Australia (Gold Coast) - Thrower Drive Boardwalk - update

Superior Jetties has completed the largest single-element construction the company has ever undertaken – a bridge for the Thrower Drive boardwalk on the Gold Coast (Australia).

The aluminium truss gangway is 4m wide and spans nearly 25m in length. Thrower Drive boardwalk is a joint project between Gold Coast City Council and the Main Roads department and has  to meet the bridge code of Queensland. As a result it has a design load of 9kPa and in order to meet this exacting specification, special structural grades were made for the job to support a theoretical load of 100t.

In total it was a four-week build-time and the bridge was craned into position at the site last week using a specially designed float arrangement (comprised of a combination of specially made Ultimate Modular Dock (UMD) segments and some integrated compressed-air floatation from our Hydrolift boatlift series) that allowed the freeboard to be controlled. This allowed the whole operation to run smoothly with the massive structure lowered onto the piles in an incredible 20 minute operation.

Click here to check out some of the photos on Superior Jetties’ Facebook page

Australia - Boat-ramp round-up

Superior Jetties installs quite a few boat-ramp pontoons and jetties around Australia. As we’re boaters ourselves, we thought it would be a good idea to share this knowledge with you so we can all enjoy these waterway access points.

The Boat-ramp Round-up will be a regular feature of our newsletter, keeping you up-to-date with boat ramps and facilities near you. We’ll be creating a reference of all the boat ramps we know on Google Maps as a central point everyone can use to find their nearest one.

This week we have two new boat-ramps that are nearing completion

Paradise Point

Location - Paradise Point is a very protected harbour that opens out to the Coomera River. Heading out past Salacia Water Marina (one of ours) and past Sovereign Island you will come to beautiful beaches for swimming, a public jetty, anchorage, popular shops and more…

Pontoon type – Super Elite pontoon – heavy-duty concrete pontoon, six-sided concrete floatation with wooden walers.

Landscaping – surrounding landscaping by our good friends Smart Stone – newly poured concrete approach ramp, integrated landscaping and turf.

Completion date – before Christmas

Click for map reference

Facilities – convenience store, ice, bait, fish ‘n’ chips, boat shop.

Tallabudgera Creek – Murlong Crescent

Location – Tallabudgera Creek is a very protected waterway with direct ocean access. Known as a popular water-ski area, it is fronted by a nice council caravan park that is always popular for the Christmas holidays.

Pontoon type - Super Elite pontoon – heavy-duty concrete pontoon, six-sided concrete floatation with wooden walers.

Landscaping – surrounding landscaping by Smart Stone – newly poured concrete approach ramp, integrated landscaping and turf.

Completion date – before Christmas

Click for map reference

Facilities – caravan park, shops, service station, bait, ice, enclosed swimming area and more…

Europe - METS

Superior Jetties once again made the trip over to the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) in Amsterdam. METS is the annual gathering of businesses that supply the marine industry in one way or another – one of the best marine shows of the year.

METS is a fantastic opportunity to network with the industry, secure new projects and find out about the latest products and innovations in the marine world generally and the marina sector in particular.

We had the Sustainable Marina Development book on display and had some interesting conversations as a result – it seems that sustainability is a hot topic in Europe, which is great to see.

One of the signs of a positive industry is a drive towards product innovation. There were a lot of companies at METS really blazing a trail with incredibly innovative ideas.

Our next boat show is Sanctuary Cove Boat Show here on the Gold Coast in May 2012. We’ll keep you posted of plans for the show in future newsletters.

Catch and cook some Christmas crabs – by Leon ‘The Pontoon Chef’ Sines

Santa Clause is coming and the crabs are getting fat!
 
With the weather heating up, now is a good time to dust off the crab pots and try your luck at catching a feed of mud crabs in the lead up to Christmas.
 
There’s an old wives tale that suggests any month that ends with the letter ‘R’ is a good time to try your luck for mud crabs. From experience, it’s pretty much on the money.
 
Here in southeast Queensland, mud crabs (or ‘muddies’) come into season from late September all the way through to early March – and make a welcome addition to any festive feast.
 
Believe it or not, they are relatively easy to catch – if you know what you’re doing. The good news is kids love to get involved too and you can really have some fun over the Christmas holidays setting some crab pots.
 
