Two super yacht recruitment success stories are from Gold Coast locals, Jesse Barnes and Bindy Bryce, who both underwent training with Coastal Yachting Recruitment. Sure, their workplace is often floating through paradise, but both Bindy and Jesse echoed the need to be prepared for hard work, and described some pretty hectic schedules during the peak seasons. Normally, crew will be required to work around the clock when guests are on-board. Seventeen to eighteen-hour days can be necessary. During really busy seasons, you may work for two to three months with only a few days off. But then, when the ships are moored, or without guests, there is significantly more downtime for crew.

When you are working with the ultra-rich there can be some pretty bizarre tasks, too. Bindy recalled that when she was working as a steward and a masseuse, she had to massage a celebrity’s hands for two hours. “We had a celebrity on board who had to have her hands massaged every night until she fell asleep, while listening to her own music. There were some nights I was massaging each hand for over an hour. I had her songs stuck in my head for weeks after that trip, and I still cringe when I hear them now!”

Compared to that experience, we reckon Jesse has had better luck with the odd requests. The strangest one he could recall was, after he had lost a game of cards, the principal charter told him he had to jump off the mast wearing a jock strap.

Risky card games aside, one danger of the job, according to Jesse, is that it can be a strong temptation to get swept up in the party lifestyle. “Having no rent, chef-cooked meals and continuous travel are very appealing. For those who don’t have other goals, finding a reason to leave is almost impossible. You must have a hobby, or a goal. If you follow the crowd, you will just end up at the pub every night and then become a problem for everyone else the next day.”

In spite of the demands, Jesse said travel is by far the best part of the job. “We live on a five-star floating hotel and visit some of the most expensive and opulent places on the planet, at no cost to us. On top of that, we can visit some of the most remote places, too. Sitting at anchor in turquoise water, surrounded by white beaches and palm trees, it is hard not to appreciate the secluded side. I just love being at sea and being able to cross oceans. The time away from land helps me reform my appreciation of it.”

For Bindy, as well as the travel it is the amazing moments she treasures. “We work a lot, but when you look outside and you are in the South Pacific and dolphins are jumping over the bow or a whale’s breaching 50m away, you are reminded it is all worth it.”

Both Bindy and Jesse are success stories for Jade Fitzpatrick, owner of Coastal Yachting Recruitment. Jade Fitzpatrick began her super yacht career sailing around the Mediterranean, surrounded by the sort of breathtaking scenery and extravagance that most of us have only seen in movies. After spending a decade working on a range of amazing yachts, Jade came up with the idea of starting her own business.

“I’d helped a lot of my friends find work before I started the business. And it was actually when I was helping a friend write her CV and sending it to captains that I had the lightbulb moment and decided to start my recruitment company. I had all my own experience as a crew member to draw from, and I knew what clients wanted. Plus, I just loved the boats and didn’t want to leave the industry,” Jade explained.

Unsurprisingly, a genuine love of the ocean and travel are key ingredients for a career on super yachts. As well as passion, you will need to be flexible and patient because often, your life can be on stand-still until guests leave, and their demands can be surprising. Being a team player is also essential since you will be living and working alongside the crew in very close quarters for months on end. So, do not go in expecting to be sunbaking on the top deck.

Even though Jade has only been running her recruiting business for a little over a year, she has already placed many applicants on yachts domestically and internationally. It is true that the majority of work is still found in Europe and America, but New Zealand and the Pacific are on the rise. Australia is still developing as a super yacht destination, but it is steadily growing.

Super yachts have large crews, which means there is a good range of jobs to choose from. The most common positions are captains, engineers, first mates, first officers, chefs, stewards and deck hands, although some of these roles can be combined on smaller yachts. The qualifications needed do scale depending on the role, but all super yacht roles require both a medical certificate and the STCW95 training course. This is a five-day course, which is internationally recognized. It is essential that you check that any super yacht training you do is internationally recognized because it is such a global industry. Thankfully, in Australia there are many accredited training locations in Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns that offer specific courses that are well respected.

