6.1m Rainbow Runner Chisels Article
On Friday the 23rd March 2007 Peter Booth (Designer Boats Australia) and Jim Harnwell (YAFFA Marine Group) launched a 6.1m Rainbow Runner boat from Basin View and where heading to test it on Sussex Inlet sand bar crossing and for some fishing at St Georges Head in Wreck Bay.
Peter designed the Rainbow Runner with the shallow waters and the surf crossing of Sussex Inlet bar in mind and he was keen to prove that it was a great boat for this type of action. Peter passed the helm and controls over to Jim, so that he could get the feel on how the boat left the hole and performed on the plan, meanwhile Peter squared the fishing gear away and organized the boat for the crossing.
Once down and in front of the bar crossing, life vests on, Jim passed the helm back to Peter for the tricky crossing. Peter circled the boat while surveying the channel and planning the path he would take out to sea. The tide was very low, (bottom of the tide), both channel markers where sitting on sand and there was a dry sand spit in the middle of the usual way out. Peter’s plan was that he would follow the channel out and later straighten up and pick his way out over the waves.
With increased throttle the Rainbow Runner left the deep green hole of sheltered waters and headed out through the channel as planned. Peter watched a couple of small waves forming and felt it was time to correct the course and straighten so he could tackle the waves head on. Well Peter misjudged the channel slightly, not by much, but just enough that the engine touched sand and a vibration could be felt through the boat. Luckily the waves where small and with a little bit of engine trim, the Rainbow Runner was able to cross the surf without any more incident. Peter then corrected course and head off to St Georges Head for some lure fishing.
Unfortunately the water was 21 degrees and the Snapper where having a day off. Anyway Jim showed Peter how to lure fish and they tried several places unsuccessfully around Wreck Bay. During a spell near Summer Cloud Bay, the sea anchor came untied and disappeared into the depths, so fishing was abandoned and the boat review was commenced. Jim went ashore on the beach behind the Wreck Bay aboriginal community and took several photos, while Peter put the Rainbow Runner through its paces. Once Jim was back on board, he took the helm again and ran the boat through a series of maneuvers, so he could gauge its performance.
Jim then took the Rainbow Runner back along Bherwerre Beach, scooting in and out while looking for dark patches of fish. Unfortunately all fish where having a day off and the Rainbow Runner was soon back at the bar, were it was decided that it was time to go back home.
Life jackets on and Peter ran the Rainbow Runner back in incident free across the bar on his transit lines. Once back in sheltered waters Jim took some notes and to add to the day, the St Georges Basin’s, usual north easterly wind was lighter than normal and the bay chop was considerably lower. The Rainbow Runner sliced it up well and Jim made the comment “that it cut the chop well”. The boat was then put back on the trailer at Basin View and a few more pictures taken.
Overall the day was good, even though Peter chiseled his way out across the bar, lost his sea anchor and caught no fish. Jim seemed happy with the day and the boats performance and seemed to think it would be reviewed, possibly in the August addition of “Power Boat”.