BBC Report on Power boat and jet ski harassing swimers

[Elemental]

Gower: Power boat and water bike 'terrorise' swimmers

I'm not normally one for legislation and licensing - but I'm getting there ...

 

[Gary Fox]

Gower: Power boat and water bike 'terrorise' swimmers

I'm not normally one for legislation and licensing - but I'm getting there ...

I'm not usually one for amputating hands as a punishment, but if you talk about jetskis doing this - I'm getting there..

 

[Elemental]

I'm not usually one for amputating hands as a punishment, but if you talk about jetskis doing this - I'm getting there..

Eh? I like Jet skis and have tickets for both Powerboat and Jet ski. But never mind...

 

[Praxinoscope]

Eh? I like Jet skis and have tickets for both Powerboat and Jet ski. But never mind...

I have No problem with either,….IF handled sensibly and with respect for others, BUT it seems many who use these think they have the rights to act as selfishly as they please. Our area is noted for the resident dolphins, which regularly get disturbed by both.
I am sure that if you have ’tickets’ for both you handle them responibly, unfortunately I think you may be in a fairly small minority.

 

[INT QRK]

Eh? I like Jet skis and have tickets for both Powerboat and Jet ski. But never mind...

You do realise this is Scuttlebutt? The MoBo forum is here: Motor Boat Forum

 

[dom]

Eh? I like Jet skis and have tickets for both Powerboat and Jet ski. But never mind...

I too have a Powerboat ticket and a driving license.

But I don't drive on the pavements or along pedestrian routes.!

Seriously: the level of bad behaviour has reached a point that regulation is now unavoidable.

 

[Gary Fox]

Eh? I like Jet skis and have tickets for both Powerboat and Jet ski. But never mind...

One can own a shotgun licence, without deliberately firing the pellets a few feet away from families having a picnic, in order to terrify them and feel a rush of power.

 

[capnsensible]

I'm not usually one for amputating hands as a punishment, but if you talk about jetskis doing this - I'm getting there..

Flog them to within an inch of their worthless miserable lives.

Or how about designated areas buoyed off to deconflict swimmers and boats of all sorts? This is a common tactic along virtually the whole of med. Spain and seems to work well.

 

[dom]

Flog them to within an inch of their worthless miserable lives.

Or how about designated areas buoyed off to deconflict swimmers and boats of all sorts? This is a common tactic along virtually the whole of med. Spain and seems to work well.

Nope: forum doesn't like that either!

Can you close a beach? Totland no longer suitable for landing?

 

[Never Grumble]

Flog them to within an inch of their worthless miserable lives.

Or how about designated areas buoyed off to deconflict swimmers and boats of all sorts? This is a common tactic along virtually the whole of med. Spain and seems to work well.

They bring it upon themselves, I'm not sure what you can do to stop this behaviour, they are idiots with no respect for others? I presume these buoyed areas in the Med are policed?
Did anyone note the associated article that said the motorboat in this incident needed rescuing for running out of fuel!
'Water bike usage like this puts lives in danger'

 

[Mark-1]

Is there a need for new legislation? There must be an existing (boatie or non-boatie) offence that deals with that kind of intentional insane recklessness, isn't there?

Can someone with some legal knowledge confirm?

EDIT: There is in Scotland, suspect there is in Wales/England. Culpable and reckless conduct - Wikipedia

 

[BobnLesley]

We were once anchored in Burzebugga at the east end of Malta when two jet ski's running at high speed and no more than 30m from the shoreline 'slalomed' between the kids in the water. They repeated the stunt three times before a harbour police launch collared them and led them ashore where fortunately (or perhaps not) there were now about a dozen policemen waiting; it needed all of those to prevent the two lads from being torn limb from limb by the crowd of parents.

 

[capnsensible]

Nope: forum doesn't like that either!

Can you close a beach? Totland no longer suitable for landing?

Works in the Canary Islands too.

Back in the med, buoyed channels give access to the beach by watercraft. Lifeguards are on all the popular beaches and there are, as I understand it big fines for transgressors.

A problem existed. Several deaths including some high profile ones. So they fixed it.

 

[Metabarca]

In Croatia recently they dished out 145 fines to jet skiers in just 24 hours: €40K in fines. Good. Horrible things. Apart from the danger: one man's enjoyment, everyone else's irritation.

 

[Elemental]

Is there a need for new legislation? There must be an existing (boatie or non-boatie) offence that deals with that kind of intentional insane recklessness, isn't there?

I don't have any expert knowledge. Like I said, I'm not a fan of solving problems with legislation, but such is the nature of the issue that I'm now of the opinion that some form of compulsory training for operating certain types of boats is worth considering. Maybe boats capable of certain speeds, or boats with props, or something else. At least then if there are existing laws they could be included in the syllabus. It might also give authorities the opportunity to create/enforce bylaws for popular sites without the "I didn't know about that response when challenged"...

 

[Seven Spades]

I looked to me as though the people on the paddle board were part of that group. However there is a more general point here. Studland has a 5knt limit yet both powerboats and jet skis lobe to cause havoc on the anchorage and there is no enforcement. If you go to Hamble point and Hasler you will see a number of police vessels that never seem to do anything useful as far as I can see. If they went to Studland they could become self financing and solve a huge social problem a the same time.`

 

[Gary Fox]

Littlehampton has succeeded in enforcing registration, insurance and fines for them, why can't all harbours?

 

[xyachtdave]

….and the boat later ran out of fuel and needed towing in by the RNLI.

Not a surprise to me but I’d rather they’d been told ‘No bollocks’ and left to sort themselves out.

 

[Mark-1]

Littlehampton has succeeded in enforcing registration, insurance and fines for them, why can't all harbours?

What problem are we trying to solve there? Insurance and registration won't stop dangerous close passes of swimmers and slower water users.

 

[Gary Fox]

What problem are we trying to solve there? Insurance and registration won't stop dangerous close passes of swimmers and slower water users.

The HM impounded some jetskis and fined the owners, for breaking the rules. You can't do 'dangerous close passes' with no machine.