blinking jetskis

[steveburton]

There I was trying to finish a club race just off Gilkicker Point, the wind had almost gone and the tide was building against us. It was getting dark and from the direction of Cowes came the unmistakeable sound of - you've guessed it - two jetskis at full chat, making for Portsmouth Harbour. Now I have always thought that they were the most useless thingss known to man akin to the chocolate fireguard. Then one of them came deliberately off his line and passed us about 4 or 5 feet away at the point of an arc that ensured that we were literally soaked. My language was blue as they disappeared into the gloom but it was entirely inadequate for the rage that I felt. It has however confirmed my view of the people who ride these things. They are obviously so bored with going nowhere fast that they have to have their little jest. Can someone explain what they are for?

 

[Bergman]

"Can someone explain what they are for? "

Target practice?

 

[AlJones]

Re: blinking jet skis

Dick heads!

Thats what they are!

Although, they aint all like that as we know, Is it permissible to contact the Coastguard as these riders are 'the Master of a sea going vessel'?

Would love to know that. If one gets done, fined, etc; would that stop this pointless behaviour by others?

The driver of a vehicle on the road can be fined heavily if they deliberately go through a puddle to soak a pedestrian, bloody hard to prove intent, but it is there.

A thought, and some support for you!

Al.

 

[contessa26]

4 or 5 feet away? At speed? Crikey... that is quite close!

 

[BrendanS]

A reputable bunch of jetskiers posted here several times, and they want this sort of thing stamped out.

Report as much detail as you can to them

 

[B175Chris]

I know how you feel, even in Mobos you get targeted apparently, we have a few on our river in france, last summer we were driving at 3 knts at a safe distance away from the big jet of water behind a jetski, when the two guys on it decided to stick it in reverse, got to about 10 cm from my bow, which meant i had to slam it into reverse to avoid hitting them, then they drove off at a speed i couldnt even guess at leaving me with a bit spurt of water in the cockpit /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Took me aaagggeessss to wash the cockpit out with fresh water when i got back to make sure nothing would rust /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Wouldnt mind having a go on one though, but only at a safe speed and obviously I wouldnt be an idiot like those guys were /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[oldharry]

Happened to me last year off Langstone.

Its the inability to do ANYTHING about it that is so infuriating.

 

[B175Chris]

I should add, which I never put in my above post, as Brendan says, there are some very considerate Jetskiers out there, some even signalled to me in France at easter to tell me they would hang back until I had gotten out of the way

So my encounter was very biased, my apologies /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Impaler]

There is a harbour up here in the NE that won't allow them to use the slip due to the antics of a few. I suppose all you can do is try to photograph any that come close and maybe over time a register of offenders could be built up and the guilty shamed.

 

[Rum_Pirate]

[ QUOTE ]
There is a harbour up here in the NE that won't allow them to use the slip due to the antics of a few. I suppose all you can do is try to photograph any that come close and maybe over time a register of offenders could be built up and the guilty shamed.

[/ QUOTE ] Have a camera (water resistant and with a zoom) at the ready. Show it at the earliest opportunity.

I suppose that you would be in the cells if you tried to make an indelible mark (in order to identify them later) with a flare gun. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

As to shaming the guilty, you are p!ss!ng into the wind. Those individuals have no shame.
Better for them to be fined by increasing amounts.
Better still that they also be required to mark recognition numbers in VERY large letters on their vessels.

 

[jimboaw]

Would it be illegal to fire off both barrels of a shotgun loaded with blanks in their general direction? Maybe just standing in the cockpit with it would have the desired effect?

 

[Impaler]

Or a paintball gun?

 

[LittleShip]

Ahhh ! water fleas /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Tom

 

[phatcat1]

I have just bought a catapult, and now have a good stock of small potatoes that i keep on board!

 

[peterb26]

I used to be a volunteer Coastguard on Hayling Island and until recently had a boat moored there.

The subject of jet-skis came up on the local forum, and I contributed (as an individual) that I thought that a proportion of them were total idiots and that eventually there would be a fatality in the area. (Probably someone swimming in the water south of Gunner Point as many jetskiers dont stay outside the 500 yard safety markers).

Bearing in mind my forum post was contributed under an alias, I was stunned when I was taken to task about this and told that my post had could have drawn the Coastguard service into "disrepute".

Sadly this was all too typical of the politically correct way that HMCG was run in the area, I am told that its better now - so I voted with my feet and left that same day.

 

[Jamesuk]

Well there is no excuse for "target practice" but i am sure they feel the same way about yachties.

 

[Telstar26]

I've found that pointing a camera at them can be a good deterrent - it worked with this guy in Studland last year

 

[AlJones]

Re: blinking jet skis

PC crowd, PA!

Most riders are fine, as I and others have said, but what can be done?

I asked earlier, and as you were one, can you answer, what can be done? Are we in our right to call the coast guard, VHF or phone? I would love to know.

I was out on one of our ribs a couple of years ago and there were these jet skiers keeping their distance but riding and jumping our wake. I waved them in closer, and told them if they wanted to get in closer to our wake we would take some photos for them, this is what we got,


Smokers inbound,

Bloody nice bloke, his mate kept away, Tina sent him the photo's and we received a nice thank you e-mail from him. He outlined that when ever he goes out on his ski he is always moaned at by other water users, until now, apparently we put faith back in him!

 

[peterb26]

Re: blinking jet skis

(Great photos Al).

Well if you are talking about Langstone harbour then the poor old coastguard doesnt have a boat there since 2005 - so they can only contact one of the other water based organisations and say "go and have a word with them".

I dont think theres anything wrong with wake jumping as long as there is plenty of clear water on either side of the boat and they stay a safe distance behind your stern.

Its the usual scenario of the few idiots spoiling the reputation for the sensible ones. We have had a couple of jetskiers going in and out of Chichester Harbour and they stay religiously to the speed limit until well outside harbour waters.

What makes my blood boil is when you see jetskiers going out of Langstone - heading south and then hitting 50kts (or more) within just a short distance of the shore.

Swimmers head + bow of jetski at 60mph = melon hit by hammer.

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Trouble is they ain't all bad - as Al Jones has already pointed out. Just the bad ones are really bad and we have had some over Abersoch way. I can say that, like Al Jones, we get riders coming at our wake when returning into Porthmadog - just for the fun of it! We have had no problems with them in our harbour, they just seem to tootle around slowly.