If you are feeling the call of the ocean and are considering a super yacht career, then keep Bindy’s advice in mind. “When you’re first starting out, it can be daunting finding a job and getting your head around how the yachting industry works. Just stay positive and remember that you will get a job and it will all make sense at some point. You can feel a little lost at times, and unsure of yourself, but persevere. The positives of this industry definitely outweigh the negatives.”

By Narayan Pattison

The post Super Lifestyle appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

Police were tasked to several incidents involving vessels in distress, capsized vessels as well as boats and property which had broken loose in the wild weather.

Two people were rescued off the beach at Tangalooma after their vessel overturned near the wrecks when a severe storm cell struck. The man and woman managed a lucky escape to safety on the shore after the boat beached itself before capsizing.

Earlier, police received a call in relation to a vessel in distress off Green Island after a storm caused its’ sails to rip off and it ran aground. Police managed to contact those on board to confirm they were thankfully all safe and well.

Sergeant Daniel Moyle from Brisbane Water Police said with further storms predicted for this evening, boaties should keep an eye on the weather forecasts before heading out.

“I would also urge boat owners to ensure unattended vessels are properly secured at their mooring and that there is no loose property on board,” Sergeant Moyle said.

Other precautions include:

• Plan your trip or return to safe anchorage for the duration of the storms.
• Monitor weather and remain in a safe place until after the storm has passed.
• Have a plan and let someone know where you are. Including who is on the vessel, details of your plan and details of the vessel.
• If required used extra lines and appropriate anchoring equipment for the type of vessel being secured.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

The post Severe Weather Warning for Boaties appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

Maritimo 12 crewed by Tom Barry-Cotter and Steve Jellick entered the final round of the Offshore Superboat Championships in Hervey Bay with a sizeable lead in the AUS 1 and Supercat Extreme Championships.

The pair said they entered the weekend with a conservative strategy to preserve that lead of the championship, and not necessarily pushing for race wins.

Maritimo 11, crewed by father and son team Ross and Andrew Willaton in the new Maritimo R36, in only its second event, was out of championship contention and had goals of attaining valuable testing time in the new boat.

“They were plagued with power steering issues in the previous round, which saw modifications in between rounds from the standard Mercury VI Drive power steering system to an upgraded Maritimo Racing system like used in Maritimo 12,” said Barry-Cotter.

He said in the first race of the weekend, Maritimo 12 lead the early laps after a great getaway from the start.

However midway through the race the boat encountered a problem with its trim system, said Barry-Cotter.

“We had to slow to a more cautious pace in the tricky conditions in order not to risk the overall championships,” he said.

“Maritimo 12 finished race one in third, still maintaining a healthy margin in the overall points with one race left on the season.

“In race two we got off to a great start again and lead the early laps, but as the conditions once again became tricky, we made the decision to hold a more cautious pace in order to finish in the points and secure the overall championships.

“This strategy proved successful with us crossing the line in third place, enough to secure the Supercat Extreme and overall AUS1 Overall Championships.

Maritimo 11 was not as fortunate and missed the start in race one after the boat tripped on a wave and sustained damage to its tunnel flap

In race two Maritimo 11 performed well, despite the rough and windy conditions and being the smallest boat in the class, recording a very respectable fourth place and gathering much valuable testing data to take into the off-season development program for 2018.

“The team are extremely excited to have recorded a collective 15th AUS1 Title. Our goal all season was to do just that, and the entire team did a fantastic job in working towards that goal,” said Barry-Cotter.

The post Notching Up Its 15th National Title appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

The story goes that around 15 years ago, a few Hawaiian surfers decided that they wanted to get on the water to stay fit and have some fun when the sea was flat. So they grabbed a few large Malibu style boards, lengthened a paddle, stood up and paddled the ocean. Little did they know the escalation to come in the sport they had just invented.

