shelley, Tom and a visitor from the Gold
Coast, to watch the arrival through Sydney
Heads of the 16 mercantile sailing ships
signalling the start of the International Fleet
Review.
We set off on the MYC Regatta Patrol Vessel
under a leaden sky. Once past Conoee Point
at the Q Station, we made our way between
South and North Heads towards a flotilla of
pleasure craft seeking some shelter close in
shore from the strong south westerly.
The brave sightseers getting cold and wet
Bang on time, as the tall ships started to line
up to make their entry through the Heads,
the heavens opened and we were buffeted
by squalls and a choppy sea.
Last in line was the Sydney-based square
rigger “James Craig”, with the crew lining
the 33metre main mast, not a comfortable
spot in the squall, it was a fitting tribute to
the crews and passengers who sail her.
Rory.
In the vanguard was the Bark “Endeavour”,
the acclaimed replica of James Cook’s
famous ship of discovery. She made a
striking sight, her masts and rigging etched
against the cliffs of North Head.
Peter manoeuvred the craft into a good
position in the middle channel and we soon
Signals p3
Sailing Day
Saturday 5th October 2013
An integrated group of families had
contacted me early in September, asking if
we could fit them in for a day’s sailing early
in the season. I agreed to put on a special
day, on 5th October, as we are fully booked
out on programmed days from now until
January.
Some of the Laezza, Ferris and Hopkins
families at Sailability.
I did not realise that the celebrations on
Sydney Harbour would be in full swing, that
Manly Council was having their Jazz Festival
this weekend, or that Manly would be
playing in the RL Grand Final. I did suggest,
however, that they come by public transport,
so that they would get a ride on the Manly
Ferry on top of their 303 Hansa experience,
and not have to worry about parking.
Promptly at 10.00, most of our participants
arrived on the ferry, having had a
stupendous ride over, and been able to
watch our little boats from the ferry, going
for a training run. So began a lovely day,
everyone had a sail and most also had a run
on Charlie’s Chariot. It was amazing that the
couple of families who had opted to drive
managed to find parking close by. Thank you
so much to Dominic F, Sarah, Mariah,
Rosanna, Connie, Dominic L, Natalie, Grely,
Paul, Kim, Ken, Cruz, Ely, Kylie and Carlo.
You really made our day worthwhile, and
also helped with the lunch and the putting
everything away at the end of the morning. I
have a vague feeling that most of you went
over to the Jazz Festival in the afternoon to
top off the day before the long trek home.
The sailing was fabulous, with winds just at
the right strength to give a good sail,
without scaring the little kids who were
sitting on Dad’s knees.
Our very experienced team Eli, Ray, Ivan,
Mal, Jenny, Jerome, Joel, John, Ariane, Dave
G, David, Denis, Vince, Barry, Helen and
Jack swapped over jobs from rigging to
sailing to making lunch, and then to putting
away, made this one of the best days ever.
Eli.
A Glorious Wednesday
Wednesday 9th October 2013
Another glorious day today, and our early
bird helpers were out in force around 8.30 to
put the boats out, so that our sailors could
get moving early.
Sam and Jolie
Apart from bright sunshine, we also had 10
knot westerly breezes which made sailing a
very pleasant experience. Tom arrived early
and went over to pick up Charlie’s Chariot,
then Col, Brian, David, Denis, Ray put out
boats and started the rigging, Helen and Sue
Signals p4
put out the registration papers and morning
tea and we were almost ready to go. It
wasn’t long before the arrival of John and
Sheila, then Tony, Corey and Susan almost
completed the team. It was lovely to see
Rob again, after a 6 months break while he
completed some training, then John M, Jim,
Ivan, Phil, John C, Kandy, Pam, and Peter
completed the team.
When our participants arrived, it all became
worthwhile. Alan took off solo in Clea and we
didn’t see him again close to the pontoon for
2 ½ hours. Royal Far West participants
Samuel, Tyler, Dylan, Riley, Cheyenne,
Vanessa, Timothy, and Chiara fitted in their
sailing between appointments, some opting
for a support boat ride and photos being
taken by Vanessa. Next to arrive were
Rebecca, Judy, Jen, Ross and Karen, a new
group from French’s Forest. Rebecca and
Karen were brave enough to go for a sail,
while the rest sat in comfort and absorbed
the atmosphere. Sunnyfield brought Jocelyn
and Robert, for a ride on the Support Boat
and Paul, Alice and Ashley for a sail.
Some highlights in today’s program:
Karen going for her first sail ever under the
watchful eye of her carer, first time in a
boat, first time in a harness/hoist. Alan
coming back after his marathon sail
announcing that he felt utterly calm, after a
hectic morning.
Eli.
We really appreciate the help we received
from the carers, Clare, Anthony, Glenn,
Lauren (especially on the Support Boat)
Annette and Fiona.
