Meet Tony Eltherington, Expat Indonesian surfing legend and captain Raja Elang; surf charter provide humanitarian assistance to the Indonesian archipelago.
Raja is an Australian designed and built, 20 meters long, 5 5. Ocean Cruiser beam with twin diesels Detroit 550mp V12. She sleeps guests in two double and nine single-conditioned rooms. We do the annual review at the moment. That is why I am here in this beautiful site. Welders almost burned the boat down, but it is now.
How this amazing rescue at sea led you just arrived?
We were docking and one of my crew comes and tells me of a guy falling towards Naga Laut and I said, "there's a man there dying out there, let's go! " We jumped in the Binda Luat, dinghy Johnny McGroder, with twin 175s, with doctors and a few guys from Western Australia, and hammered it out in 35-40 knots of wind. It was horrible! There was white water everywhere, trying to go to the side against the weather. I did not like what we were doing in that box so bath we returned to the boat. I could not sleep; I was pacing all night. We deployed at 4am, calculating where to go. We had a boat five miles parallel to us, stay in touch with the following boats by phone, text and HF radios exploding. We wanted all boats coordinated to operate in parallel with a mile between. Then I suddenly need a second and went on to have a ciggie and something happened. I had just lost one of my best friends, my ex-fleet manager, and I think it helped me. We had just buried him that day. I put the boat 18 degrees north think, "This guy came to be in this area." I went to the crew on the floor and gave them the twins. In a flash my deckie said, "Cap! There he is!" My heart fell through my companion ass.
What happened when you finally got to him
We stopped him and threw rings and life surfboards ; all my guests were the top guys of Western Australia and they dived, grabbed him, hugged, and did. We downloaded with doctors, the whole process.
Rescued Brett Archibald out of the water.
What state was it?
Brett was in the water for 27 hours. He expected that he would die eight times but he did not. There were sharks circling gulls and attempting to land on the baldy head, trying to tear his eyes. He says they saved because he kept thinking, "I do not get my eyes torn!" He said he had been sick before he fell in chronically, vomiting, and possibly fainting, falling into the sea. He said he did not remember go, but he remembers waking water in his face and he was not on the boat more.
What are you still out for him? he no presumed dead
When I got this text message: Brett Archibald, 51, cycling, fit, father of two children. Well, being a father of two, guys will have a lot more strength and there was a guy in shape, too. I knew there was hope that he would still be a kick. I have three children and three grandchildren, so I know how he would have felt. It could have been one of us. We are Australians, we are picky. We do not give. I had no intention to waive all.
Yes, with the ship, we are able to reach otherwise inaccessible locations where air transport and ground are impossible. We really want to work with aircraft from the hospital in Australia. Finally, I see a complete clinical aboard with ophthalmologists, surgeons, etc. More support we receive, the more we are able to accomplish.
In addition to saving lives, you also captain surf charters Raja Elang. You are known to find some of the best breaks around, as one of the first to surf Padang Padang among other spots. Where are you going next?
We go to Panaitan island in southern Sumatra, Java, the Mentawai Islands, then back to Padang.
Are you still shaping your bad cards? Your perfect wave, simplified forms, thin and narrow is a different world from the longboards 70.
Forget the seventy years! Forget those old boards balsa! There is now another millennium and we want to go faster, better, with streamlined Innovate rockets that can maneuver perfect waves.
great surfer, shaper rocket eagle browser, you must have the most memorable surf charters available!
12 nights, 13 days aboard Raja Elang includes airport transfer to and from ship, port fees and taxes, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board by the chef. All snacks, bintangs and soft drinks are included, with full use of fishing gear and diving and snorkelling. Epic adventures and memories!
Tony Eltherington Surf Charters
tonyeltheringtonsurfcharters.com
@ tonyeltheringtoncharters BigPond. com