Coastguard advice as boating season gets underway

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With good weather meaning the boating season is now well underway, Coastguard is reminding boaties to make sure their vessels are ship-shape and ready to hit the water.

With around two-thirds of boating incidents caused by mechanical, fuel-related or electrical issues, Coastguard urges boaties to ensure they:

1. Get their motor serviced. Engines that have sat idle over winter are more likely to suffer mechanical issues if not looked at or serviced first.

2. Have enough fuel. A good rule of thumb is to use a third of your fuel to get there, a third to get back, and to keep a third in reserve. 3. Make sure safety gear is in good condition. This includes making sure lifejackets still fit and are in good condition, and that they take at least two forms of waterproof communication.

4. Keep in contact with Coastguard. Boaties made 2,351 trip reports into the Coastguard Operations Centre over Labour Weekend – almost the same number of calls made to Coastguard in the entire month of July 2019.

„ Last year, Coastguard volunteers brought over 6000 people home safely. It costs $20 million a year to run Coastguard, with the organisation having to raise $18 million of this.

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