By yourself a oregon scientific Helmet cam (don't get one with fisheye lense)

Get some video evidence, take it to the relevant dept and put in a complaint

Peli is my home ground and I agree, the idiots outweigh the sensible boatie by a large factor. I've had guys give me the finger a few times when I have queried their eye sight and general behaviour with their vessel. I think it would be fair to say that most wouldn't have a clue about the "give way to sail at all times" rule (i dont even think its covered in the Skippers Ticket Workbook)
What to do ?? - other than putting a sign up at all the river boat ramps and yacht clubs, i'm not sure. It seems that most of the offenders in my experience are owners of smaller craft (read- SeaDoos) who think its great fun to line you up from 500m and see how much damage they can do to your progress. I'm not sure if you will ever get through to these clowns. The yachties and bigger boat owners are generally ok (except for some gin palace owners) as most seem to understand the rules and often will slow down if you clearly need to get upwind of them.
I agree that an accident is inevitable - is it worth putting something together through WWA to the Dept of Trans as part of some education ? What about the water cop that writes an article in the West every Saturday ?

unfortunately it Will in my opinion, take a death or 2, before something is done,similar to the kiting problem,which is another issue.

thanks to the recent boom- boat ownership has gone through the roof and there is no shortage of boats on an allready crowded river.the skippers ticket was a good move but really this is as usefull as putting a bandaid on a severed jugular! i know of people who recieved their practical instruction at the dining room table from shonky assesors

the 1 good thing about sailing the swan is it keeps you on your toes and sharpens the skills in sailing, gybing etc in choppy confused water.....

No slower than 30knots on broad runs

TimB said...

I'm by no means defending power boat idiots but people on all craft needs to be responsible for their actions. The first rule of the sea is to avoid collisions at all cost no matter who has right of way by law.

Yes sail does have right of way to power (not ferries and vessels less manourvrable). If you are going to shoot off the end of a sand bar across a channel and the general flow of ALL vessels bigger than a windsurfer then GOOD LUCK. Power boat have no where to go in the the river at the end of Peli Point and will not be looking for a high speed missile of a windsurf coming off the sand bar.

Bear away and go behind the power boat or point up and go around. It want spoil your day if one run is not perfect. Learn to share. Its a case of what goes around comes around. If we all showed respect to each other then the world would be a better place.

Theses rules exclude jet skis, sea doos etc. For them it is open season and they should be shot on sight.

I agree... I hate stink boats... But, I don't expect 'em to make massive changes in course/speed to avoid me and my pole board - unless I am dogging or swimming - where I can't avoid them... At, the same time, I don't expect the stinkers to change course to come closer to me - if they, do, or intentionally come dangerously close, this is a different story altogether... Get the video camera!

Rules is rules and common sense is common sense...

This also happens alot at Safety Bay when sailing across to the sandbar on the Warnbro Beach side, they just aim straight for the ramp and as you try and go around them to keep the peace they still head straight at you........I remind them about giving way to sail but they just yell some yobbo abuse and keep driving. I agree about respecting all BUT it should be in the skippers ticket and maybe us windsurfers need to do something similar but on a smaller basis as just using windsurfers. I look out for the others all the time, but I doubt they are looking out for us and any sailing vessel.

Maybe posting a polite reminder on one of the stinkboat forums might be the way to go as a start. Getting wound up about it on here is unlikely to ever solve the problem.

Having done the RST, the right of way rules are in there. However, just like idiots on the road mowing down cyclists, that doesn't stop idiot drivers in boats mowing down yachts or windsurfers.

Realistically, there are two things wrong with our current system. Not enough police visibility, and they don't have enough bite.

and as always, it's not worth being dead right. Cameras, video, whatever evidence you can get and report incidents to the (water) police.

and that section of water has no speed limit. It's unrestricted from the two bridges (Canning Bridge and the Narrows) all the way through to the far side of Pt Walter.

Couldn't find any regulations for pots in the Swan (would have been crab pots, not cray). There is a statewide rule that you cannot put them in marked channels. Don't think that would have helped here though.