Ivan and Rebecca
Samantha and Phill
Thank you so much to Tom, Support Boat
Driver, Corey, the observer, sailors: Ivan,
Jim, Joely, John C, John B, Samantha, Rob
and Brian: David, Pontoon Manager
Extraordinaire, Ray, our brilliant Sailing
Coordinator and the staff on the deck and
the pontoon.
Fabulous Females
Saturday 12th October 2013
Not all the helpers today were female, but a
large enough majority to make it a Fabulous
Female Phenomenon. Nicola, Bree, Helen,
Signals p5
Sarah-Jane, Jacinta, Megan, Tania, Helene,
Robyn, Alice, Sue and Eli congratulations,
you made a fine job of getting boats out,
rigging, getting boats down to the water,
driving Charlie’s Chariot, making lunch,
time-keeping, lifting boats out of the water
and putting boats away without injuring any
Manly Juniors on the way. Fantastic!!!!
Of course, we needed a few males for the
more mundane jobs like sailing, lifting the
heavier equipment, rowing over to pick up
Charlie’s Chariot, and being Pontoon
Manager. We do appreciate the fact that
Jack, Ray, Jerome, Peter, Vince, Tony,
Evelyn, David, John and Tom were there to
give us a hand, but, you have to admit, the
girls were out in force this morning.
We made a very good job of getting boats on
the water early, in case the wind came up.
Thankfully, this did not eventuate. We had
both solo sailors in 2.3’s, Alan and Phillip out
at the same time, keeping the Support Boat
busy. We also got Duke of Ed volunteer Jack
out solo in a 303, and he came back letting
us know that he is now confident enough to
take out one of our participants next time.
Maurine, Jonathon, Judy, Anna, Ashley, Kerri
had a great sail before the crowds arrived,
then Peter, Jon, Vanessa, Matt came down,
followed by Stuart, Brad, Carlo, Dirk, Steve
and May from BIRDS. Another glorious day
down at Manly and we all feel that our rest is
well-deserved.
join us in the near future, and there were
several other feelers put out.
Return to Sport 2013
Friday 11th October 2013
Sailability Manly joined the Sailability NSW
team at Return 2 Sport, 2013 on Friday,
11th October, 2013. Denis and Eli were our
representatives who went out to Olympic
Park to help promote the Sailability activity
to disability organisations who are looking
for opportunities to get their participants out
into the community.
The fast paced wheelchair basketball game
with 2 Harlem GlobeTrotters in the
forground, and Leisl Tesch moving very
quickly in the background.
We were lucky enough also to see a
promotion for the Harlem Globetrotters, and
watched 2 of them climb into wheel-chairs
and enjoy the thrills and spills of a very fast
game. Of course, the girls won, because
they were headed by Leisl Tesch, our patron,
and some of the Paralympic Silver medallists
from 2012.
Denis and a potential customer
It was a well organised morning, and we
were able to get our message out to lots of
interested parties. We expect that Sam will
Signals p6
Thursday, 10th October
Wednesday 23rd October
What a sight it was on Charlie’s Chariot watching
the Tall Ships leave Sydney Harbour as the last of
the activities of Navy Fleet week unfolded. The 17
tall ships provided a spectacular parade as they
made their way down the harbour off to New
Zealand. Included in the parade of these
magnificent ships was the Lord Nelson, only one of
two training ships fitted out to accommodate
people with disabilities as it includes lifts and
Braille signage.
Our experienced Wednesday crew readied 6 dinghies
and Charlie’s Chariot this morning, to ensure that our
booked participants managed to get a sail in before the
strong westerlies took hold. We were very pleased to
welcome Dane, who is going to give us an expert hand
for the next couple of sailing days, sponsored by his
firm, Zurich Insurance.
Sydney Harbour never looked so majestic. A big
thanks to the Royal Australian Navy for providing
such a wonderful week of maritime festivities.
Our hard-working deck crew, Helen in the registrar’
chair, time-keeper Kandy, Life-jacket coordinator Sheila
were kept busy during the morning with our groups
from Dee Why Primary Special Class, House With No
Steps, St Ives MAPS. Helen was also kept busy providing
cups of tea to weary returning sailors.
keeping the children interested. Next time, Hepi will
also be brave enough to sail or go on the support boat.
Oliver, John and Leesa arrived for their sail, but we
could only get Leesa and John to sail, while Oliver
watched from a distance. Thanks to their helper, Aran,
they were no trouble at all.
Mikey, Craig, Stephen, Nina were quick to get into lifejackets and then into the boats, but unfortunately, Paul
missed out on a sail because the wind just became too
strong, so we closed proceedings for the day. Thanks,
Belinda for being such a big help with this group.
