Rules

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by daletournier

Yes rules are necessary, BUT where's the line regarding the enhancing of society to the crippling of society?

Well yes, that's the question.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

If you use your dinghy with the 15hp at all in NSW it needs to be registered. If it had 5 hp or less you could legally use it without rego, but only direct from boat to shore.

On the plus side, NSW rego rates are much cheaper than Qld's....

So yeah, like I said, Qld rules for dinghies are a bit more relaxed. For now.

Except Mooloolaba. Where apparently the locals are sick of us cruisers touring the canals sightseeing. So you can use your dinghy, but you're not allowed to look around. And you're not welcome longer than 48 hours....

So ive been back in my own country for 6 weeks and im now officially a criminal.....actually ive been in NSW for less than 24hrs and im officially a criminal....that didn't take long...lol.

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[44'cruisingcat]

The first settlers were criminals before they arrived! You'll fit in fine just fine!

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Here's the other side to that story: A few years ago, my wife and I were asleep on our boat in our marina when we heard the sound of a small boat doing circles at high speed. We called the police, thinking it was a typical drunk (it was 3:00 in the morning). Every rescue department within 20 miles showed up and launched.

Well, it turns out the guy had been working on his boat and wanted to try it out. He and his girlfriend and another friend took it to the adjacent boat ramp and launched it. Apparently, he turned it into a circle and went to the stern to make and adjustment. Whatever actually happened, he fell out of the boat. They found his body about a mile away stuck in a bridge piling.

Would you rather have a ticket or a ride to the morgue?

The only similarity in my story and that is a dinghy and a marina. It's not a stark choice between a ticket and the morgue.

I guess I'm getting old. I grew up on the water, made my living from it as a teenager, know my way around boats and know my limits and the value of caution, am a strong swimmer, yadda yadda yadda. It was reasonable that they stopped me I suppose, but the fine and their attitude seemed a bit over the top.

But...I consider anyone who rides a bike without a helmet to be an idiot, so....