Small boat safety Botany Bay

[Blade]

Hi Raiders, 

I have a small tinny 3.75m with a 5hp, so I stick to sheltered waters currently I only fish in the Port Hacking. 

I have been thinking about going out into the Georges river and maybe into Botany bay around Pelican Point, Wooloware Bay Towra Point and Quibray Bay.

Is it safe to fish these places with my setup? Are there any conditions I need to watch out for i.e. specific wind and swell directions?

I am not asking people to give up their secret fishing spots just asking from a safety perspective.

Cheers

[campr]

In a boat that size your experience and boating knowledge are of more importance.   I'm in my mid 70s and when young fished the area from Towra to Taren Pt in a 10ft ply boat with 3hp outboard before getting a 10ft Topper cub tinnie.  This area was fine with that setup but things did get dicey a couple of times when a southerly came up as weather reports weren't reliable like now.

So if you plan around good weather and build your confidence you should be fine as you should find conditions fairly similar to the Hacking.  Ron 

[Blade]

I am still learning, only been out a around 10 or so times. I plan on launching at Tom Uglys 

[kingie chaser]

Hi Blade, so looking at the boat/motor size are you licenced?

What model is the tinny?

 

I fish the bay regularly in a 3.95m tinny but with a 25HP motor & while I don't have a heap of experience I know how to handle it & most situations, when & where I need to more cautious.

Boat traffic in a boat that size is something to be aware of & the wake they produce, that's regardless of being in the bay or on the Georges.

 

I actually find those massive tankers produce way less wake than the tugs or harbour pilots.

Every time those tugs go by they produce about .75mtr + wake & several of them!

 

Once the wind gets up to 15knts + you will more than likely struggle, I would not want to be to far from the ramp in average conditions with 5hp!

At the end of the day its about being sensible, always wear a jacket, don't go out if the forecast is average

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by kingie chaser

[Blade]

As far as I know due to the motor being below 6hp, I do not require a license provided the boat cannot get on plane.

Which I can assure you my boat cannot. 

I have been pushed around in some wash on the Hacking, not fun but I have figured out how to handle it.

Would the tug boats be around the areas I am looking at fishing?

 

[kingie chaser]

2 minutes ago, Blade said:

As far as I know due to the motor being below 6hp, I do not require a license provided the boat cannot get on plane.

Which I can assure you my boat cannot. 

I have been pushed around in some wash on the Hacking, not fun but I have figured out how to handle it.

Would the tug boats be around the areas I am looking at fishing?

 

Your correct, that's the law.

Still that does not mean you shouldn't know or understand of  the rules of boating

http://www.boatingquiz.com.au/index.php/general-boating-knowledge-quiz/

The tugs generally move between Hayes dock through the channel & the Caltex wharf.

 

I presume you are aware of the boating & fishing rules of the bay then?

[Blade]

I cant claim to be an expert, I have read the boating handbook that is available online and I plan on doing my license post COVID. 

I understand about keeping right, how to pass, keeping the 30m distance, observing the speed limits and no wash zones, the safety gear you must have onboard. I always wear my life jacket I dont take it off when on the water.

I am not looking to put anyone in danger, if I feel the situation is outside of my abilities I avoid it and if it is unavoidable I slow down and look for the safest option.  

[kingie chaser]

7 minutes ago, Blade said:

I cant claim to be an expert, I have read the boating handbook that is available online and I plan on doing my license post COVID. 

I understand about keeping right, how to pass, keeping the 30m distance, observing the speed limits and no wash zones, the safety gear you must have onboard. I always wear my life jacket I dont take it off when on the water.

I am not looking to put anyone in danger, if I feel the situation is outside of my abilities I avoid it and if it is unavoidable I slow down and look for the safest option.  

Well good luck then.

If you haven't looked at this then you should

Know your sanctuary zones & other out of limits areas-

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/maritime/usingwaterways/maps/boating-maps/9f-botany-bay-lower-georges-cooks.pdf

Fisheries/Maritime pretty much have a zero tolerance so saying I didn't know I was in a sanctuary while fishing will still get you a $500 fine!

[frankS]

If you stay in the areas you state you should be fine, just keep an eye on the conditions and hang on when large cruisers go by you. Don't go to places like Yarra bay as that's where the pilot boats can swamp you. They have no regards for small boats and send out one hell of a wake.

