Boat Smart!
Submitted by Adam Gallash on Sat, 2006-02-11 19:29
Got my boatsmart license. Be interesting to see what the minister says tomorrow about the future changes! Glad i got mine done and out of the way, but its always good to be refreshed on the important safety issues involved with boating.
Today was very informative.
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Fly
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 04/02/06
Well Done Adam!
You will be a safer / more responsible boater as a result - non of us are too old to keep learning something new you know!
Hey you could go further and go for your coxswains cert you know!
You CAN get a coxswains still (I think) on recreatonal boating time only..(something like 370 days in a 5 meter vessel or longer, of 5 hours duration or more on the go - in a sworn stat dec...
Course you have to study / pass the course as well - and there is a verbal exam down at Marine safety (thats not too hard).
You'd be surorised how muchmore you learn. would thoroughly recommend it...
My young fella is just doing his now (peel tafe campus) but there is the Fremantle TAFE one, as well as a private one at Henderson (Swan Maritime College).
Tis only bout a 4 week course of you do it full time in a college or 6 months part time at Tafe.
Not that hard and you are then quallified to take a vessel up to 40 ft (with exemption) and 330Bhp with passengers to Rotto.
Lottsa fun stuff in the course - diesel and petrol 2 & 4 stroke engines, gear boxes , shafts ,rudders, bilge systems, electrical etc etc - all good fun 'MAN' stuff...then theres MROCP (Marine Radio Ops), vessel construction & stabiliy, Vessel handling, Occ health and safety at sea etc etc Oh and Navigations fun too!
Reckon you'd enjoy it!
Cheers!
Gully
Posts: 963
Date Joined: 04/10/05
Courses
Nice one Adam. Hopefully it will keep the idiots out of boats altogether or at least give them some experience before they get out there.
In the news last night they said if your under 25 you have till next April to do the course but if over 25 you have an extra year. Not sure why they just dont make everyone have it in a year?
Gully
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15653
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Boatsmart
That had me confused as well.. But then it came as a government directive from Alannah McT, so god knows what reasoning may be behind it.
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Fly
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 04/02/06
Coxswains
Just heard today that Peel Tafe are cancelling their coxswains course, that was due to commence tonight - due to my young lad being the only one who signed up!
I guess he will just have to do a 4 week full time course at the Swan maritime college - our Govt departments are pretty useless aren't they?
The only reason we found out is we rang em, they werent even going to bother to tell us... mind you they grabbed our $500 with both hands when it was enrolement day!
I bet it takes dynamite to get it back!
Whats this world commin too!
Cheers!
Big Frank
Posts: 115
Date Joined: 07/02/06
Boat Ramp Bozos, TL3 course
"Lottsa fun stuff in the course - diesel and petrol 2 & 4 stroke engines, gear boxes , shafts ,rudders, bilge systems, electrical etc etc - all good fun 'MAN' stuff...then theres MROCP (Marine Radio Ops), vessel construction & stabiliy, Vessel handling, Occ health and safety at sea etc etc Oh and Navigations fun too!"
Agree Flywest but wouldn't it be great if the course included a section on boat ramp ettiquette (maybe reversing a trailer as well) - sometimes the grief on the ramps really takes away from the day. Some real corkheads out there.
On the TL3 course I did, there was a discussion on flushing outboards after use and the lecturer when asked how long to flush the engine for, advised us to start the engine, disconnect fuel line and let the engine run until it is out of fuel. I followed this advice next time I flushed the engine but next time I tried to start it, no joy at all. Took the boat to mechanic and it took them ages to get it going - apparently, when flushing oil injected engines, you don't disconnect the fuel line as the fuel flow stops but the oil injection doesn't and this is a real problem - hopefully this saves someone else the same problem.
Fly
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 04/02/06
Ahh yes
You see with OB technology changing all the time - what was good advice a few years back can be bad advice now. (Bad advice is my specialty - I should know!) he he he
Yeah - ramp ettiquette wouldn't go astray! Hey what about a license endorsement for towing trailers! ;o)
I guess everyone has to learn somewhere / somehow....but having it in the TL3 couldn't hurt I guess...
That is one of the problems - how much do you put in or leave out of such a course?
Where does TL3 end and coxswains start, or Coxswains end and Masters 5 start? Then theres MED 2 (marine Engine Drivers 2).
Does a TL3 need to be a qualified MROCP (Marine Radio Pperators Certificate of Proficiency)?
Does a TL3 need to be able to navigate inshore without GPS?
Any trainings better than none, but how much is enough and whats too much?
Boat ramps can be, however, a bozo magnet for some reason or other!
