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Tasmanian Anglican

December 2002

 

 

 

 


Jack Tomes 'in charge' of the helicopter from a Russian supply ship - 2001

 

Seafarers' snapshots

from Robert Hill

 

 

Beanies, balaclavas and fingerless mittens

We are grateful to those folks from all parts of the state for knitting these items. The chaplains have been taking them onto the ships especially during the winter months. We give them freely, and make sure that all deck crew and engineers in need of these items get them, telling the seafarers that they come with the love of those who knit them. I don't know how many have been handed out, but it will be in the hundreds!

The 2001-2002 summer period saw the largest-ever number of cruise liners coming into the state. Even King Island and Stanley received visits! These ships are crewed by normal seafarers and also hotel type staff who are often not sure of their place in the industry and for whom the implications of a life at sea were not clear when they signed up. Working in a gilded ship is still working on a ship.

Hospital visits

Philippine seafarer Felix Asi (nick-named 'Paint Pot') is very lucky - he mistook his footing and fell about 5 metres to the bottom of the hold head first! Even as he fell he had hung onto his paint pot, so he was also covered in industrial paint. He was airlifted to the Royal Hobart Hospital with relatively minor injuries and we visited him while he was recovering before flying home.

Regular Antarctic shipping continues to be a feature of the summer time in Hobart. The I/B Polar Bird has been laid up at Port Huon for the winter. We visit the ship each week and assist where necessary. At the time of writing, the Chief Engineer, who comes from Norway, is being visited every day in the hospital Coronary Care Unit.

Allowance

The French-flagged Antarctic supply vessel, L'Astrolabe continues to use Hobart as it's home base, with Ukrainian crew and a French Officer on board through the winter months for maintenance purposes. These men have become part of the family of the mission and we have shared trips and birthdays with them. We were able to advise them regarding their rights over a contractual problem which, once solved, saw them get the proper allowance to buy food.

Triabunna wharf has seen an intermittent flow of shipping to collect wood chips. During the past twelve months many of these ships have been visited by folks from Hobart. The isolated position of the wharf and the nature of the loading procedure means that few if any crew ever get ashore. I still hope that this ministry may be done locally in the future.

Special thanks

At the recent AGM of the Mission to Seafarers Bishop John said that the Mission was a source of pride for the Diocese and he thanked all those who had worked so hard during the past year. Special thanks were expressed to Jack Tomes OAM of Hobart, who retired from the post of Chairman but remains a key member of the committee, as Public Officer. Jack is the longest-serving volunteer in the Mission to Seafarers worldwide.

If you can assist in any way in this work of the Kingdom plase contact The Rev'd Robert Hill 6234 5016 or Ian Harvey (Burnie) 64322396 (a.h.)