The parasail boat that collided with another vessel Friday was an accident waiting to happen, says the Kelowna Yacht Club. Staff complain the operator is towing airborne passengers too close to kids and disabled people in sailboats, kicking up a wake and narrowly missing other pleasure craft near Kelowna‘s downtown lakeshore. "Our concern is he‘ll continue to operate dangerously, in our opinion, until someone is seriously injured or killed," said John Sharples, the club‘s sailing-fleet captain. "He‘ll run along the beach and turn in east toward the gas dock and yacht-club moorage, which is the most congested part of Okanagan Lake." Children sail small dinghies up to 100 metres from shore and disabled sailors sip and puff air through a straw to operate special sailboats with an instructor. Sharples claims the parasail boat motors within 35 metres of them, creating a "fairly large wake" behind it. Jim Kay, yacht club manager, says sailors use only a small part of Okanagan Lake. "We have some first-time boaters between ages 8 and 13. It‘s terrifying when a big boat like that goes by and they have a three-foot wake to contend with," he said. "We‘re asking for co-operation." Luke Weller, who operates the parasail boat, says he‘s trying to give it. He met with staff from the yacht club and sailing school last week. He explained how the wind direction forces him to follow certain routes on the lake so his customers stay aloft. "If there‘s a north or south wind, I can only go across the lake," he said. "I have less than two kilometres. Not enough room to successfully tack back far enough to make a turn." Weller drives past congested areas because his company relies on exposure to get customers, he said. He makes passes in front of City Park, the beach and along the boardwalk where people congregate, he said. "For me to parasail in the middle of the lake, nobody sees us out there," Weller said. "We have our phone number on our parachute." He can now identify the dinghies children and disabled sailors use, so he concentrates more on avoiding them. He objects to allegations that he looks over his shoulder too often and fails to watch where he‘s going. "Sometimes I have to cut somebody off. If I am, I do it as safely and as far away from vessels as I can," he said. "This is a relatively small lake and we need to share it. I‘m going to do everything I can to keep out of everybody‘s way." The yacht club would like to see the parasail boat stay out of the bay between the northern point of City Park (by the concession) and Manhattan Point. That would shorten Weller‘s tacks when there‘s a south wind and make it harder to haul heavy customers because he needs more speed and can‘t turn 90 degrees, he said. "I try to alter my tack and course as much as I can, without endangering the people up in my parachute. I‘m not driving through a group of sailors blindfolded." Top of Page
