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Invitation to participate in the inaugural Cooks River Flotilla

Saturday 29th March, 2008
Cooks River - beside Gough Whitlam Park, Undercliffe
7.30pm - 9.00pm

A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a flota of small ships, and this from French flotte), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats or minesweepers. Larger warships are grouped in squadrons.

Despite the traditional meaning of the word flotilla applying to a small squadron of boats associated with war, we invite all local boat owners to be a part of a flotilla of celebration and peace on the Cooks River. The Cooks River Flotilla is a part of Riverworks - a small local arts festival that brings the community together to celebrate and discuss ways to improve The Cooks River.

Boat owners who register to be a part of this peaceful procession, will be encouraged to dress their boat with lanterns. Some community groups will have made some lanterns prior to the event and there will also be an opportunity to make lanterns at Riverworks during the day.

The local community will be present on the shores to see your boat launched in celebration mode, and they will be invited to create their own floating lanterns and boats that will be launched onto the river from the shore.

For more information please contact Bronwyn Tuohy on 9789 - 9676 or bronwynt@canterbury.nsw.gov.au

Important information - Please read

If you agree to participate in the lantern and boat flotilla by bringing your boat to the event, you need to consider the risks associated with participating. All organizations associated with organizing the event are not in any way responsible for your personal safety, although all attempts to make sure the event is a safe and enjoyable one for all will be made. It needs to be understood that boatowners and those on board their craft participate in the event at their own risk.

Your participation in the event is conditional on the agreement that all *organizations related in any way to the planning or funding of the Lantern and Boat Flotilla are released from any actions, of whatsoever nature, that may be instituted in relation to the event.

*The organizations indicated by the above are The Department of Planning, Canterbury City Council, and The Mudcrabs - Cooks River Eco Volunteers.

Potential risks may include, in worst case scenarios, the following:

Fire - If you agree to accepting lanterns on board your boat that are lit with tea lights, you must be aware that these lanterns must be positioned in a safe and stable manner to reduce fire risk.

Water safety - It is expected that any passengers on your craft are required to wear a lifejacket to reduce the risk of any misadventure occurring.

Boat crashes - It is requested that all craft participating in the event have their navigation lights on, as this is an evening event. We have been advised by NSW Maritime that all small craft ( canoes/ kyaks) must, in the absence of navigational lights, have an “all round white light” such as a glo-stick to increase visibility. We will make sure we have a supply of glo-sticks on the evening.

There will be event marshalls present to direct traffic. Please follow any instructions given to you by these marshalls, identifiable by  their reflective vests.