Jet Ski's - about time laws were made ....

[Guest]

Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

Sunday July 13 ..... just east of Cowes, handing the main on deck with my lass ..... boat on autohelm. Bunch of Jet Skis come out at full chat from Cowes and cut across the bow. That I can live with given their speed etc.
One, two-up, decided to cut back and he side-swiped my boat on stbd side, causing a deluge of water into cockpit, into cabin and all over both of us. Given the job we were doing up on deck etc., it could have easily caused a disaster / MOB. All you could hear was their laughing ... as they sped away. I called CG and hope that they were caught - but have heard nothing.
It is interesting that others were reporting position / incidents with same Jet Skis after mine ......

WHEN will laws / reg's be issued to curb these lunatics ???? I am all for enjoying the water and having fun ..... this was something else and my lass - Russian visitor to UK - cannot believe it happened in our 'civilsied' land .... Well we all have our idiot fraternity ...... seems Jet Ski's attract them

So let's hear of anyone else has story's to tell ..... then maybe we can press for something to be done ??????

Any ideas apart from hand grenades / machine gunning 'em ????



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

Why didn't the CG respond? Isn't that their job? Too busy? They should do something now, before somebody else gets killed by these arseholes! Prevention is far better. I'm getting very sick of them in the Meddy, they always hve to scream around the anchorages, when theres plenty of space elsewhere, it's ridiculous. I agree it's time it was policed properly. It would be best if they wee banned from certain areas and made to abide by speed limit and behaviour, until they get to designated jet ski areas, I don't want to spoil anybodies fun, but........

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

To be fair, what else can they do but scream around inshore and ancorages, no one would see how 'cool' they looked otherwise. Anything else and it really would be as mind numbingly boring as it looks.

For the price of a new jetski you could buy a 2nd hand 21ft yacht and actually be able to talk to someone while going places.

I don't get it, I really don't!

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/Honda_00.html>Honda Formula 4-Stroke racing</A>

 

[charles_reed]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

There is adequate legislation, the Merchant Shipping Act of ?1897?

It's not the CGs function to enforce the law, rather that of the local police.

4 years ago I observed a textbook example of the local force in Abersoch shepherding the PWCs away from the bathing and mooring areas and into safe water.

I do agree, I've seen several examples of aggressive behaviour by PWC users, people in the bar of a sailing club being saturated in Spain (the PWC had great difficulty in getting out of the water), several examples in UK waters, but strangely nione in French or Italian waters.
Despite this being a very colloquial survey, I wonder if the fact that in both those countries all watercraft users have to be licensed has anything to do with the less antisocial behaviour.

Perhaps one should complain to the local police force for their inadequate enforcement of the law?

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[Paulka]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

Saturday, July 26, Palma Nova.

A bunch of PWC slaloming like mad between boats at anchor, and poeples swimming, many of them children, as usual.
After 10 -15 minutes the Guardia Civil's fast boat was on site, and chased them.
Another ten minutes, and the place was absolutely calm!

I don't like the involvement of police on the water, but it seems there is no other mean to get those idiots at bay.


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[charles_reed]

Mallorca

You have my sympathy, being there.

Not only is the PWC menace greatest there, but it's probably about the least welcoming, most overcrowded and grubbily expensive place in the Western Med that I've experienced.

Glad to hear that the Guardia Civile are actually doing something - I take it that's the lot from San Antonio in Ca'an Pastilla - they're a fairly gregarious lot and nearly as hardened drinkers as RNLI crews.

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[ccscott49]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

Trouble is they don't look cool, (to the girls, no point it looking cool to your mates) everybody hates their guts! How can you think you look cool, to the girls, when they are all shaking their fists at you? Most of the younger ladies I know, won't go near one and think the guys riding them are pillocks! Just like the old days, you pulled the most girls with a car, not a motorbike!!

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[Col]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

This is a real pity.
I don't (and won't) own a PWC, but have had a few goes on them, and they are a lot of fun. I have noticed the contempt with which you are treated when riding one, and this isn't surprising given the "dickhead to sensible rider" Ratio.
It appears that PWC's just attract yobbish behavior.
Unfortunately the few good 'uns will also have to pay the penalty as inevitably more and more bans are imposed.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

A week or so back I saw two PWC’s coming down the river Frome from Wareham. One PWC performed a similar trick as you describe on the other but not at 'full chat'.
Young lads showing off, I was the unimpressed audience.

