sitting on a hillside watching clouds
A Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division is awarded to Dr Charles Roger Badham (Wollongong Yacht Club, NSW) - For service to science as a meteorologist.
In 2014 we sailed FAIR WINDS from Brisbane to Auckland. To be honest she wasn’t in great shape. Nail sickness in the french carvel mahogany planking was causing leaks and although I had a sneaking suspicion we had a problem, the full extent of the issue wasn’t realised until we got to New Zealand.
Despite regular pumping of the bilge we had a great trip… North Easterlies made it a reach for most of the 1000nms, and we caught our best ever King Fish off the Bay of Islands which we ate raw, with wasabi and the last lemon. But perhaps the most important thing we had going for us, was weather advice from the famous Roger “Clouds” Badham. One of our crew had met him socially, and become friends, and when he heard we were crossing the Tasman in a (leaky) 60 year old boat he offered to provide weather routeing gratis.
Bear in mind this is the man who is contracted by organisations such as Team New Zealand (Americas Cup), the Rolex Sydney Hobart (40 editions), and Ferrari (Formula One) because of his incredibly detailed meteorological knowledge and legendary accuracy.
Every day of the 9 day journey we would receive simple, factual, unemotional advice via Sat Phone text messaging, about what to expect from the wind and waves, when to change course to improve our comfort, and how to safely speed our passage. He was never wrong. Since that trip he has offered advice to us and other friends with wooden boats on everything from East Coast passages to Bass Strait crossings. I haven’t had the privilege of meeting him personally. We have only spoken over the radio, emailed and I have listened attentively as a member of a nervous crowd before a big event. But his innate generosity is there for all to see.
So when I heard that he had been awarded a gong, I thought “nice work Charlie!"…There’s one you got right!”
Congratulations, Dr Charles Roger Badham OAM, meteorologist, science communicator, and wooden boat custodian!
And next week we’ll bring you the story of the BRIGAND rescued from a slow death on Sydney Harbour, restored and returned to her spiritual home in Goolwa South Australia, by none other than Clouds Badham
