The Quirke Tribe: VOEA PANGAI - Life Extension Program

Lyndon and Sam's 8weeks in sunny Townsville were spent preparing the pacific patrol boat VOEA PANGAI for delivery back to the Tongan Defence Service after completing her LEP. It proved to be a great challange noting it was dropped off 6 months before we arrived so we picked it up mid way so to speak. It has given us a new outlook and focus on what we want to achieve on the next vessel due later this year.

It gave us both an opportunity to meet the faces in Oz who support us, get to know 1/4 of the Tongan Navy (18crew) and familiarise ourselves with the boats! That done we also became a shopping market for the wives back home in Tonga...... Every phone call didn't end with a big I love you but can you pick me up some ?????? from the shops! Don't worry we weren't alone the Tongan boys must have got the same because we cleaned out cash converters of TV's and I even saw a queen size bed make it onboard on the last night before we sailed for Vila!! I'll let the piccies tell the story!

Enjoy.

The final product and very new for a 20year old boat!

This is John the BAE rep and the craddle that lifted us back into the water!

Helmut the stoker doing rounds on his new engines!

Super chef, come deckhand, come helmsman, come fire fighter! This was during thier assessment phase!

The 'A' Team after passing workups - including the hairy monster in DPNU's (my uniform)

The XO Sblt Telefoni as we left Ross Haven Mariner for the last time and in the last lot of flat weather too!

The view from the bridge for the next 5 days!

That was with the exception of a quick stint through the outer reef! Dinner anyone! 20min in the water trawling then we headed back into the ruff stuff!

Dinner always came in one bowl! I did four days in the galley eye opening and even managed a few Palangi meals for the boys! There now hooked on homemade pizza too! Yep they even made it for breaky some days!