WATER POLICE BLITZ ON BAD BOATIES

[Bosunsmate]

The following appeared in the Townsville Bulletin newspaper recently......


TOWNSVILLE Water Police uncovered a raft of crime on the Ross River at the weekend with boaties caught speeding and breaching safety regulations.

Six boaties were issued $150 fines for exceeding the speed limit. Most of the speedsters were caught well over the six knot or no wash limit from the National Park boat ramp to the channel markers.

Somwe were going as fast as 25 knots. Two boaties were issued tickets for having no life jackets on board their vessels. One had four people on board with no lifejackets and the other was a lone fisherman.

Police also issued tickets for unregistered trailers to three people at the National park boat ramp, off Barnacle street. Two other people were caught driving while unlicensed.

Constable Dave Dixon of the water police said there were also a number of defective vehicles detected by police.

We just drove down to have a quick look at the boat ramp and ended up staying for an hour and a half issuing tickets constable Dixon said...

When will these idiots learn, maybe the laws should be tightened to provide for 30 day impoundment of vessels for repeat offenders, maybe just maybe they will then start to pay attention and obey the laws.

[CQ_Fisher]

Well at least no one was caught while under the influence ;D After the recent thread about drink driving i think every1 has seen the error or their ways and toned it down a bit, right boys? ;)

Cheers, er...i mean, good day
JD

[Dug]

About bloody time!

I had a visit from the cops today too. We live at the back of a school and when Soccer is on people park all over the place blocking the entrance and exit for emergency vehicles and reducing the visibility for drivers. Small kids soccer balls and cars in the same area is a dangerous mix.

The cops turned up to late to issue tickets but put the wind up a few of the parents. It is amazing how many people think it is OK to break the law because they are in a hurry or don't want to walk a fey yards extra.

Don't get me started
[smiley=angryfire.gif]

[Bosunsmate]

Here here I know what you're talking about Dug. Occ Health and Safey is my trade and I see that sort of stupidity everyday. Just a shame that many boaties also forget that laws are there for safety and that when you zip along at >15kts you generate a great deal of wash and discomfort for those that you pass and buffet with your wash.

I am sick and tired of it and carry a camera with me everytime I'm in the boat, H2O coppers will be getting plenty of pictures next time it happens to me. Hopefully there will be some idiots with lighter wallets both and license wise afterwards.

If you can't drive it safely and courteously, DON"T OWN IT!

[finga64]

That would have been good entertainment for the hour and a half watching all the people trying to talk their way out and then the anger.. and then the bookings, not warnings by the boys in blue. Don't know why people go around with unregistered things?? What happens in an accident???
Good on the boys in blue [smiley=thumbsup.gif] [smiley=policeman.gif]

[D2]

Good to see. Problem is though, those who received the tickets will probably never look in the mirror to see who caused their monetary demise - they will blame the boys in blue and call em, "bast..ds".
A couple of years back, Police at Hervey Bay were at the main ramp - actually at the ramp checking boats before they got wet. While I was there I saw two boats get taken back home without getting wet. Thought at the time was and still is, "good". One of the boats was about a 10-12 foot tinnie with mum, dad and the 4 kids in the car.

[Sideshow_Cod]

yeah but I bet 90% will back next day /weekend doing exactly the same thing.
People who pull stupid crap with kids on the boat should be hand winched over the back of my rusty crusty but still regoed trailer. grrrrr

[deb]

They were at Jacobs Well yesterday in the big cat, well positioned between the red & green beacons at the start of the 6knots for vessels 8m & over sign.
We seen little and big vessels be stopped and to do a blitz the weekend before the jumpinpin madness next week is a great idea. Back at the marina, their little duck boat was moored as well. ;)

[michael_Brewer]

fished with morto today, and again they were at jacobs well in the cat! man, they're must have been 9 of em on board i reckon, and they had the 2 blokes in the little dinghy drivin around to! Very smarty dressed for a day out at the pin!!! ;) and why so many police on the rig? im all for it...they're a friendly bunch ;D!
mick mick mick

[deb]

That cat is a bit to dodge when she is beam on the beacons though :D Thought we were going to be stopped :D

[Big_Kev]

I got the going over today at the start of the Jack Robbie leads at Manly.
I was heading in and a duck was coming from the right so I turned a bit to keep it to the left and it turned toward me, I then knew it was the plod.
They checked all the gear and the dates on the flares etc.
The only thing they did not ask for was my liscense and that and that was the only thing i did not have (lucky as it was in the takle box and this was not a fishing trip).
So be aware that if you want to venture out this easter, make sure you have all the geasr and the rego is paid.
Oh and have the liscesne with you (LOL), cheers Kev. ;D

[Dug]

Can you get a new copy of your license from somewhere?

