The #StayHome coronavirus message can only disrupt boating

The weekend was also a busy time for marine rescue services, called out to help recreational boats stranded because of very basic oversights such as running out of fuel.

Yep, calls over the weekend for stricter coronavirus-related crowd control measures appear to have been largely ignored amongst hardcore recreational boaters, with some even suggesting they would even risk the wrath of authorities for a chance to wet a line.

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This defiance is in part down to be conflicting messages muddying the waters on whether or not boating – which, let’s be honest, tends to be enjoyed by largely small groups of mainly family members – is allowed in the age of COVID-19.

On the one hand, the Boating Industry Association of Australia is arguing that the opportunity to step out on the water is good for us, particularly in terms of mental health. And that’s important because we’re already seeing the Morrison government pledging more than $1 billion for mental health issues, including domestic violence.

Now, we’re not saying that leaving the boat in the driveway or at the marina for the weekend is one of the leading causes of mental health issues, including domestic violence, but a keen fisher staring forlornly at the trailer boat parked up in the driveway while those who ignore the #StayHome warnings flood social media with their catch can only be left feeling excluded.

Instead, we wonder if the policies applied to the many in the wake of the media images showing beaches along Australia’s eastern coast flooded with people who ignored the message have scooped up the few – including recreational boaters – who would have been doing the right thing.

Sure, you could argue that boaters still need to buy fuel, with petrol stations touted as a potential means of spreading coronavirus, and bait from retail outlets. But tradies working on still-open construction sites need to buy fuel and lunches.

Transport Safety Victoria weighed in at the weekend, heeding boaters to stay at home.

“To help slow the spread of coronavirus, we recommend you cancel planned boating activities this weekend,” it said. “Recreational boating is a non-essential activity.

“The advice to Victorians is clear: if you can stay home, you must stay home. Your exposure to others while refuelling, buying bait or being rescued in the event of an incident may contribute to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

“This is tough. But each of us are being asked to make sacrifices to save lives.”
The rules that will ultimately determine if owners can take out their boats are now starting to take shape, with individual states and territories setting slightly different guidelines as they roll out coping strategies. In some instances, these include the potential for fines for anyone caught outside their homes without a valid excuse.

But the signals are still not clear. In Victoria, it’s still okay to go and visit your weekender in the country, or your beach house, however, gather in groups of more than two people and you risk a $1600 fine. In NSW, if you’re in a group of more than two people other than family you won’t be fined, but you will be asked to justify why you’re away from home. In Queensland, government departments and ministers can't even seem to read from the same page on whether or not jumping on the boat is okay under the rapidly expanding control measures.

In light of tall this, it’s smart to take the safest path when it comes to boating; leave it tied up at the marina or parked up in the driveway.

As some people have observed, the break from fishing can only be good for the fish once things go back to normal.

Up until this point, the messages coming from the boating industry and government were at odds. From today, though, the #StayHome message is pretty simple.