Could someone in Tas inform me about the following please.
1. Do we need 2 parachute flares?
2. What's a heaving line, how long, construction etc?
3. Do we have to have a radar reflector hoisted or just carry?
4. Is the 2m line on buckets fixed and measured or what?
5. How much chain/line does a tender have to have on board?
6. Does a rubber ducky need a fire extinguisher?
Just want to know what they are policing on the above and any other strange items for Tasmanian waters.
G'day Phillip
Sorry for my slow reply, I don't get onto the computer much these days....
1. I have a couple of flares on board that I purchased a few years ago for the trip from Sydney to Hobart. From memory (and I must check them because they are still on the boat) there was one smokeflare and one parachute flare. Anyway, I'll chase it up and let you know.
2. A heaving line is a reasonable length of stout cord, maybe 20 or 30 feet max with a weight on the end (preferably padded). the cord can then be attached to a stronger line for feeding over to another vessel or wharf. You have probably worked it out by now... swing the weight around your head and chuck it at the happless recipient without knocking him or her out. Once they have grabbed it, they pull the line ashore or onto the other vessel..
3. Radar reflector... I just carried mine below.
4. The 2 metre line is fixed to the bucket... not around your ankle or anything else, unless by accident, of course. Great for doing a "bucket and chuck it" job in Wineglass Bay !
5. Don't worry about a chain on your tender unless it is over 6 meters long. In that case I would sail the tender and tow the Top Hat. Just a reasonable length of painter is required.
6. Unless your rubber ducky is over 6 meters, don't worry about a fire extinguisher. If it is over 6 metres long and using it to tow your Top Hat and you catch fire, you can always do a runner to the Toppy !
Other than that there are plenty of strange items down here in Tassie waters, but at least you should have fun. I think you might find the policing folk here a cheery lot too. Thay sail under the name of MAST (Marine and Safety Tasmania). Their boats a fairly well marked and not often seen... budget cutbacks and all. MAST has a quite a good and informative website where you can get a better run down on the requirements than I can give you.
Their website is
http://www.mast.tas.gov.au/domino/mast/mastweb.nsf/Cheerio for now Phillip
Austin
Sintra II
Mk1
Hobart