I’ll scrape a jetskier off my pontoon
Too close, too fast and on the wrong side – veteran boatie warns of black spot
A BOATING industry veteran warns he’ll have to “scrape a teenager” off his waterfront home’s pontoon unless authorities do something about the “black spot”.
But the Gold Coast Waterways Authority says while it has tried to make it safer, it’s up to waterways users to obey the law.
Stuart Ballantyne, owner of boat design company Sea Transport, said little had been done since he highlighted a deathtrap black spot at The Sovereign Island in front of his home.
Mr Ballantyne said he saw jet skiers and other boats having “close calls” every weekend because they cut the “blind” corner past his Brittanic Crescent home too close, too fast and on the wrong side.
“The problem is they hug the bank. They can’t see each other. We have so many close calls. We see it every weekend.
“I don’t want to be scraping body parts of a teenager off my pontoon.”
Mr Ballantyne was so concerned about it he warned Maritime Safety Queensland and the Gold Coast Waterways Authority in a written submission two years ago.
Mr Ballantyne said the worst time was Saturday and Sunday afternoons before sunset when people “have had a few beers and are starting to zoom home”.
“I love watching boats but this is scary,” he said.
Mr Ballantyne is calling for more channel markers indicating the safe distance to pass and a six knot speed limit, allowing any craft on a collision course more time to take “evasive action”.
“I live on the southeast corner of Sovereign Island, where there is no speed limit, no navigation markers and a high number of incidents reported by my neighbours.
“I advised Waterways Authority and MSQ that when these deaths occur — and it is only a matter of time — I will hold up my plea for this safety issue and name all the people that ignored the
caution deaths.
“All of this can be avoided with some proactive decision making.”
Gold Coast Waterways Authority CEO Hal Morris said he was aware of the “long-standing issue” and had “worked long and hard with Stuart on this” but there was
and
caused
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only so much they could do.
Mr Morris said he respected Mr Ballantyne’s opinion as someone who knew what he was talking about and Waterways had tried buoys as markers to show required separation.
Vessels were required to keep 30 metres distance between other vessels or the
shore while jetskis were supposed to maintain 60 metres.
“The problem is not the law, the problem is the law is not being obeyed,” Mr Morris said.
“We have tried stand-up buoys out there so people can see how far they are supposed to be,” he said but added it “didn’t really work”.