Possibly the main contributing factor to growth is it’s ‘sociability’ and safety.  Unlike windsurfing or kitesurfing – it is not a ‘billy-no-mates’ sport on the water, it appeals to all ages, and both sexes alike.  It is one of the few watersports where participation between the sexes is equal.  You can chill and take it easy whilst watching the dolphins, or take it to the highest level of World competition and race between the Islands off the Hawaiian coast.

The boating fraternity is witnessing a huge take up of SUP and the main reason is the advent of high quality inflatable paddleboards, which are far more friendly on the paintwork and fittings, and of course much easier to transport and store. Inflatable boards have been around for a while, but the early offerings were generally a pretty poor experience; low in performance, and easily punctured. Now however, the inflatables from brands like Red Paddle Co offer such great performance and robustness that (unless you’re looking for top-shelf surfing capabilities), the question has become why wouldn’t you get an inflatable! And for boating, it’s really a no-brainer, as inflatables are just so much more boat-friendly. The well-made ones are way more robust than solid boards too; they can be bounced off rocks and run up the beach with impunity.

If you are looking to start a new adventure on board, and invest in possibly your most used play and fitness accessory, here are a couple of key questions answered:

Why have a paddleboard – I already have a kayak on board!   A paddleboard is simply more versatile. For starters, it’s not compulsory to stand up – you can sit down and paddle it like a kayak, if that’s your thing. But it’s also far lighter, and much easier to get on and off the boat. It’s a lot more stable, too – you can step down from your boat onto the paddleboard and off you go.  You can load a paddleboard up with multiple people and/or cargo. It’s a great boat maintenance platform. Paddleboards give a much better view down into the water, and you don’t get a wet bum and a sore back like you do from kayaking if your technique is anything other than perfect. It’s a fantastic sunbathing platform, perfect escape from the rest of the family on a small boat!  They’re great for fishing from too – you can see the fish rising, stand up to cast, use a full size rod, and have a nice big deck area to sort out your tackle on. And above all, a paddleboard is just a great general purpose toy for youngsters; it’s amazing just how creative they get and how much fun they can have with them. And there’s no risk of ‘collateral damage’ – the kids are out there bouncing off boats, swimmers, rocks etc., and no-one is going to get hurt .

Which board should I choose – so many options? Paddleboards come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, so to keep it simple, let’s just focus on boards for all-round use, the sort of thing you would choose for your boat. These generally have that ‘mal’ surfboard shape, with rounded nose and tail (although a square tail is fine too).The board’s width is the important number when it comes to determining stability. The wider the board, the more stable it is and the more weight it can carry. The length really just determines where the board is on the spectrum of manoeuvrability (shorter) vs straight-line speed (longer).  Anything in the 9’8-12’6 length bracket is essentially an all-round board, and will be fine for general purpose use on a boat.

Choosing the right width for your requirements basically means ensuring the board has enough width to support the heaviest person that will be using it.Generally, if the heaviest user is sub 80kg a board of around 30” wide will be fine. Up to 100kg, go for something 32” wide, and 100kg+, look for something wider.

If the board is to be used by more than one person (kids and dog on too!), or for loading up with Eskies, shopping, jerry-cans etc., then again, err on the side of extra width for stability.

SUP boards for boats need some specific fittings. Look for a big solid towing point on the nose and tail; ideally a steel D-ring with a plastic or hard rubber mount to the board. (Avoid webbing fittings, they degrade pretty quickly in sun and salt). Other fixing points on the deck are always useful, either for bungees to shove stuff under, or for strapping down cargo.

Removable fins may seem like a good idea, but actually, the glued-on slightly soft fins are most ideal, as they’re pretty indestructible and can be abused on beaches and rocks all day with no ill effects, and there are no hard bits to bang on legs etc.

Why such a variation in price?: Not all inflatables are the same in quality or performance.  Red Paddle co has been making boards for over 10 years.  For more info on build quality and options to demo a board visit: www.redpaddleco.com.

