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Presseerklärung der IWAI zum Thema Speedboote:

Deutsche Übersetzung

Press release 20 July 2000, Inland Waterways Association of Ireland:

Colin Becker, President of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, appealed today for owners of fast boats to slow down near other water-users. "We have reports of boats --- small speedboats and large cruisers --- going at up to 40 knots close to the shore and to other boats, moving or moored. Their wash is very dangerous to swimmers, to people in small boats (canoeists, anglers in open boats, children in sailing dinghies) and even to those in cruisers. It can cause boats to roll, people to fall over, boiling water to spill."

There is also damage to the environment as water-fowl move away to avoid the wash and banks get eroded.

Inland waterways regulations set a 5kph speed limit within 200 metres of a bridge or jetty, within 100 metres of a lock, in a canal or harbour or when passing within 100 metres of a moored vessel. The regulations say nothing about passing moving boats, but they too can be damaged by wash. And the regulations are being ignored by some owners --- admittedly a minority --- while Waterways Ireland does not have enough staff to enforce them.

"One of our members has a fifty-ton barge," said Colin Becker. "It was tied alongside a jetty but was tossed violently

and damaged by a speeding cruiser, causing severe distress to the old people on board at the time. Anyone getting on or off could have been thrown off and squashed between the barge and the jetty." Other members have had boats damaged by being thrown against quay walls, people knocked over and fittings broken.

"I'm appealing to owners of powerful fast boats to respect the waterways and the other users. We have three principles:

a) Don't compromise safety: your own or anyone else's.

b) Don't compromise the amenity (whether by pollution or by inappropriate speed).

c) Don't compromise anyone else's enjoyment by your behaviour (wake, noise etc).

A very simple rule is to keep a look-out over your shoulder and watch what your wash is doing and what it's affecting. Don't just stare ahead. This also allows you to be aware of faster craft overtaking you and to take any necessary measures such as altering course slightly to minimise the effect of their wash."

"At the moment some owners of fast boats are threatening safety, the environment and other people's enjoyment. We ask them to take care: we don't want to find that someone gets killed or seriously injured."