Frank

[jeffb5.8]

Do t forget to do the practice test on the RMS website once you get a perfect score 10 times you are ready to spend the $50 and do the test and then get a mate to sign your log book and your Lic and ready to go to a fast motor on your boat, maybe a 9.9hp.

[Rebel]

My ten cents worth. Try and go out with somebody who has experience to see what it is like and learn.

Cheers.

[kingfishbig]

Are you fishing alone? You could take on a lot of water if the wind gets up. The Bay is shallow and a strong wind will generate a nasty chop. Investing in a bilge pump will be a good idea. A frightened man with a bailer does a good job too but is not an option on your own. The boat is underpowered too so it will be hard to outrun bad weather.

That said it looks like you are not venturing too far so you will be either going with a northerly wind or you will be getting some lee effect from a southerly.

 

[Blade]

I will be on my own. Lucky enough to a bilge pump fitted, I will have to pick a day with good weather by the sounds of it. To start I will stay in the river and maybe a bit beyond Tom Ugly's Bridge but not into Botany Bay for now. 

[anthman]

1 hour ago, Blade said:

I will be on my own. Lucky enough to a bilge pump fitted, I will have to pick a day with good weather by the sounds of it. To start I will stay in the river and maybe a bit beyond Tom Ugly's Bridge but not into Botany Bay for now. 

Hey blade, how much boating experience do you have?

When going for my licence I had @DerekD to help teach me how to drive and handle the boat (which I chose as opposed to the one day lesson option, a requirement to get logged hours up). Very useful to have an experienced boater on boat whilst learning and also for advice on handling the boat in different conditions (we even ran into a situation where we ran one fuel tank dry whilst motoring around - a good lesson!).

Is there an experienced boater you can take with you when venturing out to new waters?

Pick a good day to go out (low winds), take things slowly and keep an eye out for any hazards.

Edited May 4, 2020 by anthman

[big Neil]

G'day Blade. You sound like you're a really sensible boatee who knows that the vessel is underpowered with a 5HP motor. Obviously you would have to pick an absolute cracker of a day and stay alert to changing conditions. Your MAIN concern though (as you are probably aware) is having the inability to adequately respond to some unforeseen event with such a small, limited power motor. Taking another experienced person with you may be a good option but will further hinder the limitations of the small motor. My advice would be to invest in a larger motor, get your license and enjoy your fishing in the knowledge that you're not taking too many risks. Good luck mate, bn

[anthman]

1 hour ago, big Neil said:

G'day Blade. You sound like you're a really sensible boatee who knows that the vessel is underpowered with a 5HP motor. Obviously you would have to pick an absolute cracker of a day and stay alert to changing conditions. Your MAIN concern though (as you are probably aware) is having the inability to adequately respond to some unforeseen event with such a small, limited power motor. Taking another experienced person with you may be a good option but will further hinder the limitations of the small motor. My advice would be to invest in a larger motor, get your license and enjoy your fishing in the knowledge that you're not taking too many risks. Good luck mate, bn

That's a good point, the extra person would impact the speed and maneuverability. 

With a 5hp it's basically a tender and those go real slow.

Larger motor is a good idea and for that size boat wouldn't be too crazy given the optimal HP wouldn't be too high.

[big Neil]

9 hours ago, anthman said:

That's a good point, the extra person would impact the speed and maneuverability. 

With a 5hp it's basically a tender and those go real slow.

Larger motor is a good idea and for that size boat wouldn't be too crazy given the optimal HP wouldn't be too high.

My tinnie is 3.45 m and is permitted a 15 HP motor which is what I have. Scoots around on the plane all day and is easily manoeuvered around the river. bn

[antonywardle]

Hi @Blade

you aren't strictly correct about a license and the size of your engine. The law (assuming you are in NSW) is if you travel faster than 10kts, you need to be licensed. Yes, you could have a 500HP outboard, and as long as you stay under 10 knots, you don't need a license. Horsepower was used to determine if your boat needs to be registered. It used to be in HP, but is now in kw, 4kw, along with a couple of other things like the length of the boat taken from NSW RMS Rules.

