A recent story in the Australian AFLOAT Magazine has prompted us again at Wear It Australia to engage, educate and encourage skippers to make sure they and all crew members on board are wearing the appropriate PFD – life jacket. If you’re not sure when to wear it, then it’s best to think of the old slogan “If it’s not on – It’s not!” meaning, that you should not be near or on the bar crossing without life jackets.
Many marine rescue groups in Australia require their skipper’s to have at least trained or crossed over a bar every three months, so if that’s the level of training they require, recreational skippers need to be even more cautious about crossing. This case example to the editor from Capt Petal below only enforces the need for skippers to be more responsible.
Our message is simple
A recent trip into Brisbane Waters – NSW via the Ettalong Bar was very instructive. As your readers know the entrance is a designated Bar according to maritime law, and as such attracts the requirement for everyone to wear a life jacket.
I observed a fleet of Pacific Sailing School’s J24s coming through the passage, all crew members wearing life jackets, all staying on the starboard side of the channel and all obviously going out in an organized convoy. Congratulations to them.
However, passing them was an array of power boats and yachts, going both ways, ignoring the keep right rules and ignoring good manners, creating more waves than mother nature intended.
And, you guessed it, the worst offenders had no life jackets on. One boat even had people hanging over the bow without life jackets travelling at high speed, straight past a NSW Maritime Boating officer. They must have had something else to do!
Please, life jackets over bars and any other time you are concerned for the safety of your crew otherwise we will finish up wearing them all the time, every day.
Thank you to Author: Capt Petal, Brooklyn, AFLOAT Magazine – November 2012
