Role Foundation

Report No 6…..to ISC CEO Tipi……….Bali Island………….to Tipi ……….Padang Padang Ship Wreck and Reef Clean Up

22th July, 2008….Tuesday……………….Role Foundation

6.30am……………Chris Moore speed out on his dirt bike to do a quick reccy of the ship wreck. The swell had dropped to 2-3 foot sets and the wreck had made it through this swell. The ropes had held and the wreck had moved little.
Luckily, this was not the big swell that was forecast. The next major swell was scheduled to hit this Thursday/Friday at 2.7 meters.
An approximately one square meter hole was in process of being punched through the spot where the vessel rested against a massive rock half way along her side, and the holes along her hull had increased in size by a couple of meters where she had been continually cheese grated along the reef. Her rudder and propeller where even more twisted.
There was no sign of any oil except for parts of the reef. The reef will need to be hard scrubbed, when the salvage is finalized. The smell of the reef is not nice, with nearly all sea life dead in the surrounding area.

8.30am…………..Mike and Chris met and went through all advice received from salvage experts and people in related fields, with the current position and condition of the shipwreck in mind.
Again we came up with the same conclusion we had at our last committee meeting with N.Y. Johnny and Tim Russo. This type of ship, made up of a 15 centimeter fiberglass sandwiched resin foam was too buoyant to sink properly out at sea, without tons of concrete or similar, and it was too dangerous to tow out to sea too, as it would definitely break up trying to get it over the reef, even if they had the necessary equipment, leaving toxic crap everywhere. It would be too toxic to burn. It would not be possible to burn the complete wreck and this would only leave a smoldering fume producing machine.
It was not possible to lift it out. The wreck, I was assured, weighed at least 50+ ton.
The only way we were going to get rid of this monster was to cut it up and haul it out. Chris spent half his day talking and meeting with 2 wrecking companies, that say they can do it. It would take up to 20 days to complete this task, they said. One of the guys would come out and do a reccy that afternoon.
But all said and done, they would do nothing without the written permission of the Water Police, who held jurisdiction.
The Water Police’s angle was still, This is a crime scene, even thou they had not been to the wreck for over 8 days. There was never any guards. Also the wreck had been looted of every possible item that would move. It had been covered in oil and diesel. It had been cleaned of all rubbish etc.. But it was still a crime scene. What evidence could be left now, of any use??? The other story from them was there was a tug boat coming from Surabaya, Java, This tug had been coming for nearly a week, and the story was getting a bit long in the tooth. The combination of these two stories allowed them to hold on to the goose………..if you know what I mean! The goose is the wreck and the owner/insurance co.
Rope Foundation or any of this wreck committee had not and would not contact or communicate with these guys. They were in this game and did not appreciate our concern for the environment or the local jobs and business’s connected to tourism. Also they didn’t need foreigners telling them what to do.

9am-3pm…………….With the completion of all the major works on the wreck for now, Role and our staff turned its attention to the breaking of the above deadlock, so we could achieve our goal…………. Get rid of that septic toxic ghost ship once and for all, so it could not come back to haunt the ecology of Padang Padang.
Surfers and their families spend $100’s of millions of dollars in Bali every year. We needed to find the leverage points here, and bring in the Indonesian heavy hitters that would break the deadlock.
Chris contacted Wayan Puspa Negara, who is a young and energetic locally elected DPR or Member of the Bali Parliament for Badung. (Badung is the regency south of Denpasar and includes, Kuta/Legian, Benoa Harbor, Nusa Dua and the Bukit which of course includes Padang2/Ulus area.) By 6pm that evening Wayan called back to Chris and told him the story above, regarding the water Police. We arranged to meet with him at 10 am the following morning.
Then out of the blue a Mr. A called from Jakarta. He has connection with Minister of Tourism for Security and Marketing. After a considerably long discussion to bring him up to speed on events. He said if we provided all the information he would discuss it with the Indonesian Minister on this Friday. A very, matter of fact, and most helpful guy.
Tim Russo was on the phone practically half the day lining up contacts and meetings. We planned to get to talk with Mr. Made Mangku Pastika, the newly elected Governor of Bali, who did such a great job during the Bali bombings etc,. We are also on the trail of the Minister for the Environment and several others to communicate the Environmental story. After all a clean Bali will bring home the bacon for all, and provide much needed jobs.

4pm…….We met on the wreck with a Japanese fishing and shipping expert to seek more advice. Mr. Hato, who is a keen surfer and nature lover.
His advice was………CUT IT UP AND HAUL IT AWAY over the cliff to a environmentally secure site……..

We are not sitting easy dealing with this political side of the environmental equation.

There are many people who have helped with the above salvage info, and contacts info etc… Steve Palmer and Clemens Berger with some contacts.
Thanks again to our Role Team at the office who are dealing with all the mayhem, Chris Moore, Tim Russo, N.Y. Jonny and Jason Childs.
And special thanks to Mr. Hato.

