Faced with the dire warning of a possible catastrophic weather incident as Tropical Cyclone Alfred gathered pace offshore, The Boat Works swung into action, implementing their proven extreme weather strategy to secure the yards, vessels on land and water, and reassure tenants and boat owners.
From February 22 when the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) alerted the public to the tropical low that had begun gathering off Cairns, to 3 March when its effects were being felt in strong winds, record rainfall and high sea swells, the team at The Boat Works had adequate time to strategise and prepare.
This advance warning allowed The Boat Works’ team of 30 staff and 100 tenants to take proactive measures in mitigating risks across both facilities, from the 150 in-water service berths to the 300 out-of-water allocations, including sheds and hardstand areas.
As well as full-time caretakers on-site, The Boat Works has a full procedural plan that is enacted in extreme weather events: concrete blocking and strapping down boats on the hardstand, double tying vessels, communicating with tenants and owners, checking the River front, rigging inspections of all mast yachts, securing furlings and sail bags, additional fenders and ropes around the boats on water.
Owner, Tony Longhurst said the event brought into sharp focus the importance of “having the right infrastructure in place to securely accommodate over 450 boats in a safe haven, high and dry”.
“The Boat Works has 100 on-site sheds so Captains and boat owners have peace of mind knowing their vessels would be hauled out and bunkered down, well-protected from the elements.
“Those boats that remained on the water were securely tied with extra ropes and fenders, biminis and tenders were removed, and our team did everything possible to ensure they were safe from debris and collision with other boats moored in the River.”
Shane Subichin, The Boat Works General Manager, said that “communication was crucial”.
“Keeping in touch with boat owners, Captains and our on-site partners about preparations was vital to reassuring them we had the procedures in place to take the best possible care of their boats.
“The management team at The Boat Works kept in touch around the clock, in case conditions or road closures stopped us from getting to work, so we knew who was assigned to the different tasks.”
Fortunately, the marine trade professionals on-site who chose to carry on pre and during the cyclone were able to continue work in their workshops and sheds, protected from the elements, which ensured very little interruption to projects.
Five of the six travelift machines on-site were moved into place to protect yachts on the hardstand, as was the case for the Oyster 100, Maritimo.
Vessels were hauled out and safely secured on the hardstand and sheltered within the all-weather sheds. Across the facility a total of 400 boats were safeguarded during the extreme weather event, 275 out of the water in sheds and hardstands, and 125 in the water, including the community of liveaboard yachts and owners.
No damage was sustained and business was fully operational again by Monday 10 March.
Owners of vessels berthed at The Boat Works expressed their gratitude, one saying “Having lived through a number of cyclones they are not to be taken lightly. Preparation is key!
“This was our second cyclone on the boat and this time we had some idea of what to do. Being on the hardstand was different from experiences in the past up north in water. The concern for us being up on the blocks was that Wild Fire (a 57 Schionning catamaran) is lighter than most boats her size. We connected with The Boat Works’ shipyard operations and Micah assured us he would place one tonne cement blocks around the boat and strap her down, much to our relief.”
The owners of SV THOR, comment “As the weather forecast changed and the velocity of the wind was potentially up around 60 knots, we decided to try for a berth and staff responded immediately to our request,” they said.
“We were moved into the undercover Watershed berth on 3 March and began preparation, removing all loose items and tying or strapping those that could not be removed.
“As the forecast continued to evolve, it became apparent that 60 knot+ gusts were going to be due east, and as we were ‘nose-in’, this meant that the strongest wind would be from astern. Again, the crew from TBW responded to assist us in turning the boat around, which involved driving out, rotating and coming back in. The guys did a great job, and we re-tied without incident.
“In addition, they also offered us access to the Captains Lounge if the cyclone had made sitting it out on the vessel unbearable. We appreciated the constant contact with The Boat Works’ team checking on us.”
The Boat Works is accessed from the Broadwater and open waters by the Coomera River.
The importance of the ongoing dredging program was highlighted in the capacity of the River to take on storm surge and rainfall of this magnitude without rising to the flood levels of previous years.
Shane Subichin observed, “This is the fourth time in my 15 years at The Boat Works that we’ve had massive rain events and high tides. But this is the first time that the waters have subsided right on high tide, and that can only be attributed to the enhanced water flow of the Coomera River due to regular dredging. With that amount of rain, we could have had another half a metre here, so it’s been a real relief.”
The Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) is to be commended for its commitment to a continuous dredging program every two years, with the next round of work set to begin this year.
