LITTLE SHIP CLUB (Qld) 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT

Weather effects 2017

The September school holidays are a case in point. The middle weekend (23rd-24th) was dogged by Strong Wind Warnings, with 20-30kn northerlies persisting for three days, into the Monday evening. The handful of Members who attended Bettyann Webster’s Memorial Service on the 23rd will have noted the lack of activity in the One Mile and on Club premises that day, as well as the conditions on the Flyer crossings – particularly the later returns that afternoon. After a brief hiatus Tuesday morning (26th), the eventual passage of two slow-moving troughs across Southeast Queensland saw the winds kick around to 20-25kn southeasterlies. Two further approaching surface troughs saw another Strong Wind Warning (20-25-30kn northerlies again) issued on the 27th for Thursday 28th. Then the BoM noted “some uncertainty associated” with the movement of the second trough on Friday 29th and into the final weekend of the school holidays. As it transpired, Saturday 30th was the single fine, sunny boating day of the second half of the September holidays. Within 24hrs another trough began generating increasingly fresh northeasterlies (<25kn) with rain and showers from the northwest. By the public holiday Monday (2nd) of the long weekend, a Severe Weather Warning for rain and thunderstorms, extending into the Southeast, had been issued and the school holidays closed on a blustery, inclement and very, very quiet Bay. The following weekend was little better, with moist grey skies and fresh 20-25kn southeasterlies on the back of yet another coastal trough on Friday 7th–Saturday 8th October.

There were only two fine, sunny days the following week – Monday 9th and Friday 13th – which was otherwise notable for its showery, increasingly southeasterly onshore weather as yet another confluence of troughs gathered. Fortunately, this was the week the bistro kitchen and servery was re-floored so there was little impact on business. But the worsening weather on Saturday 14th was followed by two days of Strong Wind Warnings for the Bay with (often) heavy rainfall in gusty squalls – as eventuated in the sub-cyclonic, 25-35kn conditions on the Sunday – and more was in store. The very slow-moving 1033hPa High in the Tasman Sea generating this powerful onshore flow was matched by an equally strong sibling, then in the Great Australian Bight, heading east behind (yet another) intervening trough due to pass through Southeast Queensland waters around Friday 20th October ... and on it goes. The period outlined here is unfortunately representative of the marine conditions which have dogged much of 2017. Unlike mainland clubs, ours is particularly dependent on meteorological vicissitudes for its trading conditions – both for boaties’ visits and for functions and events. Against such a backdrop, it has been frustratingly difficult to promote activities via the Club’s communication channels (Facebook and Members’ email messages) with any degree of confidence. Reliance on pedestrian traffic from the Flyer and/ or vehicular arrivals from the barges is no guarantee, if potential Straddie visitors from the mainland demur at the prospect of uncomfortable conditions to get there.

Aside from damage inflicted by the storms of summer 2016–17, climatic variations and weather conditions have had a deleterious impact on the Club’s trading conditions throughout much of 2017. Few have been the periods – let alone high-trade weekend days – when Moreton Bay has been at its benign and sunny best. From autumn through to spring 2017, the passage of surface troughs and the northern ends of cold fronts seemed more frequent, and the wind gradients steeper and much stronger either side of the changes. Forecasts increasingly erring on the side of conservativism and caution (although understandably and laudably so) have not facilitated active event co-ordination by the Club, with boaties and prospctive visitors unable to rely on having agreeable nautical conditions to plan their visits.

Above: BoM seven-day forecast for the Brisbane area for the period 11th–19th October 2017. Right: BoM four-day forecast charts, generated 48hrs apart for the periods 13th–17th October (left) and 15th–19th October (right), show the prevalence of the many troughs and strong, persistent east/ southeasterly winds and wet airflow. © Bureau of Meteorology

Background photo: Pam Mobsby

Little Ship Club (Queensland Squadron)

Annual Report 2016–2017