New Speed Limit For Harbour After Death (new 15 Knot Zone)

[mrmoshe]

New speed limit for harbour after death

THE NSW Government says it will implement all recommendations stemming from an investigation into the fatal crash of a ferry and a dinghy on Sydney Harbour.

The Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) report into the collision, which resulted in the death of a fisherman, was tabled in NSW parliament today.

The Dawn Fraser RiverCat collided with the dinghy under the Sydney Harbour Bridge early on the morning of January 5 this year.

Peter Karatasas, 72, suffered a heart attack and had his right leg amputated in hospital before dying eight days after the accident.

The OTSI report found the RiverCat, which was not carrying passengers at the time, was travelling at 22 knots when it struck the fisherman's dinghy.

Transport Minister John Watkins said the 11 recommendations include NSW Maritime imposing a 15-knot speed limit for all craft in a zone around the Harbour Bridge.

The speed limit will come into effect on August 1, but Mr Watkins said Sydney Ferries had already imposed that limit itself.

"The report shows we have more work to do if safety is to remain our highest priority for ferry passengers and harbour users," Mr Watkins said.

"Sydney Ferries and NSW Maritime have accepted all the recommendations from the OTSI report."

The other recommendations include a review of training and for vessel operating instructions to emphasise the need for ferry masters to exercise caution when visibility is reduced.

It also recommends training of general purpose hands on ferries to perform the duties of a "lookout".

The accident is the subject of a coronial inquest and criminal proceedings.

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And this from The Australian which includes a No drifting or stoppingunder the Harbour Bridge from August 1

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Ferry crash prompts Sydney Harbour speed limit

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* June 22, 2007

A SPEED limit of 15 knots will be introduced for all craft travelling under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in line with the recommendations of a report into a fatal ferry crash.

The NSW government today tabled the report from the investigation into the crash involving a fisherman's boat and the Dawn Fraser Rivercat early on January 5 this year.

Peter Karatasas, 72, suffered a heart attack and had his right leg amputated in hospital before dying eight days after the accident.

Transport Minister John Watkins today said all 11 recommendations made by the Office of Transport Safety Investigations (OTSI) would be implemented by Sydney Ferries and NSW Maritime.

This included the adoption of a 15 knot speed limit under the bridge from August 1, although he said the Sydney Ferries fleet was already adhering to the new, slower speed.

At the time of the January accident, the Dawn Fraser was travelling at 22 knots.

“The report shows we have more work to do if safety is to remain our highest priority for ferry passengers and harbour users,” Mr Watkins said.

“Sydney Ferries and NSW Maritime have accepted all the recommendations from the OTSI report.”

Five of the eleven recommendations were directed at the Maritime Authority, including a call for it to prohibit drifting or deliberately stopping under the bridge except in the case of an emergency.

Six recommendations were directed at Sydney Ferries, including that it review training and vessel operating instructions to emphasise the need for ferry masters to exercise caution when visibility was reduced.

It also recommended the training of general purpose hands on ferries to perform the duties of a “lookout”.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Gladys Berejiklian said Mr Watkins' decision to call a press conference about the report before it had been made public was an attempt to downplay the seriousness of the report.

“It speaks volumes about the government's lack of accountability or commitment to scrutinising or improving ferry safety,” she said.

She reiterated her calls for the January fatality, and another ferry crash beneath the harbour bridge that claimed four lives in March, to be investigated under a special commission of inquiry into Sydney Ferries.

“These fatal accidents should be investigated in open court where the public can judge for themselves how Sydney Ferries is being managed ... by the government.”

The January incident is also the subject of a coronial inquest, and the ferry master involved is presently before the courts charged with culpable navigation.

Edited June 22, 2007 by MallacootaPete

[domza]

do u think that includes jet boats?

[mrmoshe]

do u think that includes jet boats?

I believe it applies to ALL vessels.

[pelican]

I believe it applies to ALL vessels.

The one thing about being out on the water is the freedom and I dislike authority regulating things just because they are not actually dealing with the cause. Seems speed was not the issue but a speed limit has been imposed as an ass covering measure by authouities. Wouldn't matter if doing 10 knots if you aren't attentive on lookout or can't see because of glare. It's horrible and sad to see anyone injured but I think that even at 10 knots this accident would have occurred with similar damage and loss of life yet they want to regulate speed.

This is still an in court so won't say too much but seem common sense and visibility seem to be the issue- so if you can't see slow down. Now we will all have to slow down when conditions and vision are perfect regardless at all times of day and night. This is silly and a rule for rules sake not a solution by education of captains.