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[BrianJ]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

FYI only.. they are now banned from Sydney Harbour.....
Brian J

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[Valiant18]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

...then if we all knew which laws they were breaking and formally reported incidents to the police (obtaining a crime number) - police clean up statistics would suffer & hence something would be done? or is that too simple?

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[LORDNELSON]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

It seems unlikely that anything other than banning jet skis from an area (such as the Solent) or, alternatively, a government order forbidding their sale/import/use in the country will be effective. I do not think grumbling to each other will work! Is this an opportunity for this Forum to form a pressure group to make their views known and to press for effective legislation?

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[Dave_Snelson]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

Very sorry to here this. I think there is definately a commonality here in that both yachtsmen and powerboaters hate PWC's. OK - its not the machines themselves that are at fault, its the owners who are knuckle-dragging, numb-skulls. Being a powerboater, I find these things reflect badly on my chosen sport, especially at Porthmadog where I am based. My word - you need to see the lunacy of this place on a bank holiday!!

I do hope that the remainder of your day wasn't spoilt.

<hr width=100% size=1>Madoc Yacht Club
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk>http://www.madocyachtclub.co.uk</A>

 

[Guest]

Skateboards, BMX etc. etc

They are all good fun and when used in proper context / location are perfectly acceptable items .... but once the numbskulls get hold of 'em ------ that's where it ends and the many will pay a price for the few stupid ones ......

I was lucky - next one might not be - god forbid.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[Guest]

CG did respond ....

in fact I was pleased with their interest - as I was asked to change channel and wait turn .... I pushed them that wiating turn would lose the culprits ... as they were speeding away and time was essential - they took the info. on 16 ... sorry to others about that as technically wrong to use 16 .....

Others called in with similar reports ... but I do not know what action was taken after reporting ...... difficult to call up police when out on water and VHF .....


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[Guest]

My thoughts exactly ....

But sounding out the forums etc. is first step to see how much support / how many have problems / views etc.

So how do we set-up a pressure group ? Can we do it via the Mag PBO support or do we go for the Govt minister etc. etc. ??????



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[andrewbarker]

Re: My thoughts exactly ....

What exactly would you be lobbying for?? As has already been said, and I am sure Govt would repeat, Colregs & other regulations already cover dangerous activity on the water. Sensible PWC people surely would obey the law just as sensible boaters of all kinds do. Those who ignore it now will ignore it at all times unless they are quickly and regularly pulled up - which is an enforcement issue.

Anyway aren't there two separate kinds of behaviour here? One is the dangerous use of PWCs near swimmers or other craft - which must be covered by existing law but isn't well enforced. The other is the noisy, irritating, belting around which is about as anti social as any other adolescent behaviour. Let's face it, no-one is going to legislate to ban the latter behaviour just because yachtsmen don't like it.

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[Guest]

Other locations have taken action ...

so sorry I do not agree ....

If no-one pushes the button on this then we will continue to suffer. It is not only boaters, but many water-users that are subject to Jet Ski lunacy ...... and why do we have to follow the US style of naming ...... PWC - its a bloody Jet Ski ..... Snickers - what was OUR Marathon Chocolate bar etc.

Sorry about that got slightly off-track there !! We need to start a campaign to curb the lunacy. I have had incidents at moorings in Langstone of Jet Ski's wizzing around the boats, a few times when I'm working on the mast etc. It used to be Speed Boats, but they seem to have reduced in favour of the Jet Ski ........


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[Sybarite]

Oh oh ...careful

Be very careful when talking about legislation. This type of pressure may get out of hand with consequences on our sport which go beyond what first you wanted...

John

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[richardandtracy]

Re: Jet Ski\'s - about time laws were made ....

Please:-

NO MORE LAWS.

We're awash with laws. That's part of the problem.
What we need is enforcement of fewer, more appropriate, laws. If there were fewer laws, there'd be better enforcement because everyone would know those responsible for enforcement and ensure that enforcement agency does its job. As it is, who is responsible, and under which law? I don't know, and more importantly, neither do the police or CG. That's what really stinks about PWC running riot.

Regards

Richard.


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