Captains Log January 2009 Melbourne.

Since the last log entry in October as part of The 2008 Pelican Hope Vale Project, Pelican 1 has made her way to Melbourne. After a short lay up in Cairns, we sailed south at the beginning of December, arriving in Melbourne just before Christmas. Sadly, the journey was broken by the death of my dear father who passed away in Melbourne on December 17. Ken was a great supporter of Pelican. He did all the bookkeeping and finances throughout the building process and for the early years of Pelican’s operation. He inspired me and many others with his passion for the sea, the wilderness and for adventurous undertakings. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.

Our journeys in 2008 up and down Australia’s east coast have been notable for the increasingly volatile and unpredictable weather. Sailing north in July we encountered two low-pressure systems, each with winds well in excess of 60 knots. The Bureau of Meteorology had not predicted these systems to have that level of intensity. I am pleased to report that Pelican sailed through both of them without incident or damage.

Heading south in December we found that the weather forecasts were rarely dependable beyond 24 hours. Although based on purely anecdotal evidence, it is my observation that weather patterns are becoming more extreme, increasingly volatile and difficult to predict with any degree of reliability. I have also noticed differences in the behaviour of the East Australian Current. These differences may be accounted for within normal long - term fluctuations nevertheless they are worth commenting upon.

In a sailing vessel the difference of even half a knot of current can have a serious impact on daily distance covered. When viewed over a week it can account for a variation of a full day. When, as sometimes happens, the current exceeds 3 knots the effect on sailing time is dramatic. As sailors we are sensitive to these variations and invest some time in trying to locate the most efficient sailing route to take advantage, or limit our disadvantage. For the last five years as part of our annual migrations between Victoria and Cape York we have observed variations in the current. In 2008 these movements appeared to be more variable with the current generally less powerful than observed in the past. On many occasions it was moving in the opposite direction. We have observed this in previous years but not to the same extent. The degree to which these observations can be attributed to climate change is open to debate but I am getting similar feedback from friends sailing in other parts of the world. This trend is both generally predicted and commonly observed.

As world events unfold I can only marvel at the lack of action and leadership from governments. Scientific opinion is now firmly stating that the effects of global warming are attributable to human CO2 emissions and that if we fail to reverse this trend we will face global disaster on a previously unimagined scale. Current science tells us that we need to reduce carbon in the atmosphere from the present 388 parts per million (ppm) something in the order of 300 – 350 ppm. We have the technology to achieve this target and there is no reason for despondency. On the contrary large - scale public involvement in renewable energy based solutions will invigorate both the community and the economy. In this context Kevin Rudd’s 5% CO2 reduction target is a pathetic kowtowing to vested interests and tells us more about his reading of the polls than it does about what actually needs to be done. It is clear that we cannot expect leadership from our government. It is time for each of us to find ways of stopping the CO2 train and sending it back in the opposite direction before it results in a wreckage that takes us all down. If we fail in this the loss of the Great Barrier Reef and the Murray Darling system will be the tip of the proverbial iceberg in a landscape of environmental degradation and human suffering on a scale that none of us are prepared for. Lets all think about what contribution we can make to help bring about changes the planet so desperately needs.

Welcome friends to the “Two Bays” project for 2009

Saturday Jan 10 2009

Two Bays 09 Launch at Docklands

The “Two Bays” project was launched today with a modest ceremony at Boatman’s Landing in Melbourne’s Docklands. Giant puppets Weedy Seadragon and P. Pelican were in attendance as Janet Bolitho  (Port Phillip Council) introduced Caroline Briggs for a Welcome to Country, Ian Walker (Parks Victoria) and Gloria Gardiner (Caring for Our Country business team) to talk about their respective programs and their involvement in Two Bays 09. Participants at the launch were then invited aboard Pelican 1 for a circuit of the docklands on a warm summery Melbourne day.

In partnership with Parks Victoria we have secured two “Caring for Our Country” grants. The grants enable us to plan for 2010 and to incorporate far more Indigenous involvement. Eventually this will mean we can produce curriculum for Victorian schools based on the synergies between the marine science work of Two Bays and the Boonwurrung Creation stories.

