Near miss as limit increased
Speed up seven-fold on Coast waterway
A GOLD Coast waterway has undergone a speed limit increase of almost seven times the original speed, leading to mixed reactions from locals.
The speed limit in the Coomera River South Branch is currently being trialled for boats up to 8m long, raising the previous 6 knot limit to 40 knots, or about 74km/h.
Paradise Point man Arthur Marcel was sailing the stretch on Tuesday morning when he had a near miss with a fast-moving Australian Volunteer Coast Guard boat. He said the proximity and speed of the passing boat almost tipped his boat over.
“We spent the night in Paradise Point Boat Harbour and were only a minute out of the harbour going past Salacia Waters when a Coast Guard boat came directly towards us,” he said. “He cut straight across our bow and at one stage it looked like he was heading straight for us.
“The boat keeled over – our boat is just under 8m long and is quite stable so it takes a lot to rock it – but we were rocking about 30 degrees. Water came in and our breakfast went everywhere.
“It happened so quickly. This guy came out of nowhere – it took us by surprise.”
Rattled by his experience, Mr Marcel reported the incident and found via a GPS speed tracker that the Coast Guard boat was only travelling at 25 knots, well shy of the top legal speed of 40 knots.
“To go from 6 to 40 is a very big jump and the problem with speed is not just safety but it’s the wake,” he said. “You hear a lot about it now, wake damaging the shore.
Mr Marcel said he received an apology from the Coast Guard.
Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) CEO Hal Morris said the increase to 40 knots was for “efficiency” and not an unusually fast speed.
“The purpose was to improve access and transport efficiency, while maintaining a good level of marine safety,” he said.
“Remember, the general smooth water speed limit throughout Queensland is 40 knots, and it’s been in place and recognised for decades.
“One of the specific problems is damaging wash caused by larger boats navigating at faster speeds.
“This is why GCWA is trialling 40 knots for smaller boats and 6 knots for larger boats from 8m in length.”
He said feedback from the boating community had been “overwhelmingly positive” aside from a few speeding complaints, however there have been no incidents.
“A small number of waterfront residents have raised concerns about speeding boats, and we’ve met with these residents to guide them through our work.”
The trial ends in July 2019.