Searoad Mersey

'Whiskers' has quite a sense of humour, probably an asset for a Bass Strait fisherman. He asked if we would likely be awake at 07:30 on Sunday morning. We might be lounging about in our bunk reading the news or blogging but it definitely would be more than likely we would be well past our first cup of tea. Actually, because the clocks were moved forward overnight, who would properly know what time we'd be awake! Why was he so interested in our habits anyway?

The little harbour here at Grassy has moorings at one end and a massive clearway area designated as a turning circle. Whiskers thought we might enjoy the weekly spectacle of the Searoad Mersey arriving and unloading it's cargo. Sleep in? Was he kidding! Apart from the fact that this would be something of great interest to us, it would hardly be something you could sleep through unless you were Rip van Winkle.

We were indeed up early and hugely muddled by our phones no longer in Synch with our clocks and wristwatches. Being West Aussies, we are unaccustomed to all that messing with time malarkey. A quick visit to Mr Google confirmed our suspicion that daylight saving had kicked in overnight. So where was that ferry? Checking of the AIS Apps could reveal the whereabouts of the ferry but they came up blank. Another demonstration that they are worthless if you absolutely and reliably need to know the precise location of other vessels relative to your own. We needn't have fretted, nor worried that we'd sleep through it's arrival, the Searoad Mersey is way bigger than a gondola and while it was electronically in stealth mode it's arrival was heralded by activity on the wharf and by the deployment of the boat that would wrangle the lines. Noise enough to wake the dead.


Below is a sequence of shots associated with the arrival and docking of the ferry from Devonport. It arrives at 07:30 nearly every Sunday and is responsible for the delivery of all cargo onto King Island and the export of  King Island produce .... think King Island Dairy products including cheese, King Island Honey, Cloud Juice (King Island's brand of rainwater), Dried Kelp (mostly exported to Norway for the manufacture of Alginates) and King Island Beef (now without an abattoir, the cattle are shipped to Devonport). This is no small operation. The docking itself was a marvel of seamanship and in poor conditions would be horrendous. It took just 30 minutes for the Searoad Mersey to be secured alongside and within half an hour of the gate ramps being lowered, there were containers and tankers disgorging from not only the cargo bays below but also down a very steep ramp from the top deck. Being the eternal 'sticky beak' this was right down my alley.

Searoad Mersey makes an appearance.

It's only 07:30 or 06:30 if you were on yesterdays clock.

 Lots of activity on deck

 Now she's turning in the circle that is kept clear for this purpose.

 The pirouette is going well.

 Lines are down.

Lines being collected.

 One line is already secured on shore.

 Crew are very attentive.

 It won't be long now.

 OK, 360 degree turn accomplished.

Time to pull alongside.

In its bay now with final lines ready to be secured.

Ramps coming down.

 First of the cargo rolling down.

 The unloading, now 'on' in earnest, within 1 hour of appearance in the harbour.

Tomorrow a smaller vessel is scheduled to take 300 head of cattle to the mainland. This is to supplement the ones that were sent off today. Since the weather is predicted to be quite chirpy we wonder if this will come off.

The Searoad Mersey is an essential link for King Island and the harbour entry is very tricky and hazardous. The wind must be less than 23 knots for a minimum of 3minutes before an approach can be attempted. In this part of the world and certainly through the winter months that is a 'big ask'. Once the ship is on the approach set of leads (we measured the channel at about 135m wide) there is no turning back. To turn around, the ship needs the turning area within the harbour. It's a 100% commitment.

We were told of one occasion that weather conditions deteriorated before the full cargo exchange was completed. The lines were hastily cast off and the ship pulled away from the dock before they had been fully retrieved, allowing one of them to become caught in the bow thrusters. Without full control and with rapidly worsening weather Searoad Mersey strayed from the exit channel and over a reef causing further damage. She made it back to Devonport but the repairs took 3 months and during that time the delays and added costs for freight caused several local Island businesses to collapse. Yes, this little economy is just that fragile and this ferry service connecting King Island to Devonport and Melbourne is pivotal to it's existence. You can imagine King Islander's anxiety that each Sunday's visit is a complete success and also knowing that in 12-18 months, the vessel's owners will be decommissioning her. A replacement is yet to be found. It's inconceivable that a substitute will not emerge but these are surely worrying times.