From: dxcoffee@alt119.net.remove-89p-this   
      
   The Story: VK9MAV Marion Reef Isl. & Whitsundays Isl. [Part 1]   
   by Andy VK5MAV/VK9MAV   
   Coral Sea Adventure   
      
   First of all - I want to express my deepest appreciation to all who did help   
   to make the expedition happen.   
      
   Sponsors - clubs and companies:   
      
   German DX Foundation and Most Wanted DX site - their donations have been   
   granted when they need much - before the expedition   
      
   CDXC and RSGB Expedition Fund - their donations have been granted as soon as   
   the expedition started on air   
      
   IREF and Clipperton DX Club - their donations will be granted after article   
   provision to cover costs   
      
   ÿAnd even more important - support of hams from over the world, 31 countries   
   in total, especially American, Japanese and Russian hams. I really appreciate   
   your support - and donations are still coming.   
      
   ÿ   
   Part 1. "It was smooth on paper - but forgot about ravines"   
      
   The Marion Reef attracted my attention as the goal of a possible next   
   expedition around May 2016, between the return from Breaksea Island OC-243 and   
   the difficult expedition to Viney Island OC-266. By the way, I constantly have   
   2-3 islands in my plans.    
   And now I... but I would better keep silence, for a while.   
      
   A slow gathering of information began, which, due to the remoteness of the   
   reef and its location away from the main shipping routes, was surprisingly   
   small.   
      
   First, of course, there were two questions - how to get there and how, after   
   arrival camp there for several days legally?   
      
   The first results provided by Google, pleased - at least 10 different tours to   
   Marion - for anglers, divers. But a more detailed study and numerous phone   
   calls showed that everything is not easy at all. The vast majority of sites   
   contained outdated    
   information - in fact, the companies advertised were carried out last tour to   
   Marion 5-7-10 years ago and new ones were not planned.   
      
   Realizing that there are no options, I began to work out options for delivery   
   by helicopter or seaplane. However, I realized from the very beginning the   
   cost will be very high - and was wrong. Real cost were 5-6 times more than   
   expected, so this option    
   has disappeared after 3-4 phone calls. There were no options at all (in my   
   price category, because if I could pay $ 30-40K, It's not a problem to charter   
   a ship).   
      
   At the same time, I walked a bit in the bureaucratic loops, trying to   
   understand which government department is responsible for managing Marion.   
   After several repeatable loops, around October 2016, the situation cleared up,   
   I've got application papers.    
   As usual with one "but" - the application must include the name and data of   
   the vessel.   
      
   After that, the search for the vessel began with a tripled energy (all this   
   during the preparation/operation of OC-266 and after it). Unfortunately,   
   everything was in vain. There were no tours ... Until then, from hopelessness,   
   I did start to pay    
   attention to unloved Internet resources. It was right decision.   
      
   Facebook and registration in all sorts of local groups around Queensland   
   Coast, from where even theoretically ships may go the area, brought the   
   result. Bingo! The local people told me that there is a ship called "Norval",   
   which specializes in trips to    
   Marion mainly. They provided me with the site' URL (then it was somewhere on   
   the 7-8 page of Google search results, but thanks to me, I believe, moved much   
   higher now). Inspired, I contacted Ron Murphy, the owner of the ship, and he   
   confirmed everything.    
   My happiness was great. It was possible to begin filing an application for   
   access and stay at Marion Reef.   
      
   And so, on December 19, 2016, just before Christmas, the long-awaited   
   permission arrived to my mailbox electronically and week later as paperwork.   
   And in it, although I asked for Marion only, Diamond Islands were too (thank   
   you, personally unknown to me,    
   officer of the department)! The permit was containing another Island as well,   
   but it was not in plans. The permit was issued by the end of June (important).   
      
   We agreed with Ron Murphy that the best time for my trip is the end of May -   
   June 2017.   
      
   When Christmas and New Year Holidays passed by, I started technical   
   preparation for the expedition. The transceiver was sent to the ICOM   
   (Melbourne) office to repair everything that theoretically could break and for   
   tuning/adjustments. Antennas have been    
   installed in the backyard, tested and packed - 3 el VDA for 20 m, and GP for   
   40 m. Pelican boxes for transportation have been purchased. The Honda EU-20i   
   generator has been purchased and severely tested. The N1MM + software, all   
   sorts of equipment    
   manuals, prpagation forecasts and so on are copied to a laptop. All software   
   is separately recorded on a flash drive. Annual leave had been requested and   
   approved. From now - just wait…   
      
   But it was extremely difficult to wait. On March 26th, all news channels were   
   filled up with forecasts that Debby cyclone (the strongest in the last 2   
   years, officially the category 4 out of 5, the wind speed reached 300 km / h)   
   was born just in the    
   Marion Reef area and instead of vanish peacefully over the ocean, it   
   intensifies and goes to the coast of Queensland.   
      
   The cyclone was slowly approaching and, according to all forecasts, prepared   
   to reach the coast near the town of Airlie Beach, where Norval stood at local   
   marina. Finally, on March 28th, the cyclone reached the continent. Forecasts   
   of meteorologists,    
   alas, were real. The cyclone came in with a front about 200 km from the center   
   situated exactly at Airlie Beach. Huge part of Airlie Beach was swiped out and   
   ruined. No infor came from Norval owner and I wasn't able to contact him - in   
   the vicinity there    
   were no electricity, communication, water, no access - roads were destroyed   
   and flooded.   
      
   ÿ ÿÿ   
      
   ÿÿÿ   
      
   That';s what the harbor looked like before and after the cyclone.   
      
   Finally in the first days of April, Ron wrote on Facebook that just the day   
   before the cyclone hit, he managed to take the ship to Gladstone. Although the   
   cyclone also hit it well, a dinghy was torn off and carried away, the electric   
   and communication    
   equipment flooded with water and other, smaller problems.   
      
   And again - waiting.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)