boat capsizes

[pojo]

Has anybody heard the name of the boat that capsized at swaines reef this morning.

[Mr__Bean]

The Bell Cay.

See here:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...11/2979516.htm

- Darren

[saltchaser]

thanks for the update mr bean seems all is well

[Angla]

Sounds like a very good result.

Very lucky.

Cheers
Chris

[ifishcq1]

A lot of fellas knock pro fishers but the bloke who picked up all the guys in the water was a pro from Gladstone who really should get a good rap
we have had a few different stories and the freak wave theory probably doesn't rate if they were in a lagoon as stated earlier today

cheers

[Mister]

The old Coralita had seen more miles in more difficult places than a simple wind change on the swains. Fifty odd knots is nothing but sitting exposed to the reef as it appears then it had no chance and comes down to lack of experience. The freak wave theory is rubbish.

This same boat has riden out 100 knot (the anemometer only went to 100 knots) blows in the same area but the original builder of this boat was a lot more experienced and knew just about everything there was to know about this area, he pioneered the area.

Probably the best tribute to Wally is to leave the boat on the reef, this is where it deserves to stay, for good.

[seastorm]

I was out there in the storm on the Iron Joy we where in the same area as the Bell Cay the day before but heard the weather report and went south for more protection, there was 8 other boat up near Herald Prong 2 when we left we went down to Suprise Reef it was blowing NNE at 20knts and was going to swing to the SSW at 35knts. At around 4am I went up to the wheel house and looked on the radar and it was a big storm the boat was swinging 360 deg. From what we heard the Bell Cay had anchored up on the southern side of the reef and when the wind change came through was pushed up on the reef. I will try and post a photo of the radar screen.

[bigbrian47]

mister is wally still alive???
last time i spoke to him was several years ago he was living in taroom
fished with him a number of times terrific company
incredibly knowledgeable on the reef
as you say he was a pioneer
cheers brian

[mark taylor]

wally pased away a while back,there was plenty of tributes to him at the time., his boys roy and alex are still around the traps

[bigbrian47]

thanks for that mark

[Mister]

mister is wally still alive???
last time i spoke to him was several years ago he was living in taroom
fished with him a number of times terrific company
incredibly knowledgeable on the reef
as you say he was a pioneer
cheers brian

No Wal passed on in 2005. In 2007/08 GBRMPA named "Mullers reef" in tribute of Wally.

when we left we went down to Suprise Reef

"Surprise reef" now that was originally named by Wally as was a heap of others.

Both his boys are still up there but if they are chips off the same block would depend on which you look at it?

In the days of the longliners the Coralita once steamed from sunrise to almost sunset along one particular long long line trying to cross it and Wal was thinking of having to cut it but eventually came to the end just before dark.

He also lost confidence in the Aus Navy and gave up reporting Taiwanese boats in the Swains as the Patrol boats were banned from the reef even though Wal offered many times to escort them in, the Taiwanese knew this and simply sat inside the reef until they left.