Police warn boaters and jet skiers about speeding in bays
Thursday 25th August 2011, 1:00PM BST.
PC Rex Williams with a speed gun at Havelet Bay. (Picture by Brian Green, 1173197)
BOATERS should be forced to have mandatory certificates of competence, according to Guernsey’s crime reduction officer.
Speaking as police carried out speed checks on boats and jet skis at Havelet Bay yesterday, Andy Goodall said: ‘I personally think people should have a certificate before they are allowed out at sea because, at present, anybody can just buy a boat and wander out to sea. This is when accidents happen and that’s what we’re trying to prevent.’
Mr Goodall completed three boating courses before he used his boat and feels others should do the same. ‘It’s disasters waiting to happen and particularly with the Channel Islands as we have a lot of granite in the waters and granite and boats do not mix,’ he said.
The maximum speed around the bays and outer islands is six knots.
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My Husband and I have been fighting this for years, all boat owners should have to take licences similar to commercial vessels, as yes they do carry passenger 95% of the time, and the majority of incidents are caused by pleasure crafts “out playing”. Alcohol should also be included in this system, whereby it is as much an offence as drink driving a car. Well done Andy, we will back you all the way on this as hopefully other yachties will!
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An interesting comment from Mr Goodall about his “three courses”… will a European without a ”
certificate have his boat taken away from him?
This is borderline ridiculous.
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Oh another call for boat owners to be licensed. I am continually fed up with this, it is just another way to make money and another level of control.
Give up another freedom. and then increase costs above the level of the average person, keeps the water clear for my gin palace.
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Agreed this is just another revenue raising and red tape opportunity for the states.
What about those that have grown up on boats and had years of experience under the guidance of experienced sailors or boaties.
In my opinion this is far superior to “three boat courses before I used my boat” Mr Goodall.
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JustMe
I am not one to argue on a letters page, yes I have a gin palace, probably bigger than yours 65ft to be exact, but if you are honest, even you get disgruntled with Skippers somewhat worse for wear, trying to park up on the Marina etc., can be a hold up for everyone concerned, especially when trying to push in before even you. At sea they are also a danger, they sit dormant, whilst having a party, do not realise what an anchor is for. Speed Cruisers are bought at the Boat Show, apart from going to sea a few times a year to show off, they have no idea how to control, use ropes etc. Does everyone know the dangers of rocks etc., I think that was evident about the Cruiser stranded on the rocks recently. I rest my case.
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The maximum speed around the bays and outer islands is six knots.
Yes but only between sunrise and dusk that is what the law states.
Caroline.
More Yachties need rescuing than motorboats, but I agree there should be a BASIC competence licence/test of seaworthyness to include the correct procedure for assistance.
PS. When I used to do powerboating anyone wanting to enter was taken on an evaluation course to show competence in handling their boat before being allowed in local races.
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Sorry Caroline, you will have to continue to fight for many more years as it won’t happen.
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Caroline.
I’m with you on this one. Once there was a time when there was an etiquette to do with boating which now is so often missing. While it is great that there are so many more people that can enjoy the fun of boating, it is often ruined for some by the inconsideration of others, caused by ignorance of seamanship. And of course, a lack of knowledge can be so dangerous too.
Having just done a course, it soon became apparent how much there is to learn to keep yourself and others safe and I think that it is just a common courtesy to others that you take the time to make sure, that if you are going to go to sea, you know the rudiments of seamanship.
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Once again, it appears that the minority are going to ruin an activity enjoyed by the majority. More regulation will mean more expense not only to boatowners and water-users but to all tax payers to cover costs of enforcing it. And where do you draw the line? It’ll be windsurfers and dinghy sailors next as they can travel pretty fast when its windy and you can’t just say that the law applies on days when its calm.
However, I do think that jet-ski users should have some form of licence as I have seen some pretty idiotic “driving” in the bays.
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Caroline. I quite agree these people can be a pain at best. But would a licence stop it ?
Simply apply drink driving laws to the water, not expect everyone to go on a courses and past tests, that is the money making side. What age limits would you put on these people ? I have on the water since the age of 6. Solo at 10. I assume licencing would stop that.
And yes your 65footer is bigger than mine. I no longer got to see, but do not want to see it ruined for the many.
