Marine Rescue NSW wishes everyone who goes boating a safe and happy holiday season and suggests a few gift ideas for anyone who goes offshore fishing or sailing.
First – an EPIRB could be your answer. Even though they start at around $300 an EPIRB is a very economical and very smart safety investment. EPIRBs are Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons that use satellite technology to pinpoint the location of a boat with remarkable accuracy. EPIRBs are compulsory safety equipment for any vessel that operates more than two nautical miles offshore.
The new lifejacket laws mean that a good inflatable style lifejacket is a great solution to staying inside the law. They’re comfortable, they’re light and they’re very good value from around $80 up to $200 and more – but more importantly – they give your skipper a real life-saving insurance policy in case of an emergency.
So does a GPS unit. We’re starting to talk more money here but a good hand-held GPS comes in from just under $400. Consider this. If you get into trouble somewhere offshore, the way to ensure you get help fast is to know exactly where you are, because if you don’t know where you are it sure makes the job of the Marine Rescue volunteers a lot harder trying to find you in an emergency. A GPS is the simple, effective solution.
And please don’t make the mistake of thinking that a cheaper GPS that works for a car will do the job on a boat. It won’t.
Most boats these days have a marine radio, but if your skipper’s doesn’t – make that boat safer with the gift of a VHF radio. And if your boatie only has a 27meg radio, tell him that smart skippers know a VHF is a better all round radio. They start from a couple of hundred dollars and they’re worth every cent.
Finally, just $50 will get your boatie annual membership in the Marine Rescue CompassNet service. Find out more about Marine Rescue’s unique CompassNet offering from your nearest Marine Rescue unit. For a full list of all volunteer marine rescue units in NSW, go to www.marinerescuensw.com.au
The annual holiday season is upon us and for the next few weeks everyone who can, will get out on the water to enjoy boating on the finest coast in Australia. But the more boats there are on the water, the more risk there is for something to go wrong.
A gift of safety for the boaties in your family will be a sure fire way to help keep them in the Marine Rescue safety net.