Sunday Jan 11 2009

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Photo: Freddy Leeong

The first day of the project proper involved a trip to Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, which was established in 2002.  The day is coordinated by Joe Mumford (Marine Care/ Parks Vic).  Participants included Mark Norman and Julian Finn from Museum Victoria and Roger Fenwick from Parks Victoria who came along to document the habitat and marine life of the park using SCUBA and high res video. A number of keen still photographers were also present to help with documentation. We were fortunate to encounter a near perfect day with calm conditions and good visibility. In less than two hours of underwater time the team found and filmed more than 25 species of fish including: Rosy Wrasse, Blue throat Wrasse, Globe fish, Toad fish, Hula fish, Dragonet, Red Mullet, Moonlighter, Seasweep, Zebra fish, Port Jackson shark, Sparsely spotted stingray, Weed Whiting, Horned Blenny, Victorian Scaly fin, Horse Leatherjacket, Six spine Leatherjacket, Pygmy Leatherjacket, Yellow striped Leatherjacket, Chinaman’s Leatherjacket, Dusky Morwong, Magpie Morwong, Goby, Triplefin, Snapper, Gobbleguts, Pilchard and the common Stingray.

Museum Victoria and Parks Victoria have kindly made some of this footage available to Pelican Expeditions and we will post it on our web site as soon as we overcome the technical issues involved

Photo: Freddy Leeong

This was a real eye opener for me being as I am very familiar with this area. I grew up in a house just a stones throw away and snorkelled here on a regular basis for many years. By my late teens (i.e. early seventies) you could cover thousands of meters of reef here without seeing a single fish. The sea grass beds were nonexistent and the weed was seriously depleted. It was a virtual desert with little life of any kind except perhaps sea anemones and starfish with the odd toad or porky pine puffer in attendance. To a large extent this was due to people such as myself punishing the sea life with regular spear gun patrols, effectively wiping out edible species and even non-edible species and undersize fish although I was not personally guilty of the latter. I was delighted to see such a remarkable recovery since the establishment of the Marine Park. It leaves me with a warm glow and lends support to the value of such sanctuaries where fish can recover and hopefully populate the surrounding areas. In the case of Port Phillip Bay I believe more areas need to be made available for marine parks to facilitate this.

Photo: Freddy Leeong Nudibranch

A second group in the afternoon was comprised of local council members and environmental groups who volunteer their time in support of the Marine Sanctuary. An outing on Pelican is a lovely reward for all the hard work they do as well as an opportunity to get out and enjoy the sanctuary.

Other participants on the day snorkelled, swam, networked or just soaked up the sun. In the afternoon we steamed along the base of the Beaumaris cliffs to Mentone then sailed back to drop people off at Black Rock jetty before returning to Gem Pier at Williamstown.

Monday Jan 12

Councillors and infrastructure managers on Pelican.

Today Pelican provides an opportunity for local port and coastal managers of Port Phillip Bay to meet and discuss a range of management and regulation issues. The day is facilitated by Wayne Hill from Parks Vic. Pelican does a tour of the northern end of the bay taking in Williamstown, Altona, Brighton, Elwood and St Kilda. Often meetings of this nature fail to engage participants. They are often conducted in airless offices in front of white boards. Today the participants sit on Pelican’s decks with the wind in their hair viewing their city from the perspective of the water, many of them for the first time. In the past the assets they manage have been observed or described primarily through photos or verbal description.  Today by contrast is a dynamic experience directly connected to the value of the public assets they are responsible for managing. They sit en masse on Pelican’s trampoline earnestly discussing the ins and outs of a range of issues as they are highlighted by what they are observing. Many comment about the success of the day and how they would like other colleagues to be able to participate in a similar process.

Dog beach on Brighton foreshore.

