MAKING WAVES

Charity cruise

Sydney boaters are being asked to join the annual Cruise for a Cure on Sunday, February 24, a charity event in aid of children battling cancer. The children choose their preferred activity from fishing, sailing, heading offshore and seeing the Harbour Bridge and Opera House up close, and the boat owners deliver. The event is organised in association with Cure Our Kids foundation and sponsorships are available on the day. Boats will leave from two locations: The Spit and Pittwater. Register at sbmmaritimosydney.com.au.

Unsafe towing

A total of 104 boaters were fined following checks of 2403 vessels on NSW waterways in January during Operation Tow Safe. There were also 123 formal warnings issued. The most significant towing problems occurred in the Sydney region, where there were three penalty notices issued for towing without an observer and three for towing more than three people. The worst example of non-compliance occurred when an unregistered personal watercraft with an unlicensed driver not wearing a lifejacket was found towing a person not wearing a lifejacket without an observer in a no-towing zone. The offender was fined $750.

Prop chop rescue

Marine Rescue Cottage Point has been praised for providing emergency first aid in early February to a swimmer struck by a houseboat propeller in Cowan Creek. A group of friends hired a houseboat to host a weekend on Jerusalem Bay. A man was swimming near the stern when the skipper reversed suddenly to avoid going aground. The swimmer was hit by a propeller, resulting in deep cuts to his right ankle and foot. He was transported to the Cottage Point base by runabout. Perhaps houseboat operators might consider prop guards similar to those used on surf-rescue inflatable boats.

Riviera SUV flagship

Riviera has released details of its second boat in the new all-purpose SUV range. The 565 SUV, which is due for release in May at the Riviera Festival of Boating, follows hot on the keels of the 445 SUV, which was launched in August 2012. Based on the Riviera 53 Enclosed Flybridge hull, it features three cabins and two bathrooms, with flexible accommodation for six to eight adults. The twin Volvo IPS 900 engines have a cruising range of about 390 nautical miles at 23 knots to 25 knots, and a top speed of more than 30 knots.