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Submitted: Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 11:12
ThreadID: 81128 Views:4762 Replies:5 FollowUps:3
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Is it safe to use an inflatable boat like a Zodiac in the Northern Territory and crocodile inhabited waters?
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Reply By: 3GoBush - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 11:30

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 11:30
Try this

Or this

Or this
AnswerID: 429338

Reply By: Joe Grace Doomadgee - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 14:17

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 14:17
About as safe as smoking in a petrol tank......i wont ask if you are "mad" and i wont ask if you are setting some kind of endurance record and i wont ask if the life insurance is a factor in the thoughts ....... everyone else will ......

I have seen a croc attack an outboard leg, tinnys and all sorts of other things, they dont attack you in a boat for food it is because you drift into there territory and they want you out so will make a snap at anything that comes near and you will never see them but you will feel them first .....
In short it is NOT safe, you would probally be safer standing knee deep as you have a slim chance of escaping, in a boat you are dead meat .....

Only other chance you may have is fill it with LPG and chain smoke, when the croc attacks it will blow you to dry land and scare the crocs away for a bit....
AnswerID: 429346

Reply By: Sreval - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 15:39

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 15:39
Thanks for the feedback. The replies you got to your enquiry 3GoBush were particularly interesting. On balance I think I will go with a tinnie.

Cheers
AnswerID: 429349

Reply By: Bazooka - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 17:20

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 17:20
Hi
Took one (Achilles, about 4m long) to the Kimberley and Top End about 25 years ago without any drama. Trolled for barra on the Mary River, lots of crocs including two very large ones on one stretch where we were camped. Had been a fishing comp in the area a few weeks before and a tinnie sank. Lost all their fishing gear but 4 guys swam to shore safely from memory. Never felt unsafe in the inflatable - crocs attacking boats is VERY rare. Would I do it now (older, wiser, bigger croc numbers)? Don't know - suffice to say the risks are not as great as some would have you think.
AnswerID: 429366

Follow Up By: Joe Grace Doomadgee - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 19:20

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 19:20
dont know about "VERY" rare, we lived in the top end for some time and it was "VERY" common, have photos of Deano's boat leg, 40hp with bent prop and can still see the teeth marks, not just scratchs but grooves in the metal and numerous photos in the NT news also .......
Wading and swimming is common in croc infested waters but attacks are "rare" but sadly almost all are fatal .......
I guess it is only my opinion but it does increase the risk just a tad, i do also know of many tinnies that have sunk so go one with "floatation" and look at the stats of the tinnies..... almost all were rather a tad pi$$ed .......
Also a common NT problem :-)
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FollowupID: 700140

Follow Up By: Bazooka - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 19:59

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 19:59
Happy to eat my words Joe if you can show me any evidence for your comment that boat attacks by crocs are/were common. The stats don't seem to agree with you about almost all attacks being fatal either:http://iucncsg.org/ph1/modules/Crocodilians/attacks.html
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FollowupID: 700141

Follow Up By: Joe Grace Doomadgee - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 20:58

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 20:58
interesting stats so i see your point .......... i only base it on what i have seen and heard/read, i worked on a pearl farm north of Broome and after that worked on the tour boats at Yellow waters Coonida, then in Maningrida and Bickerton Island (gulf of carpentairia) so i had contact with a large number of boaties and locals, damn i miss it now...... dont miss diving to repair a shear pin on a prop and seeing a croc in the same spot the next day .... (i was the marine mech, pearl farm and cooinda)
No need to eat ya words as it is after all just simply my opinion, everyone to them selfs ....
Interesting to note, my boss at the pearl farm was telling me how they swam in Yellow waters billabong years ago, everyone did back then as ALL the crocs were shot out of there and most of the NT .........
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FollowupID: 700146

Reply By: trilogy - Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 19:41

Saturday, Sep 04, 2010 at 19:41
The Army have been using Zodiacs all over the Kimberly and all of the NT since the 80s and although they generally carry live ammo have never had a problem. The locals seem to be very complacent about crocs and have the opinion you are far more likly to die by any other reason rather than a croc.
It is well know that one of the biggest fears of dying is being eaten alive and this scare a lot of people in to being very carful in croc areas..
People these days need to have a hard look at weather a bit of danger in their is such a bad thing.My concern would be more for the people sent to medievac or do the body recovery.
Be alert but not alarmed.

The statics below show

Human Deaths in Australia Between 1980-1990, Inclusive (from Stevens & Paxton, 1992)
Cause of Death Total Deaths Average per year
Crocodile Attacks 8 0.7
Shark Attacks 11 1.0
Lightning Strikes 19 1.7
Bee Stings 20 1.8
Scuba Diving Accidents 88 8.0
Drownings/Submersions 3,367 306
Motor Vehicle Accidents 32,772 2,979


AnswerID: 429372

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