Foreshore Drive Ramp parking fiasco

[the skipper]

Morning to all !

Found some time yesterday morning to drag the boat out for a fish with my son on a cracker of a day that was until I got the boat ramp at Foreshore Drive where we parked in the right turn bay for around 15 mins as it seemed a lot of other fishos had the same idea with the weather being on point.

It wasn't until I actually crept into the line of boats waiting to put in that the problem became obvious for the hold up.

There would have been at least 50 cars parked without trailers in the parking bays for boat trailers which caused a huge problem and some heated exchanges between boaters and security who clearly did not care about the issue this was causing. I approached the security guy but his defence was that it is a public carpark and anyone can park anywhere. 

At the south eastern end of the parking area there is a section that has a sign that reads cars only parking where the gate was open but no cars were parked in there.

I travel good 45 mins sometimes longer to use this ramp as I think it is good facility and it easy access to a wide variety of fishing grounds in and around Botany Bay.

Do not know what can be done to remedy this but if security had simply stopped the cars without boats and directed them to the cars only section then it would have gone along way to it not becoming an issue in the first place.

Apart from that had a great morning on the water hooking into a school of bonito inside the bay.

 

Cheers 

The Skipper

 

[zmk1962]

My heart is with you on this one @the skipper. They may be public spaces but we are told most of the upkeep for boat ramps and facilities is paid for by our fishing license revenue- I think that should be grounds enough for security to take a different view. Maybe have a chat to council- after all they are benefiting from the revenue as well. 
cheers Zoran 

[kingie chaser]

Hi Skip, I avoid that place on weekends for that reason although I did not know there was a 'car only' section there.

Security should be ensuring as cars without trailers pull in that they are directed to that area!!

I would be sending Botany bay council an email on this for sure!

On the rare occasion I do go out on a weekend I travel a bit further to some other ramps that access the bay 

Edited March 1, 2020 by kingie chaser

[GoingFishing]

Hey Skipper. I have dropped the boat in at foreshore road ramp possibly a hundred times , always on a weekend and never experienced this issue. Yes there are a few cars in boat trailer parking but never enough to be an issue really. 

There must have been something on, I did notice that the kayakers were like a plague off Sydney this weekend so maybe a similar crew has dropped their kayaks in at foreshore? 

[blindmullet]

Photos of the cars number plates parked in the space is enough for council to send a fine. 

Most of the time thats all the Rangers do, they take photos get back to the office and write out the fines.

Best of luck

[Plethora]

On the weekend it was "CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA" and this was a meeting place - for Botany Bay Foreshore Clean-up 

[tryhard]

It seems that everyone is 'entitled' these days.

Some one else is doing it therefore, I  am also entitled to!

Tunks Park is the same.

Even the people already on the water are 'entitled'

4 knots means 15, give or take 5kts, and 'No Wash' refers to everyone else but them.

I pointed out to a tinny skipper that he was in a 4kt zone, he pointed out the 4kt sign 50 meters in front of him as if to say 'it's ok, Im almost out of the 4kt zone! What?

What about the 'no wash' zone?

On Sunday whilst lining up for the jetty, after patiently waiting 10 mins for the dock space, I was maneuvering to drop some people off.

Apparently as a larger flybridge boat, I was less entitled to the space, than the smaller tinny that came racing in behind me, whilst I'm backing in!

I had to throttle hard forward to avoid backing into the (insert rude word here)...

But as the tinny skipper informed me, it was all ok because he was just dropping some one off.......are you for real?

Pity the prop wash didn't push him onto the shallow rocks

No manners and no idea.

 

[the skipper]

Thanks everyone for the feedback and I agree with alot of what you say.

It would have probably saved a lot of anks if security , a contractor, had an answer like it is clean up the foreshore day etc.

Yeah I use that ramp a lot on weekends and must admit it is a very rare problem but for others who are time poor these days are trying to have a day out fishing in their pride and joy have no patience and I find this is when the problems start.

Personally , I think it is a good facility considering the amount of boat traffic it handles.

Cheers

The Skipper