Poole Harbour Guide 2011 - Poole Harbour Commissioners

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Fast and fun!
By Paul Glatzel,
RYA Personal Watercraft Trainer
Personal watercraft (or ‘jetskis’ as many
people know them) offer a cost effective
and simple way to get onto the water, to
explore, to tow skiers, to blast around and
to wave jump. If you are one of the many
people that have used a PW then you’ll
know how much fun they can be, you’ll
also probably know that not everyone likes
them and many harbours and local
authorities have banned them from their
waters due to the actions of a few. So what
do you need to do when out and about
round Poole Harbour and Bay ensure that
you have a great time but leave others
feeling PW riders are safe and careful users
of our beautiful waters.
Personal Watercraft
is the most secure means of attachment .
If you are heading out of the harbour or
to the PW Area respect the speed limits (6
knots in all but the main channel where it is
10 knots) and remember that out of the
main season the speed limit is relaxed only
in certain parts of the harbour.
Do have fun in the harbour and be an
ambassador for personal watercraft when
you are out there.
Whether you launch at Baiter Slipway or
from elsewhere in the harbour ensure that
you obtain the Harbour Permit for PWs
and learn where the designated PW area is.
Realise that whilst you may enjoy hanging
donuts off Baiter that not everyone will
enjoy watching you and that the drone of a
PW when you are trying to sit and look
across the harbour can be quite annoying –
not to mention the fact that you will
probably be breaking the speed limit.
Additionally, blasting around in the area of
the Slipways is potentially dangerous for
other water users. Wear the kill cord at all
times attached to your buoyancy aid as this