Dave Powell

Captian Dave Powell, one of the longest serving members of the Society of Master Mariners South Africa passed away on Wednesday 9th May 2012.
Dave Powell trained at General Botha after which he went to sea and qualified as a master mariner. He then joined he harbour service. He retired from the harbour service as nautical adviser, based in Johannesburg.
One of his duties as the Master Mariners treasurer was to sign the first cheque payed to NSRI, which at that time was known as “ The South African Inshore Sea Rescue Service.”

Captain Powell’s funeral service will be held at St Martins in Bergvliet at 14h30 on Friday 18 May 2012.

Lyonesse was taken out of the water at RCYC.

Yesterday Lyonesse, which after her refit will become Rescue 15 and serve at Mossel Bay, was taken out of the water at Royal Cape Yacht Club and moved to Tree Tops marine in Kraaifontein. Her Electrical and interior woodwork was completed at Hout Bay’s rescue base and over the next few weeks her respray and refit will be completed at Tree Tops.

Arriving at Tree Top boat yard.

Lyonesse will undergo the final part of her refit next to Hout Bay's Spirit of MTU-Nadine Gordimer.

The 7th annual NSRI Richards Bay Island View Shipping Golf Day will be held on 28 June 2012. The format is 4-ball alliance, green fees are R275 per player incl halfway house and dinner. To book call the pro-shop 035 753 4848. Tees or green sponsorship at R1000.

The event is organised by  Veronique Lamont from Voigt Shipping on behalf of the events main sponsor Island View Shipping. The golf day is now in its 7th year and is a major contributor to Richards Bay’s annual expenses. The event would also not be possible without the support of the shipping fraternity which contribute towards and participate in the event.

In total IVS has raised approx R360,000.00 to date for sea Rescue Richards Bay.

Kyk hoe ongelyk is die bodem van die dam ... glad nie 'n veilige plek om te wees nie!

WaterWise het deel gevorm van ‘n Veiligheidsprogram vir Kinders,  wat op 8 en 11 Mei deur maatskaplikewerkers in Ceres gereel is.
Verskeie skole in die Bokkeveld is saam met o.a. die veiligheidspolisie en verkeersdepartement besoek.  (Ongeveer 500 kinders
was by hierdie waardevolle program betrek.)

Be a Hero ... Be WaterWise

Kinders luister aandagtig na WaterWise!

The new and the old.

Bakoven’s new rescue boat is nearing completion. On Saturday, after the Bakoven volunteers aboard Spirit of Rotary Table Bay had helped to evacuate 19 men from the Eihatsu Maru in Clifton, the new 6.5 metre RIB was towed from Granger Bay to Bakoven.

She fits into Bakoven’s rescue base perfectly but a few changes will need to be made to the launching trailer.

Its a tight fit but with the planned alterations the Bakoven volunteers will be able to launch the new 6.5 as usual.

Spirit of Rotary Table Bay being airlifted to safety in 2002 during a severe winter storm.

A bladder has been set up on First beach Clifton and according to news reports fuel will be pumped off the Eihatsu Maru today.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

The cable from the tug Smit Amandla to the Eihatsu Maru aground on Clifton’s First beach parted about half an hour before high tide today.

The cable from the tug Smit Amandla to the Eihatsu Maru breaks.

Monday 14 May 2012

The Eihatsu Maru, the 50 meter Japanese registered long liner is still solidly aground on Clifton’s 1st beach. Attempts to get her off the beach will resume today after bad weather made it too dangerous yesterday.

The Eihatsu Maru is still aground. Picture Andrew Ingram/NSRI

The Eihatsu Maru on Clifton's First Beach. Picture Andrew Ingram/NSRI

The 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks near Monwabisi in False Bay. Picture NSRI.

UPDATE: 15 05 2012

The full extent of the grounding of a 3.5 meter boat near Monwabisi, on the False Bay Coast, Sunday, 13th May, has been revealed.

Mario Fredericks, NSRI Strandfontein station commander, said:

“Law Enforcement, at the Monwabisi Law Enforcement offices, were alerted (at 16h40, Sunday, 13th May) by members of the public reporting that a small cabin boat was in trouble in the surf at Monwabisi, near to the picnic area, and while Law Enforcement officers launched a rescue craft to respond to the scene they alerted NSRI Strandfontein, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and Western Cape Health EMS (WC Health EMS).