Reckon you could win Australia's funnyest Home Vid with a camera at a local boatramp, for an hour or two on a nice fine Saturday!! ;o)
Cheers!
Big Frank
Posts: 115
Date Joined: 07/02/06
Bad advice
Fair comment Flywest about technology improving faster than some people can keep up but when you do a TL3 course at some expense, you don't expect to be given the wrong information which leaves you with a dead boat at the boat ramp with a repair bill to follow.
Having said that however, the course was fun and if people approach it with an open mind, they will likely enjoy it more than if they feel the have been forced to attend due to new legislation. I found many ideas and tips were passed on at the various breaks in the course because the only thing we all had in common was an interst in boats, fishing etc so that's what we chin wagged about.
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15653
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Couldn't Agree More
Your on the money Big Frank!
I think more 'accidents' happen at the boat ramp after watching clowns do their best to ruin other people's days out. I watched the FWA boat on the weekend drive down the middle of the ramp and retrieve in front of 3 other boats when it was fully packed, then stood around and had a conversation for a couple of minutes. It wasn't the guys from fishing wa either, must have been someone from challenge marine.. Then again, thats nothing compared to what you see at East Freo ramp everyday!!! I was almost temtped to take down a vid camera just to tape some of the ridiculous antics that go on.. :(
Is definately something that should be tested or taught on the boatsmart courses, but as Flywest has said, where does it end? or even start in this case...
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Fly
Posts: 485
Date Joined: 04/02/06
Good point
About the advice...and paying for a service and getting "bad" advice.
You know - I usually let the net do my sourcing ofthat sort of info - but heck - if I'm paying I expect to get the very BEST advice...
I guess theres no need to go into the who's whats whens of this case - but one does wonder about the "qualification" required to issue a TL3 certificate.
I'd imagine you likely need a degree / diploma in teaching and to know probably nuthing about boats to qualifty if the TAFE institutions have anything to do with administering it!
Right now tho - we ARE in 'the middle' of quantum leaps in OB technology...take the new supercharged verado's...
Is ANYONE other than an expert factory trained outboard qualified mechanic really experienced enough, to give 'advice' about outboards?
You know - I personally have found, one or two US websites on boating / fishing frequented by just such people..and they seem to know LONG times ahead of us about potential problems with things because of the sheer size of their population and number of OB's in circulation AND the number of hours they put on OB's in just one tournament season (sometimes the equivalent of 10 years recreational use in just 12 months).
There is one guy there, Bob Dunkelmeir (posts as DUNK) who is probably THE single "expert" if ever there was one on Ob's (specially the older 2 stroke eveinrude / johstons etc, from his era as a OB mechanic) BUt even he is left wondering sometimes about the NEW technologies..
When I can't solve a OB issue - DUNK is my go to man!
He's been so successful at it - he now is a qualified "marine surveyor" who reports for a fee for people on the condition of new and used boats before they buy them...
He posts at Floridah Sportsmans magazines boating forum among others.
I do however think you raise a most valid point..
If the govt have legislated that you must attend a TL3 course AND as a result of recieving "bad advice" thats wrecked your OB - then MAYBE - you have some recourse?..as in damages????
Have you followed up with the training service provider?
Are they insured against such?
What about Marine safety (DPI) in Fremantle - how about asking them the same question!!!!
Better yet do it by email to both..and post your replies for all the world to see...
I mean, if you ARE forced to attend and you suffer a loss as a result..they MUST in some way be held accountable?
What would happen if rec boaters collectvely started a bouycott of the new courses?..as a result?
Would be interesting question for a radio talk back host too - maybe he could get the Minister Alanna MC Tiernan on air to provide "advice" on that aspect!!!
Thats my initial take on it...
What do others think?
Cheers!
Big Frank
Posts: 115
Date Joined: 07/02/06
Good points
I did my TL3 about 3 years ago (just sent copy of certificate to DPI to get exemption from having to re - qualify). This was before it became mandated that everyone in charge of a boat must have some form of training so I don't know if I would get any joy following up so late after the event.
I think back then if things didn't go as expected, it would be put down to "sh** happens" and that would be the end of it. I suspect the mood in today's society has changed and that the increase in the amount of litigation we see ( I saw a sign in a park the other day saying "Beware of gumnuts" - they must have been the killer variety!) would result in a different outcome.
This doesn't take away from the validity of your comments and it would be well worth establishing the answers before embarking on a course. Why would anyone pay for bad advice?
I imagine that course presenters may need to bring in "the experts" to cover topics such as OB's. I did my course at TAFE and they were running a course called "Outboard Maintainance" at the same time - perhaps I should have attended that as well.