CHARTER THREE // 13 APRIL – 24 APRIL // 2010
Passengers:
Bradley Johnson, Leon Ridgeway, Robert Allen, David Cooper, Rohan Iddles, Matthew Treloar, Dallas Rawlings, Shane Johnson, Matt Bryant, Kurt Nyholm.
G'day John and Belinda
Finally got a minute to send a big thank you to you guys. What a trip...unbelievable. It was all that we hoped for and thought it would be. The nuts and bolts of the Barrenjoey setup are phenomenal and are a tribute to you guys. Hillsy got us to 20 different breaks and rarely a crowd. Managed to get Maccas as the only boat twice and I even managed Maccas on my own two mornings for a 10 minute period...The Bynda is the difference too, Hillsy had a streaking ahead of the Joey on a number of occasions to surf offshore waves while she caught up. The boys Elvis, Choma, Selamat and Udi were fantastic and looked after us like kings. Gotta say we made the right decision going with the reputation of the Barrenjoey. You've obviously worked hard to build it and be rest assured we will all be maintaining that rep and recommending you to anyone who asks.
Thanks again guys, look forward to the next trip!!
Leon
John and Belinda,
Just thought I'd drop you guys a line to say thanks for the great trip provided.
The crew led by Hillsy are a credit to you and how you run your business. Every need was catered for and a great time was had by all on board. They were definitely the best waves I have surfed and seen in my life, and definitely the best thing I've done in surfing. Elvis and Choma in the kitchen kept us well fed and watered, Yudi and Selamat looked after us in the water and on deck.
I think you have already spoken with Leon but these men are a credit to your business.
Yours in surfing, cheers
Matt Treloar
Geelong, Victoria.
CHARTER ONE // 16 MARCH – 27 MARCH // 2010
Passengers:
Neil Croft, Rodney Faulkner, James Maguire, Leslie Croft, Andrew Croft,
Andrew Pappos, Nick Corrie, Lachlan Marks.
Hi John,
Obviously I am back on home turf now and I understand that you are on Barrenjoey for a few weeks.
I would like to express my thanks for your efforts on my behalf in arranging accommodation in Padang on the night before the departure of the charter. It was simple but very adequate. Also for the efforts of Hilsy to make me feel welcome in Padang before we left port.
I would also like to mention the appreciation of all concerned related to the arrangements with Latitude Zero while the Barrenjoey was delayed in Padang. We ended up spending three nights at the resort and Matt and his wife and Wal could not have been more helpful. Thank you once again for making the effort to ensure the alternative arrangements worked.
You may be aware that I am a body boarder these days (having down graded from a stand-up board due to age and lack of fitness). Although Neil has often prompted me to go on a charter over the years, I have always resisted due to feeling that I would not cope well with the size, speed and power of the waves and potentially hinder board riders in the line-up. I am pleased to say that I had a fine time and managed to catch some fantastic waves. I have attached one photo as evidence. By the way, I made the section. I was especially impressed with the clear water. Just superb.
I would like to add a vote of thanks to Hilsy and the crew (Elvis, Eric, Choma and Salamat) for their care and service. All are first class people. You are fortunate to have them as part of your team.
Just to rub salt into the wound, I spent last week looking out over the foreshore at Port Hedland in WA. It hardly compares.
Thank you once again for your efforts.
Regards,
Les Croft
CHARTER SIXTEEN // 6 OCTOBER - 17 OCTOBER // 2009
Passengers:
Matthew Kirby, Dylan Davis, Adam Schneider, John Schneider, Jeffrey Wills, Mark Kirby,
David Peters, Chad Logan.
Tripping the Equator
When a massive earthquake hit the Port City of Padang we weren’t sure if our trip was a go, after a call from Captain McGroder that the city was trying to get back to normal our trip was on. After 2 ½ days of travel, we were a happy bunch to step onboard the BJ. Captain Hillsy giving us the plan of attack as to the swell forecast then it was off to the islands.
