Mooring problems put down to speeding boats

By Glen Atwell
SPEEDING boats, not slipping moorings are causing problems at Warneet foreshore, according to a registered moorings contractor.
Glen Harvie, manager of Mooring Services Victoria, said the five knot speed limit was being ignored by most boats launching from the ramp.
He said the booming population in Cranbourne and surrounding suburbs was responsible for the increase in the amount of water traffic going in and out at Warneet.
Mr Harvie said the use of trailer boats had increased dramatically in the past year and blamed ‘speeding hoons’ formost of the problems.
“Warneet is the closest boat ramp to an area rapidly expanding. The main problem is boaters going way too fast,” he said.
“Occasionally we get the water police down here booking people, but it’s not often enough.”
His claims follow a recent News article, ( March 20) in which boat owners alleged problems with slipped moorings at Warneet had caused boats to come adrift.
However, Mr Harvie said the problems were often the fault of boat owners, not the contractors who install them.
“Some owners go a year without visiting their moored vessel. The rope between the boat and the above water float wears down and gives way,” he said.
“As mooring contractors, we are responsible for the chains from the float to the seabed weight, not the rope between the vessel and the float.”
Mr Harvie described as nonsense claims that mooring contractors used concrete set in car tyres as weights.
“I am a registered Parks Victoria mooring contractors and I stand behind my work,” Mr Harvie said.
“The minimum weight used (for moorings) is 450 kilograms,” he said. “This is either a train wheel or a large truck wheel filled with silicon cement and wrapped in thick chain.”