And now for something outrageously sensible...

**Swoop** · 5th January 2011, 15:31

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

[I]Boaties Urged to Help Themselves[I]

OMG, are some people who go out on boats so thick that things like this actually have to be spelt out in the media?

Very odd. I did exactly that yesterday without being told to do so.
Mmm. Snapper for dinner!

Originally Posted by Grubber

... when he was coming in on rough seas to be safe there would be 10 foot dingies going out over the waves to do a bit of fishing with about 5 guys in them.

He shouldn't be amazed. The amount of LARGE people sitting in small dinghy's is quite surprising...
In ALL weather conditions.

**paturoa** · 5th January 2011, 17:14

Took the spawn out today for a spot of sea biscuit fun. The wind got up and so did the waves, so we headed back. The waves were getting too large to be going fast so we just pootled back.

Still a way off from the ramp, here is a 12 foot tinnie, 1 guy rowing away from shore while the guy at the back is trying to start the outboard. By the time we got to them there were about 500 meters away from shore (upwind) and realy struggling. The guy rowing signalled for help. I went over to them and they asked for a tow back. I suggested that the guy rowing was going in the wrong direction, but he didn;t see the humour in that.

So we towed them back to the ramp.

As far as I could tell, no life jackets, heading out into a big sea, motor not going. It was a good lesson for the kids cos they volunteered their thoughts as to the low iq of the said morons in the tinnie.

**Max Preload** · 6th January 2011, 16:08

Originally Posted by PrincessBandit

OMG, are some people who go out on boats so thick that things like this actually have to be spelt out in the media?

Yes. Yes, they are.

I actually stopped renewing my Coastguard membership because of them. Too many fuckwits were using Coastguard as a viable alternative to being properly prepared and I got fed up with subsidising the cost of helping them.

In 5 years the membership fee tripled due, I'm sure, to Coastguard removing the 3 free assistances per annum and making it unlimited. It sends the completely wrong message. I won't be rejoining until this is rectified.

**Fatt Max** · 6th January 2011, 16:22

Originally Posted by Buyasta

Turns out it's generally a good idea to put the bungs back in before setting off.

So THAT'S what I've been doing wrong all these years, thought the boat sank because I was simply a fat bastard....

Boaties, reminds me of when I was in Paihia with Mrs Max and we were standing on the wharf. A boat load of la de da's sipping champers and making a hewer of a noise were approaching the wharf. Geezer driving the boat is coming in too fast, cant stop in time and.....WHAPP....boat goes right into the wharf wall. All these twats could do was laugh and laugh and laugh some more. No life jackets, nothing. Worse thing was there were two kids on the boat as well. These guys had no idea about boating or even basic responsibility. They jumped out of the boat, got into their BMW 4WD's and drove off, all pissed of course. The harbour master got straight on the phone to the cops, good on him.

Must admit, I could not believe that you can go to a boat yard, but a boat, stick it in the water and go for it, no license or anything....fecking bizzare...