The next recomendations proposed are for all ferries to have right of way not just the freshwater class that does now. The freshwater had them because they are large and not real manourvarable and have a reasonable draft. Frankly some of the Sydney ferries captains have shown real disrespect to other boat users over the last 20 years I've been on the harbour often engaging and travelling far to close to smaller boats etc etc. The whole rivercat debarcle and the wash they put out is dangerous and has made small boats up the river a dangerous hobby let alone sea wall degradtion etc etc

The ol' 8 knot zones get me as well. You never get a clear answer. Is it because of degradation of bank? is because of safety or do they really want a no wash zone. The reason I bring it up is that I am often out on a 3 tonne boat that pushes a 1m bow wave at 8 knots displacement but at 16knots on the plane leaves a non destructive smooth wake that doesn't upturn kayakers. No wash is a much more sensible term and more easily enforcable but again is badly defined in law. Both police and Waterways didn't like our 1m wave much when we threw common sense out the window we did our allowable 8 knots!!!!! but that's what they asked for then they both sped off at over 8 knots ????.

I say leave the international rules are good enough ( with a few harbour tweaks on no wash and restricted zones) but the education of existing and new boat owners on common sense is pathetic. Commercial operators and Sydney ferries don't deserve any rule that allows them to carve around the harbour any more than they do currently. They already pull size / rank out there now so I can only imagine what they will be like with "diamond " status. They'll play the game of just how close to sow and pigs or other harbour marks regularly fished they can go!!!

Next we'll have those jokers helming on commercial cruise boats asking for an exemption and right of way as they are getting huge ships like the size if freshwater and charge around to a schedule just outside the mooring line of moored boats.

How are they going to enforce it.

We can trim down and nearly hold a plane and produce a bow wave from hell at 8 knots and yet they will be writing a ticket saying we are planing and therefore we are doing over 8 knots????

Signs have to be visible- frankly you just can't see them over that width of water??

We all should know will be the answer!!!! as they couldn't be bothered sending it out in the mail and notifying us. I bet with your next licence renewal you will see nothing about it.

And lastly if you think more rules are better than common sense I guess you'll be able to explain the poor bloke in the little laser sail boat who got capsized by the tactical special protection police on Sydney harbour when US dignitries were out here!!!!

Pelican

PS Harbour closed to private vessels ( not to commercial cruise boats) while conference is on in September equals no fishing- wish they would say waht is open and what is closed!!

Edited June 24, 2007 by pelican

[fishyfingers]

all i know is that i can push of at Cabarita and get to Shark Island with my eyes closed i know the waters that well nd even now i absolutely SH*T myself when under the bridge at night!

most ferries, both the govt AND the party going ones are absolute MANIACS!

they know and take advantage of the "right of way" rule and just blast out of the warf regardless of who's around them!

they ALL needed to go to that poor man's funeral! maybe that would wake some of them up!

[pelican]

all i know is that i can push of at Cabarita and get to Shark Island with my eyes closed i know the waters that well nd even now i absolutely SH*T myself when under the bridge at night!

most ferries, both the govt AND the party going ones are absolute MANIACS!

they know and take advantage of the "right of way" rule and just blast out of the warf regardless of who's around them!

they ALL needed to go to that poor man's funeral! maybe that would wake some of them up!

Only the big freshwater ones have ever had right of way (carry the diamond) the others have no more rights than you or me and are bound to avoid a collision and follow normal rules on water.

Hillarious because like you I have spent ages running up and down the harbour in all manner or craft and most of the proffessional tour captians should have their tickets confiscated for the manner in which they conduct themselves around small craft. Maritime should be stopping them and issueing penalties day and night and police as well let alone the noise pollution with outward facing commentary speakers. Instead sometimes rarely we hear on the radio a call asking them politely to stand off a little further next time. Guess it is not so easy to pull over and question a commercial operator face to face???

How many fines have the police or Maratime ever issued directly to a commercial operator while on the water or even in the mail not related directly to a accident???. Honestly they must ride round with their eyes closed or have no incentive to do it!!!!

Some of the commercial guys are good and I have rarely had an issue with any of the dive or larger fishing charter guys but the tour operators are forever in my black book. I'd just like one of them to get done for charging around within 30 meters of us at speed when we are anchored trying to have a quiet fish or relax. That goes for the jet boat operators as well. I know it is a thrill going fast near a fixed object like a pylon just not the one I'm fishing at please. They can pay to have their own special ones put in just like the yachties do with all the yellow YA (Yachting Australia ) marks.

The other one of course is the obvious sailboats who fail to keep 30 meters off when we are anchored. I know they are racing but rules are rules and although they don't have a license you can protest them to the race commitee and have them forfeit their precious points.

One avid sailor on Sydharbour has purchased a paintball gun with and effective range of under 30m and used it against a tourist cruise boat on it's side. After a complaint all was dropped as it was realised cruise boat was too close. Hmmmm Maybe we should all do that with some indellible dye to mark the ignorant idiots commercial or not. Perhaps it might take a bazooka might warn them off!!!!!!

Harbour looked great this afternoon, water still a little dirty and a fair few boats out but most I saw weren't pulling in any fish of note but was several whales only 1 mile out the heads cruising along. Doing the family thing so didn't even wet a line.

Pelican