G'day all,
When I take my tinny out with the kids for some tubing (NSW), I was under the impression that I need to include the person on the tube as part of the boats total capacity, ie Boat cap 4, which allows for 1 in tube and 3 in the boat.
I did my license in QLD and thats what we were told on course and I still apply the same rule. Seems like common sense.
I only ask as I know a bloke with a very nice ski boat, capacity 6, who was out at X-mas and regularly had 6 in the boat and 2 on the tube. He believes this is OK but I asked him what happens if the tube goes flat, someone gets hurt etc and you need to put them in the boat. You would then be overloaded. He shook his head and said that its never happened and hadn't thought of it.
I can't find anything in the NSW Maritime handbook but if some else can provide more info, much appreciated.