Before you entertain the idea of crabbing, consult local authorities on the local rules and regulations as some areas differ from others with regards to what you can and can’t do. For general rules, regulations, size and bag limits in Queensland, check out the DPI website or contact your local tackle store for all the latest updates for your area.
 
So here’s a simple and easy way to get started and hopefully see you having a feed of fresh mud crabs this Christmas…

STEP 1 – Buy some crab pots

This doesn’t have to be expensive.For under $200 – from any good tackle outlet such as BCF or Tackle World – you can get four very good quality crab pots, complete with rope, bait bags, floats and identifying tags.

While $200 might sound expensive, I’ve found that the better, heavy-duty crab pots out-perform the cheaper versions, so it’s well worth the extra money… and considering mud crabs are usually around $40+ a kilo, with the average muddie weighing in around 1.5kg, it doesn’t take long to get a good return on your investment.

STEP 2 – Bait

Getting bait can be as simple as going to your local tackle store or service station and buying some whole mullet. Where possible, I like to use fresh mullet and usually pick-up these from the deli section of Coles or Woolworths.

Cut them in half, as the bait will go further and muddies are attracted by the smell.

Fresh meat bones and chicken wings are also very effective, while some people also swear by a tin of tuna cat food with holes punched in it.

Whatever bait you use, just make sure you use a bait bag and that it’s firmly secured to the bottom of the crab pot. Muddies have very powerful claws and will make short work of anything not securely tied down.

STEP 3 – Setting the pots

OK, so it’s time to set the crab pots… and the easiest way to do this is straight off your Superior Jetties Pontoon…

The Gold Coast canal system is a great place to start and you will get the occasional ‘keeper’ right off your pontoon. However, if you’re really after a decent feed of muddies your best bet is to target the mangrove fringes of river and creek systems.

I always prefer to find deep water along these edges and if you can set your pots in about 0.5m to 1.5m of water at low tide then this is usually a good place to start. If you’re targeting creeks, set your pots between 5m and 10m apart for best results.

In a large river or estuary system, you can set your pots anywhere between 20m to 50m apart. Don’t be afraid to experiment when setting your crab pots, as sometimes the most unlikely looking place can yield good results.

STEP 4 – How and when

Along with targeting muddies between September and March, I’m also a big believer in working the moon and tides. Of course, you can catch muddies all year round, but if you follow these simple steps, your chances will dramatically increase.

For the best success rate, try to target the lead-up to the full or new moon and always set your pots to coincide with a run-in tide and overnight (if possible).

Water temperature needs to be warm… at least 23 degrees. A lot of weed in the water usually means no crabs, so try to avoid it.

Here’s where you can get the kids involved… if I run a set of four pots, I usually check them every two hours or so (this seems to be just the right amount of time for muddies to find their way into your pot). But if that all seems like a bit of hard work, especially at night, then just set and forget your pots overnight and have the kids check them first up in the morning. Something to wake-up to!

STEP 5 – The catch

Muddies can be very aggressive so take extreme care when handling them. The easiest and most effective way is to use one hand and squeeze their rear swim flippers together. Once you get more experienced, you can learn to tie your mud crab so that the claws are restrained. I like to keep mine in a large icebox on ice, as this seems to subdue them and prepare them for cooking.

STEP 6 – Cooking the catch

There are many ways to prepare and cook your catch. I think the flesh of a mud crab has a beautiful, unique flavour, so my preference is to cook them ‘au naturale’.

Here’s a quick recipe that has served me well, whether cooking muddies up at Cape York, on the back of a boat or on my pontoon:

The most humane and effective way to euthanise mud crabs is by placing them in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour. Ice is the next best thing, but takes a lot longer. Make sure you don’t freeze your crabs as the flesh will stick to the inside of the shell and/or go mushy when cooked.

I like to scrub the underside of the crab clean with a scourer and then remove the carapace (hard shell) from the rest of the body and cut the body in half leaving two even pieces.

Clean the inside of the crab using the same saltwater as that in which you caught the crab. If there are any doubts about water quality, use freshwater at a ratio of 5L of water to one cup of cooking salt.

Once the flesh is clean, cover and place back in the freezer/ice and let set for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flesh to set in preparation for cooking.

The next part is a bit tricky, but very important: Add the same saltwater that you caught your crab into the pot until it has about 5cm of water in it. Bring this water to the boil and then place your cleaned mud crab into a large deep stainless steel cooking pot until it is between half and three-quarters full. For the large claws, sometimes I like to slightly crack them to assist in cooking.

