Compulsary Boat Safety Awareness Needed?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8199397.stm

 

No; it’s one of the few freedoms we have left. Just hit silly buggers hard with the legislation already in place.

 

I am an RYA-qualified powerboat instructor, and have seen many people try to drive boats in a reckless manner. However the RYA policy is that by over-legislating this sport, it will turn people away from the idea of taking a boat out on the water. The RYA promotes education, rather than legislation. And let's not forget - the large majority of boat users (experienced or otherwise) do so safely and conscienciously; it is the stupid minority who use boats like the guy in the video...

Anyway, perhaps he should've used this device to get his boat back..? :wink:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8200840.stm?ls

 

In Spain every boat, even the smallest, must be registered. All must have insurance, and everyone driving the boat must have the necessary qualifications, depending on the type. There are strict limitations as to what can be done with different types of craft. In addition the seas and rivers are fully patrolled by the large fleet of Guardia Civil craft. These police have the power to fine, confiscate, and take breath tests from those suspected of drinking and sailing (the same lower than the UK limit as driving).
Yet, thousands of people take to the water and none of the above seems to hamper their enjoyment.
In the UK anyone with the means and irrespective of their level of skill can take to the waters. I wonder if this is a situation that will be allowed to continue.

 

This is the reasons i am still here in Spain when Mrs NC and rugrats are home in Norway,i am taking my "Offshore Skipper" for a sail boat here in Torreveija,no point even trying to beat the system down here because it will cost an arm and a leg in fines,

 

If having a licence for all boats and all boaters is such a good idea, why don’t we try it out on bikes and bikers? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8197430.stm

I’m quite happy for the Dons to do things their way. I’d just prefer that it doesn’t become our way. Think Swallows and Amazons and Three Men in a Boat.

 

Then you will be fine and dandy next time one of those sleek craft pull alongside, the shrimp net is thrust in your direction, and the formally polite request for 'papers' is made.
The Guardia, to my mind, do an excellent job of regulating the waters, are invariably well mannered, and generally make you feel much safer. They always protect natural reserves with a passion. The same can pretty much be said when the boys in green (or blue and red for the Mossos in Catalunya) patrol the roads.
Best of luck and I hope it all goes well - Happy sailing.


Thankyou Sussex2, I am a big believer in the ICC for power and sailboats,it will go well because ive been sailing since i was in the RN ,did a trip over the Atlantic with my brother in law a few years ago,now that was exciting,we did the trip in 50ft Beneteau and it was absolutely brilliant,

The plan is to buy a boat next year and then use it around the Med for a few years before heading west,we will also probably lie over in torreveija for the winters due to the fact that the inlaws have there house here, 8)

 

There seems to be a belief that regulation filters out nutter. It's a nice belief but does it? http://www.stockportexpress.co.uk/news/s/1131435_suicidal_boss_drives_wrong_way_on_m60

The way some of you chaps go on, our forebears may as well have given up in '39.

 

In the 90`s a guy in Norway bought a sail boat and thought he was jack me hearty with his nice shiny 45ft "Hanse",set of down south en route to Denmark,he had a few weeks sailing as a young man and thought this would see him through,half way down Norway he was coming to the Lofotan Islands and he didnt interpret the charts properly and yes he hit a ferkin big ferk off rock which has been there since the year dot,

Boat started to sink as it was holed,he didnt know how to work (properly)the VHF radio,he didnt have sufficient knowledge about his distress flairs ,by the time some body which was a fisherman found the wreckage the whole family was lost,moral to the story is to get proper training cos it saves lifes,

 

Have just bought another boat --Motor cruiser with Mercruiser stern drive.

Since leaving the RN I have owned the following vessels 18ft yacht
22ft yacht 65ft ex Fishing Boat and a 50ft ex fishing boat

The UK rules for owning and using pleasure craft aren't hard and fast
however IF you have an accident then you may find yourself in a lot of
legal trouble ----

Insurance for pleasure craft isn't mandatory --
same applies as above----don't get into damaging anyones property !!Or third party injuries !

The BSS --Boat Safety Scheme is beginning to gain ground where boats are certified as safe regarding polution use of gas appliances and engine fuels . Also the electrical installations . Life saving equipment also checked
for best practice
British waterways canals will not accept any bookings with out an in date
certificate for the boat

Qualifications and experience are taken into consideration for insurance purposes but no quals are legally required

G

 

Luckily boat safety awareness is not required in the USA. Navigation is superb with most boat owners able to hit transit markers with unerring accuracy.

 

.

 

Passed Over Loggie wrote

Pedantic head on; bicycles and cyclists POL. Bikers are usually licenced, their machines usually MOT'd and insured and usually only wipe themselves out when the stupid gene makes itself known.

Pedantic head off. The twit (putting it mildly) in the first link may have been in less danger than we think because most outboards for civilian use now have shrouded propellers. Shame. It would have been interesting to see how he was rescued and how control of the boat was regained.