“Mother Nature is heading for Environmental Disaster Reef on a Ship called Greed.”

See you tomorrow,…………Mike
(Please help us educate and re-skill the needy of the bukit. With 4-5000 villas and houses scheduled to be built over the next 2-3 years, some needy Balinese and Indonesians are economically falling behind. They need skills to create new businesses and jobs. Check out our programs.)

Mike O’Leary
International CEO and Founder
R.O.L.E.Foundation.
“Help play a Role………
to create a world without poverty
and reviving the health of the environment”

Report to ISC, ….No 5…….Bali Island………….to Tipi ……….Padang Padang Ship Wreck and Reef Clean Up
Monday 21th July, 2008…………………..Role Foundation

7 am……………..Checked out the wreck. The swell was up………3-4 foot……The wreck held tight right through the night and through the high tide to 1am today. Little had changed from the day before. There was still oil and diesel drifting out to sea, but only small amounts compared to previous days.
10am……………meeting between Mod Mike, Chris More, New York Johnny and Clemens Berger by phone. We would take the 6-7 cubic meters of rubbish and the 44 gallon drums and several jerry cans of oil/sludge to the top of the cliff and get it carted away, clean up any extra mess around the wreck and reef, and move 2 large steal railway tracks covered in thick resin away from the take off zone. (These steel tracks were originally lined the very bottom of the hull.) We would meet at 4 pm as the low tide was now getting on toward evening. We would soon be looking at early morning to do our work on the wreck.

12noon…………..the word got to me that the water policeman still had another agenda,and that efforts to get things happening and this wreck away from threatening the lineup once and for all were futile. I put out a cry for help in desperation, to the captains of industry around Bali. We needed to get the Indo Tourism Dept, the Environment Dept, Bali and Jakarta ministers involved. We needed some heavy hitters.This guy was holding all concerned groups to ransom. After all this was a crime scene, a environmental crime scene.

4pm…………Mod Mike and Chris Moore along with the Role staff, the GUS Foundation Staff, Steve Palmer’s construction staff, all turned up on time. We started the heavy physical task of carrying all the rubbish, heavy ship parts and oil/sludge drums and jerry cans all the way to the top of the cliff. I do not know how high or far it is from the staging area at the back of the Padang2 back beach, to the top of the cliff, but I can assure you it was a REAL ball breaker. Even for the girls helping! Gus had their truck there and it sure was good to see the end of that crap.

5.30pm…………We turned our attention to cleaning the wreck, the reef and rocks again of rubbish and ship parts that had loosened over the last day. Surfers Girl staff turned up with drinks and a helping hand, lead by Georgina Barnett. What a bonus!! Also they rolled their sleeves up and did their stuff. Real good workers, no question.
We also moved 2 large pieces of steal covered in resin that was in the front of the lineup. This was another ball breaker. With 8 guys, we could not lift these things, and they were so long we could only push one end forward 5 meters, and then push the other end 5 meters. Eventually we got them over nearer the wreck and out of harm’s way.

6.30 missions completed. Johnny arrived at the watering hole and with Chris and I, we held a meeting.
Obviously stage 1 was over, we had cleaned the wreck of sludge and rubbish, the rocks behind the reef, the front, top and back of the reef and carted it all away, but we still needed to get rid of this toxic wreck that would always threaten the line up as long as it remained.
It was with deep concern that we realized that if we were going to cut up and remove this wreck, once and for all, and get some closure, we must get involved with the political side of things and try to move some arsis. As surfers most of us go to great length throughout our lives to keep clear of such issues and persons.
We agreed to form a committee. We would try to get some heavy hitters on our side.

After all, surfers and their family inject $100’s of millions of dollars every year into the Bali/Indo economy. There must be some leverage, one would think?

Big THANKS to all the above persons. Still no serious injuries.

Stage 2 begins…………….Politics……cut up and remove the wreck???
By consensus……….The best way to get rid of the oil on the reef is by human hair and a saltwater heavy scrub??? Hair cut derby on the cards???
Closure please. Hindu Cleansing Ceremony???

See You tomorrow,
Best……………Mike

Report to ISC, ….No 4…….Bali Island………….to Tipi ……….Padang Padang Ship Wreck and Reef Clean Up 20th July, 2008….Sunday……………….Role Foundation