“On the Law Enforcement officers arrival on-scene they found 3 men, Christian Ernstler, 45, from Belhar, Ricardo Verwey, 41, from Crawford and Michael Borghes, (aged not recorded), from Grassy Park, on the beach and all 3 men were transported to hospital by WC Health EMS ambulance suffering hypothermia and as a precaution for observations for possible secondary drowning symptoms.

“While out fishing the three men had reportedly experienced a fuel line problem to their outboard motor and while attending to the problem their craft had capsized in the surf line, 40 meters off-shore, and they had managed to swim ashore.

“NSRI Strandfontein volunteers, Law Enforcement officers and Fire and Rescue officers attempted to secure their boat which had washed onto the beach but the sea relentlessly tore their boat apart, hammering her on the beach, and large sections of the hull broke up and were washed out to sea. By 21h00 some of the boat was secured to the beach and out of further harms way.

“What could be saved of the boat will be salvaged by the owners.”

The 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks near Monwabisi.

Pictures are available from Sea Rescue’s Flickr page.

Initial report:

After a report from Cape Town City Law Enforcement officers of a 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks at the Monwabisi Beach picnic area in False Bay, NSRI’s Strandfontein volunteers were called-out.

At 16h47 on Sunday 13th, May Law enforcement officers and life-guards launched a rescue craft from Monwabisi and went to assist the craft. On arrival they found all 3 men already safely ashore and METRO EMS ambulances were summoned according to Mario Fredericks, NSRI Strandfontein station commander.

Our NSRI duty crew responded to the scene by road and assisted to secure the boat using ropes, in an effort to prevent it from being washed away.

Personal belongings of the men have also been recovered from the boats cabin and the family are due to pick up these belongings at the scene.

All 3 men that were on the boat have been transported to hospital by METRO EMS ambulance and are all in a stable condition.

NSRI do not have any further details of the three men other than that they are all men believed to have been out fishing when their boat ran aground.

The 3.5 meter boat that had run aground on rocks near Monwabisi.

The Shelly Beach duty crew launched Caltex Challenger and in a 10 knot North Easterly wind and a light half a meter swell responded to the scene. On arrival the windsurfer was seen by our crew getting up on his board and sailing for a few feet before falling off again.

According to Mark Harlen, NSRI Shelly Beach station commander, 66 year old Andre Purnell from Izotha, Port Shepstone was rescued, 1.5 nautical miles out to sea and his windsurfer was recovered.

Andre was dehydrated and suffering from some motion sickness. After being treated at our sea rescue base we gave him a lift back to his car and he required no further assistance.

Pictures by Jeremiah Jackson.

Onthou, as een van jou maats in die water val, probeer hom uithaal met enige kledingstuk of tou.

BoPlaas Primer… net soos die naam se, ‘n plaas bo in die Koue Bokkeveld waar ongeveer 200 kinders skoolgaan.

Vriendelike en hulpvaardige kinders hardloop na my motor, toe ek aangery kom.  Die skoolhek word oopgemaak en gesiggies met warm glimlagte laat my werklik tuisvoel by die skool!

Dis nog pouse, die kinders nuttig hul ete wat deur die skool verskaf word.  Die skoolhoof het
van ons afspraak vergeet, maar tref vinnig reelings en gou-gou word 3 werkswinkels ingedeel.

Terwyl ek ook soos die kinders in die sonnetjie sit en wag, gesels ek met die spannetjie wat spontaan
hier om my kom sit.  Ja, hulle swem gereeld in die somer.  Nee-nee, Pa en Ma weet nie as hulle gaan swem nie.

Ja, hulle weet ook van baie kinders wat al amper verdrink het … hulle word by die name genoem en ook die wat hulle uit die water “gered” het!

Die kinders is in 3 groepe ingedeel en het heerlik aan die werkswinkel deelgeneem.  Ek het agtergekom, as hier by BoPlaas gespeel word, speel almal lekker saam, maar as hier gewerk en geleer word, leer almal net so lekker saam!

Sorg dat jy 'n PLAN het, voordat jy gaan swem!

Allen Gulwa oefen KPR terwyl sy maats toekyk.