 

I work on the water around a large prominent, but fading, naval base on the south coast. The majority of boat users are pretty well switched on to what they are doing. However, there is a minority who will consistently buy a boat and proceed on the water without any idea of what they are doing. I stopped one chap recently who had bought a nice powerboat who had no idea of rules of the road, navigation, or anything else marine orientated. His sole intention was to scoot off around the headland to a beach with his kids. No safety gear at all, his reply was I've got my mobile the coastguard will sort me out if I have any problems.

Now idiotic behaviour does not solely confine itself to the novices, I have seen incredibly stupid actions by so called experienced/qualified boatowners as well. Sometimes being very experienced can cause some people to develop an equally conceited attitude that they can't be at fault. The link shown shows a boat out of control, well the helmsman should of being using a kill cord which is taught in basic powerboat training. I respect the view that people should be free to enjoy themselves on the water without excessive regulation, but surely It cant be right that if by any good fortune I had money to burn I could walk into Sunseekers and buy an extremely powerful boat without having any qualifying training.

 

Kill cords on out board motors are a fairly recent addition----
the older engines had a spring loaded throttle twist grip -similar to a dead mans handle . Hands off and the engine lost revs.and in gear it would probably stall . The guy in the video probably had a stiff twist grip-it obviously didn't let the engine slow down anyway!!

As for boat owners --well most boats don't really go anywhere--they are
also under used spending most of their life in a marina or harbour.Used to say you needed three things before casting off -- good weather ,tidal patterns suitable and getting a crew . Anything not right you stayed alongside !

The hire craft are let out to holiday people with little or no prior knowledge
of boating --unless its a sailing boat . Driving a power craft is basically similar to car driving on marked waterways
Sailing or boat movements are usually a no no after dark.

Had some good and bad times on pleasure craft and recommend it

G.

 

Boston Whaler Outrage / Yamaha 4-Stroke. Done deal. :thumbright:

 

Last week while on holiday in North Wales I was sitting on a headland near Beaumaris having lunch and watching the tide come and cover the sandbanks in Conway Bay. About 30 minutes after they were just covered by the sea we watched with horror as a very expensive looking speed boat charged past and ignored the buoyed channel by turning straight onto one of these banks and threw up a large plume of sand and spray before coming to a sudden stop. About 15 minutes later they succeeded in getting themselves off the bank and then charged straight on to the open sea. Is it just me or after an incident like that shouldn't you check whether you have damaged the propulsion/steering/watertight integrity before even thinking about going further away from safety?

 

What you saw was basic Darwinian selection in it's full glory. Saw a similar thing in Florida when a teenager on a jet-ski hit an oyster bank at full chat. The bottom of the ski tore out completely when it went from 70 mph to zero in the space of 10 feet. Matey went over the handlebars and did a fairly good impression of Barnes Wallace's bouncing bomb as he disappeared into the trees. Dragged him out and apart from shock, a few bruises and a 6 pint salt-water enema he was OK. Go figure :cheers:


RM

 

That boat mentioned --probably had a stern drive . They draw hardly any water
to float in --hitting a sandbank with the tide coming in is OK --because you can float off as the tide rises .
Hull shape going aground would cause hardly any damage --as long as it was sand --and the stern drive would have lifted on grounding to clear the prop .
Engine cooling may have suffered -running with no water for the short while
it grounded.

If the sea was rough with waves and troughs --thats when boats get damagd
going aground ---its called pounding !! Floating one time then hitting the sea bed ----not recommended

G.

 

People raising their children right and bestowing manners and responsibility as well as respect for others of a similar ilk.

My Dad currently has a couple of boats, totalling a fortune of around £5000. The reason for this low price is the first, a 21 ft approx small ketch, was breached on the stern portside hull from damage whilst berthed before he purchased it and towed it home. A couple of months later he had made some serious headway applying careful layer upon layer of hardened fibers and re-done the entire insides to his liking. We don't have much cash and he'd saved and sold-up possessions of his to finance a larger ketch of around 26ft which was duffed in the engine department but was preferred as it had a built-in Yanmar IIRC as the older ketch had only the outboard and the wee 2hp spare. He fixed the engine up having got a few spares and I would help with anything I could including a wet change of mast while tied up at a small jetty! 8O

Anyways, he would take me out and instruct me carefully on the codes regarding other vessels and the hierarchy of right-of-way for vessels as well as the rules of passing in channels, in general i.e. 'red-port' and would always always give a heck of a large berth to any passing ships. In the firth, we'd pass within around 5 minutes anything from 20 bathtub-sized sailboats to a full tanker :lol:

Absolutely loved taking the ketch out from the marina to the firth, especially since I know it wasn't just some monstrous guzzling brand-new bought motorboat, that it had been fixed from the ground up and we knew all it's little characteristics. It's these moronic individuals with the cavalier attitude that have no respect for the waves and the rules that inevitably end up in a mess, you see it all too often come the finer weather