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Sunmissions on Akl Lifejacket bylaw


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They open tomorrow and close on March 14th.

 

They want compulsory life jackets on all vessels 6mts or less.

 

If you don't want to pay $100's of dollars in instant fines to go about your business in a proven perfectly safe way better get submitting.

 

Sussing where and how at the moment.

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They want compulsory life jackets on all vessels 6mts or less.

Can you clarify that. On the news, they said it was already required that Boats 6m and under carry enough lifejackets for number of people aboard and it was a $250 fine if you didn't.

The new law they want now is for Lifejackets to be fitted, not just carried.

So is that correct? or a News blunder?

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Sounds like it real pain for those on small trailer sailors under 20ft.

 

I read something in the Herald that made it sound like there will be an exception for ferrying things to and fro between the 'mother-ship' and beach, if so it will be a little more workable?

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Here's the bit that will have an impact on most of us

 

Clause 9 does not apply to any person above the age of 15 years on board a small vessel used to transit in sheltered waters tendering between vessels or between vessels and the shore between sunrise and sunset. For the avoidance of doubt, except as provided for under clause 10(1) and (2), a person on board a small vessel aged fifteen years or below must wear a properly secured personal flotation device of an appropriate size for that person at all times.

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50m of another vessel by the look of it; so no change.

 

A person in charge of a vessel must not operate a vessel at a proper speed exceeding 5 knots within :

(a) 50 metres of any other vessel;

(B) 50 metres of any person in the water;

© 200 metres of the shore;

(d) 200 metres of any structure;

(e) 200 metres of any vessel that is exhibiting Flag A;

(f) 200 metres of a marine mammal;

(g) any zone specified by the Harbourmaster as having a 5 knot speed limit; or

(h) any mooring zone.

 

This one is more interesting though. I can understand the intent but this looks like I need to take a means of communication whenever I hop in my dinghy. The same would be said if I want to go for a casual sail off the beach. What about the kids that are leaving the beach to sail out to a supervised race?

 

33 Means of communication

(1) A person in charge of a vessel must carry on board the vessel at least one means of communication that:

(a) has the ability to communicate with a land based person from any area where the vessel is intended to be operated;

(B) has sufficient coverage and power to operate for the actual duration of the voyage; and

© if the vessel is 6 metres or less in length, is either waterproof or is carried in a waterproof bag or container.

 

(2) This clause does not apply to:

(a) a person participating in a board sport

(B) a vessel being used in any sporting event or training activity, if there is a support vessel in attendance that is carrying a means of communication in accordance with this clause.

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I shall be. More than the small boat/tender concerns (the kids can swim) is this ambiguously written tonne of shite:

Wearing of personal flotation devices on vessels larger than 6 metres

(1) No person in charge of a vessel of more than six metres length overall may use that vessel in circumstances where tides, river flows, visibility, rough seas, adverse weather, emergencies or other situations cause danger or a risk to the safety of persons on board, unless every person on board is wearing a properly secured personal flotation device of an appropriate size for that person.

 

Who will be the judge of this? I believe this dodgy as f*#k statement opens the door for some pen-pusher to enforce regulation and compulsory LJ in all sorts of stupid situations. I'm thinking of the awesome river races at Panmure on a windy day, the chop in Rangitoetoe channel (oo arrg it get big there som days me heartys' :crazy: ) etc, etc..

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How about we formulate a basically standard response that we can all use (modified if you want) in our replies?

 

These (in no particular order) are the issue parts so far;

 

 

______________________________________________________________

 

33 Means of communication

(1) A person in charge of a vessel must carry on board the vessel at least one means of communication that:

(a) has the ability to communicate with a land based person from any area where the vessel is intended to be operated;

(B) has sufficient coverage and power to operate for the actual duration of the voyage; and

© if the vessel is 6 metres or less in length, is either waterproof or is carried in a waterproof bag or container.