The post SUP On Board appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

With five rivers, creeks, 260km of navigable waterways, more than 750 hectares of lakes and dams as well as land assets, the Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) has a vital role to play in planning, managing and protecting the Gold Coast’s iconic waterways.

Boating registrations in the region are growing at more than twice the State-wide growth rate and the purchase of jet-skis continues to boom. Against this growth, the responsibility for ensuring the Gold Coast’s waterways remain something that residents can use, understand, protect, respect, enhance and enjoy is crucial.

Now five years since its establishment, GCWA has focused in the past year on tackling even more of the planning and management challenges associated with protecting this precious asset for present and future generations of locals and visitors.

One of the hallmarks of GCWA is to set priorities locally and we have talked with a wide cross-section of people from our community– boaties, divers, water-skiers, jet skiers, residents and visitors – to shape our priorities.

More than 1000 residents offered their views at “Meet the Board” sessions that have been held over the past 12 months at Southport, Hope Island, Currumbin, Hollywell, Burleigh Heads and Main Beach.

Issues raised by community have covered a range of topics including:

• concerns about speed and behaviour
• access to channels throughout the Gold Coast
• increased demand for buoy mooring areas
• upgrades to boating facilities
• management of trust land including Doug Jennings Park and Wave Break Island.

GCWA has worked hard to address community concerns and expectations.

In the past year, we have:

• delivered more than $5.5 million in dredging projects to ensure safe navigation of channels
• invested more than $3.3 million in projects to improve access to the waterways
• enhanced our land-based assets responding to strong community demand in Doug Jennings Park by upgrading facilities for the community while ensuring disciplined management of the park by outlawing illegal camping
• staged “Gold Coast 2017 and Beyond”, an inaugural symposium bringing community and international attention to the importance of ensuring the resilience of our waterways
• continued to consult the community on our key waterways management strategies for buoy moorings and speed limits.

Our focus is on responding to two critical priorities shaping the future of our waterways – congestion and resilience.

The Gold Coast of the future is facing severe congestion, transport and planning issues as a result of the forecast doubling of the population to 1 million people by 2050 as well as staggering growth in watercraft ownership and registrations.

At the same time, Gold Coast waterways are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as storm surge and sea level rise, given their vast scale and proximity of development to the water.

We need to prepare now for these future impacts.

We are committed to protecting the fundamental value waterways provide to Gold Coast residents, visitors and Queensland; addressing the shared challenges and designing solutions to ensure they remain as iconic places of infinite beauty and opportunity.

The post Delivering On Gold Coast Waterways appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

The Ultimate Jet Ski Lift brings together the latest design in jet ski lift technology, superior materials, and quality-assured manufacturing, and signals a new era for the marine leisure industry.

Quick & Easy

With the Ultimate Jet Ski Lift, you can launch or retrieve your jet ski in approximately 10 seconds. No physical effort is required to launch or retrieve your jet ski. No more wasted time and no more pulling or dragging – 100% user-friendly!

Low Maintenance

The Ultimate Jet Ski Lift is fully self-sufficient using solar power, and does not require land power. It is a floating pontoon PWC lift manufactured using excellent quality materials to ensure durability and long trouble-free life.

Solid Construction

Superior-designed, using high quality materials and world-class technology, the Ultimate Jet Ski Lift pontoon is constructed from quality marine-grade aluminium and polyethylene, giving it unsurpassed buoyancy and stability and making it virtually unsinkable.

The Ultimate Jet Ski Lift has been designed to:

• Allow quick and easy mechanical launch and retrieval of the jet ski via a remote control;
• Provide stable and secure take off and docking;
• Maximize your time on the water;
• Minimize the historical grind of charging and flushing;
• Improve access for speedy maintenance and running repairs;
• Secure the jet ski and protect it from the harsh Australian elements;
• Arrest depreciation of the jet ski that can result from wear and tear due to hard handling while launching and retrieving the jet ski the old way;
• Minimize the jetty space required.

