These regulations are changing all the time. The major one that effects us is the number of people we can have in the boat with us. This changed a week or so again to 5 people from out side the immediate family from the previous two.
Todays announcement for people that have had both jabs is that overseas travel is available from the middle of October! [this year]!

Ramona I think you're confusing Gladys talking about possible future scenarios with actual announcement. Both of those things were mentioned as "Possible with 70% of the population having double vaccination" but by no means a done deal.

Actually Ramona, I'll give you the 5 people on the boat one, but not for a few weeks yet and only within the restrictions of LGA or 5km from home and only if all are double jabbed...

Agreed, it is all a bit confusing. My position is slightly different... I am at Southport in QLD, and I want to return to Sydney. So, I called NSW Marine Area Command for advice. The officer I spoke to couldn't give an answer, so he promised to check with the Police Legal Department. He called back, and confirmed that I am allowed to sail back to my mooring. I am also allowed to stop over along the way, and to go ashore for essential supplies etc. Which I think is quite reasonable...

(On the subject, would anyone like to join me on the trip? I don't feel like doing it solo again... Everything covered, and I also don't mind contributing to your return fare. My vessel is a Chieftain 38. I'd be happy to do the usual overnight stops - Yamba, Port M, Port S etc - or to sail straight through if that suits. I'm ready to go now, but mid-October would be the latest I'd like to leave.)

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Jethrow said..
Ramona I think you're confusing Gladys talking about possible future scenarios with actual announcement. Both of those things were mentioned as "Possible with 70% of the population having double vaccination" but by no means a done deal.

The trouble is the rules are changing all the time and the official webpage is often several days behind. Gladys announcements at 1100 are often the only time you will hear them. There are so many exemptions and these are steadily being relaxed. The rules for amateur fishermen are pretty close to what we can do. I have been working on my yacht 6 days a week for the last 9 months and listening to the radio so I'm forced to hear the constant updates. In NSW we have a Stay at Home order, this is nothing like a lockdown that Victoria has. If you look at the official webpage and app there is no mention of a lockdown anywhere and you certainly wont hear those words leave Gladys's lips!
I live in an LGA that according to the news last night has the fastest number of new cases yet with all the exemptions in place life carries on pretty much as normal. The shops that are still open are packed. Numbers of people around the town are up. Beach car parks are full on weekdays. People that need to work still do and can cross several LGA's. The official rules about singles bubbles are downright entertaining! Sydney people with holiday homes here have moved down. I've never seen so many strangers in town. The usual suspects are going sailing.

Just discovered off a Facebook site that the rules changed on September 10 and I am allowed more than 50 Ks out of Sydney to check on my boat and do maintenance work. I can't take it anywhere but I was in the middle of a number off maintenance projects anyway so much so that all my tools are on the boat and I can't do stuff around the house. Might wait till after the weekend so I don't have to justify myself to idiot cops who don't know the rules or who have been told to check me by paranoid locals.

Wow.

We down south continue to goggle at your relative freedom despite all that is happening. After midnight tonight I will be allowed to go to my boat and sail a few miles up and down the coast, while keeping within a few hundred metres of the shore, staying within my newly-granted 10km radius.

I'm not complaining, willing to bear some inconvenience, just amazed at the different approach.

Cheers, Graeme

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wongaga said..
Wow.

We down south continue to goggle at your relative freedom despite all that is happening. After midnight tonight I will be allowed to go to my boat and sail a few miles up and down the coast, while keeping within a few hundred metres of the shore, staying within my newly-granted 10km radius.

I'm not complaining, willing to bear some inconvenience, just amazed at the different approach.

Cheers, Graeme

Yes is it would be a big advantage to live in plus keep your boat in an LGA that bordered a large oceanfront water body plus of course a large LGA. As it is I can only work on my boat not take it anywhere as I don't live anywhere near the LGA where it is moored. Furthermore my LGA is relatively small and doesn't border any water. At least it's not an LGA "of concern". By the way Sydney is still stuck with a 5km radius for most things not 10 like you are now allowed. Very little logic behind a lot of these things.

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julesmoto said..
Just discovered off a Facebook site that the rules changed on September 10 and I am allowed more than 50 Ks out of Sydney to check on my boat and do maintenance work. I can't take it anywhere but I was in the middle of a number off maintenance projects anyway so much so that all my tools are on the boat and I can't do stuff around the house. Might wait till after the weekend so I don't have to justify myself to idiot cops who don't know the rules or who have been told to check me by paranoid locals.

I take this print out of the rules with me in the car to show any misinformed coppers - just in case!!