 

(2) This clause does not apply to:

(a) a person participating in a board sport

(B) a vessel being used in any sporting event or training activity, if there is a support vessel in attendance that is carrying a means of communication in accordance with this clause.

 

________________________________________________________________

 

Because;

I can understand the intent but this looks like I need to take a means of communication whenever I hop in my dinghy. The same would be said if I want to go for a casual sail off the beach. What about the kids that are leaving the beach to sail out to a supervised race?

_________________________________________________________________

 

This;

Wearing of personal flotation devices on vessels larger than 6 metres

(1) No person in charge of a vessel of more than six metres length overall may use that vessel in circumstances where tides, river flows, visibility, rough seas, adverse weather, emergencies or other situations cause danger or a risk to the safety of persons on board, unless every person on board is wearing a properly secured personal flotation device of an appropriate size for that person.

_________________________________________________________________

Because;

 

Who will be the judge of this? I believe this dodgy as f*#k statement opens the door for some pen-pusher to enforce regulation and compulsory LJ in all sorts of stupid situations. I'm thinking of the awesome river races at Panmure on a windy day, the chop in Rangitoto channel (oo arrg it get big there some days me heartys' :crazy: ) etc, etc..

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Anything else we want to say???

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I shall be. More than the small boat/tender concerns (the kids can swim) is this ambiguously written tonne of sh!te:
Wearing of personal flotation devices on vessels larger than 6 metres

(1) No person in charge of a vessel of more than six metres length overall may use that vessel in circumstances where tides, river flows, visibility, rough seas, adverse weather, emergencies or other situations cause danger or a risk to the safety of persons on board, unless every person on board is wearing a properly secured personal flotation device of an appropriate size for that person.

.

 

as an aside this has been in the bylaws for about 14 years, doesn't seem to have caused much of an issue so far.....

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Sorry Grant, I have a lot of respect for your views but laws that are in force but not currently enforced for whatever reason don't give me any comfort at all - the potential is there for everything to change literally overnight.

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We have the compulsory wearing of a lifejacket here in Canterbury. Been a bylaw for about 4 years I think. There are similar exemptions to the proposed Auckland bylaw to allow yachties to ferry back and forward in sheltered waters. Seems to work well here.

As always, if you don't like the bylaw put in a submission. You'll be able to see who said what and who did or didn't like what, and who suggested good alternatives or reasons that showed the bylaw didn't need to be put in place. You still might not like the outcome.

 

cheers

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Yes we do enforce it. We, like Auckland, have Enforcement Officers on duty around the regions coast and waterways. Where they see someone not wearing a lifejacket when they should be, they stop and talk to the person. The reports back to me via our Recreational Boating Officer are that there is an extremely high compliance rate, with only a few breaches.

 

We, like many Councils, have been undertaking a survey (for ACC) which looks at lifejacket carriage and wearing. The times I have stood on the ramps here (and in Tauranga) this summer I have seen excellent compliance with both carriage and wearing.

 

I can feel some people on the forum are getting upset by the Auckland proposal. My suggestion is to think of the times you have been boating this summer and which of those times you would have had to do something different. Once you have identified those times ask yourself honestly if that change of your behaviour will make you safer or not?

 

On a personal note, we carry lifejackets in our dinghy when heading off from the yacht. We don't always wear them (allowed by our bylaw). When we have a heightened risk (coming back from the pub or a neighbour, strong wind, lots of gear to carry) we put them on. If we head off in the RIB we always wear a lifejacket or have our Dive wet suits on for diving. The lifejacket has saved my life once already, no ifs no buts. Yes we do a lot more boating than most people so get more exposure.

 

In the perfect world you would not need any rules because people would be sensible, nice and have respect for themselves and other's. Ok maybe one rule; no muppets can drive or be in charge of a boat. But people do silly things like waterski amongst swimmers close to the beach, so maybe we need some rules

 

No matter what a bylaw or rule says only you can make yourself wear a life jacket, but it's not only you that suffers when it goes wrong if you don't. :(

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