As summer begins to heat up, so do the tempers at Bent Street Boat Ramp in Safety Bay, with the Telegraphreceiving multiple reports of antisocial behaviour at one of Rocking- ham’s most frequented boating hotspots.
The site, which drew controversy earlier this year with issues involving dredging, is now in the midst of more drama after several users reported a surge in instances of verbal abuse and violence.
One Waikiki fisherman who spoke to the Telegraph anonymously said he had been threatened with violence after asking a man to park his car in a more helpful spot.
“People aren’t waiting for others to get out,” he said.
“Fights are occurring early in the morning when everyone is trying to get in and out at the same time.
“A lot of people are impatient and the boat ramp needs one or two more bays.
“It’s only a matter of time until someone is seriously hurt.”
With the crayfish season’s annual “white run” already having begun, along with the end of the demersal finfishing ban for the West Coast Bioregion coming on December 15, traffic at boat ramps across Rockingham is expected to continue to rise.
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Lol
Pretty sure same at all ramps. Where's peter when you need him.( joke)
Saulty2
Posts: 644
Date Joined: 28/05/10
only issue i see is parking boat trailers
while some cars take up that space,its organized chaos , wait time is 2-3 minutes can always beach launch and retrive .
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
Took 30 minutes to launch at
Took 30 minutes to launch at WP on Sunday. Incredibly civil and flowed very well. People launching stayed in the right hand waiting lade and so people retrieving could drive around the inside of them.
Allowed plenty of time to make sure your dock lines were ready, canopy was up so as soon as the boat was in, the wife (with kiddo strapped to her chest) could putt around leaving the finger jetty clear while I parked the car.
After reading about a punch up and thrown cray on Saturday, I didn't have high hopes of a smooth flow but it seemed to work well.
rtomkyns78
Posts: 80
Date Joined: 13/09/13
thrown cray?
Who's throwing crays, throw them at me.
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Next year
They will come under controlled weapon.
PJim
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 26/04/11
I have been launching at
I have been launching at Carlisle street early mornings and hasn't been any agro at all that I have seen so far
Swompa
Posts: 3783
Date Joined: 14/10/12
There was a bloke a fortnight
There was a bloke a fortnight ago trying to do a 3 point trailer reverse around a bogged car, getting right in the way whilst people were trying to help the bogged driver.
He rightfully so copped a mouthful for not being patient and barging his way in.
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
And so he should
A couple of times I've seen people get bogged at launching ramps and 99.9% of the time people have got out of their cars and helped the person who has been in a bit of trouble.
If everyone gives a hand to those needing a bit of help the problem is resolved in very short time, the impatient sods who start yelling and loudly complaining about the hold up really give me the business. And I always think some day I hope you find yourself needing a hand to get out of a situation and just be grateful that a lot of people still have a bit of compassion for their fellow boatie.
sea-kem
Posts: 14853
Date Joined: 30/11/09
This all boils down to the
This all boils down to the price of the commodity, if crays were priced reasonably in the shops you wouldn't get this madness. Then again I hope the state and local governments are taking note as this is a massive spread out boon for the economy in regards boats, rego's , bait etc the list goes on. Probably a few more sick days registered this time of year though
Love the West!
Tom M
Posts: 662
Date Joined: 22/09/15
Bent street ramp closed down
Bent street ramp closed down to 1 ramp for a period of time last year and there were no issues, sounds like some new jerks to the area causing issues. Whats 10 minutes out of your life lighten up people its meant to be fun.
Tom M
dawsy
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 16/12/14
Gee, imagine if they had gone
Gee, imagine if they had gone to Hillarys where cars were lined up through the Westcoast drive and up Hepburn Avenue 100 metres
In years gone by, we would launch from other areas, but in councils wisdom, they closed all those areas to generate more ramp revenue.
Personally, litigation under current law has cost West Australians an enormous amount of freedom. The nanny state now has people forcibly taking boats off side well maintained verges that council expects owners to maintain for them.
Government has become vexatious. Trying to operate in sardine suburbs as a tradie has become not practical. I havent noticed anything like this in other parts of the world.
Councils have been happy to triple the density of housing and rate revenue per km2 since the 70s, but services have dropped, and legal action skyrocketed.
There has been little expansion of infrastructure and less planning for the population explosion the councils happily take more rates and less services for each year. I think there is less parking in Scarborough beach now than there was in the 1980s yet the population has nigh on doubled.
No doubt, councils like City of Perth have little to no incentive when they generate some $16 million a year in parking fines alone. Fines have become a source of revenue we send people to prison for under a lack of planning and infrastructure councils are making money out of.
Much of the litigation and vexatious change is driven by the councils insurance underwriters and over insured councils. The state has become a metaphoric POW camp with an invisible fence of where we are alllowed to go. Just keep the people inside their hen cages and we will give you insurance discount. How about changing the law that rewards people for their own stupidity?
I have tradies and labourers at one stage doing prison time to pay off their parking fines in the arena that frankly doesnt give a crap about tradies or the impacts their kids. There is simply no where to park these days with new planning densities etc. They think we all own twin blade helicopters.
