HMAS Tobruk scuttled off QLD coast

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rritchie71
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HMAS Tobruk scuttled off QLD coast

Post by rritchie71 »

Very sad to see, in my opinion she would have been a ship worth saving. Tobruk was involved in so many operations, she would have been a ship that could have been preserved and open to the public with so many stories to tell.

Robert

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-29/ex-hmas-tobruk-scuttled-off-the-queensland-coast/9923758
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MikeJames
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Re: HMAS Tobruk scuttled off QLD coast

Post by MikeJames »

Scuttled, badly.

The wreck settled on it's side, which changes the experience to one for experienced wreck divers only.

The local council's examining trying to drag it upright.

Oops


Scuttling of ship off Qld a 'stuff up'
TRACEY FERRIER
Australian Associated Press
7:37AM July 10, 2018

Dive operators say the scuttling of a former navy ship off Queensland was a "stuff up" after it came to rest on its side.

The state government paid a contractor to sink ex-HMAS Tobruk late last month, promising it would provide a world-class dive site for tourists.

But the ship listed as valves flooded the vessel late last month, and the ship rolled as it was going down in the Great Sandy Marine Park, between Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.

It ended up on its side, with Lady Musgrave Experience owner Brett Lakey saying the landing was not what was promised to operators who have dive permits for the site.

He said the ship's position could limit access to more experienced divers.

"I know (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) are ... working with every option to see whether they will right it or leave it on its side," Mr Lakey has told The Courier-Mail.

"The perception has been that it's been a bit of a stuff-up. It certainly limits and restricts any penetrations. If we don't think it could work we could hand back permits."

The opposition says the scuttling was a devastating failure, and wants answers.

"Has the contractor been paid by the government, and what's the cost to rectify the bungle?" asked Stephen Bennett, an LNP member who holds the seat of Burnnett near the wreck site.

But Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch has downplayed the outcome.

"The Queensland government is currently working with the contractor and dive operators to assess the safety of the wreck and to scope dive experience opportunities," she said in a statement.

She said dive operators had advised that in its current position, the wreck will still cater to all levels of diving.

The contractor who sank Tobruk is inspecting the wreck and will submit a report to the government.
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Re: HMAS Tobruk scuttled off QLD coast

Post by CarlLinkenbagh »

I say leave her on her side!

I've done a lot of wreck diving, both on ships that have been prepared as artificial reefs, or on others that have sunk as a result of accidents. The ones lost in uncontrolled sinkings are usually more interesting to explore because they may have a heavy list, be lying on their side, been broken apart or have some other such attribute that makes exploration a challenge. The wrecks of the YONGALA and MIKHAIL LERMONTOV particularly spring to mind.

All the other RAN ships that have been sunk as dive wrecks are upright. This one is different.

On another note - TOBRUK was frequently sneered at, treated as the ugly duckling and referred to as "Too Broken" by many people. Yet this versatile and capable ship was the backbone of RAN amphibious operations for many, many years and was frequently saddled with those 'boring' yet vital tasks that the rest of the Fleet couldn't do. While deployments for surface combatants usually involved doing glamourous things like international exercises or patrols, doing overseas port visits and hosting cocktail parties, TOBRUK was typically to be found trundling up and down the East Coast going to places like Townsville and Darwin on yet another amphib exercise.

Being a LPA and FFH sailor I never worked on TOBRUK. But I know many people who did (including my best friend). Engineering wise she was cantankerous, unpredictable, a lot of work and always had surprises in store. But they loved her and an entire generation of Marine Technicians made their careers onboard.

She was a great ship that beat the odds and did an outstanding job, frequently in the shadows, doing all of those vital tasks that only she could do. In no small part TOBRUK's legacy has given us today's LHDs.

BZ TOBRUK. Good luck for your new life under the sea.
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Re: HMAS Tobruk scuttled off QLD coast

Post by MikeJames »

The local dive companies who lobbied for a ship to be scuttled as a fish attractor and dive site are not happy, as the greater certification necessary to dive on her will limit the numbers of people who can dive on her.

They are the ones pushing to have her righted.

Mike
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