Our first stop offered 3-4 ft waves and some fun barrels, a great way to get our feet wet in the tropics. The swell pulsed over the next 10 days and the boys got stuck into 12 different breaks, thanks to the knowledge of Captain Hillsy. Every wave different from the last. Dylan’s wave count tripled everyone else’s, scoring some great barrels. The boy was frothing! John got to experience a Mentawai Tattoo, courtesy of HT’s. He then proceeded to get his feet about him and have a go. Pupa, the wildcard impressed everyone with his style, technique and powerful approach, surfing with a smile on his dial the whole time. Logan an indo veteran was a patient man waiting for the good ones and hacking the poor bastards to pieces. He was working getting his big frame inside the Macca's barrels. Wolfy, a virgin to Indo was stoked to be amongst it and had some beauties on his quest for his wave fill. Adam the lone warrior to sacrifice boards to the wave gods had the waves of his life. His 5’7” gun was pushed to its limits. Every wave was overhead, the boy was stoked! The laidback Tucker was cruising and enjoying the whole experience while surfing perfect waves. Kirb was enjoying the whole experience whilst getting the best barrels of his life! Captain Hillsy was showing the boys how it’s done, taking off steep and deep and always making it to his feet.
The crew aboard the Barrenjoey are first class and know how to take care of their guests. A big thanks to Elvis, Coma, Yudi, Eric and Pim and Captain Hillsy for all the memories we will take with us forever.
Look forward to seeing you again soon! Safe Travels.
Mark Kirby
CHARTER FIFTEEN // 22 SEPTEMBER - 3 OCTOBER // 2009
Passengers:
Kris Puckeridge, Klint Puckeridge, Kai Puckeridge, Adam Best, Gary Cork, Eion Lockard, Jason Lockhard, Andrew Lockhard, Andrew Muir, Joel Stewart.
The long anticipated trip on the BJ with hotly contested seats and the dilemma of more than 10 of us trying to get a Guernsey. A year of boot camps, phone calls, emails, Ebay, virtual surfing, anxiety and psyching. A mix of fledglings and returned servicemen to the beloved BJ!
Our central coast/WA contingency arrived in Padang for what would become the "Whole Lotta Shakin" tour, oblivious to the fact that our world would be rocked by events downstream.
After joining John and B on previous missions and enjoying his Mentawaiin knowledge and infectious grommetism and all things excellent on the BJ, we were a tad sceptical on Hillsy, the new skipper...would he rise to the challenge? Deliver the goods??? We needn't have worried (we kinda thought the replacement skipper on the Bucketjoey would be carefully selected).
Hillsy - you far exceeded our expectations - delivering us to an astounding 16 different (and different they were!) breaks from A frames, to bombs, barrels, beachies and jelly leg long walled beauties!!! We lucked places with little or no crowd, timed it with the wind in what was a very changeable fortnight of weather, getting some plate glass conditions and semi secret spots (what's that skip??) His fluency in Bahasa and Mentawaiin and sense of humour spilled thru into his rapport with the people.
The crew yet again impressed all, with their welcoming and non stop service. The galley churning out endless tasty dishes to fill our surfed out bellies, and the addition of the ever smiling Pim adding some awesome Thai to the BJ's cuisine.
And the lads - the late arvo smiles in the Lizard Lounge spoke volumes as the Bintangs and stories flowed.
Team Noakes - John, your boys stepped up to the plate and showed us they weren't Team Pepe! Dane scored some memorable bombs at Scarecrows, and both got copious amounts of bagus waves, the joys of youth! Bastards! (just kidding.) Boys·big, big thanks to your old man·you wonât forget this in a long time! And the old cripple did good too!
Phil, the quiet achiever - Mr Casual, sitting and taking off deep on the bombs.
Kev "Cavana" happy as the proverbial pin in poo, gliding into some big spot X and Y.
Brian "Last of the Knuckleman" revelling in the big adventure.
Big Tone logged a lot of time in the green, the paddle machine!
The Pirate - testing the force required to remove fcs fins via speed humps @ Lances left!! always a pleasure sharing a wave! Thanks for making it all happen!
The Wave Whisperer - a 4 x BJ vet, cool under pressure and the consummate waterman, always there for the pearlers.
And Rosco, washing off 3 years of Pilbara dust, armed with Ebay treasures, and pulling his best barrel in decades (and no one filmed it!) TWW perfectly positioned for the Hi 5...
A huge Terimah Kasih Banyak to Hillsy, Pim, Selamat, Erik, Yudi and Choma. You guys Rock!!
And John and B, you should be proud - you have a damn fine vessel, crew, THE best tender in the Spice isles and another boatload of happy customers, most of whom will be back!!
