Near misses in Broadwater - crazy times

[ozscott]

I took my family out yesterday (Sun) from Runnaway Bay. I took the channel closest to the mainland running down to wave break island and then from there (after finding that there was NO room at all at the anchorage on southside of wave break, went further and spent the day in the bay opposite the trawlers and Hotel Vicasi. Great day and the kids loved the swim.

I rarely go to the broadwater. What amazed me was the sheer number of boats but also the number of boats that didnt either know or bother obeying the right of way rules and the keep to starboard rule in the channels. I had lunatics in 25-40 foot boats trying their best to hog their left of the channel instead of their right and with me going further to my right to the point where had it not been a King Tide I might well have hit sand - at one point I had to bring my boat to a halt because of such idiots. I do my best to keep a lookout and think for other drivers - ie how much room have they got and how are other boats apart from mine going to effect them etc, but I had the impression that very few I passed did the same.

On the way back through the same channel there were about 20 wave boarders doing about 35kph in 20 knott winds and para-sufers of similar number - I know that power gives way to sail, but most of these guys must think that they own the waterway!

Anyway, great water and the fam had fun, bet what a mess - I will stick to the bay for a while.

PS. Some of the gin palaces really put out and enormous bow wave - coming back to the marina, I overtook a 45 footer doing about 20 knots - I accelerated through his 2metre plus bow wave at about 25 kn and was well and truly airborne for a moment - which is pretty spectacular in a heavy 21 footer!!. Last time I did that I was a 16 foot Haines, so obviously I have not been trying hard enough of late!!! She came back down buried the nose for a second and then punched through. The old Seafarer has plenty of bouyancy up front so that sort of caper is pretty safe and gives the kids a good thrill (the wife not so happy though!). Unfortunately in a narrow channel if your going to overtake such a large vessel kicking up such a big curler, you dont have a lot of options. I have tried on other occasions passing large gin palaces by backing off going over and trimming the bow up so as not to bury the nose in the trough on the other side but that seems dangerours to me unless the vessel being overtaken is only doing 10 knots or so.

Cheers all.

[Noelm]

the confusion is you only have to pass on the right side if there is danger of collision, there is no reason to go over onto a sandbar or rocks or whatever just to pass on the correct side if there is no danger of a crash, but you should stay on your side of the channel just out of courtesy.

[ozscott]

The trouble was mate that there was a danger of a collission almost all the time - the waterways were saturated with boats and under those circumstances, all punters should stay on their right....otherwise as was the case, there were boats cris-crossing all over the place because they started off on their port side!

Cheers

[Kiktz]

I personally think they should have a wash/ speed limit on larger vessels.
At the rate that some of the trawlers and larger boats come through there,
it just cant be good for anyone.

AJ

[saurian]

Glad I don't live there.
Ta.

[PinHead]

I took my family out yesterday (Sun) from Runnaway Bay. I took the channel closest to the mainland running down to wave break island and then from there (after finding that there was NO room at all at the anchorage on southside of wave break, went further and spent the day in the bay opposite the trawlers and Hotel Vicasi. Great day and the kids loved the swim.

I rarely go to the broadwater. What amazed me was the sheer number of boats but also the number of boats that didnt either know or bother obeying the right of way rules and the keep to starboard rule in the channels. I had lunatics in 25-40 foot boats trying their best to hog their left of the channel instead of their right and with me going further to my right to the point where had it not been a King Tide I might well have hit sand - at one point I had to bring my boat to a halt because of such idiots. I do my best to keep a lookout and think for other drivers - ie how much room have they got and how are other boats apart from mine going to effect them etc, but I had the impression that very few I passed did the same.

On the way back through the same channel there were about 20 wave boarders doing about 35kph in 20 knott winds and para-sufers of similar number - I know that power gives way to sail, but most of these guys must think that they own the waterway!

Anyway, great water and the fam had fun, bet what a mess - I will stick to the bay for a while.

PS. Some of the gin palaces really put out and enormous bow wave - coming back to the marina, I overtook a 45 footer doing about 20 knots - I accelerated through his 2metre plus bow wave at about 25 kn and was well and truly airborne for a moment - which is pretty spectacular in a heavy 21 footer!!. Last time I did that I was a 16 foot Haines, so obviously I have not been trying hard enough of late!!! She came back down buried the nose for a second and then punched through. The old Seafarer has plenty of bouyancy up front so that sort of caper is pretty safe and gives the kids a good thrill (the wife not so happy though!). Unfortunately in a narrow channel if your going to overtake such a large vessel kicking up such a big curler, you dont have a lot of options. I have tried on other occasions passing large gin palaces by backing off going over and trimming the bow up so as not to bury the nose in the trough on the other side but that seems dangerours to me unless the vessel being overtaken is only doing 10 knots or so.

