Boat Checked at the Ramp

[antonywardle]

HI

 

I was taking my young feller out on Sunday from the Koolewong boat ramp,  when a maritime guy came up and asked about  our safety gear.

He introduced himself was was very pleasant.  I put the young one in the boat and had him put on his life jacket and then explained that the boat was new and I was pretty sure I'd got all of my safety gear over. I started showing him Vsheets and EPIRBs and he was pretty happy with that. I also showed him my "Green Floating Bag" that I bought a while ago and that contains nearly everything you need for going outside. I don't think he'd seen one before, and I can't remember where I got it. If you are interested, google, ACR rapid ditch bag kit. 

 

Anyway, he asked me if I had any questions and I had two.

First one was about life jackets. I asked if I was wearing a fancy one  (like and ISO vest) with out an AS sticker inside it, but had "proper ones" on board, is that OK?  He said yes,but if I was in an area where a life jacket was mandatory, (bar crossing etc)  then I needed to be wear an AS one. My boat is bigger the 4.8 metres so I only need them on board. If you are less than that and are by yourself then you need an AS one. He also acknowledged that some of the overseas ones were rated higher than the AS ones, but rules are rules. 

Second question was about flares. I asked what was the go with having expired flares on board, if I had in dates ones as well. He said that you aren't allowed them. The reason he gave was along the lines of its an explosive device that that deteriorates over time.  He also understood my question that having out of date ones on board as a backup but you still shouldn't be doing it. He went on to suggest that if you did get stopped, you should only show the ones that are in date.

He gave me a couple of tips about tying up at the wharf, as I had to park a long way after launching. He kindly untied me, and we were on our way.

For me, it was a positive experience, and didn't delay me very much. 

 

 

 

[rickmarlin62]

Good info  nice report

[antonywardle]

Well, as long as they are consistent then its good. It wouldn't be great if the next person had different views and a Raider on here (or me)  got fined after reading what I wrote.

[Berleyguts]

It’s always good to hear reports of positive experiences with enforcement officers. 😎

Edited January 28, 2019 by Berleyguts

[masterfisho7]

Yes they are out  nice report they don't worry so much if you have the right stuff mate

[kingie chaser]

1 hour ago, antonywardle said:

First one was about life jackets. I asked if I was wearing a fancy one  (like and ISO vest) with out an AS sticker inside it, but had "proper ones" on board, is that OK?  He said yes,but if I was in an area where a life jacket was mandatory, (bar crossing etc)  then I needed to be wear an AS one. My boat is bigger the 4.8 metres so I only need them on board. If you are less than that and are by yourself then you need an AS one. He also acknowledged that some of the overseas ones were rated higher than the AS ones, but rules are rules. 

Like with police they are only doing their job & you only have something to worry about if you are doing the wrong thing.

BUT sometimes these guys don't even know all of there own regulations!

On the jackets, these are the rules for NSW-

So this is from the Marine Safety Regulation NSW 2016

Life jacket Level 100 or greater- 

A life jacket that meets: 

a. performance standard 100, 150 or 275 of Australian standard AS 4758

OR

b. any standards or specifications set out by RMS

Then the RMS standards are as follows-

Lifejacket standards

A Level 100+ lifejacket must conform to at least one of the following standards:

AS 4758 - Level 275

AS 4758 - Level 150

AS 4758 - Level 100

ISO 12402-2: 2006 - Lifejackets, performance level 275

ISO 12402-3: 2006 - Lifejackets, performance level 150

ISO 12402-4: 2006 - Lifejackets, performance level 100

Any of the following standards provided they are certified by a recognised appraiser:

AS 1512-1996, Personal flotation devices - Type 1 (or any previous version of that standard)*

EN 399-1993 Lifejackets 275N*

EN 396-1993 Lifejackets 150N*

EN 395-1993 Lifejackets 100N*

CAN/CGSB-65.11-M88 (for adults)*

CAN/CGSB-65.15-M88 (for children)*

Underwriters Laboratories Standards UL 1180 - Fully Inflatable Recreational Personal Flotation Device

New Zealand Standards NZ5823: 2005 Type 401

New Zealand Standards NZ5823: 2001 Type 401*.

Note: in this context, a recognised appraiser means:

A certifying body accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Austrlia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ), or

A laboratory with National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation, or

A notified body in accordance with the European Union Maritime Equipment Directive, Module B (MED-B), or

A body approved by Roads and Maritime Services.

 

So if your ISO jackets meets these standards you are ok to wear them!

Links to both articles-

https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/regulations/2016-308.pdf

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/safety-rules/safety-equipment/lifejackets.html

[antonywardle]

Thanks for that @kingie chaser

For me in my boat, I can wear anything I like as it it large enough that I don' thave to wear a lifejackect, but if I am doing a bar crossing then I have to be wearing an AS/NZ stickered jacket. My young one,  is under 12 and needs to be in one all the time. FWIW, I usually wear an AS/NZ jacket all the time when I'm outside chasing flathead.

 

[kingie chaser]

I wear a jacket 24/7 when on the water, most of the time I am on my own anyway but even when I am on friends boats or even on a charter I still wear one even though not required to.

