Marine Safety in Victoria Report 2007-2008 (PDF, 1.3 MB, 72 pp.)

• Nearly half (48%) of vessels were 4.8-8m in length, 30% were 0-4.8m in length, 4% were 8-12m in length
and 2% were greater than 12m in length.
• Half the incidents occurred in the 3-month period November to January (late Spring and Summer);
incidents were lowest in Winter (9%).
• In all, there were 1,170 recorded contributory factors to response-only recreational vessel incidents.
Material factors made the greatest contribution (61% of factors, mostly machinery and electrical
equipment failures), followed by human factors (35%, mostly lack of maintenance and lack of fuel), then
environmental factors (4%, mostly unfavourable wind or sea conditions).
Serious incidents (n=165)
• There were 165 serious incidents recorded on the MIR system in 2007/8, an increase of 26% on the
previous year (n=131).
• There were 9 deaths from 7 serious incidents recorded on the MIR system in 2007/8 compared with 5
deaths in 2006/7 (including two fatalities that were recorded under response only incidents). Deaths in
2007/8 were caused by drowning (3), impact injuries related to collisions (4) and burns (2)
• Nine serious injury cases were reported on the MIR system in 2007/8, one more than in 2006/7,
compared with 20 in 2005/6.
• Grounding (36%), capsizing (18%) and collision (13%) were the leading causes of ‘serious incidents’.
• More than one-quarter of ‘serious incidents’ involved open boats (26%), followed by full cabin cruisers
(22%), half cabin cruisers (19%), yachts – keel boats (12%) and PWC (8%).
• Twenty-two percent of vessels were 4.8m or less in length, 38% were 4.8-8.0m., 15% were 8-12m. and
6% were longer than 12m.
• Over one third of vessels (35%) were cruising when the ‘serious incident’ occurred. Incidents also
commonly occurred in fishing (19%), when the vessel was at anchor (13%) and during sailing
(n=20, 15%).
• Overall, 45% of recreational vessel occupants involved in serious incidents were recorded as wearing a
PFD, compared with 62% in 2006/7. The wear rate for persons on vessels up to and including 4.8m in
length was 58% (26/45), for vessels over 4.8m. in length the wear rate was 45% (69/152) and for vessels
of an unspecified length the wear rate was 28% (9/32).
• The frequency of serious incidents was higher in December (14.5%), January (17%) and March (17%).
There were few incidents in the 4-month period May to August (12% in all).
• Recreational ‘serious incidents’ mostly occurred in enclosed waters (73%), followed by coastal offshore
waters (12%) and inland waters (10%). Thirty-seven percent of reported ‘serious incidents’ occurred on
Port Phillip (n=61). Other common locations were Gippsland Lakes (n=28, 17%), Bass Strait (n=19, 11%)
and Western Port (n=18, 11%).
• Most ‘serious incidents’ occurred in clear weather with good visibility and wind speeds up to 8 knots.
High proportions of swamping (62%), capsizing (50%) and vessel loss (60%) incidents occurred in
choppy, rough or very rough water conditions.
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