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GILow · 09-09-2020, 16:37

Very good news on my morning commute!

I am wondering if some uncomfortable questions will be asked about their VHF though. They should have been able to check in on that whole journey.

**StuM** · 09-09-2020, 16:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

To get to Salt Creek they will have entered at the Murray Mouth... possibly Goolwa was listed as their destination because - after all - who had ever heard of Salt Creek before today..

I would be asking questions of the SAR people.... whose idea was it to only extend the search area ( according to the ABC post above ) as far as Victor Harbour whch is well short of the entrance to the Coorong in an area where prevailing winds are from north through W to SW?

Edit... this ( entering the Coorong ) of course assumes they are 'inside' near Salt Creek and not bobbing around in the ocean... not the sort of coast where one would anchor off the beach and go ashore for a picnic...

My assumption, given engine problems on the way and the fact that one report says water police are heading for them, is that they are still outside.

And yes, the SAR effort does seem to have made a strange decision as to how far east to search.

**Wotname** · 09-09-2020, 17:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by GILow

Very good news on my morning commute!

I am wondering if some uncomfortable questions will be asked about their VHF though. They should have been able to check in on that whole journey.

Also some questions maybe in the offing about comms in general. Surely they were aware of the search effort. No phone, no VHF, no AM radio

- what else doesn't work.

I am very glad they are safe but so far the limited info suggests a litany of errors.

IslandHopper · 09-09-2020, 18:18

Under tow to Goolwa or Victor Harbor as we speak....video in link....and the way it looks like the crew are shouting across to the Police boat maybe the radio is not the best...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-...creek/12647950

Quote:

They are expected to be towed back to Goolwa or Victor Harbor behind the police boat Investigator II.

GILow · 09-09-2020, 19:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

Under tow to Goolwa or Victor Harbor as we speak....video in link....and the way it looks like the crew are shouting across to the Police boat maybe the radio is not the best...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-...creek/12647950

I am tempted to ask... "what radio?".

I mean SURELY they knew people would have been worried about them, given their last phone call. And they could have dropped in at Kangaroo Island and let people know. American River would have been an easy approach, as would Kingscote (which also would not have been a significant detour.)

This sort of thing does give boaties a bit of a bad name.

Mr B · 09-09-2020, 20:17

Two way Marine Radio and Epirb are compulsory in open waters in SA,
Marine radio must be capable of contacting people on shore,
Thats the SA regs,
In Vic, its 2 Nmiles off shore, Both compulsory,

GILow · 09-09-2020, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuM

...
And yes, the SAR effort does seem to have made a strange decision as to how far east to search.

I think the SAR guys made a reasonable assumption that the boat would have called in at either of the sheltered harbours on Kangaroo Island to make repairs or get in contact with people on shore. Their failure to do either of these things would have had me looking in the same place the SAR guys were looking.

I was, however, intrigued by how far out to the south the search pattern extended. That suggests they were anticipating the potential for the current to have had a greater effect than the winds, which were, I think, predominantly from the south at the time.

**Wotname** · 09-09-2020, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by GILow

I am tempted to ask... "what radio?".

I mean SURELY they knew people would have been worried about them, given their last phone call. And they could have dropped in at Kangaroo Island and let people know. American River would have been an easy approach, as would Kingscote (which also would not have been a significant detour.)

This sort of thing does give boaties a bit of a bad name.

Do you have enough local knowledge to say if the phone coverage as shown on the map in the link is reasonably accurate or otherwise?

https://www.whistleout.com.au/Mobile...twork-coverage

GILow · 09-09-2020, 22:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wotname

Do you have enough local knowledge to say if the phone coverage as shown on the map in the link is reasonably accurate or otherwise?

https://www.whistleout.com.au/Mobile...twork-coverage

They look like Unicorn maps to me.

I don’t know anyone who has been able to get Telstra coverage all the way across the Gulf St Vincent for a start. Maybe with a proper external antenna setup it would work, but who has those? For reference neither my IPhone nor Samsung phones have never done better than about 30% from either side.

As for down near the Coorong.... it has been eight years since I sailed that area and the cover was non-existent within three hours of leaving Robe and did not come back until we were in sight of Backstairs Passage.

Investigator strait was really bad a year ago. I lost cover once I was an hour west of Kingscote. I came back out the way I went in, so I don’t know when i would have reestablished contact if I had continued west.

**Wotname** · 09-09-2020, 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by GILow

They look like Unicorn maps to me.

.........

That could explain the lack of phone calls then.

GILow · 10-09-2020, 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wotname

That could explain the lack of phone calls then.

Particularly given those were Telstra maps. If they were with one of the other carriers the cover would have been even less comprehensive.

Mr B · 10-09-2020, 00:10

From a friend thats into the official side of things,
They are considering hitting them for the costs of the search,
9.5 Grand an hour,
But we will see what happens,

IslandHopper · 10-09-2020, 00:24

Reading the latest SAPOL press release it looks like the crew made contact with the Police late last night.....

https://www.police.sa.gov.au/sa-poli...a#.X1nSM3kzbIU

Quote:

Update: Contact made with missing men on board boat

Police can confirm they have made contact with the men on board the boat missing in waters south of Port Lincoln.

About 10.20pm on Wednesday 9 September, the men on board the boat made contact with Police. Police worked with other rescue services overnight to determine the exact location of the boat.

Water Operations Unit has headed out to the south east coast to assist the men.

More information will be released once available.

Tony Higgins and Derek Robinson, 57 and 48, left Coffin Bay in a 30-foot wooden hulled fishing boat bound for Goolwa about 3pm on Thursday.

They reported engine trouble to a friend about 11pm on Friday and advised they were going to divert to Kangaroo Island.

When no word had been heard from the men, the friend raised the alarm on Sunday, and a massive search was launched.

With the assistance of aircraft from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Royal Australian Air Force and Kangaroo Island and Volunteer Marine Rescue the total search area has covered more than 103,000 square kilometres.