6am………….Checked the now secured wreck……………the ropes had held throughout the night with the decreasing swell. All was good except for the sludge slowly being wasted out to sea from the wreck, the rocks and the reef. This was the residue that was impossible to clean off. Except for our reef and rock scrubbing plan, which we will do after we get rid of the wreck. With the incoming tide the scares on the reef became very clear. But they were south of the take off zone and would NOT change the lineup.
The fiber glass wreck was very resilient. Even with wave after wave hitting the wreck against a massive rock in the middle, there were no holes along the high side. But the outside bottom of the hull was massively holed. Definitely NO chance of a salvage now.
The ropes, securing the vessel would be surely tested the following day with the expected 2.8 meter swell that Monday.
9am………….Clean up phone meeting……….N.Y. Ulu’s Johnny took the initiative and planned a cleanup of the outer side of the reef which was the take of zone of the lineup. This was an area that could only be cleaned up in calm conditions and at mid to high tide.
He paddled out on a surf rescue board in his scuba wetsuit, with his snorkel and flippers. He did a reccy of the backside of the reef. He then asked the team of Chris Moore, Clemens Berger and Mike Mod to come out with the rubber ducky provided and skippered by Nyoman, and crewed by Made of the Padang2 Lifesavers, to come out and collect the crap. Chris went over the side to join Johnny. We collected the crap as Johnny and Chris brought it up off the reef. Depending on the swell and swell direction, this was a vast area.
They brought up masses of fishing wire, nets and ropes, plus sharpe metal trays, fish hooks, gaffs, batteries and other dangerous gear.
The surfers that had surfed there since the ship had ran aground were extremely lucky not to have come unstuck on this crap. That metal fishing wire was extremely difficult to cut, even with wire cutters.
Now all dangerous wire and materials were cleared off the Padang Padang reef thanks to Johnny’s initiatives. You da man, Johnny.

12.00 noon Clean Up Meeting…………………. It was agreed that even without the help of the Role and Steve’s Balinese staff, who needed a well deserved rest on Sunday with their families, we must take off any movable rubbish and objects before the swell hit again, the following day, Monday. We would meet again at 4.00pm with more rice bags and keep cleaning the wreck and surrounding areas. I would bring the ladder. The wreck was actually starting to look spick. Thou the smell disagreed with this story.
4pm clean up commences………….Tim Russo, N.Y. Ulu’s Johnny, Chris Moore, Mike O’Leary, Brian Firth, Tim Hains and the volunteer Frenchy Nick was the team today. So there we were again on the wreck, the reef and rocks bagging more rubbish and stock piling it 5 meters from the vessel. Without the Balo staff, it got a bit dangerous below the vessel, with gear being tossed off everywhere.
The lids were taken of the remaining bait freezers. What a lovely soup mix! Hopefully that bait crap would vanish with the big swell. God help us!
Come 5 pm we were through. Hopefully we had the lot. Except for the remaining bait compartments. We then carted it all the 100 meters to the staging area, behind the Padang2 back beach.
You may thing we are pissed off with the lack of physical help. We are not really concerned with this fact to date. Except for too many tourists getting in the way, there has not been any injuries so far to the cleanup crew, except for a few septic cuts. Practicality has ruled the day, and the job has and is being done. Safety is the top priority. No compo here mate.

Tomorrows plan…………With help from Gus Foundation and Ollie at Lestari Group, we plan to get all the crap (Oil/Sludge and 6-7 cubic meters of rubbish) from the staging area behind the Padang2 back beach to the top of the cliff and carted away to the recyclers and/or a secure place.

Someone needs to break up the wreck or it could again become a major problem at anytime, if the ropes break as it is extremely buoyant. We are seeking the help of higher beings or was that beans? Still awaiting their message, maybe by courier pigeon. But we are not just hanging and waiting around. Proactive is the name of the game, no reactive.

Thanks again to all those mentioned above and thanks again for your support.

See you tomorrow……..Mike O’Leary
(Also please donate if you can, you will always get value for money from us and so will the needy. That I guarantee. We have very positive and proactive programs).
Mike O’Leary
International CEO and Founder
R.O.L.E. Foundation Inc
Help play a role……
in creating a world without poverty
and reviving the health of the environment.

Report to ISC, …..No 3………Bali Island……….Tipi……….Padang Padang Ship Wreck and Reef Clean Up
Saturday………19th July, 2008

6 am ………Check the unsecured wreck. Promised help from authorities still had not arrived. Oil and sludge turned the line up into a creamy white whirlpool.
As the tide was coming in the wreck started to move back out onto the reef a few meters. But, fortunately as the waves started crashing across the reef with the rising tide, against the now severely holed ship the aft or tail started to spin around to the north. It appeared that the wreck was heading back into the lineup. High tide would be around 12 noon.
As 10 am approached, we all watched in disbelief, as if by God’s hands, the wreck parked it’s long body parallel to the cliff between two massive rocks, with the middle of the wreck coming to rest against another large rock.
It deadset looked like someone was doing a parking maneuver. Maybe it was the ghost captain, or the Hindu Sea Goddess/Princess?
It was the best possible position for the surf break and to work on clean up operations.
Our first good break. We were so used to getting sucker punched by events; this was a piece of good karma.
11.00 am Clean Up meeting. Chris, Johnny, Clemens and myself. Things were starting to come together for a change. No one was going to stop us with this clean up now………..Yesterday we had taken 90% of the outstanding oil/toxic mix off the wreck, Today we would focus on cleaning up the rubbish, rotting bait and boat materials across the reef and the wreck. Chris Moore would get the rice bags, I would get the ladder. (We nearly all got killed trying to get on and off the slippery toxic deck the day before, with Chris doing a spectacular back flip off the deck on to the reef.) We would all meet back with the Role staff and Steve Palmer’s men at 3.30pm.