Out here in the country regions of NSW, we're out out of lockdown or stay at home orders, but there's an interesting anomoly. When the whole state was required to stay at home (at the minimum) I could have gone down to check the boat. Now that my LGA is out of the stay=at=home regime, if I go down to check the boat (which is within the stay-at-home areas) I'll have to isolate when I get home.

I can understand the logic but we do miss being able to go down and check on her. But out here in the country, we're incredibly lucky. Even in lockdown we with properties can do things city people can only dream of. About 95%+ of the people in town (Armidale) are wearing masks when walking around even though none are legally required outdoors. The ethos seems to be that everyone is prepared to do their bit to ensure we don't get locked down again. I feel for the people in the cities and for those in areas like Ramona's.

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julesmoto said..
Yes is it would be a big advantage to live in plus keep your boat in an LGA that bordered a large oceanfront water body plus of course a large LGA. As it is I can only work on my boat not take it anywhere as I don't live anywhere near the LGA where it is moored. Furthermore my LGA is relatively small and doesn't border any water. At least it's not an LGA "of concern". By the way Sydney is still stuck with a 5km radius for most things not 10 like you are now allowed. Very little logic behind a lot of these things.

This will help I hope. Should be clear enough for any of the boys in blue to see. No km or LGA limit applies. Downloaded from a link on my local sailing clubs website.

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Azure305 said..

julesmoto said..
Yes is it would be a big advantage to live in plus keep your boat in an LGA that bordered a large oceanfront water body plus of course a large LGA. As it is I can only work on my boat not take it anywhere as I don't live anywhere near the LGA where it is moored. Furthermore my LGA is relatively small and doesn't border any water. At least it's not an LGA "of concern". By the way Sydney is still stuck with a 5km radius for most things not 10 like you are now allowed. Very little logic behind a lot of these things.

This will help I hope. Should be clear enough for any of the boys in blue to see. No km or LGA limit applies. Downloaded from a link on my local sailing clubs website.

Thank you for posting that. The requirement to wear a mask on your boat when it is on a mooring is manifestly absurd but certainly a lot better than not going at all. I don't think you have to wear a mask in your car which would be the closest analogy. Of course none of these rules make sense so applying logic would dispense with most of them. Water Police told me one of the biggest problems is regional people being turned against their fellow Australians in Sydney and trying to dob them in despite the fact but we are paying the major price and without us they would have no pensions, dole, job keeper, state funded schools, police, hospitals, products to buy in Bunnings dot.dot. Very sad!

Eh? Sure, this should not turn into a Sydney versus regions battle, but people in the regions pay their way just like people in Sydney do. Without people in the regions, Sydney would have little or no electricity, milk, gas, meat, eggs, etc. Put it this way, if we cut Sydney off entirely from the regions we'd do a lot better than you would. Luckily it won't come to that.

One thing that seems interesting is that in a region that has come out of lockdown and stay-at-home orders, about 95% of people are wearing masks even walking around outside when they don't have to. I'm only going off reports, but word is that in Sydney far fewer people are trying to follow control measures. So if people come into a region and don't seem to be trying to do the right thing, it's not surprising if others complain about it.

Oh, and yes, wearing a mask on a mooring is bizarre.

I'm so confused.
A very large commercial vessel from the Rozelle marina was mored in Chinamans beach today, at a guess about 15-20 people on board.
water police swept pass and did not stop then the boat stayed there all day.
About 200 meters away three CYCA boats all rafted up with a combined population of 20 people sat for most of the day.
last Sunday afternoon we watched a constant precession of returning craft pass under the Harbour bridge, many appearing from behind Bradley's Head.

How is this possible?

Discuss....

Cheers. SoloCMV

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SoloCMV said..
I'm so confused.
A very large commercial vessel from the Rozelle marina was mored in Chinamans beach today, at a guess about 15-20 people on board.
water police swept pass and did not stop then the boat stayed there all day.
About 200 meters away three CYCA boats all rafted up with a combined population of 20 people sat for most of the day.
last Sunday afternoon we watched a constant precession of returning craft pass under the Harbour bridge, many appearing from behind Bradley's Head.

How is this possible?

Discuss....

Cheers. SoloCMV

According to the latest update they are breaking the law!!!!

Maybe they were all from the same family/household on each boat!!

Dunno what the rules are for commercial vessels!!

The NSW Maritime are well out of date with their regulations. It's been 5 people on a boat, not from the same family for a fortnight or so. The 5 ks from your home only applies to some suburbs in Sydney with small LGA's. In my case I'm limited to about 100 kilometers of coastline out to 5 kilometers.
I'm guessing if the people on the commercial boats were on the deck in the open the rules would be the same as being at the beach or park.

