Idiot jet skis Southampton water

[Ron the boater]

Idiots on jetskis Southampton water

We came through Calshot this afternoon cruising at 20 knots when a blue metallic jetski came across flashing across our bows 50 feet away the turned and headed back ..... the stopped dead right in front of us.
He was completely unaware our us. We shut down and jammed the boat astern only just managing to stop without hitting him after shouting at the idiot he trotted up and sped away.

How close he came to being killed he may never know but I’m convinced our fast actions saved his life

Then coming up past the Hamble some other jetski passed close beside us to catch another boats wash and turned in front of us again

Coming up the Itchen a red jetski with a man and very small child was blitzing close to all moored boats well over the 6knot limit

What’s wrong with these people

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Sadly it’s all too common. I was leaving Osborne Bay yesterday when a plonker driving a RIB and towing a doughnut cut in front of me and lost a child off the doughnut about 20’ in front of me. I did a very quick stop. RIB eventually returned for his lost waif. Not a single toss was given.

 

[Blue Sunray]

What with jetskis and sailing dinghies increasingly behaving like this I'm beginning to think that adding a dashcam is a good idea for self protection in the case the inevitable accident.

 

[Wansworth]

I’m afraid that it’s people on the water who have no respect for the sea .

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Don't know what the dinghy problem is particularly (speed is rarely a factor). But my observation is that there seems to be more people, in faster craft, with less experience, and minimal sense, than there were even 5 years ago.

So I predict another tragedy.

Just glad that my moment didn't come yesterday.

 

[BruceK]

What with jetskis and sailing dinghies increasingly behaving like this I'm beginning to think that adding a dashcam is a good idea for self protection in the case the inevitable accident.

I'm afraid you'll find it takes two to tango and no matter how cautious you are you will always carry a percentage of blame.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

True. And I’m especially aware of my own limitations. But I like to think that I’m a cautious and reasonably proficient boater. Or sailor or yachtsman. Choose a word.

And if I screw up them I’ll hold my hands up, but no amount of time or experience will compensate for the emergence in your orbit of a pissed up wanker on a jet ski ...

 

[paul salliss]

I was in Yarmouth a couple of weeks ago and in a strong northerly wind a small fleet of small sailing boats with tiny outboards attempted to leave on mass, it was chaos and one steamed in to a Targa 47 and put a hole in his hull!, I watched the whole episode unfold, could not believe it

 

[Assassin]

Cameras are a good idea if they have some recording device fitted such as a hard drive, if you can download footage you have evidence, with evidence the authorities cannot try to fob you off and dismiss you, and if it has time and date stamped on it cannot be refuted. If all else fails you send it to the local newspapers and they print it and put it online, you can also put it online yourself and create a furore especially if accompanied by the headline "the authorities failed to act" and shame them into action.

 

[Hot Property]

I regularly use an action cam for my journey down the Hamble.

I became fed up of being driven at by assorted ribs, paddle boarders, dinghy's and other motor boaters.

One time a rib emerged from universal, cut straight across the channel and when I asked him why he did that without looking I received a barrage of abuse.

I just pointed to the action cam and all of a sudden he went quiet. Had I chosen to, that footage would have been online before he got to Calshot.

Sadly necessary these days!

 

[ashtead]

I suspect a deal of difference being hit by a jetski and a sailing dinghy. Are these jetski insured or have any powerboat training ? If I bought say a 5m rib I would be down to OV ot suchlike for my day course but jetski seem like they have had no training whatsoever as they crash around and cut through moorings off the island and across ferry wakes etc for no purpose . Must be a way insurance could be mandatory ?

 

[Rappey]

Portsmouth harbour requires jetskis to have a license for the harbour.
They have to be data tagged and insured.

 

[BobnLesley]

A few years ago we were motoring along the ICW in Miami at about 4 or 5 knots when a jet-ski screamed close by down our port side and made a u-turn so closely across our bow that we lost sight of it and I was still thinking 'where the feck is he?' when we heard a god-awful bang by the starboard quarter. He'd obvoiously not seen the 2' diameter x 15' high wooden post that we were passing and had slammed into it at a rate of knots. Poetic justice as the post was there to carry a sign reading: 'Slow Speed, No Wake, Manatee Protection Area'.

Even he couldn't match the moron that we watched from anchor at Burzebugga in Malta one sunny Sunday afternoon as he made two passes along the beach, no more than 30m offshore, slaloming between the people (mostly kids) who were swimming/playing in the water. He was apprehended by the Harbour Police when he appeared for a third time and was quickly taken away in a Police van; whether that was for the stunt itself or his own protection we never discovered, but over the following 15-20 minutes the two police officers left behind stood quietly whilst the enraged parents totally destroyed the jet ski that'd been left on the beach.

 

[chrishscorp]

Petition for legislation and policing of PWCs

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I think this year they have been particularly bad, im guessing they normally save their antics for Spain and the like on holiday but with lockdown we have had to put up with them over here. Legislation is the only way to deal with them sadly and yes that may be the thin end of the wedge in terms of regulation

 

[Rocksteadee]

Petition for legislation and policing of PWCs

Sign the Petition


I think this year they have been particularly bad, im guessing they normally save their antics for Spain and the like on holiday but with lockdown we have had to put up with them over here. Legislation is the only way to deal with them sadly and yes that may be the thin end of the wedge in terms of regulation

To a degree I agree, however I do like the RYA motto, educate not legislate.
Make insurance compulsor, then the premium considerably cheaper if having done some sort of training

 

[chrishscorp]

To a degree I agree, however I do like the RYA motto, educate not legislate.
Make insurance compulsor, then the premium considerably cheaper if having done some sort of training

Yes that covers the sensible ones who will be insured anyway and may well have done training

It will do nothing to stop the morons just like motor insurance is compulsory and we still have idiots who think its optional

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Petition for legislation and policing of PWCs
Sign the Petition

I think this year they have been particularly bad, im guessing they normally save their antics for Spain and the like on holiday but with lockdown we have had to put up with them over here. Legislation is the only way to deal with them sadly and yes that may be the thin end of the wedge in terms of regulation

I agree, and I've signed it. My near miss incident with the RIB and doughnut shocked me.

Although I'm against regulation for its own sake I think in this case (and maybe might even be persuaded to extend this to all "high speed" * powered craft) there is somehting to be said for mandatory training and insurance.


* Definiton may need to be debated until eternity.

 

[pumpsmynads]

Most of them in Poole harbour are arseholes too. Spaffing around the islands (no PWC area, 6 knot limit, bird sensitive areas, amongst paddle boarders and swimmers), at over 40 knots yesterday. I have a video. “Race you ‘round the island” was heard from one.
If I see one of them come a cropper and end up floating face down in the water, I’ll be honest, I’m not even putting my drink down.

 

[paul salliss]

To a degree I agree, however I do like the RYA motto, educate not legislate.
Make insurance compulsor, then the premium considerably cheaper if having done some sort of training

Well said , I love the motto educate not legislate, and treasure this aspect of boating

 

[Rocksteadee]

Yes that covers the sensible ones who will be insured anyway and may well have done training

It will do nothing to stop the morons just like motor insurance is compulsory and we still have idiots who think its optional

Then one option is to licence or confiscate