August 2013
Queensland Sporting Hovercraft Club
A branch of the AUSTRALIAN HOVERCRAFT FEDERATION Inc (Vic)
Dear Air Cushion Vehicle enthusiast,
The Queensland branch of The Australian Hovercraft Federation held a planning meeting on Tuesday,
20th August 2013, in the Staff Room of the RC primary school, 350 Mortimer Road, Acacia Ridge.
This meeting was attended by:-
| President:- | Peter Venn |
| Vice President:- | Angus Kerr |
| Treasurer:- | Phillip Audsley |
| Secretary:- | Steven Odgaard |
Other members attending were Dale Baxter and Arthur Stead.
Visitors for the evening were Rita Chaffey and Kerri Audsley.
Apologies from Bill Toppin and Neil Budworth who were unable to attend.
Cruise report - Colmslie Reserve to Cribb Park - Sunday 25th August 2013.
The last club cruise was held on Sunday 25th August 2013, launching into the Brisbane River at the
Colmslie Reserve boat ramp just upstream of the Gateway bridges and travelling up the Brisbane and
Bremer rivers to Cribb Park, Ipswich.
Those attending the cruise with craft were:-
| Peter Venn | Turbo TP6 powered by a Subaru 1800 EA81. |
| Angus Kerr | Viper Cruiser powered by a Subaru 1800 EA81. |
| Arthur Stead | Revtech Renegade powered by a 20hp Honda. |
| Neil Budworth | Turbo 265 powered by Rotax. |
| Ben Woodhead | Turbo Vortex powered by a Suzuki Swift engine. |
| Steven Odgaard | Billy Baker 2 powered by a 44hp Chaparral - static display. |
| Dale Baxter | Commodore V6 powered swamp boat (Passing Wind). |
| Brad Podlich | Safety boat. |
Bushwalkers of Southern Queensland met at Colmslie Reserve to help John Holt celebrate his 70th
birthday. By arrangement, Dale Baxter of the QSH club took John Holt for a surprise thrill ride in
Passing Wind, the sleek aluminium hulled air boat powered by a Commodore V6 engine with a 6 foot
carbon fibre 2 bladed propellor.
Dale took John Holt and partner Jo Whiting from the white sandy beach at Colmslie Reserve out to
David Odgaard’s boat for a close up u-tube video clip and then blasted off down river to the majestic
Sir Leo Hielscher bridges, Brisbane’s Gateway.
In addition, Batman turned up in a black Turbo Vortex, for an intercity mission - the Dash for Cash.
Brisbane Batman - Dash for cash
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Arthur and Judy Stead arrived early at 7:50 am to secure a trailer park and launched their Revtech Renegade. It was a warm winter’s day with low wind conditions, however river traffic stirred the otherwise smooth water surface. Steven and Rita turned up next and after surveying the parking arrangements decided to slip off to Morningside to buy a dozen fresh lamingtons for refreshments at the up river destination; Cribb Park at Ipswich.
When we returned to Colmslie at 9:00 am, we met Peter Venn and Harrison Baxter with the TP6 sporting a nice shady bimini, Neil Budsworth in his Turbo 265, Angus, Lucas and Danielle Kerr in the Viper, Ben, Narelle and Callum Woodhead, Dale and Aubrey Baxter and Tamara Ward in the air boat and Brad Podlich with the safety boat. Passengers in the safety boat were Bill Toppin and Mike Rutterman.
After the thrill ride for John Holt, President Peter Venn held a commanders briefing and we discussed safety issues, speed restriction zones and boat ramp access points along the 75 kilometre course of the cruise to Cribb Park, Ipswich.
Five hovercraft, 1 air boat and 1 safety boat set off at 10:00 am. Ben Woodhead returned at 10:30 am with only 2 vee belts still intact on his Turbo Vortex. 1 had split and Ben did the right thing by returning to base. He returned to the river in the safety boat and followed the cruise to Cribb Park up the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers. Steven drove with the Bill Baker 2 in tow by road to Cribb Park and photographed the fleet passing Goodna boat ramp near the boundary of Brisbane and Ipswich.
Cruise Photos
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The safety boat had to take it slowly in the upper reaches to avoid rocks, however the air boat and hovercraft maintained 45 to 50 kilometres per hour. We spent 2-1/2 hours at Cribb Park on account of a badly executed mooring by the air boat. The heavy tail end took on excess water and flooded the engine bay. We pulled it up the steep bank with ropes to clear the incoming tide. Attempts to restart the engine were in vane, due to contamination with the fuel pump. Water was drained from the sump, cleared from the cylinders and the ignition responded. The engine briefly restarted on manually injected petrol but the primary fuel system failed. I drove Dale back to Colmslie to retrieve his car and trailer and Tamara Ward and Aubrey Baxter stayed at Ipswich to mind the air boat.