Sailors: Ivan, John. B., Sam, Peter, Brian, Joel were
careful not to get anyone wet in the progressively heavy
weather, with John W. and Corey in Charlie’s Chariot
keeping their eye on things, and giving us constant
updates on wind-strength. David, on the pontoon was a
tower of strength using the boat hook to capture errant
boats. Also of great help on the pontoon were Phil,
Tony, Ray and Caroline.
Winston, Sam, Nicholas, Alysha, Adam, Nathan, Josh,
Max, Ivy Sean and Hepi also enjoyed their experiences
today. Not all sailed, and not all crewed on the support
boat, but all had a good time and saw lots of amazing
sights, like the dolphin that kept swimming up and
down next to the pontoon, trying to catch a glimpse of
children. Their teacher, Miss Barry, was a great help in
Sam and Jolie getting ready to sail.
Signals p7
Sailing Report, 26.10.13
A cool morning and strong breezes were a weather
feature this morning. With
a steady 10
knot SSE forecast, we decided to go ahead with
sailing, and see what happened. Luckily, the wind
did not get any stronger, and the day warmed up
as we got going. A strong volunteer team of Bob,
Sailing Coordinator, David W, Boat Operations
Manager, Peter H, Pontoon Manager, John
(Support Boat Driver) Britta, observer, got the day
moving. David G was busy doing some
maintenance work. Sailors Dane, Ray, Mal, Ivan,
Vince, Helene and Crosbie were kept busy taking
turns, while Ariane, Peter H, Jerome, and John
helped on the pontoon, and Ray kept time on
deck. Helen was the registrar, Joely the life-jacket
lady, Marie was the chef, Patrick and Tania fitted
in where needed. Jack managed to get in a couple
of extra sailing lessons, as the breeze was too
strong today for him to take anyone with a
disability out sailing. He also managed to get in
some good knot practice.
and Mavic from Rap’n’Rave, Anna, Grant, Ashley
and Kerri from Washington House, and Vanessa.
We were rewarded by the most beautiful smile
from Vanessa while she was out sailing with Vince.
Philip arrived later, but decided not to try out his
new rudder indicator on the water as the wind was
a fraction too much. He did, however try it out on
the deck, and will give it a spin next time.
The best thing to report was the cooperation that
is now obvious between all the traffic on the deck
around lunch-time. We managed to get everything
put away at the same time as the Juniors and
Manly Sailing were getting their gear out and set
up without any bumping or hassling. A great result
after a couple of weeks of figuring out how things
have to work to reduce risk to all parties.
Presentation of North Sydney Region
Volunteer of the Year Award.
The winner for 2013 is
Sailability NSW.
Jack, Mark, Denis, Malcolm, Helen, Paula
Duncan, Eli.
Manly Council Presentation of Donations.
On Thursday, 31st October, Manly Council
presented us with a donation of $1,000 to help us
with the maintenance and fuel for Charlie’s
Chariot.
Kandy was there to accept it.
Tony was a tower of strength in his roles of radio
fixer and general helper. Alan sat near the
registration desk and waited for the wind to die
down to enough knots to make it safe for him to
sail, and Megan kept everyone amused as they
walked in. Our sailors today were Maurine, Luca,
Megan, then Heley, Bart, Rodney, Daniel, Jordan
Heley helping to sail.
Signals p8
Committee Members
President
Brian Guest
9977 2577
Treasurer
Patrick Alexander
9913 9848
Vol/ Sec/SNSW Rep
Eli Demeny
9976 2747
Maintenance/Safety
Barry Newell
0404 470 195
Memberships
Helen Hendry
9949 6667
MYC representative
Jackie Morgan
9949 7847
Social Sec
Sue Gladstone
9938 1391
Race organizer
Helene Francois
9879 7414
Webmaster
Alan Bimson
0400 328 268
Committee
Peter Hamilton
9975 1434
Members.
Ray Rampton
9400 2006
Peter Singer
9416 8749
Evelyn Shervington
Ralph Newman
9976 2134
9451 9462
NSW Rep.
Denis Linney.
9939 0320
Marketing.
Kandy Tagg
9977 1015
Minutes Secretary
Alice Cleary
0432 701 805
Sponsors
Patron. Jean Hay, Mayor of Manly
Hugh Treharne: Donation $2,500
Manly Yacht Club.
Manly Council. Maintenance and Fuel for Charlie’s Chariot.
$1,000.00
• Bunnings, Warringah Mall. Regatta Prizes, barbecue.
• Manly Sunrise Rotary. $3,000 donation. New sail and support
for Royal Far West School of Sailing
• Bendigo Bank. Shirts and Brochures.
• Cromer Golf Cub. New Boat, Black Swan
• Cerno Insurance. $12,000 donation
• Blackbaud Pacific: $500
• Jeff Smit at Premier Automotive, Beacon Hill. Inspection for
trailer
We thank all of our sponsors for their generous and ongoing support
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Signals Editor: Lianne McGrory
0412 007 388
Signals p9