Boat Ramp - Georges River Np

[stricko4]

Hi Guys,

Sorry, this is a bit of a rant but I think it is an issue we are going to deal with more & more.

I was lucky enough to get out on the water yesterday with my wife & my brother yesterday and what a great days fishing it was. We put in at GRNP at about 7:30 with 3 or 4 trailers in the car park. This was the first time we'd been there since the so called improvements had been completed. On those changes I have a few observations & would appreciate any comments from others who have been there on a busy day.

Firstly it is nice to have a long jetty/pontoon set up between the 2 ramps now in operation. Very handy for loading/unloading passengers & gear etc. But having taken out the second ramp, access has effectively been halved. Then there is the new road access to the current ramp which to me seems quite restrictive when the area is busy. Neither of these issues were a problem when we launched as there was bugger all people around. That all changed when we returned around 5ish.

As expected the place was packed with 50 jet skiers flying all over the place, fisho's & skiers wanting to get their boats on their trailers. Nothing new here. However there was one huge change in what boaters had to contend with as compared to prior to the changes. KIDS. KIDS KIDS & MORE KIDS. I appreciated this is an area frequented by families & it always has been a great spot for them. And from my past experiences everyone coexisted quite nicely. Obviously as a boater you always needed to be aware of kids & adults alike in the vicinty but yesterday we arrived to find 10 or 14 kids jumping off the new jetty into the water right at the approach to the ramps. Mums & Dads were sitting on the shore oblivious to boats large & small trying to negotiate an approach to the ramps while kids jumped off the jetty & exited the water up the boat ramps. Then once finally moored kids were jumping into the water around the boats tied up at the jetty. Then there was the saga of getting the trailer in position for a retrieval. After a considerable wait due to not only a halving of previous access but 1 of the 2 ramps being covered on 20cm of sand so most cars were avoiding that due to inability to drive a loaded trailer up the ramp in 20cm of wet sand. Effectively we were down to 1 ramp. Add to that a huge throng of adults & kids in the imediate area made it very dangerous reversing with very young kids wandering around the reversing area with absolutely no adult supervision.

I don't mind my licencing money being spent on improving boating facilities & services but I think this current change has been a huge backwards step. Halving the ramp access & the new jetty is an instant attractant to kids. Unsupervised kids jumping into the water all around boats approching & moored. Don't these parents realise the damage a prop can inflict on a person?? Especially a little kid? In my view it won't be long at all before we see a news report telling us some innocent kid has been killed by a boat at GRNP boat ramp & I guarantee it will be bad press for us boaties. That won't change the fact that some poor kid will be gone & a boater has to live with the consequences. After yesterdays experience I doubt we will use this ramp again on a weekend unless it's the middle of winter.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this facilty since the changes have been completed?

Paul

btw Police & waterwyas officers were present on jet skis & did nothing to clear the ramp area of kids. Poor form if you ask me.

[mr magoo]

i feel your pain ,ramp around sydney can be very very frustating

cheers arman