So, a few weeks ago I was up at my boat in Pittwater, moving a bit of gear out to it then coming back in for more. Water Police on site as I arrived in after second trip out with gear. Usual guys were good but Area Inspector was there, loudly identifying that they'd got me 'I always see you speeding'. I was informed I'd been witnessed doing 'well over 10 knots' in a 4 knot zone. I didn't bother mentioning that as I live 300km from the boat, I'm only there every few weeks.

I said - what, with my Yamaha 3hp outboard on a 2.5 alloy floor inflatable?

I also had my life jacket in the boat but wasn't wearing it. A real Ned Kelly as a mate later said. They also checked the inflatable for paddle, bailer and light.

So so when I got home I re-read all the regs. Where my boats moored, the river is less than 400 metres wide, so you're never more than 200 metres off shore. But the inflatable (not a legal tender) is well under 4.8 metres, so if solo you have to be wearing a life jacket - not so if there's two of you in the boat. Mia Culpa!

I got the infringement a couple of weeks ago, warning for not wearing the jacket, and $100 plus two points for speeding.

Now I'm not having a go at the Church Point Water Police, they're a great mob and do good work. For less than I usually spend when I go to Whitworths, I've been given reason to reflect on safety and rules of the water.

I did did go out (away from the Marina) early next morning, flat water, slight tail wind, full throttle, hunched forward and down, I managed to get the inflatable up on the plane when I ran down the side of the bow wave of a larger boat. 8 knots according to iPhone navionics... So, I've downsized the Yammy 3hp for a Merc 2.5!

Bushdog thats whats courts are for. If you can be bothered dont pay the fine and take it to court. Take a photo of your IRB and motor and explain to magistrate that it cant possibly do 10 kts. Sounds like maybe they got the wrong man because with a bigger motor you can get those IRBs to fly.

Trouble is, and the Highway Patrol on the roads rely on it too, most people don't have the time so spend all day saving a $100 fine.

Sounds a bit heavy handed. Some people just love being dicks

Shame they were not on the other side of Scotland Island. They could have a field day getting $500 a pop from the mega cruisers creating a wash in the no wash zone south from Long Nose.

They are also doing a fair bit of RBT of late (again tonight near RMYC).

My similar setup inflatable with a Suzi 2.5 4 stroke has not yet made it onto the plane, so I guess I am safe for the speed limit.

I have a torch that I throw in when doing rare night trips to the boat, but I wasn't aware that I needed a bailer tho. Thanks for the heads up, will put it on my list of things to get.

I generally in that type of situation just tell the public servant to 'Shut up, give me the ticket and then sod off', I have no time to waste arguing with these little tin gods.

Do the wrong thing and pay the fine (I am talking about in general not necessarily the Original Posters situation), but loosing demerit points seems a bit over the top to me.

I don't plan to go to court about it. Been there, done that...
'Were you wearing your life jacket?' No your honour.
'Three sworn Officers have given evidence that your boat was observed traveling at more than 4 knots. Can you provide evidence that their reports ar incorrect?' No your honour.
'The court fines you $100 on both accounts with 4 demerit points.'

Thats why I paid the fine, to save it increasing. As EC31 said, I learned something. A bailer is required legally. Also, I recall that a number of deaths over the last few years have been solo blokes in their 70's going missing from tenders. Haven't reached that age yet, but not too far off if it.

It was also a wake up call for others at the marina who thought that safety gear/life jackets were not required as they were always within 200 metres of the shore. A few people were also checking to make sure their work boats were over 4.8 metres in length.

The Water Police are a good mob. I've seen them heading out searching in **** weather, keeping the peace during Xmas holiday madness on Pittwater, and have called them myself when we came across distressed campers with one of their party missing.

And... Apparently when you do the annual check on your PFD, you're also meant to write the date checked on the PFD. Seems that they'll allow personal checks for 2-3 years, then it'll require professional testing. At $60-$100 for a new one, That's going to make PFDs disposable items. ??????

Yeah, I got caught by the "we estimated you where speeding trick", 20 years ago. I copped it sweet because even though I wasn't speeding at the time plenty of other times I had.

Kept the infringement notice as a trophy and used it as proof of how fast the boat would go when I sold it.

Political correctness has caused this . Police want to be treated with respect it is a two way street . You have to earn respect not demand it.

Bruski068 said..

Bushdog said..
I don't plan to go to court about it. Been there, done that...
'Were you wearing your life jacket?' No your honour.
'Three sworn Officers have given evidence that your boat was observed traveling at more than 4 knots. Can you provide evidence that their reports ar incorrect?' No your honour.
'The court fines you $100 on both accounts with 4 demerit points.'

Thats why I paid the fine, to save it increasing. As EC31 said, I learned something. A bailer is required legally. Also, I recall that a number of deaths over the last few years have been solo blokes in their 70's going missing from tenders. Haven't reached that age yet, but not too far off if it.

It was also a wake up call for others at the marina who thought that safety gear/life jackets were not required as they were always within 200 metres of the shore. A few people were also checking to make sure their work boats were over 4.8 metres in length.

The Water Police are a good mob. I've seen them heading out searching in **** weather, keeping the peace during Xmas holiday madness on Pittwater, and have called them myself when we came across distressed campers with one of their party missing.

And... Apparently when you do the annual check on your PFD, you're also meant to write the date checked on the PFD. Seems that they'll allow personal checks for 2-3 years, then it'll require professional testing. At $60-$100 for a new one, That's going to make PFDs disposable items. ??????

What really annoys me is the fact that the police are allowed to estimate the speed your going, what type of law is that, where is their proof that you were doing that sort of speed, aren't we living in a democracy in which we are supposedly innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around, No somewhere along the way to this point in time the law has become that we the people are guilty of whatever the police say we are, unless we can absolutely prove in a court of law at our own expense that the police have got it wrong, or have lied through their teeth in order to meet their mandated quota of infringement notices, something is just totally wrong with this society at the moment, where are the protests in the streets, where are the Human rights people in an unholy uproar, sigh it's just to damned hard I guess.

i got pinged on my motorcycle last year by some young idiot. $427 , 4 points for doing 27ks over. The thing was, it wasnt me. I took it to court and won.