1 pm Help from the owner finally arrives, with a 8 man team with approx 300 meters of ropes to tie and secure the vessel to the rocks. Maybe too little, too late, but after watching this wreck moving back toward the lineup and the main Padang2 tourist beach earlier in the day, plus an expected even bigger swell on Monday, this was a positive action. We had questions about the size of the rope used to hold this 100 or so tons of ship. The rope is approx 4-5 centimeters thick, but this just may do the trick.

3.10-3.30pm The Clean up team assembled at the head land overlooking the back beach of Padang2……….. Jason Childs and Made, Ulu’s Johnny, Role staff with Chris Moore and Mike Mod, Steve Palmers’s staff, Lorca, Ant and Kate, Jim Friedman and Tim Russo. Chris had about 50 plus rice bags, Tim had rubber boots and much need rubber gloves and I had an carefully manufactured stock Indo shaky ladder.
Firstly we broke the team up into the reef team and the wreck team. With the help of the Padang life guards we cleared the reef of the obvious trash.
There were many large fish hooks and tackle, miles of fishing lines and nets, as well as tarps, large chucks of fiber glass, fiberglass foam and varies other toxic materials across the reef. Large volumes of rope, net and line around the propeller and rudder.
Then we focused on the 35 meter long/6deck wreck, with Johnny, Chris and JB, with Steves guys cleaning the mess on the wreck. Cleaning up the bait and fish guts was not nice thing. A few calls to ruth could be heard. (Vomiting).
Anything that was not secure had to go off. They would pass down the bags from the lower decks and then had to throw down the bags and objects from the upper decks. There were containers, plastic pipes, preparation equipment and many heavy objects.
Lorca, Tim and myself placed it all in an organized pile 5 meters from the wreck.
There were 20 or so tourist watching. 5 guys with large bintangs in hand had to be escorted off the shipwreck. They thought it would be perfectly ok, with rubbish flying everywhere and guys cleaning everywhere to make a tour of the wreck, have a beer and watch the surf. They did not get far. With the smell of fish guts in the air, they were lucky our guys didn’t test their flying ability!!!

By 5.30 everything was in bags and/or in movable piles, for the long haul to the staging site behind the back beach, where the oil/sludge was waiting from the day before.

By 6.00 pm the 4-5 cubic meters of trash including a few tens of kilos of maggots, were in the safe staging area, where the tide and waves could not take its hold.
We all proceeded to the temporary warung at the Rip contest area for a drink and for the Indo guys, their beloved smoke, paid for by Role with Jason helping out. Took half an hour to sort out the bill. After a couple of counts the bill went down from 350 to Rp 205,000. What’s new? Doesn’t matter how stuffed you are we all have to go through, due process.
Everyone needed to get home and scrub up. Some infections were getting worse from the day before.
WOULD LIKE TO THANK TODAYS CLEAN UP TEAM……N.Y. Ulu’s Johnny, Chris Moore, Tim Russo, Clemens, Jason Childs, Lorca, Ant and Kate, Jim Friedman, Role and Steves Staff, Padang Lifeguards AND THE 3 KIWIS AND AN OZZIE WHO HELPED IN THE LAST TIRING MINUTES. They exchanged a tour of the wreck after we had finished the wreck clean up for 2 loads each up the beach. About 100meters long each exhausting trip. Our guys did 6 or 7 each.
Tomorrow…………..The long haul up to the cliff top with all this crap???
Monday………………Hard brush the sludge off the reef and rocks???
Tuesday……………….Water testing???
Another clean up as the ship breaks up???
Cleansing ceremony???

It will be interesting to see what happens with the wreck. It still has its massive engines and generator. They will probably be cut out and hauled away. The wreck will slowly break up or will be cut up. This thick double walled fiberglass hull is extremely durable and tough. Fiberglass is also very toxic in itself.

After the bitter disappointment, of not being able to salvage the ship, as the rug was pulled out from under our feet by greed and the environmental catastrophe that has played out, we can only pray we so dumb humans will learn from these experiences, and restore the balance for future generations.

This fishing industry is in a real uncontrolled mess worldwide. Something must be done.

See you tomorrow……..Mike O’Leary

(Also please donate if you can, you will always get value for money from us and so will the needy. That I guarantee. We have very positive proactive programs.)