The Ultimate Jet Ski Lift is an exciting new product taking the jet ski industry by storm! By maximizing your time on the water and protecting your jet ski, you can get the most out of your jet ski investment.

It is the most innovative and impressive product of its kind in the marine leisure market today.

THE STORY BEHIND THE PRODUCT

As an avid marine leisure enthusiast, Angelo Siokos loves getting out on the water at any opportunity. After buying a jet ski, he was initially very thrilled at the prospect of spending as much time as possible enjoying his latest investment, and sharing the fun and excitement with his family and friends.

Unfortunately, like so many other jet ski owners, he quickly came to realise that the reality was far removed from his dream. The work, effort and time needed to launch, retrieve, flush, charge and store his jet ski often made the whole experience difficult, cumbersome and significantly reduced the pleasure that he had anticipated. Consequently, he was not using his jet ski nearly as much as he would have wished.

Convinced that there had to be a solution, Angelo researched the products available to improve his usage and enjoyment. He found that the products currently on the market were average at best, and offered little to reduce the workload and time required to get the most out of his jet ski. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He designed and had the first prototype of the Ultimate Jet Ski Lift manufactured.

The Jet Ski Lift you see today has come a long way in design, materials and construction, and is now the fully functional and professionally finished Ultimate Jet Ski Lift available to jet ski owners worldwide.

Angelo’s wife and daughters now also enjoy the jet ski regularly without needing his assistance, as there is no physical effort required to launch or retrieve it.

The post Ultimate Jet Ski Lift appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

Our new location facilitates up to 250 tonnes of travel lift. We are now able to house vessels up to 75 feet inside our workshop.

Seapower Marine has been the exclusive Authorised Marine Dealer for CAT on the Gold Coast since 2010. We deliver specialised marine engineering with quality and assurance for all CAT Marine engines. We carry out on- and off-site repairs as usual. We have a large range of spare parts including oils and lubricants. We offer a full all-year round maintenance and service program tailored to your requirements.

Spearheaded by Scott Evered, Seapower Marine boast specialist knowledge for all popular inboard marine engines. Scott’s experience within the marine engineering industry is second to none. Scott is the only engineer in Queensland to have been factory-trained at the MAN Engines and Components factory in Germany. He did his apprenticeship in the UK at 16 years of age. He holds a trade certificate in Marine and Industrial Engineering. After many years of owning and operating a marine company in the UK, Scott headed for Australian waters and purchased Seapower Marine in 2010. As the technical head, Scott has taken the company to new lengths, acquiring fully trained marine engineers to work along side.

Alongside Scott, Gavon Viall stands as the Workshop Manager and has been with Seapower Marine since 1987.  His knowledge of the local industry is both extensive and unquestionable.

Seapower Marine arrange and manage all of your boating projects. We can also arrange for your vessel to be safely driven to the marina and brought back to its original location when all works are complete.

Factory D26, 76-84 Waterway Drive, Coomera, QLD 4209

Tel. 07 5577 3008 Email: accounts@seapowermarine.com.au

The post New Location, New Opportunities for Seapower Marine appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

Diecon Marine manufacture Diecon Heat Exchangers to original drawings & specifications. We have the ability to reverse engineer (re-manufacture), service & repair other brands of heat exchanger such as CAT, Cummins, Volvo, Detroit, MTU, Yanmar, Volvo, MAN, Mercruiser, Seastar, Hyundai, Ford, Perkins, and Chrysler to name a few. A recent addition to our offering is the capability to service Plate heat exchangers.

Sales Manager Mick Flynn states, “It is important to have your heat exchangers serviced regularly. Failure to do so can result in expensive repairs or engine damage. Too often we see neglected heat exchangers requiring major work or full replacement.” Expensive headaches can be avoided by adhering to maintenance periods or a preventative maintenance plan. Regular servicing is certainly more cost effective in the long run and we offer sound advice to save you money and reduce down-time.

