In Westland and Midden-Delfland there is a lot of inconvenience from hard navigators. That is why the water police and the Hoogheemraadschap have recently taken harder action to tackle this problem.
Loud music, noise, name calling and boating, not only do other recreationists suffer from it, but it is also bad for the flora and fauna. The boats break many bird’s nests and cause damage to the natural banks. “Look here,” said Barry Barends of the Hoogheemraadschap to media partner Omroep West and he points to a broken bank, “this is because people are sailing too fast and therefore cause too much wave action, the banks cannot stand that.”
Erik Smit is an invigilator at the water police, he estimates that there are about 150 to 200 small speedboats with overweight engines. “It is only allowed to sail at six kilometers per hour, but small speed boats often have too heavy engines and too young drivers and they do not comply with the rules, so we issue warnings and we issue fines,” says Erik Smit.
Jannie van Geest lives by the water and often cannot sleep at night from the noise of the party boats. “We have all been young, but this is really going too far. I lie awake at night from the noise and then I think, there we go again. I have also seen those small speed boats flying through a lot of geese, so antisocial I saw the feathers drifting in the air. “
During the interview a boat with partygoers arrives, the music is loud. Erik Smit addresses the people admonishingly: “That music really needs to be softer and you don’t stick to the one and a half meter.” The passengers meekly put the music softer and continue sailing.
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