Welcome to another edition of our electronic Newsletter - Captain's Briefing.
Together with you, we share a common love of the water and all things boating. This newsletter is full of information and stories, written and collated by our team at St Kilda Boats Sales & Service Centre. Remember, we are right on the water's edge @ St Kilda Marina and only 8kms from the Melbourne CBD. We are uniquely placed to offer you a complete and pleasurable boating experience.
Season's Greetings
Let us take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very merry Christmas with a safe and wonderful New Year. And a Happy Chanukah to those that celebrate!!
To everyone, we hope the coming year is full of good health together with fun times spent with those that are important and urge you to be safe & sensible on the water.
On behalf of Dealer Principals Andrew Rose & Darren Finkelstein, together with our crew:
Bev, Sonny, Wayne, Rhys, Chris, Damo and John @ Boat Sales
We sincerely thank you for your custom during 2008 and hope that our level of service to you in 2009, continues to exceed your expectations.
Sunday Sessions Return
They are back to play, where it all started....
Boby Valentine and The Providers are returing to the Gazebo @ The Great Provider, here at St Kilda Marina to entertain.
3pm-6pm every Sunday
The Great Provider
St Kilda Marina
Marine Parade Elwood Phone: 03) 9525-5855
When thinking about the current worldwide economic times, always remember.....
The tide always comes back in - So this too will pass
Besides, the Snapper don't know there's a recession
Christmas Closure
SERVICE CENTRE
Closed 12 noon - Wednesday 24th December
Re-Open 8.30am - Monday 12th January
BOAT SALES
Closed 12 noon - Wednesday 24th December
Re-Open 8.30am - Monday 12th January
Fuel Availability over Christmas + New Year period
Because we are a preferred supplier of fuel to Victorian emergency services incl. Water Police, Coast Guard & Marine Safety and nationally to Department of Defence: Army & Navy, we will have plenty of quality BP Fuel both Diesel & Unleaded in our holding tanks to cover the Christmas & New Year period... So there is no need to worry about supply with our fuel dock open 24-7 for your convenience.
To avoid running out of fuel in your vessel during our Christmas close down, please note the following arrangements...
Pre-Paid Card Holders
If you are a current pre-paid fuel card holder?..
Plan ahead, so why not simply phone Bev or Andrew at our Service Centre, early December on 03) 9534-8213 to top-up your credit on your pre-paid card.
We can arrange over the phone, top-ups using your valid credit card* (MasterCard or Visa).
Should you run out of your fuel credit during our close down, visit the St Kilda Marina office (see below) where you can purchase fuel-card(s) with pre-set credit amounts - to hold you over until our Service Centre re-opens, when we can top-up your cards.
General Public
The St Kilda Marina office is well stocked with our Fuel Cards during our Service Centre closure.
The Marina office is open daily 10am to 4pm and all public holidays (except Christmas Day).
Visa, MasterCard, EFTPOS or Cash accepted over the counter. St Kilda Marina office: 03) 9534-0448
Note: All Credit Card payments will attract a surcharge.
Web Cam, Live Date Announced
The technical pilot went very well and all involved were delighted with the quality of images, speed and informative page layout. The Web Cam will go LIVE (fingers crossed) on 10th December 2008.
Consider it a Christmas present to all mariners on the top end of Port Phillip Bay, from Club Marine and St Kilda Boat Sales.
Here's a reminder, of what were installing......
Facing west towards Williamstown, our Web Cam will provide full colour LIVE images to your computer (or compatible phone) via a complex high-speed ADSL2 & secure wireless network, back to our Boat Sales office on a streaming server for broadcast to the Internet. All captured from the top of Lighthouse at the St Kilda Marina, where the web-cam will be permanently situated.
Our Web Cam experience will be truly-engaging, giving users the unique ability to watch the top-end of Port Phillip Bay as our camera automatically sweeps on a pre-programmed path. We will capture and broadcast actual boating conditions and on-water activity, LIVE to the computer user. Easy access to live weather data will also be set-up, so users can plan their on-water activity easily from a single, reliable data source.
No longer will have to drive to the water's edge to check out the conditions before deciding to go boating. Now just log on from your office or home from regional areas, interstate or overseas to see the LIVE images, down here from the top of the Lighthouse, some 60m above St Kilda Marina.
Our camera will also display compass directions, so mariners can familiarise themselves with the surrounds and better understand the wind and water effect on conditions, so as to increase their on-water safety.
It is anticipated that users will be able to view LIVE action from;
All of the shipping channel's access to Station Pier.
Melbourne CBD, Port Melbourne, Williamstown and Altona.
Sweeping across the bay to Elwood, Brighton moving south towards Sandringham and beyond.
Down to Mornington and Werribee, on that perfect day.
Access to the Web Cam will be free to the public and available exclusively through the St Kilda Boat Sales and Club Marine websites. Visit www.stkildaboatsales.com.au.
Enchanced Marine Forecasting
A number of marine service enhancements have been introduced in Victoria, by the Bureau of Meteorology, to improve the usability of marine forecasts and provide mariners with an improved level of service.
The service enhancements which came into effect on Tuesday 28 October 2008 include:
• An additional Victorian coastal waters zone
• Port Phillip and Western Port to have separate Forecasts and Warnings
• Improvements to coastal and local waters warnings
An additional Victorian coastal waters zone
As of 28 October 2008, Victoria now has four coastal waters zones instead of three. The current East coast zone which covers Wilson's Promontory to Gabo Island has been split into two zones at Lakes Entrance. The new boundary is located between Lakes Entrance and Flinders Island forming two coastal zones named Central Gippsland Coast and East Gippsland Coast.
This new division will provide mariners with more detailed coastal waters forecast information between Wilson's Promontory and Gabo Island.