Boating is one of the few industries that still provides real jobs for Western Australians. Politicians just shrug their shoulders thinking the money will stay inside the Western Australian macro economy.
While recreational angling generates $10 billion a year in economic revenue, we still pay for boat ramp infrastructure in our boat licencing. Thats more than all sports combined. Yep, anglers fund all these stadiums through their sport via tax revenue. Angling is the biggest sport nationwide, yet we continually get worked over via ramp closures, fishing closures, licence increases.
At some point, someone is going to kill the Golden Goose. Any politician that thinks or says the revenue will stay inside the WA macro economy is a bloody idiot and or corrupt.
I know at one stage, Allannah tried to rob Peter to pay Paul via the boat ramp fund of a million dollars. Luckily Recfishwest pulled her up with hand in the cookie jar.
If you lived in WA in the 70s and early 80s, you would realise how vexatious councils have become. How much the place has changed for the worse. Government spends more time litigating generally well behaved citizens while letting the career criminals run the prison.
Its the year of feckin safety!!! Feckin yeh!!!
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/baldivis-skipper-fights-to-keep-his-boat-parked-outside-his-home-ng-b88687943z
Rob H
Posts: 5744
Date Joined: 18/01/12
agreed
100%
Beaurocrats validating their positions in a manner that could be described as self serving.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Sea goat
Posts: 939
Date Joined: 26/03/17
was a bit of it going on at
was a bit of it going on at Hillary's the other morning, heard some fairly choice language being thrown around.
I agree totally, if someone is struggling why not just give them a hand instead of abusing them...would probably work out quicker and more enjoyable for everyone.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
I found everyone at Hillarys
I found everyone at Hillarys to be great on Sunday although I made a conscious decision to head in before the wind kicked up so only had about 6 boats in front of me. Even had a bloke grab my boat for me when I pulled up next to the jetty and offer to tie me up while I grabbed the car. One bloke was in my way as he wanted to reset his boat on the rollers so we let him down to do it without too much hassle and he was happily on his way. Like goat said if we all work together it makes life easy for all of us but the next 7 weeks will be pretty bad for those that don’t share a similar ethos until those boats go back under covers until next Summer holidays.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
Rob H
Posts: 5744
Date Joined: 18/01/12
Can I just point out...
that it sounds like you interact with people differently in real life than on Fishwrecked.
I'd be pretty sure that if you acted at a busy ramp, similar to the way you act online here at regular intervals, your story above would be a very different one.
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Marineboy
Posts: 839
Date Joined: 14/03/14
My thoughts
do you know what rob I just read jackfrosts post and thought exactly the same as you, it’s strange what hiding behind a keyboard does to the way he interacts with people. Having said that he commented on a post the other day that he had no friends, wonder why !
My spots are so secret even the fish don't know about them !
Rob H
Posts: 5744
Date Joined: 18/01/12
quote from a great man
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...
The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.
Everyone's just winging it.
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Keep pecking lads
Keep pecking lads
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
dumper
Posts: 1026
Date Joined: 03/04/08
I think that was me that
I think that was me that grabbed your rope. You had the death metal blasting?
Jackfrost80
Posts: 8048
Date Joined: 07/05/12
Haha yeah and thanks for
Haha yeah and thanks for omitting the part where I missed the jetty first run. Pretty f'n embarrassing in front of a packed ramp but nailed it on the 2nd run.
Officially off the Pies bandwagon
dumper
Posts: 1026
Date Joined: 03/04/08
I won’t mention the part it
I won’t mention the part it was me that recommended the yellow boat to pull in front of you to realign his trailer
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
Should be part of boat
Licence. Being smart at ramps. Sorry but some people are right di--s have no idea. 20 percent can't even reverse. This year alone reversed 4 guys trailers down. Some pull 3 meters out of water , block ramp and start to unpack ( really). People pulling into ramps stay at end when no one in front off them. ?. I can see why people get frustrated sometimes. Little bit sence at ramps goes a long way.:):)
wookstar
Posts: 71
Date Joined: 18/04/14
When i did my skippers
When i did my skippers ticket with Wayne Baddock down in Busselton he spend about another hour going through the do's and dont's at the ramp. I still remember those tips now. Cant remember the name of his company but was worth the money
little johnny
Posts: 5329
Date Joined: 04/12/11
That's a good
Thing,
big john
Posts: 8725
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Sea Soaring
Sea Soaring Marine I think wookstar.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
wookstar
Posts: 71
Date Joined: 18/04/14
Thats him - bloody
Thats him - bloody knowledgeable bloke
Mitch88
Posts: 181
Date Joined: 23/09/14
Bent street boat ramp IMO is
Bent street boat ramp IMO is poorly designed.
No where near enough parking for trailers, not enough ramps, area for rigging the boat is to small.
They opened up the overflow area which is more suited to the euro campervans that come down for kitesurfing as opposed to boat trailers.
However its only a matter of time before its shut with the way the sand movement is happening.
Thankfully I have the convienience of being a member at mangles bay and get to launch there.