Alright, this has gone on long enough. Most people who sail on the swan river would know the issue with idiotic boat drivers not knowing the rules about who gives way to who.
Today at Peli Point I had 3 shouting matches with stupid boat drivers.
At some stage someone is going to get seriously hurt because these idiots don't know or in most cases care about the rules. What can be done.....? Is is worth raising the issue with the PTA? Is it out of the question to get something put in the skippers ticket test about giving way to windsurfers? Can WWA do anything? Or should we just accept it? 
By yourself a oregon scientific Helmet cam (don't get one with fisheye lense)
Get some video evidence, take it to the relevant dept and put in a complaint
yeah, dont we know! Motorboats have to give way at all times but most of the boaties are full of piss so I reckon keep it safe and give them water. Especially if your doing a Melville run it can be hairy, 10 fold on the weekends. I enjoy all watersports (exept TB`ing) including motor boats, and a beer or two whilst onboard is second to none, but the idiotic few who go overboard are the reason for strict rules, like the .05 drink limit which will be a law here soon. But is that going to stop dickheads?
Peli is my home ground and I agree, the idiots outweigh the sensible boatie by a large factor. I've had guys give me the finger a few times when I have queried their eye sight and general behaviour with their vessel. I think it would be fair to say that most wouldn't have a clue about the "give way to sail at all times" rule (i dont even think its covered in the Skippers Ticket Workbook)
What to do ?? - other than putting a sign up at all the river boat ramps and yacht clubs, i'm not sure. It seems that most of the offenders in my experience are owners of smaller craft (read- SeaDoos) who think its great fun to line you up from 500m and see how much damage they can do to your progress. I'm not sure if you will ever get through to these clowns. The yachties and bigger boat owners are generally ok (except for some gin palace owners) as most seem to understand the rules and often will slow down if you clearly need to get upwind of them.
I agree that an accident is inevitable - is it worth putting something together through WWA to the Dept of Trans as part of some education ? What about the water cop that writes an article in the West every Saturday ?
unfortunately it Will in my opinion, take a death or 2, before something is done,similar to the kiting problem,which is another issue.
thanks to the recent boom- boat ownership has gone through the roof and there is no shortage of boats on an allready crowded river.the skippers ticket was a good move but really this is as usefull as putting a bandaid on a severed jugular! i know of people who recieved their practical instruction at the dining room table from shonky assesors
the 1 good thing about sailing the swan is it keeps you on your toes and sharpens the skills in sailing, gybing etc in choppy confused water
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I'm by no means defending power boat idiots but people on all craft needs to be responsible for their actions. The first rule of the sea is to avoid collisions at all cost no matter who has right of way by law.
Yes sail does have right of way to power (not ferries and vessels less manourvrable). If you are going to shoot off the end of a sand bar across a channel and the general flow of ALL vessels bigger than a windsurfer then GOOD LUCK. Power boat have no where to go in the the river at the end of Peli Point and will not be looking for a high speed missile of a windsurf coming off the sand bar.
Bear away and go behind the power boat or point up and go around. It want spoil your day if one run is not perfect. Learn to share. Its a case of what goes around comes around. If we all showed respect to each other then the world would be a better place.
Theses rules exclude jet skis, sea doos etc. For them it is open season and they should be shot on sight.
Agree with Pugwash - i keep clear of the bigger vessels etc as required to be safe for everyone and sail within my abilities at all times.
It's the idiots who a) line you up b) dont slow down no matter how close they are to you c) speed up to cut you off when you're clearly trying to get upwind of them d) don't even look where they're going , that are causing the problem.
This also happens alot at Safety Bay when sailing across to the sandbar on the Warnbro Beach side, they just aim straight for the ramp and as you try and go around them to keep the peace they still head straight at you........I remind them about giving way to sail but they just yell some yobbo abuse and keep driving. I agree about respecting all BUT it should be in the skippers ticket and maybe us windsurfers need to do something similar but on a smaller basis as just using windsurfers. I look out for the others all the time, but I doubt they are looking out for us and any sailing vessel.
More boat troubles at Pelican
Last night when I was out sailing at Pelican point there was a little boat straight our from Pelican Pt closer to the other side of the river with a couple of guys setting out cray(?)lines. I said to them that it may not be the best idea to set out cray lines in that area due to the many windsurfers but they did not seem to care.
Does anyone know the rules / are there any rules for setting out craylines in the river?
Cheers
H.C.
Maybe posting a polite reminder on one of the stinkboat forums might be the way to go as a start. Getting wound up about it on here is unlikely to ever solve the problem.
No matter what education of boaties might be put in place or enforced, just remember that you don't want push your rights too far with a powerboat.
An accident of this type has already occurred, and the older ones of us might remember it. One winter, one of the Boog brother (Nigel or Adrian, - can't remember which one) was cleaned up by a large (>30') power boat just to the north of Pt Walter sandbar. He was sailing from the Dalkeith side across to Pt Walter in a westerly winter breeze. He lost a leg when one of the props hit him as he went under the boat.
In that particular case there was blame apportioned to both parties (he gybed suddenly in front of the boat, it was raining, and the boat skipper had a lot of spray on his windows). Either way, it didn't bring back his leg.
Education is needed, but I use the same attitude as when I ride my motorbike. Always assume that the other car / boat / truck is being driven by an idiot or someone who isn't paying attention because they are comfortable in their machine. Fight for your right of way, but not at the cost of your spilt blood.
Having done the RST, the right of way rules are in there. However, just like idiots on the road mowing down cyclists, that doesn't stop idiot drivers in boats mowing down yachts or windsurfers.
Realistically, there are two things wrong with our current system. Not enough police visibility, and they don't have enough bite.
and as always, it's not worth being dead right. Cameras, video, whatever evidence you can get and report incidents to the (water) police.
and that section of water has no speed limit. It's unrestricted from the two bridges (Canning Bridge and the Narrows) all the way through to the far side of Pt Walter.
Couldn't find any regulations for pots in the Swan (would have been crab pots, not cray). There is a statewide rule that you cannot put them in marked channels. Don't think that would have helped here though.
unfortunately sail is NOT #1 on the list of boats having right of way. Far from it.
-Restricted by draft (this is #1 from memory) which would apply to a lot of boats plying the Swan river to some extent
-Anchored (obviously not in a navigable channel)
-vessels in a navigable channel (ferries being an exception as they are usually crossing the traffic flow and often marked on charts)
-vessels fishing (and showing the appropriate shapes/lights, and not in a navigable channel)
-vessels overtaking (if you are windsurfing/kiting and overtaking you DO NOT have ROW)
Anyone who has worked out of Freo boat harbour will have had to deal with the idiotic yotties trying to sail in/out of Freo sailing club, ignoring the traffic separation markers and thinking they have ROW, tacking and gybing in the traffic flow.
