A year in
the life of HMNZS Monowai,
aka The Ghost of the Coast. 1980. (Pretty sure Hattie Jacques
was CO).
1980 was a very busy time for our ship (as most years were). But we had such a diverse journey and I will
highlight them here.
January to April – Awanui River (Nga Puhi country) SMB
survey. Featured a Helo support from a
shipborne Wasp to a Huey Iroquois. Also,
an encounter with a pod of Orca travelling up the river. And what is a trip to Tom Bowling Bay for a waterborne
attack on a beach with Manaia for a banyan.
April. After a week
alongside DNB The Ghost sailed for a ceremonial visit to our Home Port –
Gisborne. Of note, the ship was berthed adjacent the Gisborne Meat works and a very
large fire burst into flames. Monowai had
hoses rigged along with the FENZ team. Also,
the harbour tug chimed in. Unfortunately, the windows were not letting water in
so Jolly Jack grabbed all the empty beer bottles and set about very pertinent
vandalism. As this was happening teams
were manhandling large gas bottles and using the ships crane to move them over
the side and dunking them into the Ogwash to cool them down. (have since been reminded this event happened in 1983)
April to October. The
Ghost arrived in Nelson and the first day we had a normal Rum Issue and an
added Splice. These bottles were given
to the ship by the Meat works owner in Gizzy.
We also had a Pie and Pint Race, won by the Gunners. Next step, the Wharf Hotel and a meeting up with
The Lost Breed MC gang. Boat race well
and truly won by Team Monowai. However
later that night most of our crew found themselves at the famed Rutherford
Hotel Lounge Bar and The same Lost Breed guys in the adjoining Public Bar. Unfortunately,
our Buffer (Phil Niell RIP) was bottled by a biker and all hell broke
loose. Suffice to say the Bigwigs at
Defence HQ weren’t keen to see Monowai in bad light on the Main TV News the
next day.
Anyway, why in Nelson?
Provisioning for an extensive survey of the South Island West
Coast. The ship spent months surveying
every 2 miles from out to sea for a new chart.
However, things went pear-shaped when the stern glands started
malfunctioning due to oil/grease issues and a new supply was ordered in from
Christchurch. The lead time for delivery was six hours so the Skipper headed
into Westport to await delivery. The
river was moderately high then but after several hours, the river was in full
flood. The Skipper deemed it too high to cross the bar, so leave was
piped. What we didn’t know, it would be
another 5 days before any attempt could be made to cross the bar. After 3 days, Jolly Jack was out of money, so
the CO issued an order to the SO to bring the next pay forward. Westport businesses (mainly bars and takeaway)
made a pretty penny.
As for crossing the bar.
A very large Sou-westerly swell and a strong wind and a flooded river
met with issues. The ship was berthed upriver,
so all lines forrid were slipped and the ship swung around on the Stern Rope,
which was hurriedly slipped when the ship was pointing out to sea. As we crossed the bar (I was on the Deso20)
we “Bounced” three times on the seabed.
The old girl shuddered solidly.
October – Found The Ghost in DNB fitting out for the
upcoming ANZCAN Cable Survey and taking on Bottom Sampling equipment,
Interocean Current Meters and the Klein Deep Ocean Side Scan Sonar system. This
period also heralded the introduction of Enhanced Manning, essentially 1 and ½ crews
(crews A and B onboard, crew C on leave or working in Philly/FMU)
November to 24th December 1980. Monowai sailed into the Hauraki Gulf to start
surveying (Takapuna Beach to Norfolk Island) Two weeks later we surveyed the
Beachhead at Norfolk. We also suffered
our first equipment loss (The MUD – a seaman WO took charge of the evolution,
and nothing was ever found despite extensive Side Scanning) I was, then, Coxn
of SMB Seagull (my all time favourite SMB) and on one occasion was running
lines into the beach with a 2 metre stern swell. My Boats Officer had this hairbrained idea to
put the bow to the beach. My first time (of many) I said no and turned the boat
around just in time as the next wave broke just after I turned (bow first).
Anyway, after Norfolk we surveyed the route to Sydney. By this stage we were a well-oiled machine so
nothing to report. Sydney was its normal self, plenty of Museums, Art Galleries,
a walk up the Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
Sailed back to Norfolk and finished work there an continued
on to Suva, Fiji. Sadly, a fellow drog
on ISC Tarapunga decided to chuck in Navy Life and I was crashed drafted so off
I went with Crew B from Nadi to Auckland.
One day I’ll write a dit about that flight.
Thank you for your
patience.