Gold Coast skippers call boaties are lunatics as incidents spike

VETERAN skippers are bemoaning “frightening, lunatic” behaviour on the water as statistics show a spike in Gold Coast marine incidents.

Veteran skippers says Gold Coast waterways can be “frightening” on weekends and public holidays, with users often failing to observe basic seamanship rules such as sticking to the right side of the channel, keeping a look out and maintaining a safe speed. Picture: Nathan Richter.

CITY waterways are officially chaotic with incidents almost doubling in a year and skippers revealing regular “frightening, lunatic” behaviour.

The 12 months of 2016 were the worst in 10 years on the Gold Coast with 103 incidents, almost double the 54 in 2015.

Most common incidents statewide involved two vessels colliding, accounting for one in four, while others included groundings, capsizings, hitting people or an object.

Of 103 Gold Coast incidents, 43 people were injured including two who died and eight who were hospitalised.

Marine incidents on Gold Coast waterways have spiked — things were a lot safer back in 2004 when Paris Hilton went jetskiing on the Broadwater. Picture: Nathan Richter

Department of Transport and Main Roads officials are baffled about what is behind the spike but veteran local skippers are not surprised.

All Coast Charters and Boats owner Tony Morris, who does freelance shifts captaining tourist cruises up the Nerang River, said boatie behaviour was the worse he’d seen in three decades.

Mr Morris said on Sundays he regularly avoided boaties cruising on the wrong side.

“Seamanship has gone out the door. I pray for bad weather on the weekends to keep people off the water — if it’s a beautiful day and a long weekend, it’s frightening out there.”

The Broadwater was busy with boats and jet skis — official incidents numbered 103 in 2016, almost double the 54 reported in 2015. It is at its highest for 10 years.

Mr Morris said it was incredible how many boaties failed to observe basic rules to stick to the right-hand side of the channel, keep a lookout and travel at a safe speed.

“People just don’t know what they are doing.

“I’m giving way three to four times on a Sunday. You can’t go any closer to the bank. Then they give you a lame wave and it’s like ‘Mate you just almost killed your entire family’,” Mr Morris said.

“The owners of the bigger boats, the arrogant ones with all the money, just think everybody has to get out of their way no matter how much carnage they create with their wash.”

Fellow skipper Barrie New, who finished in January after 13 years with Wyndham Cruises in Surfers Paradise, said more people were on the water and behaving worse.

Experienced Gold Coast boat skipper Barrie New Surfers Paradise and Broadwater sightseeing cruises

“It’s just society — on the roads it is ridiculous the way some people drive and it’s reflected on the water.

“People drive on their jetskis like absolute lunatics,” Mr New said, adding it was too easy to get a licence.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said it worked with water cops to ensure vessel masters were aware of a responsibility to report incidents which “may be a reason for the recent spite”.

“In previous years there has been an issue with under-reporting of marine incidents.”

MARINE INCIDENTS ON GOLD COAST WATERWAYS:

103 (2016), 54 (2015), 64 (’14), 71 (’13), 76 (’12), 61 (’11), 88 (’10), 93 (’09), 80 (’08), 83 (’07)

REGULATED VESSELS ON COAST:

44,737 (2016), 43,664 (’15), 42,632 (’14), 41,203 (’13), 40,680 (’12), 40,606 (’11), 40,095 (’10), 30,802 (’09), 30,181 (’08), 28,660 (’07)

PERSONAL WATER CRAFT ON COAST:

7998 (2016), 7383 (’15), 6770 (’14), 6120 (’13), 5757 (’12), 5559 (’11), 5241 (’10), 4541 (’09), 3640 (’08), 3139 (’07)