I got mine in '76 and have not seen it since :-[

[adrian]

i just wish they come up the coomera river . was fishing near a sign saying 6 knots past anchored boats not one came close to it but they came close enough to read the regos and with skiers in toe wish i could have done something about it
anzac

[Derek Bullock]

No need to carry a licence these days unless you are going interstate. Check out the following website.

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/driver.nsf/index/recboatlicence


Derek

[Kerry]

So be aware that if you want to venture out this easter Nah, nobody's going anywhere over easter unless it's up the creek. Well it should be fairly easy to find ya's ;D

Cheers, Kerry.

[Wesley_Pang]

Saw a jetskier slapped with a speeding fine at the Coast Guard ramp @ Mooloolaba yesterday.

These guys were Fisheries and they ask if we had any fish on board. We had no fish.

I've had cops on jetskis stop us at the mouth @ Mooloolaba and ask to see our safety gear.

Boat licences are linked to drivers licences now.

Wes

[michael_Brewer]

yeh kev, ya dont even need ID either mate, just tell em ya details etc. seymour ended up getting breathalized yesterday at the pin!

mick

[Sideshow_Cod]

word is that big blitzs will continue especially in QLD waters up to and into easter.The tweed is also being hit. Police are cruising with nsw maritime boys and fisheries are inspecting fish shops and factories and actually using undercover guys as well. Apparently some 'suss' People/businesses/restaurants etc are being tracked from the water to their homes and everything they do inbetween.The pros are complaining hard about black market fish killing their prices.
I had two inspections on the water last week , one from each state,was breathylised in nsw. And had my fish inspected at the ramp by QLD guys .
Ironically I,m yet to see a cop on the road over the last fortnight

[whiteman]

For you good old boys from Townsville coming up to launch from the Rollingstone Creek at Easter, please remember there is a speed restriction of 6 knots within 30m of the boat ramp. Our club is trying to get this changed so the limit applies to the entire creek. We've had a couple of nasty incidents plus close calls from visitors at full throttle passing the ramp and the wash knocking kids into the water.

We get water police in the area every couple of months and every Easter that's fishable.

[SeaHunt]

They don't issue you with a licence you can carry around with you in Qld, its what they call a virtual licence.
They usually know who you are, whether you have a boat licence and if your boat rego is current before they even pull you up.
They enter your boat rego on a computer and get all your licence , registration and criminal history back in seconds, so if youre out there in your boat and you do not have a trailer registered in your name, they will ask how you got it to the ramp as well. Computers arn't they wonderful things. ::)
I have been stopped often, about 5 times last 2 years , never met a friendly one, never been booked either.
Twice they pulled me up while trolling lures by stopping almost right in front of me ,no time to reel in while still moving. Now I don't have to tell you guys that usually causes a big tangled mess of fishing line out the back of the boat. >:(

[RobSee]

I can assume that you are all smiles when you meet them eh SeaHunt....?

[deb]

Must have a crusty bunch about Seahunt, we had absolute fun with one on a jetski at Peel a couple of months ago, it was just one of those sunny days, magic on the water, he didn't mind getting teased about having the life of riley :D

[Big_Kev]

I am with Deb, I am yet to meet a Water Rat who is has not been polite to me when fronted.
I think if I was doing that for a living I would be cheery as well.

[Bosunsmate]

Never met a bad one up here, used to be a Coast Guard member here in Townsville and worked closely with the H2O coppers quite a bit, done many exercises between here and Cooktown with them and could not find a bad egg amongst them.....

Like any copper I suppose they get so much crap thrown at them they gotta give it back eventually, would'nt be one for all the gold bullion in fort knox.

[Zeeke]

ive seen plenty of bad boaties.. been with plenty too..not naming any names *cough brother cough* and been pulled up a few times.. got pulled up by fisheries 9 times in 2 weeks once.. since then ive only seen them on the water and they just wave me by.. damn shame cuz one is a sheila and she aint bad on the eyelets anyways.. also had plenty of stop and starts from Water Police, had "George Doyle" pull up next to me 2 mile off mooloolaba, had a bit of a chin wag and safety check and all was good, been breathalised a few times aswell.. all good since i never drink.. good to see but id like to see more of it

Tim