Customers partying on Yot Club boat return to find they’ve been fined for illegal parking

Dozens of people enjoying one of the Gold Coast’s newest boat cruises return to find parking fine notices slapped on their vehicles by council officers after making a simple mistake.

DOZENS of people have been fined while partying on one of the Gold Coast’s newest boat cruises.

The Yot Club is now trying to negotiate spaces for the public to park after fines were slapped on 21 vehicles by city council parking inspectors for illegally parking where the boat docks at Main Beach.

The parking area is for vehicles with boat trailers.

The owner of each vehicle copped a $163 fine — making the council more than $3400 — for parking in the Muriel Henchman Drive boat ramp park just after 3pm on Sunday, March 30.

There are more than 110 spaces in the parking area, but mainly for vehicles with trailers.

Hundreds of people were reported to have attended the second public ticketed event on the cruiser, called the Endless Summer Party, which departed from the jetty at 3pm.

Hundreds of people attended the ‘Endless Summer Party’ event aboard The Yot Club.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN FOR JUST $5 A MONTH FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

A local who attended the party was fined by the council 22 minutes after boarding the boat, and told the Bulletin he believed parking inspectors purposely waited for the boat to leave before slapping vehicles with infringement fines.

He said he would pay the fine, but was “disappointed” in council.

“If you can’t park there, and that’s the only space you can, that’s really going to affect their business,” he said.

“I’m going to pay the fine, I have no choice. It bugs me as a ratepayer that the council don’t really care and don’t appear to be on the side of private enterprise.”

The Yot Club is a new, multi-million dollar super yacht that fits 400 people. It is 40m long and 23m wide.

Before launching the public ticketed events on March 23, it was planned that the Yot Club would dock at Marina Mirage.

But due to its width, an alternative jetty had to be found – about 2km and a 25-minute walk away from the car park at Marina Mirage.

The Yot Club is 40m long and 23m wide.

MORE NEWS

Video: Alleged drink driver arrested after crashing car

Drug user makes fake $50 notes using printer

Popular Coast coffee franchise expands nationwide

Another person, who was hit with a $163 fine at 3.17pm, said there was no sign warning regular vehicles could not park in the bays.

But the council says there are “numerous, clear regulatory” signs displayed throughout the parking area.

“All 21 infringements were issued for ‘No Stopping Anytime - Vehicles with Boat Trailers Excepted’,” a council spokesperson said.

Yot Club part-owner David Fisher said he would be talking to the council about where people could park.

“My only comment is the number of trailer car parks to single car parks. It seems to be disproportionate,” he said.

“I just think it needs to be weighted a bit differently.

“It is a public jetty and we are grateful we can use it.”

Yot Club part-owner David Fisher said he would be talking to the council about where people could park.

The council did not respond to Bulletin questions about where the public could park, other than to say Yot Club passengers should get advice from the event organiser on parking.

“It is important for all drivers to follow the requirements for lawful parking in this facility,” the council said.