Simple things that will get you zipped.

[oldboot]

There have been a couple of threads where people have moaned about getting the rough end of boating & fisheries laws of late.
Some of it may be ignorance a lot of it is lack of attention to detail or thinking that near enough is good enough.
I've raised this post to detail a variety of things that are realtivly simple matters that we all should know and should be doing.
More importantly things that we know the inspectors are targeting
I hope people will not chose to winge & while, rather to mention known high risk nickable offences that are simple to avoid.

I'll start with some recent examples.

Know your size and bag limits and don't push your luck, not even a bit, remember FISH DO SHRINK ( seriously).
I measured a bream straight out of the water while on the hook this evening and again as I took it out of the shoulder bag.....it had shrunk a good 10mm after death.
if it is even close to being just legal toss it back.

Know your spicies, at least the ones on the schedule and likley to be caught in your area. and know the difference between similar spicies.
prime traps are
moses perch and large scale sea perch ( fingermark)
bream and grunter
flathead.....dusky v's others.
the cods
the emperors

know what is a reef fin fish and clip the pectoral on keepers.
don't get caught with a reef fin fish not clipped even alive in your live well.

Don't fillet fish at sea unless you are going to eat the whole thing straight away It just safer that way.
most certaily do not fillet anything on land & put it back in your boat.....I would go further & say don't even put the esky back in the boat even if it is on the trailer, put it in the car.......

don't take or keep fish that have been bitten off choped hacked or incomplete.

empty and sort your crab pots immediately you pull them up.
Do not allow an undersized or female crab to stay on your boat for a second longer than absoultely necessary........treat it like a hot potato.

do not keep claws or parts of crabs.

Do not clean or butcher crabs untill immediately before you are going to eat them.
certainly do not clean them on the boat or at the boat ramp unless you are going to eat it then and there.

make sure you rego numbers are big enough and displayed as specified.

Make sure you have a capacity label fitted where it is very obviously visible from the driving positions............the phrase "dogs balls" comes to mind.

Make sure you life jackets are not faded ( not even a bit ), have the correct australian standard mark, and you have the correct number and type.
Do not leave them in their wrappers or bags and that the strings straps or buckles are not tangled freyed or broken... they must be "ready for use" and "perfect"

Life jackets and rescue flotation has always been and will always be the number one whipping boy of the marine inspector....... don't get whipped.
Thes guys dont count sheep, they count life jackets & if they don't add up they cant sleep;D

If you need to carry a "V" sheet make sure it is perfect, they will fail it if it has a tear, or a hole or is faded or anything like that.

make sure your flares are in date if you need to carry them.

Make sure you are carrying the prescribed amount of water......this is a sneeky one.


there are plenty more I hope others will mention



cheers

[Lucky_Phill]

Thanks oldboot,

The main item to carry is " demeanor ".

Talk to the Officers as if they are your mates, your friends... do not try to hoodwink them, always offer them the opportunity to be informative and helpful. They are only doing their job and that is to protect YOU.

Cheers Phill

[mik01]

good stuff mate.
this should teach old and new boaties some new tricks

[thirks]

to be on the safe side- just stay at home

[RayDeR]

G'day Oldboot!

Thanks for the review.

I have a 3.4 metre tinnie and have always wondered whether I have to have life jackets on board to match the capacity or only for the number of people actually on board? 99.9% of the time, I fish with only two of us on board.

I do own life jackets for the capacity but feel they have a potential to get damaged unecessarily when on board and not really being needed.

Ray De R

[The-easyrider]

You only need too have life jackets for those onboard and they must be correct type and size ,its no good having a kids pdf2 for your 12 stone mate if your are going into open waters

[Pelagic 660]

Oldboot, you're on the money with this one. do the wrong thing......... get caught......your fault.........don't whinge or try to rally support.

[seatime]

You must first pass the "attitude test", give them any lip and you can expect to be thoroughly inconvenienced.

rego stickers are an easy pinch - ensure it's on the outside of the hull, portside.

[PaulMark]

Be humble,even if you feel wrongly treated.Ask them related questions it makes them feel good to answer your queries and could get you out of a sticky moment unless its a biggy.Keep your cool and they'll go off looking for the next bloke.
Paulo

[oldboot]

Of course if you and your boat are clean, neat and tidy, you will always attract less attention.

cheers

[cormorant]

All the above is good

If you happen to come across an officious moronic officer in a bad mood and even after providing all details etc and the correct demeaner he is X%$%&$%& or buggers you around . Let him do his job, tell him you aren't happy and ask him to note that and why and let him on his way. Then make the effort and firstly speak with his boss with time place problem, if not a suitable response tell them you are putting it in writing as a complaint and follow it up. 90 plus % are OK blokes just doing a job 90% of the time and they do it better with out the couple that give them a bad name. The bosses appreciate the feedback as they don't want customer unfriendly jerk representing them as the are first line of contact with boaters. Boss can reallocate thm elsewhere away from us or at least put them on notice.

If no one ever complains nothing will ever change and the couple of mongrels will continue to exist and give the rest a bad name.

One of our local officers was re-educated after several complaints about the speed he came up to boats ( wake) and not allowing time to get lines in and not putting out decent fenders and marking boats without asking to come along side. He is now much better to deal with as complaints get noted on their file. I don't think the constant repairs to prop seals on his boat helped his cause to say he wasn't running over lines.

more to the lists, make sure bucket has lanyard and isn't a crappy bucket and have a sound device within reach of helm - ie whistle or plastic mouth driven foghorn on lanyard as those pressure can foghorns are unreliable and rust - ie called unservicable and you can't prove they have any air or enough in them..

[oldboot]

Oh one that will get you in trouble anywhere any time.

Smelling of grog.........not just you but anybody on your boat or in your car.

Guaranteed to you extra attention.

cheers

[Reel Nauti]

It's very simple to not get booked or have any trouble with the law...........don't break it. Doesn't get much easier than that.

Dave

[the gecko]

Know where your 6 kts zones are.

This is a tricky one if you are around the Broadwater, rivers or pin areas. You just need to know where the zones are, and dont assume you will see all the signs.

Water police are often around Seaworld on a Saturday with a hand held radar, and so they should be. Between Paradise Pt and Sanctuary Cove is another area that catches a lot out.

It still amazes me how many go out at night without lights, but thats another subject.


Good topic.