Caught my 1st Kitesurfer today!!

[Back In Black]

Did a day off Noosa today- 1st time Back in Black has got wet for about 6 weeks, between the boat going to Sailfish for some maintenance & then the tow vehicle dying.
Crossing Noosa bar mid tide with a howling North easter, which brings out the kite surfers. Just got through the slop & a kite surfer thought he'd fit in one more run in front of us. Guess what- he didn't. Fell off 5m to my port & his kite landed 2m to my starboard. Put it in neutral to avoid fouling up, but it went around the port prop.
Clown was screaming at me as I started trolling him across the bar, hopefully looking for a bull shark to finish him off. Another one had fallen off & drifted to within 2m of me. Raised the motor & took to his kit with a filleting knife, cleared the prop, & left him drifting toward Lord Howe with a ripping current. Called Noosa Coastguard to let them know we were fouled up & someone in the water maybe needing assistance, but they weren't overly concerned. Probably sick of seeing it happen.
Tony
Tony

[mort]

Yeah good one back in black there is no bag limit on them so knock yourself out.

[gavsgonefishing]

Another successful and satisfying fishing trip well done

[Out-Station]

Tony, exclellent work, historicaly a rare catch but seemingly becoming more popular, must be something to do with climate change. I myself managed to bag one coming in on currumbin a few years back. Given i was on a wave and bloody shallow i couldnt stop. Upon hookup he prooved to be a fiesty little bugger, plenty of fight and jumped a bit, i think he may have jumped in the boat and bitten me had i let him get that close .Anyway by the time i had dragged him in over the bar the sting was well and truelly knocked out of him, for a while i thought i was going to have to eat him but fortunatley after a short rest and swim alongside the boat he was all good and a successfull release was made, didn't bother sticking a tag in him because reconed there was know way way he will EVER be caught again.

Cheers, Scott

[tunaticer]

I don't think they are worth gaffing, just cut them loose.
I had one collect the nose of my yak two years ago off Queens beach. As soon as they are airborne they should be treated similarly to a clay target.

[WalrusLike]

Are you supposed to keep the frames for research?

[Boat Hog]

Without photo's and a brag mat? --- I don't believe you!!

[TREVELLY]

Well done Tony and Scott - a real shame you didn't get some pics though.

They certainly aren't the smartest fish in the sea by all accounts.

[Back In Black]

Had a few other things to worry about at the time Trev- drifting on a bar, props in the air, under no power obviously, drifting toward the rock wall, some other git almost drifting between my hulls dragging his kite & some seriously pissed off Frenchman yelling obscenities at me when I took to his gear with a knife. Damn tempted to head back out over the bar & come back in & finish the job off!!
Tony

[Horse]

You should have taken a fillet. From what I have been told they are the pork of the sea

[ShaneC]

Should have stuck a hook in his back and sent him out as a livey, you might have managed to get a big jet skiier.

On a serious note, that may well be regarded as a collision at sea, it might be worth your while ringing MSQ or the water coppers and just letting them know about it informally (they may insist on a report though). My way of thinking is that you were doing nothing wrong, you probably dont have Frenchy's name but he may well have your rego number, and the last thing you would want is having the coppers contact you after hearing Pepe Le'Pews one sided version of events about how you ran him over whilst he was in the water minding his own business and then cut his stupid, expensive flying contraption to shreds.

Just playing devil's advocate a bit.....

Great story though, there should be a day of action to rid the water of them.

[Gon Fishun]

Oh Wowwww. Now you have set a precedence for a PB.

[Gon Fishun]

Copied and pasted from Kitesurfing rules.
Red hilighted area. To my way of thinking, that would include bars.
Just saying.

Water-craft Highest Points Minimum Clearing Distance Other Requirements
Surfers 2.5 m 7.5 m Kitesurfers have to keep clear of surfers all the times
Personal Water-crafts 2 - 3 m 9 m PWCs have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the times
Small to Medium Motorized Boats 5 m 15 m Motorized boats have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the times
Windsurfers and Small Sailboats 5 m 15 m Traditional and wave sailing rules should be applied
Kitesurfers 2.5 m (upwind kite is high and downwind kite is low) 7.5 m Traditional and wave sailing rule should be applied. Furthermore, the upwind kitesurfer should fly the kite higher than 45 degrees vertically and the downwind kitesurfer should fly the kite lower than 45 degree vertically
Large Motorized Boats 10 - 15 m 30 - 45 m Motorized boats have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the time. If the large motorized boat is in narrow, restricted water for its size, the kitesurfer has to keep clear.
Medium Sailboats 10 - 15 m 30 - 45 m Traditional sailing rules should be applied
Large Sailboats Very high Line length Traditional sailing rules should be applied. If the large sailboat is in narrow, restricted water for its size, the kitesurfer has to keep clear.
Commercial Ships Very high Line length Kitesurfer has to keep clear of commercial ships all the times.

[Back In Black]

There are signs at the Noosa River mouth regarding kite surfers & the fact THEY HAVE TO GIVE WAY TO ALL MOTORIZED VESSELS. Frenchy obviously struggles with the language barrier, but I thought it would be fairly universal in the fact that if a vessel is motoring along, crossing a crappy bar, stay the HELL out of his way. There may be legal, & there may be moral, but none of those will help you once dead!!
ShaneC- good idea. Hadn't thought of that.
Tony

[Richo1]

Copied and pasted from Kitesurfing rules.
Red hilighted area. To my way of thinking, that would include bars.
Just saying.

Water-craftHighest PointsMinimum Clearing DistanceOther Requirements
Surfers2.5 m7.5 mKitesurfers have to keep clear of surfers all the times
Personal Water-crafts2 - 3 m9 mPWCs have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the times
Small to Medium Motorized Boats5 m15 mMotorized boats have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the times
Windsurfers and Small Sailboats5 m15 mTraditional and wave sailing rules should be applied
Kitesurfers2.5 m (upwind kite is high and downwind kite is low)7.5 mTraditional and wave sailing rule should be applied. Furthermore, the upwind kitesurfer should fly the kite higher than 45 degrees vertically and the downwind kitesurfer should fly the kite lower than 45 degree vertically
Large Motorized Boats10 - 15 m30 - 45 mMotorized boats have to keep clear of the kitesurfer all the time. If the large motorized boat is in narrow, restricted water for its size, the kitesurfer has to keep clear.
Medium Sailboats10 - 15 m30 - 45 mTraditional sailing rules should be applied
Large SailboatsVery highLine lengthTraditional sailing rules should be applied. If the large sailboat is in narrow, restricted water for its size, the kitesurfer has to keep clear.
Commercial ShipsVery highLine lengthKitesurfer has to keep clear of commercial ships all the times.

Don't know who wrote those rules but I reckon they must have been as high as a kite! 😃