Pauhia ferry crash

[Psyche 755]

The problem with licensing is the cost of administering it, the new agencies set up to police it etc. Who's paying? Its either through licensing fees which will never cover it so general taxes.  For a tax averse society that doesnt even want to pay for vital infrastructure etc are we going to be happy to pay for more policing of a pastime with a very low accident and mortality rate? 

This kind of incident is fortunately very rare, compared to road accidents where up to 10 people die every week in horrific circumstances. This is media hype, like plane crashes which are also rare in the grand scheme.

[Psyche 755]

So heres the stats: https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/content/recreational/safety-campaigns/documents/recreational-fatal-accidents-2021.pdf

Theres about 20 deaths on average a year, higher than what I thought but if you drill down a bit the data reveals that in 2021 there were 2 impact related deaths

 

 

Without knowing the actual details an impact is a grounding, collision or an allision ( new word; running into a stationary vessel) thats still 2 too many but if the thrust of licensing is to prevent deaths then dinghy and kayak operators should be a licensed and trained as a priority.

[Zozza 334]

Would they throw sailboats in with the power boats in any licenscing/registration?
That to me is always the risk - I'm not saying yachties are not immune to dickhead behaviour, but I think you know what I'm getting at..

[Laraby 0]

Can anyone provide a link to a photo of the launch which hit the ferry? 

[harrytom 682]

Start of with compulsary "Day Skipper" ticket,covers basic rules etc. If no improvement then boat registration. Trailer boats are easy to do,trailer rego on hull ,one off fee or annual with trailer rego. Yachts/launches(moored) one off fee through ynz until sold/change of ownership.

Currently have boatmasters,sat in 1987 with the marine dept when they were in jean batten place ak .Only change I can think of is the AK channel markers went from Numbers to Alphabet ,but "A" buoy still "A" buoy.

[SloopJohnB 324]

4 hours ago, Romany said:

I dont have an issue with licencing if it reduces the number of dickheads out there on the water, but regrettably regimes like this dont guarantee anything.

 

Look at how many dickheads are on the road.

[Romany 162]

no argument there Sloop. 

 

[Black Panther 1,716]

Unfortunately licensing will have zero effect other than a cost borne by us. We already have rules against bad behaviour , but there is effectively zero enforcement. 

[A.B 3]

That graph goes along with my "wild guess" that fyran aluminum dinghys is responsble for the vast majority of drownings in New Zealand.

 

[Ex Machina 384]

7 hours ago, Laraby said:

Can anyone provide a link to a photo of the launch which hit the ferry? 

It’s a trophy not a Boston whaler and not a launch either .  Heavy solid boats and it shows when you look at the difference in damage to either vessel .

 

 

[Far North Boy 3]

Interestingly I fitted a new vhf radio to this boat an hour before the collision. I was interviewed by MNZ at lunchtime today about it. Over a year ago one of of my employees was the last person to work on Enchanter just before she left on her fatal voyage. I wasn’t contacted by MNZ regarding that. MNZ are staffed by failed cops, they know nothing about boats so forget any meaningful changes. 

[Cheap Transport 75]

2 hours ago, A.B said:

That graph goes along with my "wild guess" that fyran aluminum dinghys is responsble for the vast majority of drownings in New Zealand.

 

Fyran aluminium dinghys aren't responsible for any drownings, it's the idiots who own them who make poor decisions. Same can be said for any vessel, if you don't know the vessel and its limitations in different situations then you're asking for trouble. 

Poor decision making and a lack of education cause drownings...

[K4309 369]

Note the fender hanging off the side.

never trust a skipper who doesn't bring his fenders in.

[Ex Machina 384]

10 hours ago, K4309 said:

Note the fender hanging off the side.

never trust a skipper who doesn't bring his fenders in.

Never trust a skipper with a pornstache either 

[A.B 3]

11 hours ago, Cheap Transport said:

Fyran aluminium dinghys aren't responsible for any drownings, it's the idiots who own them who make poor decisions. Same can be said for any vessel, if you don't know the vessel and its limitations in different situations then you're asking for trouble. 

Poor decision making and a lack of education cause drownings...

You also need to include lack of experience.  Kids that grew up around dinghies are generally fine.  They've learnt from mistakes in a safe environment.  

Once you use something like a black dog catamaran you realise how unforgiving of mistakes an aluminium dinghy or small overloaded speedboat actually are.

[ex Elly 229]

Good article on the skipper, and also the history of the Waitere
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russell-ferry-collision-community-devastated-by-skippers-injuries-loss-of-historic-ferry/VVXSFVMWMRCQDJNEJHPWO6OSTA/

 

 

[harrytom 682]

This should clear it up??

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russell-ferry-collision-witnesses-of-bay-of-islands-boat-collision-describe-horror-watching-it-unfold/52GU7YSDOJCEFB3XYYXSHMVCGM/

 

Could not see anyone at the helm of that boat, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t someone there. It had two 300-horsepower motors on the back and it was full, fast. And he just don’t swerve, he didn’t slow down, didn’t put the throttle down. He just ran straight into the front of the ferry.

 

He told Checkpoint it was lucky the boat - the eight-metre ‘Boston Whaler’ - hit the strongest part of the Blue Ferry

[Frank 157]

Doing some sea trials to the west of Browns island on Saturday, we were experimenting with heaving too so more or less stationary, when a fast moving 9 metre launch approaches from the NE..  My son alerted me to it and we noticed it was more or less on a collision course, I duck down and grab the air horn, but then it makes a minor course adjustment, I give it a squirt anyway as he is still going to pass uncomfortably close. No further course alteration was made and he passed approx 2 boat lengths from the stern doing an estimated 15 knots.....why ?  I could not see the helmsman but that did not mean much, they had the whole ocean to manoeuvre in.

[Psyche 755]

This tragic incident most likely will come down to not keeping a lookout.  It is extremely easy to do on a boat fitted with an autohelm, and i am sure this has been the cause of any number of near misses and collisions. Everytime I see a big launch or commercial fishing boat coming at me I am always ready to alter course as if they are on AP.

[harrytom 682]

36 minutes ago, Psyche said:

commercial fishing boat coming at me I am always ready to alter course

Had that off the Hen n Chicks,longliner,presumed laying so gave way to it. none seem to display I am fishing day signal,2 cones pointing towards each other,?

The modern nav gear is a bit frightening. Had spencer 1/2ton fitted with a course plotter and linked to autohelm,so easy to set (going to windward) and make a coffee,but did pop up every 5 minutes and make sure no other vessels around.Winter going north so no real issue,sure as heck would try sailing from Motuhihi with it up the harbour.