Garth Ward, the member for Kiama will be on the FM radio station 2ST tomorrow morning explaining and answering queries on this subject as he has done for the last 3 weeks.

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Ramona said..
It's been 5 people on a boat, not from the same family for a fortnight or so.

I'd love to see that in writing - do you have any links Ramona??

I'm, going to have to call you out again Ramona. This is from Wednesday 15th. See the second last paragraph.

Unfortunately it comes down to interpretation of the rules, and they are just that rules nothing has been passed into law. As to commercial vessels the local ferry run resumed today and other than the crew looking like masked bandits it was the ( new ) normal, QR code, wash hands bla bla. And for the record in my opinion 5 people on a 40ft boat is 3 people to many anytime

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Lazzz said..

Ramona said..
It's been 5 people on a boat, not from the same family for a fortnight or so.

I'd love to see that in writing - do you have any links Ramona??

The only true regulations are the NSW health page. Garth Ward reckons the info is all there but is very hard to find! Garth has a web page and he also welcomes inquiries by phone. He is a member of this government but does not agree with the way things are operating. He makes the point though that you should always carry identification with you and if your crossing LGA's carry the appropriate paperwork. One of the most common questions he gets each week is from amateur fishermen wanting to know how many people can be on the boat!
He is on air in 2 minutes!

Keep it up, finding it very entertaining as you discuss the interpretations to allow you to do what you want.

Its a lockdown

our club is locked out.
We can use any of the facilities/dingy ramp etc.

Its a lockdown.

We cant sail.

Its a lockdown.

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crustysailor said..
Its a lockdown

our club is locked out.
We can use any of the facilities/dingy ramp etc.

Its a lockdown.

We cant sail.

Its a lockdown.

Your in Victoria. They have a lockdown. People in NSW are under Stay at Home orders with about 300 exceptions!

I did not hear all of Garth Wards question and answer thing today as I was working in the cockpit and making a bit of noise. The stuff I did hear though was mostly about peoples confusion over the 5k from home business which does not apply unless you live on the edge of an LGA. In my case I can wander anywhere in the Shoalhaven LGA. What I did hear though was further relaxation of the rules announced over the weekend and the possibility of an early exit from the stay at home order. There was plenty of mentions about the groups of 5 double vax people though who are allowed to play tennis and golf etc but lawn bowls is still out. The five people playing golf has been about for a fortnight or so, same time as the rules were relaxed for boating.
Basically it pays to keep a social distance when possible. This has been a bit hard at times at the boat ramp when a couple of boats turn up at the same time plus the odd people just standing about.

The sooner this virus spreads and kills who it has to the better. People need to accept that nobody lives forever and make peace with death

The last line says it all. "Stay within your local LGA[can be over 5 k from home]". For a lot of people fortunate enough not to live in Sydney sometimes that LGA is a very large area!

Yes we will have to put up with this virus for a very long time. For over 90% of cases are fairly mild and apparently a fairly high percentage of us have already had the virus and did not know it. Unfortunately we could have been transmitting the virus unwittingly.

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Jolene said..
The sooner this virus spreads and kills who it has to the better. People need to accept that nobody lives forever and make peace with death

I agree. One shouldn't take life too seriously because none of us gets out of it alive.

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Ramona said..
The last line says it all. "Stay within your local LGA[can be over 5 k from home]". For a lot of people fortunate enough not to live in Sydney sometimes that LGA is a very large area!

Yes we will have to put up with this virus for a very long time. For over 90% of cases are fairly mild and apparently a fairly high percentage of us have already had the virus and did not know it. Unfortunately we could have been transmitting the virus unwittingly.

As always it's geared for the metropolitan & inner city, if you live in say tabulm your in Tenterfield lga but casino is the closest centre and its Richmond valley lga & it's a lot more than 5 kms.

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Jolene said..
The sooner this virus spreads and kills who it has to the better. People need to accept that nobody lives forever and make peace with death

Had similar acceptance when riding motor bikes now not on your bloody life . I'll go out kicking and screaming thank you.

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Jolene said..
The sooner this virus spreads and kills who it has to the better. People need to accept that nobody lives forever and make peace with death

So what is your acceptable death rate?
You live in a civilised society and indeed presently the world champion jurisdiction in terms of control and containment and death rate
so far you at 5.2 mil population with 2017 cases and 7 deaths
search the Republic of Ireland for comparison for another first world health system