Boat crashes near Sydney Harbour entrance
June 29, 2009 - 6:23AM

Three men have been taken to hospital after the boat they were in crashed near the entrance of Sydney Harbour.

The men were returning from a fishing trip with two others when their eight-metre aluminium runabout crashed into a navigational buoy between South and Middle Head.

Sydney Water Police took the men to Manly Wharf.

Four of the men, aged between 27 and 49, sustained head wounds.

Three needed hospital treatment.

They were taken to Royal North Shore and Manly hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

The vessel was significantly damaged.

Investigators intend to interview all the men who were on board to determine how the crash occurred.

Wasn't me I swear oz

Tell ewe wot though there's some bad navigational lighting about though & those bloody Parked Buoys !

Well they're like parked trees they run out in front of ewe so quickly ewe dont have a chance to swerve

Sydney harbour is a waterway to avoid after dark. There is simply too much reflection of lights to disquinguish navigational aids apart from reflections and other lights. At any speed greater then displacement speed.
To hit a standing object means a proper lookout was not observed.

These days Botany Bay is no better Frank.

Recall the 1st time I came in after dark in the new goat it was a worry with all the Dwe Sal & pt works going on.

We were talking about this crash on the way in last night & couldn't help noticing [except for main shipping channel markers] how poorly the rest of the bay was lit up

I rely on my Radar & Chart plotter these days to get me in cause sum times ewe cant see Jack Shite coming in

Unlit markers, city lights, salt on screen, all bull.
They were driving too fast, no excuses for that.

That is because I am not yet rich enough for waterfront property.......When that happens my lilly white will be lighting up the bay like a full moon.



Jack

Do ewe use SORBENT ????????????????

When I did my Coxwain/Drivers test on Sydney harbour, I can attest to that observation Frank. The lights were horrendous and you really had to concentrate. Be better on a full moon, but you don't get that each time you go out at night with the W.P.

all you need to do is slow down to a "SAFE SPEED" and maintain a good "LOOKOUT"

a safe speed under the international rules of the road is....
(and either recreational or professional all are bound to operate under regardless of size or speed of vessel)



Every vessel shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.

In determining a safe speed the following factors shall be among those taken into account:

(a) By all vessels:

1. The state of visibility;
2. The traffic density including concentrations of fishing vessels or any other vessels;
3. The manageability of the vessel with special reference to stopping distance and turning ability in the prevailing conditions;
4. At night, the presence of background light such as from shore lights or from back scatter from her own lights;
5. The state of wind, sea and current, and the proximity of navigational hazards;
6. The draft in relation to the available depth of water.

(b)Additionally, by vessels with operational radar:

1. The characteristics, efficiency and limitations of the radar equipment;
2. Any constraints imposed by the radar range scale in use;
3. The effect on radar detection of the sea state, weather and other sources of interference;
4. The possibility that small vessels, ice and other floating objects may not be detected by radar at an adequate range;
5. The number, location and movement of vessels detected by radar;
6. The more exact assessment of the visibility that may be possible when radar is used to determine the range of vessels or other objects in the vicinity.


Lookout under the international rules of the road is....
(and either recreational or professional all are bound to operate under regardless of size or speed of vessel)

Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.



BUT accidents do happen because these rules are either not known or not followed.

Once an accident happens these mandatory rules will be investigated to see if followed....unfortunately it IS black and white no matter what you like, think, say or do .... its taught and followed all over the world.


http://www.powerboating.com.au/index.html
and
http://www.powerboating.com.au/id3.html


after many years at sea i can confidently say if you slow down, reference to a chart or just stop 99% you will prevent an accident.

I know Sydney Harbour really well and do most of my navigating there at night.
Ive got no problems winding through the place at full throttle pitch black and no moon.

On the other hand i took the wheel of Jumpys boat a few days ago cause he had to do sleepys, and coming through the heads at Botany i was buggered.
I did follow his path on the chartplotter which helped. But if one does not know a waterway well slow is the only way.

I know the marker the guys hit, and seriously, they arent flashing too brightly.
I also dont understand how there are some stuff sticking out of the water which has no lighting at all. For example, just off the Navy base out the front of Balmoral theres 2 stick-things popping out with no lighting.

Winter time is a trap for young players, when the sun sets the light fades very quickly.
I once spent more than a couple of hours idleing across the Bay after being caught outside in the dark.

Did any parked trees run out & try to hit ewe Fed

No trees Jumpy but back then there was a lot of poles sticking up throughout the Bay.
I do believe that unlit beacons should be a thing of the past though.

Gather you're refering to the poles on the southern side of the bay.

They are really bad & not wun single wun of them is lit up.

Used to take that route into the georges river back when I had the big goat & the radar saved me on many occasion else I would've collected a few
Local knowledge dosen't even come into play on nights when you cant see to far in front of ewe