New Boat Laws "Just the Ticket"
by John Murphy, Wanneroo Times
April 11, 2007
Sea rescue group officials have warmly welcomed new restrictions on people under 25 in charge of boats.
They say recent foolhardy behaviour by some skippers off the north suburban coast has underlined the need for the changes.
Since April 1, all people under 25 in charge of vessels have been required to get a recreational skippers ticket and all other recreational skippers will need to have a ticket by April 2008.
Planning and Infrstructure Minister Alannah McTiernan said the laws had been introduced to improve boating safety by ensuring skippers had the basic skills to protect themselves and their passengers.
The need for better safety education for boat owners had been reinforced by the by the high number of boating accidents and deaths during summer.
Whitfords Volunteer Sea Rescue Group public information officer Roger Howell who is a skippers ticket examiner, agreed there was an overdue need for such education.
"We're having to rescue inexperienced and ill-prepared skippers all the time" he said. "Ignorance of proper boat handling is a big factor in those kind of skippers getting into bother."
"There was one instance a few months ago when a young chap aged about 18 borrowed his fathers 5.5m runabout and took his mate along for a ride."
"They spotted a big fish and rushed to the side of the boat for a look."
"The boat overturned and they were thrown into the water. Luckily, they were seen by other people on another boat and we rescued them inside an hour."
Mr Howell said another example of ignorance of sea safety procedures was reported from Ocean Reef Marina when a man hiring a boat for himself and his wife asked: "Which way to Rottnest."
Two Rocks Volunteer Sea Rescue Group president Chris Mulhall told of a recent incident when two men and a boy (12) went diving from a boat 7km offshore.
While the men were out of the boat diving, the boy noticed they had forgotten to put the boat's bung in place and the craft was sinking.
"The boy had the presence of mind to enter the water and put the bung in place," Mr Mulhall said.
"If it hadn't been for that, the three of them would have been stranded out there with their boat on the bottom."
Ms McTiernan said that since June 2006, more than 110 boating incidents, including 10 fatalities, had been reported to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.
It is now against the law for a person aged under 25 to be in charge of a recreational vessel of more than 4.5 kilowatts (6HP).
A first offence brings a $200 fine.
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