The Redback Radiators team have been proudly manufacturing heat exchangers at Molendinar for nine years. Some team members have over 25 years experience manufacturing and servicing copper and brass heat exchangers. We have a reputation for quality. We are local, professional, and experienced. We operate from a 2000m² factory, equipped with the specialized machinery to guarantee a fast turn around time. From a sample, we can re-manufacture a heat exchanger bundle, we can strip down your existing unit, clean and rebuild. We stock spare parts, end caps, O Rings and zinc anodes.

Redback Radiators welcome trade work from marine service centres and boat builders. For convenience, we operate a pick-up and delivery service in many areas of South East Queensland.

The post First Choice Heat Exchanger Service appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

I live in the world of slow boats. Now, we’ve all heard about slow food, a social movement not simply aimed at eating healthier meals but, more broadly, a metaphoric line in the sand, drawn in response to the frenetic pace of western rat-race societies like ours. Slow boats can be seen as an extension of this culinary ideal. Slow boats are built and operated with the clear understanding that life is primarily a journey, not simply a destination.

Unfortunately, slow boats are very much a rarity these days. The disappearance of reasonably priced, commercially manufactured, displacement cabin boats is probably the main reason why people like me build (or rebuild) our own.

My previous slow boat was a Hartley TS18 (actually a TS14 extended to 18ft), which I operated as a motor launch. It was light to tow, had a comfortable V-berth (thanks to my removing the keel box), and gave my wife and me about ten years of boating pleasure on Brisbane and Gold Coast waterways.

The Hartley was easy to store under the house, but the galley hand eventually began suggesting we upgrade to something with a little more living area. So I began looking around for the biggest boat I could comfortably fit under my home’s floorboards. This wasn’t easy. It took three years in all after starting my search to find the right vessel, and, while I had bought the Hartley from a neighbour, I had to drive to South Eastern NSW to collect this new one.

The plans were purchased from B & B Yacht Designs, with the boat built originally as a cantilever-masted (hinged tabernacle) ketch. The fellow who built her told me he had been having marital issues and thought the solution would be a common interest in a family-size boat. However, the time he spent building the boat turned out to be the last straw for the relationship, with his wife eventually leaving for greener pastures. As a result, he lost interest in the project, which subsequently spent a few years out in the weather. Still, he’d done a good job of it. The hull was dimensionally and structurally sound, and I was very pleased to take her over. Having been told the break-up story, I took the precaution of immediately renaming the boat after my long suffering better-half.

Unfortunately, both tabernacles needed to be removed to get the boat under the house, so she became a motor launch just like her predecessor. It took me another three years altogether, working in the evenings and on weekends, to re-model and re-finish the boat to my liking. I enjoyed the process, even though I am not one to build anything simply for the pleasure of the exercise. (There are blokes who want to build boats and blokes who want to use them. But sometimes the only way to get what you want is to do it yourself.)

The boat’s top speed is about 8.5 knots, and she does a comfortable 6 knots at 3400 rpm or 7 at 4300 rpm. Last September, we were invited to a function at RQYS Canaipa, and it took us just over three hours to get there from Runaway Bay Shopping Mall, mostly at 3000 rpm, with 4000 rpm for a negative tide running between Jumpinpin and Tipplers. It was a pleasant trip.

My wife seems to love this new boat. It may not be a super yacht, but compared to the Hartley, it’s a mansion. There is even room for doing yoga on the cabin roof!

by Arthur Marcel

The helm is on the left with offset cabin entry. There are three GPS systems (four, if you include a mobile phone), with five independent power supplies (counting their own battery systems). The VHF radio has Direct Selective Calling, displaying positional information (via NMEA interface) as well. When it comes to essential systems, I believe in redundancy, and none of this stuff was expensive.

The cabin has two quickly interchangeable configurations, one for day tripping with side benches, and the other for sleeping. The V-berth slats and self-inflating mattress stow under the helm when not in use.

I removed the centre board but kept the shallow full-length keel, including 180kgs of lead ballast for rough-water stability. I installed a bow roller system for a 15-kilo CQR anchor. (You can be confident you’ve got the right anchor when other people laugh at you for having too big an anchor!) I also built an adjustable aluminium trim tab to keep the nose down under power.