If we go back to your original post, I guess, check the weather before you go, keep an eye on it while you are out, take some oars, check your fuel, consider flares/vsheet, not that you need them for inshore. See the  Safety Equipment List for a complete list. If your floors are covered you need a bilge pump, and if you ave a battery for your pump you need a fire-extinguisher. 

i don't fish down there, so I can't  give you any spots. Brisbane waters is usually safe to fish, but you'll need to wait until Covid restrictions ease, and I'd be happy to take you out.

congrats on your boat, how about a picture?

 

[cfish]

 No problem fishing Pelican Point or Wooloware Bay as long as you check the weather, as a matter of fact plenty of kayakers go out there. You would want to be really sure of the weather before heading out much further, Towra Point and Quibray Bay have quite extensive no fishing areas so check that as well or it could get expensive.

[onearmedfisho]

Yeah as others have mentioned, around both the bridges and dolls point, woolloware bay and the river itself you would be fine but as they bay is quiet shallow it does chop up heavily if the wind pics up. 

Back in the day i used to run out to the container wharf and the airport at night in a 12' but i had a 15 and 25hp back then.

[Blade]

As a comparison I got out regularly on the Port Hacking, I launch at Cronulla and move up and down the Hacking.

Would the Georges river up to Pelican point be similar?

[M1100S]

On 5/1/2020 at 7:27 AM, frankS said:

If you stay in the areas you state you should be fine, just keep an eye on the conditions and hang on when large cruisers go by you. Don't go to places like Yarra bay as that's where the pilot boats can swamp you. They have no regards for small boats and send out one hell of a wake.

Frank

 

Agree with you frank the tug boats are mental. first time i encountered their wake i was just off cape banks head i was drifting and i saw them flying past thinking boy they are big boats .... luckily i noticed the wake as i swear the waves looked about 1m high and there was about 4 or 5 of them really close frequency.

 

My boat was side on to the oncoming wake and i actually started her up and put her bow first into the wake... and it got thrown around and its a 5.4m hardtop...... lucky i was paying attention and not day dreaming... that would have scared the bejesus out of me.

 

i reckon they are just jealous we are out fishing and they are working.... so they give us abit of extra wake

Edited May 10, 2020 by M1100S

[Blade]

On 5/10/2020 at 4:30 PM, Blade said:

As a comparison I got out regularly on the Port Hacking, I launch at Cronulla and move up and down the Hacking.

Would the Georges river up to Pelican point be similar?

Looking for some feedback on the above, this weekend is looking pretty good in terms of the winds being low. If the weather FC remains as is now I will probably go out on Sunday morning launching at Tom Ugly's bridge. 

If anyone is feeling kind I would appreciate a bit of guidance on which areas I should fish not looking for exact locations just some suggestions.

Thanks in advance 

[anthman]

15 hours ago, Blade said:

Looking for some feedback on the above, this weekend is looking pretty good in terms of the winds being low. If the weather FC remains as is now I will probably go out on Sunday morning launching at Tom Ugly's bridge. 

If anyone is feeling kind I would appreciate a bit of guidance on which areas I should fish not looking for exact locations just some suggestions.

Thanks in advance 

I reckon go past captain Cook Bridge and fish drift along the edge or anchor up along the Sandringham beach shoreline - starting from nswpwc, heading east along the drop off from the flats (goes from 1m to 4-5m) around the corner  then up - you'll see heaps of fishing boats just anchored or drifting around there.

If you are feeling more adventurous, then keep heading north to molineaux pt but its quite a bit north and you might have to  contend with bigger boats and the wake.

[kingie chaser]

15 hours ago, Blade said:

Looking for some feedback on the above, this weekend is looking pretty good in terms of the winds being low. If the weather FC remains as is now I will probably go out on Sunday morning launching at Tom Ugly's bridge. 

If anyone is feeling kind I would appreciate a bit of guidance on which areas I should fish not looking for exact locations just some suggestions.

Thanks in advance 

Personally if you can I would avoid putting in on the weekend due to the amount of boat traffic!

 

I also wouldn't be going from Tom ugly's to molly point with a 5HP motor. it will take you a week to get there & if the weather turns you could have a tough time getting back.

 

Imo just stay inside the river, you can catch good fish in between the 2 bridges & stay away from large cruisers in the bays west of Pelican point.

 

Have a look at some of some @jenno64 threads there he is fishing with his yak

 

Good luck

Edited May 12, 2020 by kingie chaser