That's me, each to their own!

8 out of 10 drownings while boating are people not wearing a jacket!

Remember the Titanic, that was a big boat to 😏

Edited January 28, 2019 by kingie chaser

[fragmeister]

Ah ha... so that's the answer to the out of date flare question!

Thanks for the information.

On the subject of Maritime checks, I seem to get checked every time I go out.

Last Friday ( first time out in a few months) the Maritime guy told me my boat was unregistered. He was right of course...seems like I registered the trailer and forgot about the boat. D'oh!

Anyway, he was very nice about it...suggested I do it when I get home which I did.

Wouldn't happen this way if it was a car!

Cheers

 

Jim

 

[kingfishbig]

1 hour ago, fragmeister said:

Ah ha... so that's the answer to the out of date flare question!

Thanks for the information.

On the subject of Maritime checks, I seem to get checked every time I go out.

Last Friday ( first time out in a few months) the Maritime guy told me my boat was unregistered. He was right of course...seems like I registered the trailer and forgot about the boat. D'oh!

Anyway, he was very nice about it...suggested I do it when I get home which I did.

Wouldn't happen this way if it was a car!

Cheers

 

Jim

 

Yes they seem more understanding than our armed revenue collectors - I mean Highway Patrol.

[dunc333]

i can say in sydney harbour 9 out 10 times the bso"s are fantastic and since they have there ipads they can see when last checked and dont go through all the gear ,they just ask to show them a couple of random things that roll of there tongue.i just wish the police and rms computers could talk to each other because some days we get double  checked which is a pain .,when comp fishing. and i now have been drug tested twice in 2 months on the harbour by the boys in blue and they told me the swipers are $30 each again the cops were fair and friendly .cheers dunc333

[garfield28]

I got pulled up at Tea Gardens a few weeks back by a couple on waters skis... I get they have a job to do but I've had most in the past come across friendly from the start, ask how your day is are you catching any etc, then proceed to ask to see a couple of safety items, have another quick friendly chat, and then let you be on your way, but one of the guys from a couple of weeks ago near pulled my boat apart looking for something to nab me on I reckon. In the end he ran out of things to ask for which meant I had it all covered but I felt he was really trying to pin me for something! 

[fragmeister]

21 minutes ago, garfield28 said:

I got pulled up at Tea Gardens a few weeks back by a couple on waters skis... I get they have a job to do but I've had most in the past come across friendly from the start, ask how your day is are you catching any etc, then proceed to ask to see a couple of safety items, have another quick friendly chat, and then let you be on your way, but one of the guys from a couple of weeks ago near pulled my boat apart looking for something to nab me on I reckon. In the end he ran out of things to ask for which meant I had it all covered but I felt he was really trying to pin me for something! 

Was that Fisheries or Maritime?  The fisheries guys can be tough sometimes.

Cheers

 

Jim

 

[garfield28]

6 minutes ago, fragmeister said:

Was that Fisheries or Maritime?  The fisheries guys can be tough sometimes.

Cheers

 

Jim

 

Maritime mate.... 

[jeffb5.8]

So I have a question

What do people use as a ditch bag, Antony has the ACR Rapid ditch is there other brands as I want to start heading outside the heads now my engine issue seem to have been sorted,

I have all the safety gear (Jackets, Epirb, Radio, Dual Batteries, Jump Starter, Flares, V Sheet Ect) and it would be easier to store it in a easy to grab bag for inspections and use.

What are u using or have bought

[Fishop]

Do life jackets have an expiry date from the date of manufacture?  I couldnt find a reference to this on the Maritime Safety Queensland site.  I checked my safety gear last night and a couple of lifejackets are the old type 1's manufactured in 2010.  All the straps and buckles are still in good condition but I will look at replacing them next time I go to the big smoke.  😎

Edited February 1, 2019 by Fishop

[antonywardle]

I was on a mates boat, and maritime didn't like that his lifejackets were faded and want them replaced.

Made a note about it, so I guess the next time that the boat is pulled up then they can check

 

 

[SquidMarks]

I must say that, from my personal observations on the water,  99% of the time RMS have been great in dealing with members of the public, but i have had 2 interesting encounters... (i wont mention the areas because i it is not my intention to smear all RMS officers in a particular area with the same brush). 

The first time was fishing in open waters in a Quintrex Coast Runner 470.

There were 2 of us on board in broad daylight. The RMS officer motored over and began the usual inspections which in am completely fine with, we even bantered about how we were the first people today to have flares which were not expired. (he checked about 10 boats in the area before he came over to us).

Anyways, prior to saying our goodbyes, he makes a statement "you know, both of you guys  should be wearing a life jacket out here because the boat is under 4.8m".

So i tell him " i know its a coast runner 470 but the boat is actually over 4.8m, the 470 is just a number, i can stick the number 6000 on there and it wont make a difference in the physical length of the boat. The 470 is the length from bow to the beginning of transom not LOA, The 480 models are actually smaller, kind of like what bar crusher did with their model lineup".