This rather idyllic photo was taken on 16 November 2008. About two hours later, the Brisbane suburb of The Gap was flattened by the mother of all storms, which also caught up with us as we motored back down the river. Virtually in the dark, we looked for shelter in vain, unable to go near the shore because of many huge tree branches crashing down into the water. Not a good experience.

The post MV Marie Laure: My Slow Boat appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.

As the owner of a boat, it is your responsibility to maintain it in a seaworthy condition, equip it with the correct safety equipment, and operate it safely. But what if your boat is still suffering from an unfortunate incident last summer? Or what if you have been too busy to rescue it from being stranded on a sand bar or lost in the mangroves? Or the funds are running a little too low to do those repairs? Maybe it is starting to cost more than it is worth?

If your boat is looking a little worse for wear, then it is your responsibility to bring your vessel up to seaworthy condition, or to remove it from the water. This may be costly, or take time, but it is not only for your own safety, but the safety of all other waterways users.

Under Queensland maritime safety laws, a shipping inspector can require that your boat is surveyed and the necessary repairs undertaken. Or, if it has gone too far, a declaration of unseaworthiness may be issued, and you will no longer be able to use your boat. You can also be directed to remove your boat from the water so that it does not pose a hazard to navigation, or a risk of damage to the environment or any other water users. Be careful once you have received any notices or directions, because if you do not comply you can be penalised by fines and court enforcement orders.

Now, it is not all doom and gloom. Take a look at your boat. Do you have the correct safety equipment? Is your boat seaworthy and well maintained? Does it present a safety risk? It might only take a couple of repairs for you to be ready to take that fishing trip.

Maybe your boat is past the point where a few repairs will solve the problem. It has been moored down the creek, collecting water, and rusting up for a little too long. It is still your responsibility. If you cannot be identified as the owner of the vessel, you might just find that one day it will be gone.

If a derelict vessel represents a hazard to navigation or may cause damage to the environment, then the abandoned property can be removed immediately and a seizure notice advertised only afterwards. This applies to abandoned ships, and also to any part of a ship or other property. Unfortunately, if it is neglected, sometimes a small boat can cause a very big problem – possibly resulting in fines, mandatory repairs, and massive unexpected costs for the owner.

It is not just boats that are subject to this type of regulation. Any watercraft can be deemed to be abandoned property if it is reasonably believed to be abandoned, lost or stranded in Gold Coast waters – whether it represents a hazard or not. According to the definition of watercraft in the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994, this includes from boats and jet skis, down to kayaks and surfboards. If property is suspected to be abandoned, the Gold Coast Waterways Authority will take reasonable steps to locate the owner. If your property is suspected to be abandoned and has been removed, you can claim it back. But there are expenses associated; it might just be the cost of publishing a notice, or the costs spent retrieving and storing your property. If abandoned property is not claimed, or it is of insufficient value to warrant the publishing of a notice, then it may be sold or destroyed – with the proceeds of any sale being used to recoup some of the costs expended in maintaining Gold Coast waterways.

The purpose of these powers is not to try and take your kayaks or beloved tinnies. It is so that, in a storm, a wayward vessel does not come crashing into yours, only to find that the owner cannot be identified and you are stuck with the repairs; or that you are not having to weave in and out of partially submerged derelict dinghies hoping to save your new gel coat from a nasty scratch. These laws exist for waterways users and their property. So how can you do your bit?

Remember that maintenance, responsibility and care are key: Maintain your boat and keep it seaworthy. Be a responsible owner. Make sure your watercraft identifies you as the owner with your contact details – whether through current registration and symbols, or owner’s label if not registered. And take care of your property. Stow your paddleboard or kayaks safely at the end of the day.

By Anthony Stanton and Kendall Messer

Pacific Maritime Lawyers

The post Look After It or Lose It appeared first on Boat Gold Coast.