Mike O’Leary
International CEO and Founder
R.O.L.E. Foundation Inc
Help play a role……
in creating a world without poverty
and reviving the health of the environment.
www.rolefoundation.org

6am……..
It was obvious that there was no tug coming and the wreck was not secured as promised. After pleading to the authorities and wreck owner the previous day, to lets us secure the ship with ropes and anchors, before the rising swell, we were told/warned to leave it alone. They would take care of everything.We were reminded that this was a crime seen. (It surely was a crime seen. An environmental crime seen, and we could do nothing but wait for the ship to break up and clean up the mess. There were after all other forces at play here)
Meet Chris Moore and Ulu’s Johnny at Padang2. The wreck had been pushed side ways 30 meters out of the take off zone and as the tide came in the wreck was slowly being pushed in and over the reef. There was oil everywhere in the line up and the swell was rising fast. By 10-11am, as the tide peaked, the wreck had been pushed in as she was going. With the swell rising something must be done to stop the oil.
10am……Met with the owners and the Taiwan Police on the cliff top above the wreck. I was pretty obvious, it was all over for the salvage of the ship. The owner was a pasty white color.

11 am Clean up planning meeting for low tide.
Ulu’s Johnny, Tim Russo, Chris Moore, Clemens Berger and Mike O’Leary.
It was agreed that we would try to clean up the oil out of the wreck and surrounding areas with a limits work force before calling in mass amounts of people the following high tide. Too many people would only get in the way, as we were not sure of the conditions and the logistics of disposing of the oil properly. Steve Palmer called and offered his staff to help. that would be just the right amount of people for now.

After calling around all modern clean up equipment and dispersement etc are not available.
Tim Russo said he would to manufacture fabric scoop filters out of porous materials. Chris organised 2 pumps , 3 x 44 gallon oil drums, 10 buckets, 20 jerry cans and scrubbing brushes.
It was agreed we would do the clean up via the back beach track and take the oil and crap out that way, so we would keep the mess away from Padang Padang beach. Padang2 Beach was still fairly clean. The main mess had gone south down Ulu’s way. At 1pm Chris and I did a reccy of the planned extraction route from the wreck. It was planned to store the oil in drums behind the Padang Back Beach, then take in up the cliff/hill as a second stage. Getting the oil up the hill would be a major physical event. A sludge truck would be found to take it away to an appropriate dump site. We checked the wreck. There was at least 4 meter break along her lower side. It was hard to see, as the tide was still dropping.

2pm we all met. Tim Russo’s fabric filters arrived etc., and Role’s pumps, drums and buckets etc., equipment arrived. Role’s 5 staff arrived and Steve Palmer’s 10 staff arrived. Chris and Tim organized all equipment and staff to be moved down to the wreck with the drums placed behind the back beach.

3pm
The smell was horrific. A sludge and dead sea life mix.
Johnny and Chris boarded the wreck to discover that most of the 2-3 meters of sludge had drained out and emptied onto the reef, rocks and surrounding ocean.
The ships concrete balis had been ripped off the bottom and there were broken blocks all over the reef.
There was still plenty of oil around the engine and in trapped compartments.
It was agreed that Chris would manage the clean up of the inside of the wreck and Tim the reef and rocks.
Johnny would go into town and meet the authorities and see what extra help he could get from them.

3.30pm Wreck clean up……It was too shallow andthe areas to difficult to use the pumps, so Chris with Steve Palmer’s staff had to use buckets on ropes, bring in up in the dark to the top of the engine room, pour it in to jerry cans and carry it along the deck and pass in down. The the Role staff carried these jerry can the 100 meters to the back of the beach and poured it into the 44 gallon drums.
Reef cleanup…………..Tim used his fabric filters and buckets in the concentrated oil pools, poured it into jerry cans and the Role staff carried it off.
There were plenty of dead or dieing sea life around. Crayfish, crabs, small fish, sea slugs etc..

6pm ……………..Staff started to get very tired, and all had cuts somewhere over their bodies. The wreck and reef was extremely slippery and toxic. There were no major injuries, so we decided to call it a day. We cleaned up all the equipment, and head up the cliff.
BIG THANK YOU TO MY AND STEVE PALMER.S STAFF. THESE GUYS CAN and DID WORK SO HARD. Big thank you to Chris and Tim. Tim’s fabric filter is a winner and he tried so hard with the clean up.

Next challenge……………SCRUB and WASH the REEF and ROCKS day Sunday low tide 4 pm. ???????

Best………Mike

(Also please donate if you can, you will always get value for money from us and so will the needy. That I guarantee. We have very positive and proactive programs).

Mike O’Leary
International CEO and Founder
R.O.L.E. Foundation Inc
Help play a role……
in creating a world without poverty
and reviving the health of the environment.

Taiwanese Fishing Boat wrecked on Padang Padang Reef

15th July 3 days after Taiwanese Fishing Boat wrecked on Padang Padang Reef

Chris Moore (Role Foundation Chairman) was contacted and Role Foundation agreed to try to spearhead thecontainment and removal of the wrecked ship. Chris arrive at 4pm meet with Ulu’s Johnny and other concerned surfers. It was agreed after a visual outside inspection that an early morning inspection of the boat’s diesel tanks and bilge etc by Johnny and Chris was needed. As there was diesel everywhere. Then a meeting of all concerned surfers etc would be held to get a consensus on our approach.
Chris organized a truck x 2days, 2 hand pumps and 3 x 44 gallon drums and 20 gerry cans, small ropes, used tire inner tubes, plus a driver.