Place a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to simmer and keep covered and cook for approximately five minutes.

I then like to rotate the crab pieces a little, just to get the ones up off the bottom. Be careful not to burn yourself on the steam!

Cook for a further five to eight minutes just until the flesh looks white and firm. Be careful not to dry simmer the pot – add more water if necessary.

Once your crabs are cooked, remove them from the pot immediately and place them in a bowl of iced seawater for at least 20 minutes. This will stop them from cooking and firm up the flesh.

Remove your crab pieces from the water and let drain for 10 minutes, then place in a new bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Serve as-is with sea salt, cracked pepper and fresh lemon wedges, not forgetting fresh bread and the all-important glass of Sauvignon Blanc – Australian, of course!.

 Enjoy!

Leon Sines

Sales Manager

Singapore - Sentosa Cove

Two beautiful Capri pontoons were recently installed in Singapore by Superior Jetties’ regional partners PMM Malaysia.
 
These are private pontoons in the Sentosa Cove area of Singapore, an area where many properties front onto a small canal system. The canal comes out opposite 115°Marina through a system of locks allowing residents to make their way out to the sea south of Singapore, perhaps heading over to Bintan (Indonesia) for a bit of a getaway.
 
The pontoons fit right in with this upscale area of Singapore and we have a few more regional projects in the pipeline with our Malaysian partners that we’ll introduce in future news.

Australia (Brisbane) - Toowong Rowing Club – the largest pontoon on the river?

Australia (Brisbane) - Toowong Rowing Club – the largest pontoon on the river?
Toowong Rowing Club has a proud history dating back to 1889. Surviving various floods over the last century, it faced yet another with the events of early 2011.
 
The existing pontoon of the time was nearly 20 years old and although it bravely survived the flood, ‘Old Faithful’ only just made it. The decision was made to replace the pontoon before it finally gave up the ghost. Superior Jetties worked with the club to install a beautiful new Elite system pontoon designed to meet the needs of the club.

After making initial contact with Superior Jetties, Matt Browning and Leon Sines worked back and forth with the club to come up with a world-class facility that would provide exceptional launching for up to 20m boats.

The resulting installation consisted of a gangway of 4m at the land side and 8m at the water section, allowing two people to carry even the largest boats down and launch them easily.

The pontoon itself is a concrete Elite system spanning 20m by 4m wide. As with many rowing pontoons, it is sloped towards the water to make it easier for members to get on and off their low-profile boats and to allow water to drain without creating a slippery surface.

Some unique options were chosen by the club including a grab rail fitted to the front edge of the pontoon and tinny-launching rollers located at either end. We also fitted our patented fender system – ‘Superior Fender’ – which does not require air or foam to absorb energy.

The facility is anchored in position by way of steel piles covered with HDPE sleeves, which are air-tight to eliminate any oxidisation and ensure longevity.

Matt and the team from the club worked together on this project for a year in the design phase and also assisting with government grants.

It was a fantastic project to be involved with and we wish the club many enjoyable years of use.

Toowong Rowing Club

Christmas gift ideas from our store…
Know someone with a boat and need a Christmas gift idea for them? Check out these two stocking-filler / Kris Kringle ideas from our store:
 
Bird Busta
Experiencing problems associated with birds such as noise, nesting, ticks, lice and bird droppings? BIRD BUSTA can help to prevent the associated health hazards of bird problems.
Click here to buy the Bird Busta

Chok-a-Blok
Chok-a-Blok protects items you are transporting from being damaged by secure straps. Made from a flexible polypropylene block copolymer moulding that forms the body and clip system, a cross-linked polyethylene foam is bonded to this to allow the Chok-a-Blok to form to and protect the surface of the load being secured. It protects both the load and the webbing during transportation.
Click here to buy a Chok-a-Blok

Polarised Sunglass with HD Video Camera
Record what you’re looking at, when you’re looking at it. These very cool polarised sunglasses come with an 8GB SD or 16GB SD memory card that allows you to record up to two hours of high quality, point-of-view, video footage.  Also included: 12v car charger, 240v charger, case, cleaning-cloth and user manual.
 
Just think, you could replay the entire turkey dinner over and over again…

Click here for 8GB
Click here for 16GB