Prep, Check, Know before getting on the water 23 Oct 2015
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Recreational boating about to start – Prep, Check,
Know before getting on the water
23 October 2015
With Labour Day weekend starting tomorrow,
Maritime New Zealand is urging all boaties to Prep your
boat, Check your gear, and Know the rules before going out
on the water – and don’t forget the weather
forecast.
It is too late to find out there is
something wrong with your boat or gear, you do not know an
important safety rule, or the weather will be bad, when you
are on the water. That is dangerous for all
involved.
Today is the last day of Safer Boating Week, which is the week before recreational boating traditionally starts at the long weekend.
Maritime NZ Deputy Director and Chair of the Safer Boating Forum*, Lindsay Sturt, said it has been a successful week.
“TV, radio, print and online news media have given us great support reporting on the Forum’s activities and spreading safer boating messages,” Mr Sturt said.
“Without media engagement, it is much harder to get the Prep, Check, Know message to boaties.
“We started the week last Friday with a wharf jump in Wellington. Twenty-seven safer boating leaders jumped into the harbour to remember the 27 people who died in recreational boating accidents last year.
“There was a dramatic helicopter rescue exercise in Auckland harbour, safer recreational boating grants were announced, waterproof cellphone bags proved a big hit with boaties, iconic statues wore lifejackets, staff from harbourmasters’ officers, Police and Maritime NZ visited boat ramps, there was a big spike in social media activity, and lots more.
“We even had a very public example of exactly what not to do. Two men were reported drunk, and stuck on Taputeranga Island in Wellington. They got there in a cheap inflatable children’s toy, they didn’t wear life jackets, didn’t even have oars or a motor for their ‘boat’, and had no waterproof communications.
“Valuable Police, Surf Lifesaving and helicopter staff, time and resources were all taken up rescuing them.
“They were lucky they had friends on shore who called emergency services. Without that, the combination of alcohol, inadequate clothing, cold, wet, and out overnight could have been tragic.”
Prep, Check, Know!
Safer Boating Week’s three key messages are
all about what to do before going on the water:
Prep your
boat – service the engine, check and change the fuel,
check the battery and just generally give the boat a good
onceover.
Check your gear – make sure your lifejackets
are still fit for purpose and you have enough. Service any
inflatable lifejackets and ensure you have two reliable
forms of communication equipment.
Know the rules –
ensure you know the “rules of the road” on the water,
and check your local bylaws to make sure you understand what
the requirements are in your area.
For lots more
information about safer boating visit:
Facebook “Safer
Boating NZ”
Website www.saferboating.org.nz
Statistics
Each year over 1 million New Zealanders
take to the water in 960,000 recreational craft
2014, 27
deaths in recreational boating accidents
To 22 October
2015, 16 deaths in recreational boating
accidents
Estimated two-thirds of the people are likely
to have survived if they had worn lifejackets
More than
90 per cent of people who die while recreational boating are
men aged between 30 and 60
Recent survey shows boating
safety behaviour seems to be improving:
78 per cent of
boaties said they always wear a lifejacket on the
water
60 per cent said they always wear life jackets and
ensure others on their boat do too.
* Safer Boating
Forum
The Safer Boating Forum was established in 2000 to
coordinate and implement recreational boating safety
initiatives. It is made up of government agencies and local
government, water safety and recreational boating
organisations, and the marine industry. The Forum's work is
aimed at reducing boating injuries and fatalities and
improving boat safety behaviour. Maritime NZ chairs the
Forum and members include Coastguard, Jet Boating NZ, Kiwi
Association of Sea Kayakers, local and central government,
NZ Fishing News, NZ Jet Sports Boating Association, NZ
Marine Industry Association, NZ Underwater Association, Surf
Lifesaving NZ, Waka Ama NZ, Water Safety NZ, WaterSafe
Auckland, White Water NZ, and Yachting NZ.
- ENDS -
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