16th July
Mike O’Leary and Chris meet at 5.30 am and loaded the truck with above equipment and made our way to Padang2.
Inspection inside and then out by Ulu’s Johnny and Chris revealed there was little diesel in the tanks, but the bilge was 2-3 meters deep in a toxic mix of Oil, Diesel, fish heads etc., etc.. The guys had to paddle out on the lifesaver paddleboards as the rubber ducky engine failed at that stage. The ship was covered throughout in this toxic crap. There was no wheel, no anchor, no ropes, all equipment had been stripped, and even the starter motors were taken. The rudder was rapped tight in fishing net.
8.30 am…A general meeting was held for any person that wanted to have their say on Padang2 beach . Jason Childs, Ulu’s Johnny, Chris, Tim, Jo, the local life guards and myself all sat down. Clemens by phone. Chris talked with Martin Daley on the Indies Trader for 20 minutes. It was important to get everyone point of view, so all would feel their input was considered.
The seas had been pretty much dead calm since the wreck happened, and everyone agreed that the ship must be moved before the expected big swell hit on the following afternoon, 17th July, or there would be an environmental disaster, as the building waves would make it impossible to salvage and break the ship to pieces. The ship is positioned right in the take off zone.
The good news was the fiberglass and timber vessel was not holed. The bad news was that the toxic sludge was spilling out the gangway and leaking as the ship laying half on its’ side, rolled on the incoming tide.
There was no anchor or big enough ropes to secure the vessel.
It was decided not to attempt to pump the toxic mess out of the boat at that stage as we did not have the huge amount of equipment needed to contain or hold the toxic mess and we would probably create a bigger problem. It was better left contained as much as possible in the ship.
It was learnt that a strong tug boat was on it’s way for the following day at high tide, coming from the restoration work in front of Kuta Reef. Chris and John were on the telephone to this Tug operator, and to the police who had taken jurisdiction over this catastrophe and help the authority. This was a crime seen.
Main points of the meeting were:- Contain the environment damage, get the ship off the reef asap, get the necessary equipment to hold the vessel in place, so it can move more over the reef. Secure a large anchor, strong ropes, pumps, etc… meet with the main player, the Indo Police and advise them on the coming swell.
The next possible time to move it, would be high tide at 10 am on 17th, the following day. We must get prepared.
At 11am that day, a supposed salvage team turned up from Jimbaran Bay fishing community. Chris went out to meet them on the wreck. They supposedly had huge flotation devises and had moved 3 to 4 vessels off reefs in the last months.
Chris and I met with the Taiwanese police. The Taiwan Captain and Crew of this ship were missing, presumed dead. The story goes: the Captain and his crew were attacked by pirates near Irian Jaya and the ship had been sailing with out any crew around in circles until it slammed onto Padang2 reef. Sounded like bullcrap to us, but who knows. There are other stories, also. The Taiwan Police were very helpful and understood our anxiety to move the vessel. They gave us the ship owners telephone number.
At 1pm, Chris and I set of to secure what we though was the vital equipment for a tug salvage and Chris was constantly in communication with the tug operator. We got a pump with only 5 meters of hose, but could not secure extra hose. We found a 100 meters of 5 centimeter rope, but we could not secure a big enough anchor at that time.
At 3 pm a meeting was called and Ulu’s Johnny went to meet the Police boss in Jimbaran Bay to sort things out. The Police must sign off on this or nothing would happen.
By 5 pm, the penny dropped. There would be no tug. The supposed Jimbaran Bay Salvage team would do the job. They would secure the vessel that night, organize the ropes and anchor, and be there at all night preparing the vessel. They would do final preparation the next morning, and pull it off on the high tide. That was the final call, no question. The tug would not be used.
All Chris’s and my efforts to secure equipment were a waist of time, but no need to worry these Salvage guys, we were assured, were professionals after all. The money and time would not be wasted if they get the ship off the reef. All’s good.
That evening Johnny and his mate paddled out to meet the salvage team on the ship. One of the salvage team had been injured and taken to hospital, but they would be back in the morning at 6 am Sharp. They had achieved nothing. Johny had repeatedly reminded them that the ship must be moved the next morning, as the swell would arrive that afternoon, and ship could break up or become unsalvageable.