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Education not legislation!!
I did my RYA Dayskipper and Powerboat I & II courses before venturing out without someone who knew what they were doing, and wouldn’t have dreamt of doing otherwise.
Once again, the minority are spoiling things for the majority. And after all, does having a licence stop the inconsiderate and ignorant from speeding, drink driving etc? Er, nope!
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Those who always use ‘common sense’ need not apply.
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Certificates of competence and licences for boaters and jetskiers along with enforcing speed and alcohol limits sounds quite reasonable to me, if I want to drive a motorised vehicle or fly an aircraft I need training and a licence, why should being in charge of a boat or jetski be any different?
Flying,driving,riding,boating all involve being in charge of a vehicle in a public place which can and does endanger other people so is it unrealistic to expect a certain amount of competency by anyone who does so?
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Kevin
Has licencing “Flying,driving,riding” completly stopped drinking and driving ? has licensing stopped bad “Flying,driving,riding” ?
Do we have car crashes ? do we have bike crashes, do we have plane crashes which are pilot error ?
Let common sense cover the sea. After all it very unforgiving if people get it wrong. It does not need another layer of bureaucracy, just to raise money and employ a few trough feeders.
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Raise more money stop you boaties playing
Stop moaning you already pay less tax for fuel for your gin palaces
You want a boat pay for it
I think all boat owners should be made to pay a compuslary amout to the RNLI as well
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John Smith. I think that all who call on the Lifeboat Service should pay accordingly. I know of one ‘Boater’ who had the misfortune to breakdown off the coast of Britany and, after beeing towed in to port by the Lifeboat, was made to pay £500
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JustMe,
Licensing any form of motorised transport will never stop anyone breaking the rules but at least it proves that they have received some form of training in the correct use of their equipment.
You cannot rely on ‘common sense’ because sadly there is a lot of people who don’t have any!
It cannot be right that anyone can go straight out, buy a boat and take to sea with not the first clue what they are doing. We’ve all seen the people who have set sail with nothing but a mobile phone and when they’ve run into problems its usually others that have had to take risks to rescue them.
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I would like to see the stats first, how many boats are there, how many people have had accidents and of those how many were first time boaters?
Unless the last stat is significant (which I doubt) then this is just another money making idea that has nothing to do with safety, and everything to do with GSY PLC looking for ways to make cash!
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Yes i do get to see all sorts of skill levels on the water around the bailiwick. Yes it amazes me that natural selection doesnt come into play more often, and a shame it doesnt aswell!
This is a thinly veiled excuse for more tax income. Look at cars as a comparison – what percentage of drivers dont have valid insurance? or aswell an MOT or continually drive without an actual valid driving licence? You can look in the Gsy Press to see how regularly these ones come up! It would be no different for boats!
This legislation would be a joke, it would prevent absolutely nothing.
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What better way is there, than spending the day Plodding down the bay.
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Where Mr Goodall is right is using technology to ensure the safety of the bays, just hang around L’Ancresse in the summer to see, on occasion, kev jetskiers zooming around in the 6knot zone. You may remember the Vale’s idiot response to that 2 years ago where one can only assume that parish officials petulantly blocked off the whole slip for a summer because of one known jet skier – Guernsey often does a good line in collective punishment. Collective punishment being a lot easier than dealing with the actual culprit; something we see more often in our once laissez-faire isle. But that’s for another day maybe.
Another useful thing for jet skis might be registration loud and proud on their machines, making it easier to identify them.
Not entirely sure why a Policeman is expressing his personal opinion on certification though; isn’t that politicians and chiefs of Departmetns do/comemnt on. In any event the man i nthe know Captain Peter Gill has effectively nailed that idea; see yesterday’s GP.
Cheers
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at JustMe
No such thing as “pilot error”, we prefer “pilot nature” as in, it’s “human nature” to make mistakes.
You will never eradicate mistakes made by humans, we can only reduce it. Education and awareness of our limitations is what is used in the airline world to teach us pilots how to minimise the risk and recognise when mistakes may occur. Hopefully we then change our course of actions to “break the chain”.
Licensing could reduce the number of boating accidents, there is certainly plenty of evidence to support that it works in other areas, including driving and flying.
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