No Wash....what does it really mean?

[tryhard]

I would like to explain the meaning of some of the signage that one might see on the waterways…

 

Generally you can find & interpret the meaning of this signage in the study manuals when sitting for your boat licence, but some of the training facilities and particularly the teachers of those who do Self Study seem to gloss over the meaning & as such it gets lost in favour of understanding more complex issues such as which side is Port & which is Starboard……

 Anyway….

 No Wash DOES NOT mean that it is not necessary to have a bath / shower  - it has an altogether different meaning – it actually means (in summary ) that if your boat is making waves that are bigger that those that normally exist in an area then that is considered to be WASH.

 

So, for the twit that tried to tell me that doing 20 plus knts past all the moored boats & people on Kayaks / canoes / Paddleboards - in the quietest part of Fig Tree bay was OK because, & I quote …..”I am not water-skiing“, and “you cant make wash in a 4 meter tinny”, please go & have another look at what the signage actually means!

I am reasonably certain that the Maritime officers may not have accepted your definition, had they seen you.

 Aside from the rules, it really is a matter of courtesy if nothing else, everyone is entitled to enjoy the waterways, so just because there is no set limit – does not mean that you should exercise your right & fly past kayakers / canoeists / paddle boarders, small boats – 2 mins taken to pass by calmly & quietly will not ruin your day.

Even if there are no signs, it is still an offense to create waves that cause danger , inconvenience or damage.

 There are plenty of areas where you can open the throttle & not worry anyone.

 I posted this rant, as I am weary of the fools out there (I wont call them skippers – they haven’t earned the title!), in everything from inflatables to half cabs & even fishing guides (that should know better), that insist on passing through moored boats at inappropriate speeds with no regard for others – it will hopefully help to stifle my desire to cruise past them at half throttle pushing 6 tons of water toward them whilst declaring that I am within the speed limit !!

 Whilst I am sure that it is no one on here, we do all need to be mindful of our fellow humans when we are out & about.

 End of Rant

 Happy new year to my Fellow Fishraiders

[kingie chaser]

There are never cops or maratime around when these twits are at it unfortunately!

 

Straight from the RMS-

 

Reduce Wash’ and ‘No Wash’ signs are placed in areas where vessel wash is likely to cause damage to the foreshore or vessels, or injury or annoyance to people. This means you should:

• Reduce speed as necessary to avoid creating wash that affects others. • If in doubt, take your engine(s) out of gear and wait until your vessel is no longer making any wash before re-engaging your engines and carefully driving forward.

• Look behind occasionally to see if your boat is creating wash that affects other boats or the shore.

• If your wash is causing other vessels to rock at all, or is causing any sort of breaking or ‘slapping’ waves on the shore, you need to slow down further.

• The surest way to minimise your wash is to travel at just above idle speed – at this speed all vessel types will produce minimal wash.

January 2020 20.001 Where a ‘Reduce Wash’ or ‘No Wash’ and speed limit sign (eg. 4, 6 or 8 knots) are present in the same area, do not assume you can travel at the maximum speed posted. That will depend on your vessel and the wash it creates at slower speeds. You may need to go slower than the speed limit to minimise your wash. For example, if your vessel is small and heavily laden, you may need to travel at less than 4 knots to avoid generating significant wash – regardless of any higher limit. This is much like on the road, where maximum speed limits don’t always indicate the actual speed at which you can safely drive in all conditions. Don’t forget that even if there are no signs, it is still an offence to create waves that cause danger, inconvenience or damage.

 

https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/maritime/safety-rules/publications/dont-make-waves.pdf

[zmk1962]

I guess there must be a different definition that's applied to the Rivercats  🤔   because under that different definition there is no way that the short sharp wash they produce  "is likely to cause damage to the foreshore or vessels, or injury or annoyance to people".  ... all us boaties trying to launch  or retrieve at the ramp, or tied to the jetty must be delusional to think the Rivercat wash would ever damage our craft, let alone annoy us !!! 

Cheers Zoran

[Rebel]

Great story and plenty of fools.

[Fab1]

Don't hold your breath for anything to change mate with the deadbeats we have in our society.If anything with more and more boats on the water(and deadbeats) it's only going to get worse.

[Blackfish]

I believe the "Safe" distance at speed (6 Knots or more) is 30mts, Wash zone or No Wash zone.

If they were closer than that and it sounds like were, they are in the wrong.

Why cant they respect other users of the water ways, because as you said ..... FOOLS ........

Sigh 😕

[rickmarlin62]

Take a foto of the rego and pass on to maritime with details

[zmk1962]

1 hour ago, rickmarlin62 said:

Take a foto of the rego and pass on to maritime with details

You know you are right Rick - should stop ranting and take action .... next time I should just take a photo of a Rivercat, record time, date and location and ask maritime to "please explain" ! 

Cheers Zoran

[frankS]

11 hours ago, zmk1962 said:

You know you are right Rick - should stop ranting and take action .... next time I should just take a photo of a Rivercat, record time, date and location and ask maritime to "please explain" ! 

Cheers Zoran

You will be told " They have a schedule ( time table ) to main tame, and a duty to the public to  get them to where they are going within a reasonable time frame " .

Frank

 

[kingie chaser]

Imo those river cats dont produce that much wash, was in the five dock area a while ago & past quite a few & I was suprised about that myself.

 

But then I compare that to the tugs & harbor pilot's boat in botany bay.

 

Everytime they go past I have to hang onto the sides of the tinny as the nearly 1mtr wakes go past the tinny 

 

Mind you there arent any no wash zones around there anyway.

[dunc333]

rivercats produce a under water pressure wave that destroys sea walls and river banks .always puzzles me near gladesville bridge marina .rec craft have to obey the no wash zone there but rivercats dont and they do all the damage to the fore shore go figure cheers dunc333