Marine Rescue Jervis Bay in dash to help fishing trawler
by Ken McManus on 17 Mar 2015
Jervis Bay 40 Ken McManus
At 6:33 tonight the anxious skipper of a 17.5m fishing trawler radioed Marine Rescue Shoalhaven with an urgent call for assistance.
The trawler, with two crew aboard, was on its way to Ulladulla to go on the slips for repairs to the hull which had recently been taking on water. This leak had suddenly increased and the vessel’s pumps were unable to cope with the rate at which the water was now coming in.
The skipper was gravely concerned that his vessel was in danger of losing the battle.
Marine Rescue Shoalhaven immediately contacted Marine Rescue Jervis Bay which was closer to the vessel’s position and the duty crew of Peter Kielar, Skipper, with Graham Robins, Ross Harlen and Russell Pauley raced to Jervis Bay 40, which is moored as HMAS Creswell.
Jervis Bay 40 reached the stricken vessel at 7.25pm and the Marine Rescue crew activated their emergency pump and began their fight to bring down the water level.
These efforts were successful and the water inside the hull was lowered to a safe level enabling the trawler skipper to see where the water was coming in. He has made an emergency repair and will stay overnight at the 'Hole in the Wall', a sheltered anchorage inside Jervis Bay.
In the morning, the trawler skipper plans to continue for Ulladulla, some 20nm further south. He will be escorted by Jervis Bay 40 for approximately half the journey where the escort will be taken up by Marine Rescue Ulladulla 30.
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