Cheers all.

I had similar with a tinny skipper heading back to Jacobs Well..He stuck to the far right of the channel..another boat was overtaking him on his left hand side..i had to split the difference and go between them. If I cannot stay where I am supposed to due to someone else being there I then choose the safest way through.

As for the airborne bit...I wouldn't call that very smart driving either...especially with the kids on board.

[PinHead]

I personally think they should have a wash/ speed limit on larger vessels.
At the rate that some of the trawlers and larger boats come through there,
it just cant be good for anyone.

AJ

This little gem comes up every summer...how about we restrict the whole lot to row boats only...and yes..my boat does put out some wash and yes..I do cruise along at about 24knots but how about we also restrict idiots in small tinnies anchoring in narrow channels...but I would also be against any of those as we all do have rights to use the waterways in whatever vessel we choose...whether it be a kayak or a 100' motor yacht. I do not believe anyone should be inconvenienced in what they want to do but some common sense has to prevail from all boat skippers.

[FNQCairns]

A wash limit, will not happen! those that make the rules will be the ones that also own the gin palaces or know those that do, they will ensure all others are restricted first, it's human nature and corruption also IMO but that's the way it is. The little guy will get shoved around first.

cheers fnq

[ozscott]

thanks for that bit of Wisdom pinhead - I didnt have much choice about getting past him and I did the best I could. I didnt plan to get air under me even if the kids loved it. I drive very responsible both with kids on and without. i thought I had made it clear that I didnt have much option but to power over the wake - its a 21 footer seafarer with a 115 so its not a powerhouse.

[DaMaGe]

Well I must admit, I don't line boats up just to make sure I am on the correct side, however I haven't had all to much experience in smaller channells etc. In saying this I think I would give way to a 25-40ft boat that would be coming up a small channel, I wouldn't be too concerend to make sure I was on the correct side and nearly beaching myself in doing so, I would just let them through while stopped and continue, with family on board this may make my trip very slow and long but that's the way I have been trained with the wife onboard.

I have 2 ways of driving my boat, The Fisherman way, or the Family way.
When fishing, I don't mind the boat ruppling across the water top, when family is aboard I just plough through whatever chop, and will stop and allow other people to pass, or go past me, and/or give way just to ensure none of the kids go ass up, and the wife and kids are still getting use to being in a boat etc.

Back on topic, if you go out there thinking every other boat driver is a nut, and stay out of there way, even if it means giving way or stopping then you should have safe boating, also if it means having to be on the incorrect side while passing them from the opposite direction, as long as it's safe that my opinion.
I always go about personal patience, even when I see incompetence on the water.

[ozscott]

I have seen tinnies fishing the edge of the mangroves at the very outside of channels almost sunk my speeding gin palaces. A 30 footer doing 30 knots + at the pin (where I spend a bit of time) in very narrow and shallow channels is just plain stupid, but you see it all the time. One day one of them will drown some poor basta*rd and then perhaps some policing will prevail. What a lot of these people either dont know or forget is that they are responsible most of the time for these things. For example a personal injuiries matter was tried in the Brisbane Supreme Court last year where a guy was travelling down the Nerang River (or Coomera I cant recall now) and hit a mored boat (about 16 foot from memory) that had no lights on at night time. The boat that was moving was not exceeding the speed limit, but the Judge (White J) still found that the driver was negligent in not travelling slow enough to avoid a collision with an unlit boat, knowing that boats often more in the area and sometimes with no lights illiuminated.

The paramount duty under the Rules is to avoid a marine collision or risks to life.

Cheers

[ozscott]

Da - I have stopped myself many times for other boats when it looks dodgy. I agree that at times you have to go on the incorrect side, but its crazy to have to do it every 40 metres or so.

Cheers

[PinHead]

thanks for that bit of Wisdom pinhead - I didnt have much choice about getting past him and I did the best I could. I didnt plan to get air under me even if the kids loved it. I drive very responsible both with kids on and without. i thought I had made it clear that I didnt have much option but to power over the wake - its a 21 footer seafarer with a 115 so its not a powerhouse.

why didn't you just put the nose of the boat into the wash and power off and go thru it slowly ???

[ozscott]

Mate - as I say I have done that before - with smaller washes its not usually too bad but this was over 2 metres tall and was moving quickly away from the vessell. I might have done it slower, but then again there is always the risk of broaching given the amount of water and its speed.

Cheers

[DaMaGe]

Can an offical complaint be made to the police to patrol this area in the next few weeks.

There were a number of boats on the water due to high temp's on the weekend, and some nice conditions in some places.