17th July
5.30 am Chris and I headed out to Padang with great expectations. We met Johnny at 6am. The morning was so calm. Oil sludge was around the ship, so Jason Chlids did a reccy on his jetski, and discovered an small oil slick from the ship south. Nearly to Ulus.
This was new……….Johny and Chris checked the ship, but the ship still remained in one piece and was not holed. Maybe these salvage guys had bailed the oil?
We waited for the Salvage Team with their 8-10 fishing boats, there flotation devises, and their know how to arrive at 6-6.30am.
We waited
Even tough they had not prepared anything over night, if they arrived now we could plan and prepare. High tide was at approximately 10am. In 3 hours.
We waited.
A million phone calls later, it became apparent that there was NO salvage team coming.
Johnny took the initiative, and with Wayan the life guard(extremely helpful guy) took off on the jetski to Jimbaran bay, to sort out the Salvage Team. It became apparent at that time that this was NO salvage team, but just a group of fishermen.
They would not go on the wreck, as their friend had slipped the previous night and was in hospital.
Johnny and Clemens convinced them, that Johnny and Chris would tie off the ropes if they brought out their boats and flotation devises etc.
The tide was coming in fast.
Johnny and Wayan arrived back at Padang. It was 9am.
The fishing boats arrive one by one.
There was no time to plan much, but we still had to try.
Chris and Johnny got on the wreck.
There were no flotation devices, just a piece of styrofoam that was about as big as a car, but completely useless.
By 10.30-11 am Johnny and Chris with the help of Wayan and the Bondi team on the jetski had secured the ropes. The tide was dropping, we still had to try. Never give up, right. The boats were all in a 2 rows heading out to sea, like two straight pearl necklaces, tied together one after the other in a straight line. 4-5 boats a piece.
Chris wanted to pull the nose around, but was out voted.
Full power, but they were heading in the wrong direction and pulling against the wreck.
It took another vital 30 minutes to set them up in the right direction.
The tide was dropping. Full engines again.
Nothing moved. Not enough power, not enough flotation, not enough planning………not enough water and time.
Johnny and Chris, Wayan and all the team tried so hard and were fearless………….but it was too little, too late.
We tried again, and didn’t want to give up.
To our dismay, while we were trying to move the wreck the promised tug boat steamed past out at sea with its empty barge, off for another load of rock.
For Johnny and Clemens who were there from the start, and Chris and the Role Team it was heart break hotel.
3pm…….Ok regroup……………..big meeting at Jimbaran Bay restaurant. The wrecks owner, Indo Police and Johnny, Chris, and the Taiwan Government liaison.
They acknowledged our concerns for the environment and the rising swell.
The good news……….There will be a tug boat, the owners agree on the price etc.. there will be an attempt the next high tide tomorrow the 18th.
5 pm….Johnny organizes a meeting with the tug boat owner/captain and his crew at Padang.
The swell is starting to rise, with 4 foot sets pushing through. It is low tide, so there is limited damage from these waves on the wreck.
The tug owner/captain expresses his doubts and his crew are scared.
8-9pm, 17th received call from Chris saying the tug boat will NOT be coming to the rescue and salvage the boat. (This may change, but we doubt it.)
Role puts into place a contingency plan to clean up the break up of the wreck.

I apologise for not being able to do more, but we were hog tied with no authority, and no real say, just good intentions and a love of the place, its environment and people.
God knows we tried everything possible.

It is obvious, this types problem needs to be handled with speed at the most highest level, immediately something like this happens in future, to protect the environment, the tourist industry and the local peoples livelihood.

We will not give up just yet, and we must prepare for a clean up.
Please circulate this report to all interested parties.

Restore the balance for future generations.
(Sorry if I left anyone out, my memory isn’t so good.)
Thanks so much for everyone support and help. We are approximately Rp 8 mill in the hole, unfortunately with nothing to show for it. Any extra moneys raise will go towards Clean Up and the purchase of water testing equipment and our Marine revival programs.

Best…………..Mike

Not if us surfers have anything to do with it. We all take that perfect wave, and that magical sunrise or sunset from mother nature, and we all giving back, RIGHT?

………….Surfers, Surf Industry, Tourist Industry are working on solutions. (If your family owns a Warung, or you are a Tour guide, a Surf School Teacher etc….all these many thousands of jobs and small business’s run by Balinese and Indonesians are part of the Surf/Tourism Industry). How can we all help, and have a beautiful Bali for Future Generations?

Be AWARE of , and get involved with ALL issue of pollution at your local beach.

Things to be AWARE of ………..

1. Raw Sewerage floating in the line up (There has resently been seen Raw sewerage at Balangan and a other line ups around Bali).
2. Dumping of Rubbish (People are dumping rubbish Everywhere).
3. Burning of Plastics, paint, printed materials (Children get lung disease and illness easily from Burning Waste/Plastic).
4. Chemical Sprays (If we dispose of all our rubbish properly will cut all those mosquitos jiggy jigging dramatically, and their disease spreading ).
5. Boat and Ship Dumping in the Ocean (millions of tons of Rubbish and Oil based products being dumped daily).

Report this crap to a senior surfer/individual or Gus or Role Foundation.

Try making a clean up system at your local beach. Get some BIG rubbish bins. Do not throw rubbish on the ground or anywhere. Rubbish must be taken away. Not burnt. Burning plastic, paint, printed matter, just releases toxins everywhere and they spread out over the top of the lineup and over the beach.

Everything we dump or do not clean up properly WILL eventually go into the Ocean where we surf. Our other home!

Slowly we will restore the BALANCE.
Tri Hita Karana

Mike O’Leary

Role has a 25 year lease over 15,500 square meters of land at Sawangan, Nusa Dua, Bali.

