Helpful advice

[Funchy]

This is not a rant just a chance to pass on a bit of basic info that perhaps some don't know/forgot. I am only new to boating so don't by any means claim to be an expert.

If you are in a new waterway and you are following your beacons (green on green / red on red when traveling to the home port) keep an eye out for an orange cross. That will mean you need to refer to your charts (most likely it will be where 2 channels meet).

The reason I point this out is that I sit at the mouth of Bells creek as it meets the Pummy Passage and frequently see watercraft change course from the middle of the passage to come over to go between the markers. I have witnessed boats hit the sandbar going flat out because they either didn't notice the orange cross or did not know what it meant. The other day a bloke had 2 kids riding up front and hit the sandbar and both kids went In the water

Once again, not a rant, just an awareness thing.

Happy and safe boating all ;D

[Funchy]

Feel free to add other basic tips / reminders etc for others ;)

[tunaticer]

Good idea Funchy, it is the sort of thing that people will not take the time to find out what it all means, sometimes with less than ideal consequences.

Another handy hint is where to beach your boat for retrieval at a ramp. Always look for a suitable spot up current of the ramp, that way you will not fight the water flow when you get the trailer in and start to bring your boat up. Similarly when you launch, beach your boat down current to be clear of anyone else wanting to come in or go out.

[wags on the water]

This is not a rant just a chance to pass on a bit of basic info that perhaps some don't know/forgot. I am only new to boating so don't by any means claim to be an expert.

If you are in a new waterway and you are following your beacons (green on green / red on red when traveling to the home port) keep an eye out for an orange cross. That will mean you need to refer to your charts (most likely it will be where 2 channels meet).

The reason I point this out is that I sit at the mouth of Bells creek as it meets the Pummy Passage and frequently see watercraft change course from the middle of the passage to come over to go between the markers. I have witnessed boats hit the sandbar going flat out because they either didn't notice the orange cross or did not know what it meant. The other day a bloke had 2 kids riding up front and hit the sandbar and both kids went In the water

Once again, not a rant, just an awareness thing.

Happy and safe boating all ;D

This is the one thing that really gets under my skin how the person in control of the vessel allows this practice to happen - whether it be on 14' or 40' boats.

[johncar]

Yeah I hate seeing the kids on the bow of any boat under way, I just see them turning into mince as they slip and pass through the props. It seems like fun but I don't know how you would forgive yourself as a skipper or dad.

[marto78]

That yellow cross is a sneaky bugger alright, it had me scratching my head for a while the first time I went fishing up at Donnybrook.

[gruntahunta]

It always comes down to whether you are heading to or away from Port. A yellow cross marker always relates to the change of a channel indicating a change to a Port direction. SIMPLE...well no it's not lol...if one knows the area it is simple but if one is at a location unknown to them it can be difficult to decipher, so care and charts should be used.

[LittleSkipper]

I hope it was only the water the kids hit and not the sandbank? Could of been disastrous otherwise?

[Noelm]

The Yellow cross is actually called a 'special mark" and does indeed refer to something "special" in that area, it may well be a change in bouyage because you are now travelling towards the ocean and so on, it can mean other things too, so as mentioned, refer to your chart! These markers and lights are not just local, they are a world wide standard (with some local add ons of course) just the same as your lights on your boat, get to know them and what they mean.