The four Victorian coastal waters zones are summarised as follows:
• West Coast - SA/VIC border to Cape Otway
• Central coast - Cape Otway to Wilson's Promontory
• Central Gippsland Coast - Wilson's Promontory to Lakes Entrance
• East Gippsland Coast - Lakes Entrance to Gabo Island
Port Phillip and Western Port now have separate Forecasts and Warnings
Forecasts for Port Phillip and Western Port were previously issued as a combined text-based product. This also applied to the warnings for these two areas. As of 28 October 2008, Port Phillip and Western Port local waters forecasts and warnings are available as separate products.
Separating Port Phillip and Western Port will provide a more detailed level of forecast information for these two adjacent local waters areas.
Also, terminology for wave information in these forecasts will be consistent with the coastal waters forecasts. Therefore sea (or wind) waves will be referred as 'Seas' in the forecasts.
Improvements to Coastal and Local Waters warnings
Coastal and local waters marine warnings have been improved to highlight the worst conditions expected within the next 24 hours. Warnings will focus on the highest winds and highest waves expected in a designated area. Note that these highest winds are averages and do not include gusts. Similarly the highest waves are the significant waves and not maximum waves. For more information on wind and waves see: About marine services.
Mariners are reminded that more detailed information is contained within the coastal and local waters forecasts.
The highest waves are derived from the expected total wave height and consistent with terminology used in coastal waters forecasts, the highest waves will be referred as 'Combined sea and swell'.
Note that the wind warning thresholds for strong winds, gale, storm force and hurricane force wind warnings remain unchanged.
This news story was reprinted with permission from Shipmate:
Visit www.shipmate.com.au
Please Note: The St Kilda Boat Sales website has already implemented changes to its data feed and weather links from The Bureau Of Meteorology, to reflect the above enchancements and warnings.
Recreational Boating Zones - Review & Proposal
Parks Victoria Community Update:
Why do Recreational Boating Zones need to be reviewed?
The existing Boating Zones in Port Phillip and Western Port were created in an ad hoc way and do not reflect changing trends in boating activity.
Parks Victoria (PV) as the Local Port Manager of Port Phillip and Western Port, jointly with Marine Safety Victoria (MSV) who oversee the management of recreational boating across Victoria, have reviewed the existing Boating Zones. This was to determine what zone types are required in each local area around Port Phillip and Western Port to allow safe access and use of the coast and waterways.
Following community consultation a standard set of zones and criteria for applying them was devised. Parks Victoria has worked in partnership with MSV and in consultation with the local community to apply these zones across Port Phillip and Western Port.
What are Boating Zones?
Boating Zones are prepared under the Marine Act 1988 with the primary aim of providing a safe environment for water users. They apply conditions of operation and prohibit incompatible uses for safety reasons.
The principles that have been applied during review of the recommendations are that the Boating Zones should be:
Safe
Practical
Easy to identify
Easy to comply with and regulate
Responding to current and anticipated future water uses
What are the recommendations?
Some of the general and more significant recommendations that are made as a result of reviewing each local area include:
The realignment and simplification of zones to provide a more user-friendly arrangement;
Consistently applying a No Boating Zone in front of Life Saving Clubs to provide increased swimmer safety;
The introduction of Kiteboard Operating Areas to allow for the safe operation of the increasingly popular sport;
The removal of 'No Sailboard, 'Sailboards Only', 'No PWC or Sailboards' and 'PWC Only'; zones to reflect changing water uses and duplication with other zones; and
The adjustment of the 5 knot zone between Safety Beach and Blairgowrie from 760m from shore to 500m from shore.
How will the new zones be implemented?
Recommendations will be finalised following the consideration of community feedback.
Works to update buoys, piles and signage will then commence beginning where the current zones are particularly problematic. Implementation will continue over the next couple of years as weather conditions, materials and contractor availability allows.
As works progress Notices to Mariners will be issued to advise of new zone arrangements.
Stakeholder Consulation Process (Yes, we were invited....)
St Kilda Boat Sales and Service Centre was invited some months ago, by Parks Victoria and the Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIA Vic) to be an industry representative in the stakeholder consulation process. The processs to better understand the zoning proposal and to look into location issues and specifics with those that know....
We gave opinion and shared local understanding of the areas surrounding the St Kilda Marina and power boating destinations in general, along the bay.
We were delighted to be invited to attend this process and feel comfortable that what is being proposed is a workable solution for all parties that share Port Phillip Bay. In addition, the proposed zone at St Kilda, provides a much safe enterance and exit to the Marina ensuring within this boating zone, that boat speed does not exceed 5 knots. This now makes it illegal for some irresponsible, PWC drivers to jump the boat wash and fly in and out of the marina enterance and accross to the beach area up to Brooks Jetty causing concerns for all mariners.
A great and workable solution for all concerned, without safety, common sense nor practicality, being compromised.
Have Your Say
To comment on a particular map please complete the and email to: boatingzones@parks.vic.gov.au
Alternatively you can post to:
Boating Zone Review
Parks Victoria
P.O. Box 400
Rosebud 3939
Parks Victoria is inviting comments on the draft boating zone recommendations until 5 December 2008.
Any questions, must be directed to Parks Victoria.
OVER N' OUT
We hope you have once again enjoyed reading Captain's Briefing, for another month.
We look forward to bringing to you interesting news and information that we hope you find both relevant and just good fun to read. Remember, should you have a topic that you would like to read about or interesting marine related news you think appropriate, to be circulated to 3,000+ mariners via email.
Simply, give Darren a call @ Boat Sales on 03) 9525-5500 or email your opinion, feedback, comments and articles of interest. Safe Boating Always,
Darren & Andrew Dealer Principals
St Kilda Boat Sales Pty Ltd St Kilda Boat Sales Service Centre Pty Ltd
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