Mike O’Leary, the founder of Role, along with local Architects Brahma Mahardika and Widhi, and the team from P.T. Sutra Persada Utama.
We has a tricky job………how to design and build an Environmentally Friendly Skills Learning Center from scratch with limited cash, but heaps of good will and plenty of muscle.
Bram says, “In Eco Building, as for materials, we have three options….1…..Materials harvested from the site. Namely limestone as we carve out the water management pits and channels, and soils, as we build our carriage ways and parking space, and sticks and un sawn light timber, from cattle feeds small trees. …..2….Pre-used and recycled timbers and other materials. ….3….. New renewable materials such as bamboo and certified plantation timbers, etc.”
“As for labor, we will use a small consistent local work force, plus Role staff when they have time, plus local and visiting volunteers.”
The living fence around the property is 60% complete; we just need a bit more rain for the living part of the fence to kick in. Papa, the Balinese land owner assures us it will start living sooner or later. The carriage ways and parking have been cleared by the Role Eco-Product staff and the founder. Check out the blisters. We now need to take off and stockpile the hundreds, if not thousands of cubic meters of soil, and replace it with limestone dug from the water pits and channels over time. Also stockpile usable wood.
Mike and his team are now designing all infrastructures for the project, and sorting out exactly where the 20 learning stations will sit, what they will consist of, and what their needs are.
The children’s discovery track will meander its way around the center of the project and will be a design feature in itself.
In the meantime, the Women’s Vocational Skills Program is being run out of our leased premises in town Nusa Dua, which is doubling as our learning faculty and is an obviously well like program. The Abalone farming is slowly but surely coming on line down at Geger beach in cooperation with the Geger Beach Seaweed Farmers Association.

If you have or know of someone who has expertise, and may wish to help with knowledge, teaching skills and/or hands on experience in the following areas, please refer us to them or them to us……. Agriculture……….Organic farming, permaculture, forest gardening, reforestation, worm and snail farming, mushroom farming. Construction…..Eco building materials and techniques………Aquaculture and Ocean farming……….Health and Wellness.

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We had a very quiet ceremony last Friday 20th April, 2008. The land is positioned on the east south east end of the Bukit. The Bukit is the upturn diamond on the bottom of the Bali Map: a massive hill of limestone, which is raised pre-historic coral reef, with some of the best surf in the world. It can be dusty in the long dry season. In years gone by it was the hunting ground of the Sultans of Bali.
In a little patch of rainforest, the cleansing ceremony for the R.O.L.E. Foundation’s Eco Learning Center began at 7 am.
The first Temple on a building site is usually a temporary temple. Thou it is still a work of time and art, This enables us to start work on the 15,500 sq meters of land, Role has leased to build the Eco Learning Center. The Hindu Priest chanted long and hard, also dishing out plenty of holy water and good luck wishes.
By 9am, the learning center and us were all blessed and cleansed.
So now we can start work on the property. Role is committed to helping eliminate poverty and reviving the health of the environment.
The Eco Learning Center has 29 subjects across its 3 vocational skills programs; giving education and skills to the poor and needy.
Best wishes…………………….Mike O’Leary (Founder)

The Program
For this program R.O.L.E. has a 25 year lease over a property at Sawangan, Nusa Dua, Bali Island. The property is 15,500 square meters in area and is positioned on a hillside overlooking Nusa Dua and the Indian Ocean, approximately 20 minutes from Bali’s International Airport. This location is central to the mangroves and harbour; to the tourism industry of Nusa Dua with its 5 star Hotels; to the seaweed farms; to the local fisheries; and to local agriculture of the Bukit, southern Bali.
On this property, as well as a teaching facility, R.O.L.E. will build 20 Teaching, R&D, Display and Demonstration Stations
The Eco-Learning Center Program has five skills areas which R.O.L.E. is teaching eco-friendly jobs and businesses.

These five areas in turn are broken up into 20 Teaching, R&D, Display and Demonstration Stations. In most cases these stations double up as Research and Development centers. These Stations may grow, divide or change over time. Depending on the success of the Jobs and Businesses developed.

On the 14th April, 2008, R.O.L.E. Foundation has commenced a new term at its teaching faculty, at Nusa Dua. There are three grades in the Vocational Skills Education Program. The primary aim of this program is to locate and train up illiterate and needy women to a skills level where they are employable, able to go on to a higher education to become a professional, or open a business of their own, or a partnership or with a community group.
Following evaluation, the students were broken into three grades, i.e. illiterate, intermediate and vocational skills. The Illiterate and Vocationals skills grades offers a 3 month course, and the intermediate a one-month course. The students will be evaluated at the end of each period and will either repeat the course as many times as necessary to gain the needed skill level to advance or move on to the next course.

There are up to three teachers helping with each class. It is expected the illiterate students will take between six to twelve months to advance to the intermediate class and the intermediate students will take three to six months to advance to the three-month vocational course.
The women seem so happy to have this opportunity.