Our collective hearts go out to all those affected by the devastation on our return to Padang - our few hours walk around and journey to the partially collapsed airport (and nervous 4 hour wait to depart) only cemented our feelings of anguish and sympathy. May the foreign aid and dollars reach the right hands (TII) and a speedy rebuild of the gateway to THE Surfer's Paradise.
CHARTER THIRTEEN // 25 AUGUST - 5 SEPTEMBER // 2009
Passengers:
Peter Bauerle, Luke Hynes, Simon Tait, Philip Rosevear, Stuart Sutherland, Mark Steel,
Lewis Durham, Craig Abbott, Steven Camp, Phillip Camp.
The Juc crew - Peter Bauerle (birthday boy), Stu Sutherland, Mark Steel, Louis, Simon Tait, Phil Rosevear, Luke Hynes and The South Coast crew - Sticko, Phil and Steve Camp
Can't say enough good things about this trip and the crew of the BJ (both on-board and leading up too). I have been on a few indo trips and this one win's hands down. The crew not only did what they had to do on the boat but also treated us all with five star service. You couldn't even get out of the water without someone taking your board and handing you a drink. And the food, wow, I didn't think it was possible to surf that much and put on wait.
As for the surf there was plenty of it every day from overhead to double over head indo perfection. Hillsy and the crew were always able to get us to the name breaks with minimum crowd and into great waves. Then there were all the secret and lesser known spots to surf with no one out except us. Having the lambo able to ferry 10 surfers at speed away from the crowd can't be matched by the other charters from what I could see.
There were so many highlights and we all had a ball. Here's just a few....
Overall I think Stu-bomb gets the coolest barrel for his drop at HT's. Full stand up for a guy 6'3 (in Taito's words, he looked so cool I thought he was going to go to sleep).
Hynes obviously get the most barrels at HT's, you pick your favourite. We stopped counting at 85 kegs and no wonder he had 3rd degree sunburn after 5 hours out there. (For those out there wondering 85 is not an exaggeration)
Steve gets the off your dial award for needing an interpreter at dinner because after too many binnies his mouth stopper working.
Steelo gets the captain's award ("had a bit to drink Steelo"). You guys know the rest…
Phil R is a gimmie for the fishing award and still smiling. Enough GT for 14 hungry boat dwellers to have sushi of one side for snacks and steaks for dinner of the other side.
Sticko gets the silverback award but he had this covered before he got on the boat. This was reaffirmed when he got chased by a monkey at the little bar we stopped at that looked like it was on "Gilligans Island"
Louie gets the spear a pensioner award for taking out a 150 year old parrot fish that couldn't swim out of sight in a bucket of mud and charging solid thunders.
Taito gets the "Sally award" for the expertise he exhibited in paddling an indo canoe, not.
Philly - I reckon he gets the water time award a short half head in front of Stu. These guys made the most of being away from the kids, good on-em, its reflected in the photo's
And me - well, it was my 40th Birthday trip and I can't think of anything I would rather have done. Great boat, great crew, GREAT WAVES EVERYDAY WE WERE THERE, great times.
When we upped anchor and head for port we did it under the light of a full moon earlier greeted by a pod of dolphins which just capped off 2 of the best weeks of my life. Like they say life begins at 40.
CHARTER TWELVE // 11 AUGUST - 22 AUGUST // 2009
Passengers:
Ben Werda, Matt Warren, James Miller, John Can Gemert, Greg Salabay,
Harry Tasker, James Nigro, Keith McKenzie.
What can I say!
You have an outstanding vessel with all the comforts needed on a surf charter plus more. The Binda Laut is the ultimate tender & your crew is A1.....The little things they do like the drink of water you receive, after every surf was the icing on the cake. You have trained them well but they also seem to enjoy their job.
Food was unreal from both Elvis & Pim.
And Captain Hillsy..... not only did we surf more waves by ourselves than with other people. I saw much more of the Mentawai Islands than I had on previous trips & surfed more rights than lefts... in indo! He is a good captain with lots of knowledge of both the sea & boats and fitted in like one of the boys we'd known for years.
All round enjoyable trip.
Big thanks to the crew from all the boys & it was a pleasure sailing on THE BARRENJOEY.
Mick Werda