He insisted that the boat is not over 4.8 meters in length, so i invite him on the boat to come check the Boat Builders Plate which states that the LOA is 5.08m.

That quitened him down... Again, no apologies, no mention of him becoming confused, he just said 'ok, have a good one but you should be wearing it anyways". 

I thought that the more pertinent approach would be to ask the Captain for the LOA of his boat or to ask the captain of the boat if he knew the size of his boat before making those sort of statements.

 

The second time was over the Christmas break. 

Maritime pulled up to our anchored boat and the first thing he said was "get a life jacket on that young bloke before you get a fine". 

I was a bit taken back, the boat was over 4.8m in length and we were anchored but we didn't argue and we got my son to put his life jacket on. I did ask him if the rules have changed and he sarcastically asked a rhetorical question "is your boat over 8m?, since its not, he must always be wearing his life jacket". 

We apologised, said our goodbyes and he want to check the next boat over 20 meters away.

Anyways i thought i better check the rules because i also fish in different waterways and dont want to get stung by another officer who wont be kind enough to give me a warning. I quickly jumped on the RMS website. Having found out that the young bloke didn't need to wear his jacket when not underway i hailed the RMS officer to come back.

When he motored back to me, I mentioned to him that the rules have not been updated on the website because it states that if the boat is over 4.8m LOA and it is not underway that children under 12 are not required to wear a life jacket.  I emphasised that i am not trying to be argumentative but i want to clear it up as  fish multiple waterways and different officers may have a different interpretations of the rules. 

So he tells me that he is sure that they have changed the wording from 'underway' to 'operational', he tells me it all written in the new RMS Boating Handbook. I asked him for a booklet, and he gives one to me, i proceed to turn the page to life Jacket safety and point out that it still stipulates that the jacket is only required to be worn when underway. 

So then he tells me "well, what are you doing, you're defined as underway!" i told him "im not drifting, im at anchor!"

His answer??? No appologies, no my mistake, he said "alright, he can take it off then" and he just motored off...... That really left a sour taste in my mouth... I'm left schooling RMS officers who are enforcing laws which they are not familiar with.

I wonder how many fines this officer gave out for this supposed offence which people would have unwittingly paid prior to encountering me... 

[kingie chaser]

Thanks for sharing your story @SquidMarks

Basically strengthens what I was saying in my first post about some of these guys not fully understanding some of their own rules or perhaps trying to impart their own beliefs upon you ie. your child should just have his life jacket on full stop regardless if your underway or not!

On your last comment, we obviously have the right to contest a fine but then the onus is on you to prove your innocents & take the time to go to court etc when its quite possible that the fine should not have been handed out in the 1st place.

[kingfishbig]

5 hours ago, SquidMarks said:

I must say that, from my personal observations on the water,  99% of the time RMS have been great in dealing with members of the public, but i have had 2 interesting encounters... (i wont mention the areas because i it is not my intention to smear all RMS officers in a particular area with the same brush). 

The first time was fishing in open waters in a Quintrex Coast Runner 470.

There were 2 of us on board in broad daylight. The RMS officer motored over and began the usual inspections which in am completely fine with, we even bantered about how we were the first people today to have flares which were not expired. (he checked about 10 boats in the area before he came over to us).

Anyways, prior to saying our goodbyes, he makes a statement "you know, both of you guys  should be wearing a life jacket out here because the boat is under 4.8m".

So i tell him " i know its a coast runner 470 but the boat is actually over 4.8m, the 470 is just a number, i can stick the number 6000 on there and it wont make a difference in the physical length of the boat. The 470 is the length from bow to the beginning of transom not LOA, The 480 models are actually smaller, kind of like what bar crusher did with their model lineup".

He insisted that the boat is not over 4.8 meters in length, so i invite him on the boat to come check the Boat Builders Plate which states that the LOA is 5.08m.

That quitened him down... Again, no apologies, no mention of him becoming confused, he just said 'ok, have a good one but you should be wearing it anyways". 

I thought that the more pertinent approach would be to ask the Captain for the LOA of his boat or to ask the captain of the boat if he knew the size of his boat before making those sort of statements.

 

 

I wouldn't matter if the boat was under 4.8m. My understanding is that in that case it's only if one is on board that you need to wear a life jacket.

[shakey55]

On 1/30/2019 at 10:21 AM, jeffb5.8 said:

So I have a question

What do people use as a ditch bag, Antony has the ACR Rapid ditch is there other brands as I want to start heading outside the heads now my engine issue seem to have been sorted,

I have all the safety gear (Jackets, Epirb, Radio, Dual Batteries, Jump Starter, Flares, V Sheet Ect) and it would be easier to store it in a easy to grab bag for inspections and use.

What are u using or have bought

Jeffb I use one of these.  There are a number of brands about.  When done up properly they trap the air and float

https://novaprosports.com.au/products/waterproof-dry-bag-backpack-10l?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiAheXiBRD-ARIsAODSpWNoBhrBrAysrl4V87tT4y9iEa3AhnTsWy69rA8-Hl2py4MYR_1pYDwaApKlEALw_wcB