The unnaturally hale and hearty country-shoppers on board the SS Deutsche Bank (gold bullion only please)
Thursday, 11 April 2013
One thing I think we can say with certainty. They'll be hard pressed to convince New Zealand authorities that they were fleeing the war in Australia - just like our authorities should tell the bulltish artists who arrive here by boat from Indonesia that there's scant evidence of war-like activity in the Soekarno Hatta International Airport or the Jakarta shopping malls.I got a call from my brother last night, saying something is not right about that boat story. Bit of background on him first. He is an old style boatie, has had boats all his life, has built three of his own, and has been up the reef at least 30 times in the last 40 years. So he knows a bit about going to sea.
He questioned the veracity of the story that the boat came from Sri Lanka and was 44 days at sea with 66 souls on board. He questions specifically were:
- · The journey from Sri Lanka to Geraldton, a distance of 2,780 nautical miles as the crow flies, longer if you allow for drift and course corrections. Lets be kind and estimate 3,000 nautical miles.
- · The fuel required to travel that distance at an average speed of 6kts would have been at least 5,000 litres. That amount of fuel equates to 25 drums of diesel and would weigh in at (150kg x 25 drums) = 3,750Kg.
- · Water for 66 people for 44 days at sea (drinking cooking etc) allow 4 ltrs per person per day. (44 days x 66 people x 4ltrs) = 11,616 ltrs and weigh 8,131Kg.
- · 66 people would weigh around about 3,960kg.
- · Total weight of fuel/water/people close to 15,841Kg plus food/provisions.
His contention is that the boat in question (sponsored by Deutsche Bank) and looked to be about 42 foot long, could not carry enough fuel, water, food and provisions for 66 people at sea for 44 days. Absolutely/absolutely impossible – it would have sunk before it left the dock!!!
So the story of travelling Sri Lanka/Geraldton is absolute bullshit, or perhaps they made a stopover in Indonesia or were resupplied en-route. And remember when they pulled into Geraldton they were only half way to their supposed destination – NZ.
Hummmmmmmmm