Four hovercraft and one safety boat returned to Colmslie reserve sometime after 4:00 pm to be
greeted by Judy Stead, Elaine Venn, Rita Chaffey, Anne & Jeremy Torrance and Cameron Kerr who
had spent the day patiently waiting around the Colmslie reserve area.
Ben Woodhead, who had travelled upstream in the safety boat, made the return journey with Neil
Budworth in the Turbo 265 to fulfil his sponsorship responsibilities, and all craft were safely back at
Colmslie Reserve and on their trailers by 4:30 pm.
Poor young Cameron suffered a line burn to his neck when Angus took his youngest son for a quick
ride from the sandy beach. A fishing line from the jetty was snagged on a small timber boat and Angus
did not see it when he headed out. Cameron cried for hours from the pain and shock.
Bushwalkers and friends who came for John Holt’s birthday and witnessed the assembly of hovercraft. John Edinburough, Di Edwards, Chris Trahern, Kathy Dunn, David Odgaard, Louise, Grace Odgaard, Phillip Holt, Peter Holt, Andrew and Suzie.
Cruise Photos
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Thanks to everyone who has donated, given their time to this charity event, and supported us on this quest for a great cause - the AEIOU foundation! A total of $10,957 was raised along with 3 ipads donated to the centre and an ongoing sponsorship deal with Telstra!
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Annual General Meeting:- I am pleased to report that all committee positions were filled. Election of office bearers was as follows:-
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| President | Peter Venn | - nominated by A. Stead seconded by W. Toppin |
| Vice President | Angus Kerr | - nominated by W. Toppin seconded by P. Audsley |
| Secretary | Steven Odgaard | - nominated by W. Toppin seconded by A. Kerr |
| Treasurer | Phil Audsley | - nominated by W. Toppin seconded by A. Kerr |
| AHF delegate | Angus Kerr | - nominated by S. Odgaard seconded by W. Toppin |
| AHF delegate | Bill Toppin | - nominated by A. Kerr seconded by A. Stead |
| AHF delegate | Steven Odgaard | - nominated by A. Kerr seconded by W. Toppin |
Other News:-
Peter Venn showed some photos of the Turbo Wedge hull construction by Cle Sheck and Tristan Jarvis
from plans supplied by Angus.
Mike Rutterman renewed his membership of the QSH club with 2 years subscription 2013 and 2014. He also made a generous donation to Batman for the AEIOU foundation. Thanks Mike for your support. Mike first contacted the QSH club in April 2002 and used his Turbo Vortex to commute from his home on Coochiemudlo Island. Mike joined the club in July 2007 at Oyster Point with a 5 year subscription.
News from the west:-
In July, Peter and Elaine Venn travelled to Western Australia to deliver a hovercraft to the
Environment Department. They met up with Jeremy Ludlow again and on this occasion they were
approached by a very interesting retired gentleman by the name of John Murray.
John’s claim to fame is that he participated in the world's first organised hovercraft race on Lake
Burley Griffin at Canberra at Easter in 1964.
Australian Hovercraft Federation News:-
On Wednesday 28th August there was an AHF planning meeting held by phone conference.
Present at the meeting were:-
| Victoria:- | Peter Streader Colin Dainty Rachel Smithson Flemming Jensen Paul Moody |
President Treasurer |
| New South Wales:- | Eugene Zanozin | Vice-President |
| South Australia:- | Bruno Davids | |
| Queensland:- | Steven Odgaard | Secretary |
Topics covered:-
Final planning for the 2013 Australian National Rally.
Account details for the hovercraft.org.au forum website
Public Officer position rescinded with duties for incorporation transferred to secretary.
Australian National Rally:-
The next cruise is OzHover13, the Australian National Rally to be held at Wyangala Waters near Cowra
NSW on the weekend of Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September 2013.
It will cost you $50 to participate in the AHF national Rally, but if you have already pre-registered on the rally website then you will receive a 20% discount. You only pay $40. Arthur Stead advised that the cut-off for this early bird price is Sunday 22nd September 2013.
Next Queensland branch meeting:
The next club meeting will be on Tuesday 15th October 2013 at 7:30pm.
It will be held in the Staff Room at Our Lady of Fatima RC primary school, 350 Mortimer Road Acacia
Ridge. Use the staff car park.
Anyone with an interest in air cushion vehicles is welcome to attend.
We discuss technical topics and plan cruises.
Regards
Steven Odgaard
QSH secretary