Tuesday Jan 13

Cormorants roosting on a navigational aid at Pt Cook Marine Sanctuary

The Point Cook Marine Sanctuary, like Ricketts Point on the other side of the bay, has been established for about six years. The park is only 15 km from the centre of Melbourne and yet provides a quiet haven for an amazing array of marine life.  It is protected from nearby suburbs by coastal dunes and adjacent wetlands that form a part of the Point Cook Coastal Park.  The  marine sanctuary is made up of a series of rocky reefs, rising from the sea floor, the remains of volcanic activity and a lava flow across the western plains thousands of years ago.

We will undertake the first habitat mapping conducted since the Reserve was formed. The Parks Victoria team, led by Steffan Howe (Manager Marine Science), will use GPS technology in tandem with still and video pictures to create a detailed snapshot of species currently inhabiting the area and their state of health. The footage will also be analysed to document habitat types in the Park. This can be used as a direct comparison with future observations and is one method used to evaluate the success or otherwise of the park.  It also helps to gauge the impact of threats to the marine sanctuary.

Steffan Howe (PV) and Mark Rodrigue (PV) working out the habitat mapping methodology at Pt Cook.

Bernie McCarrick one of the Park Rangers, gave an insightful talk about the Cheetham Wetlands, which are situated adjacent the Point Cook Coastal Park and the Marine Sanctuary. The Parks and Wetlands host thousands of migratory birds from as far away as Siberia and Japan. Birds travel to this area to escape the northern hemisphere winter and enjoy the wetlands habitat of Port Phillip Bay. The site has international significance and is listed under the Ramsar convention. We could not travel close enough to shore, as we were busy mapping the marine sanctuary and could only imagine the many shore birds, enjoying their summer vacation. Their pond’s water levels are regulated directly through pumping and water flow controls. I was impressed by the supportive human infrastructure that supports these hardy feathered travellers.

Bernie McCarrick talking about the Cheetham Wetlands and the migratory birds that find their summer home there.

Wednesday Jan 14

We travel today from Williamstown to Geelong. Mark Rodrigue from Parks Vic is one of the people without whom the Two Bays project could not happen. His enthusiasm and support has inspired the involvement of both his own organization as well as Pelican Expeditions. Today he has invited Mark Smith from Port Phillip and Westernport CMA, another of our project partners, along. We follow the western shoreline of Port Phillip. Mark Smith shows a particular interest in the spit marine reserve near Avalon Airport, as it is difficult to access by land. We take Pelican in beyond the 2-meter line just a few hundred meters off shore but strong on shore winds make it hard to launch dinghies and we decide to leave closer inspection for a day with more suitable conditions.

The western shoreline of Port Phillip Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula are part of an important wetland system and recognised under the Ramsar convention. Mark Rodrigue (PV) and Mark Smith (CMA) represent part of a larger group of agencies and organizations that have just launched a project to help protect these sensitive sites. One good outcome of the dredging (you may laugh) is the formation of this partnership with monies from the Channel Deepening project.

On arrival in Geelong we do an interview with The Addy (Geelong Advertiser). This year they print a story that picks up on the indigenous focus of this year’s program and the possibility of the waterfall at the heads running again due to climate change. This story has engaged the Pelican crew and inspired us to link the oceanography work that Pelican is doing with the EPA to the traditional stories. The stories point to the time when the Yarra extended all the way to Tasmania. Port Phillip Heads used to be a 90-meter waterfall. It inspired the name Birrarung for what we now call the Yarra. Birrarung means “river of mists” and refers to the time when vapour from the giant falls enveloped the region.

Photo: Alison Wynd    Pelican Crew.

This evening at the Carousel jetty in Geelong, we invite the general public aboard to share information about the project. We were fortunate to meet some members of Circus Oz who kindly invited Pelican’s crew to a dress rehearsal performance. It was a real treat for the five of us to be the sole audience for their current show. Afterwards some of the company came down to the boat for a drink and we fantasised about circus shows amongst Pelican’s rigging in remote locations. It was great to meet such an interesting bunch, who share an itinerant working life style. We found we had many friends in common.

Happy Sailing

Garry McKechnie

Natalie Davey