March 2012 - Boating Industry Association of NSW

Operation Blue Water: Wash Up
The Brunswick River coastal bar came under the spotlight
during Operation Blue Water with three bar crossing
incidents occurring during the nine-day campaign.
Roads and Maritime Services Acting General Manager
Maritime Operations Trevor Williams said Operation Blue
Water, focusing on offshore boating safety, finished at dusk on
Sunday after kicking off on 11 February. It saw 1593 on-water
safety checks conducted by Maritime Boating Safety Officers.
A total of 79 penalty notices or fines were issued, along
with 87 formal warnings.
There was an average compliance rate of 89.8 percent
across all coastal regions.
Mr Williams said most of the fines related to insufficient
carriage of required safety equipment, which included
items such as torches, sound signals, fire extinguishers and
lifejackets.
“All up there were 37 penalty notices issued for safety
equipment breaches, followed by 17 for speed,” Mr Williams
said.
There were three incidents on the Brunswick River bar
during this period - all on the first Sunday of the campaign.
“One vessel capsized on the bar, the skipper of another
vessel fell overboard while unsuccessfully attempting to cross
the bar and a commercial vessel with seven on board sustained
structural damage while crossing the bar,” Mr Williams said.
“It is crucial to check the conditions before attempting to
$36,000 upgrade of marine communications equipment
A has significantly boosted radio coverage and safety for
recreational and commercial boaters on the South Coast.
Marine Rescue NSW (MRNSW), in partnership with the
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Trusts, installed a new marine
VHF radio repeater at Cambewarra Mountain late last month.
MRNSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said that with
coverage from Kiama to Kioloa and at least 22 nautical miles
seaward, the channel 81 repeater would allow boaters to talk
to Marine Rescue bases from much further away.
“Marine repeaters are a vital safety tool in allowing boats
to provide information about their movements and the safety
of the boat and the people on board over a large area,”
Commissioner Tannos said. “This repeater provides a real boost
for our bases in the region, allowing them to talk to boats in
locations they may never have been able to access before.”
The project was jointly financed by MRNSW and the SOLAS
Trusts, which provided an $18,300 grant for the vital work.
“Without the generosity of the SOLAS Trusts, this project
would not have been possible this year. SOLAS is a solid
supporter of marine rescue all over Australia and we thank them
for their support for this project,” Commissioner Tannos said.
CYCA SOLAS Ltd Chairman Matt Allen said the muchneeded
upgrade to the marine communications network
cross a coastal bar. If in doubt, don’t go out, and remember
that the safest time to cross is on an incoming tide.”
“However, I’m pleased to report that in all three incidents, all
on board were complying with the law and wearing lifejackets,”
Mr Williams said.
During the campaign in the Hawkesbury River/ Broken
Bay area, there were 17 occasions in which BSO inspected
vessels and found the amount of safety equipment to be
insufficient. The skippers of these vessels were issued with
formal warnings and directed to head inshore.
“Meanwhile, in Sydney, four skippers of boats less than
4.8m long were given directions to either put on a lifejacket
or move inshore,” Mr Williams said.
Anyone in a vessel less than 4.8m must wear a lifejacket
when:
• On open waters, or boating offshore;
• Being towed;
• On alpine waters
• Boating at night
• Boating alone
• Directed to do so by the master of the vessel
Maritime’s Operation Blue Water offshore boating safety
campaign resulted in the following:
• North Coast – 19 penalty notices issued, 200 vessels
checked;
• Hunter Inland – 17 penalty notices issued, 290 vessels
checked;
• Hawkesbury River/ Broken Bay – 8 penalty notices
issued, 280 vessels checked;
• Sydney – 21 penalty notices issued, 510 vessels checked;
• South Coast – 14 penalty notices issued, 313 vessels
checked;
For more information on when to wear a lifejacket in NSW
waters, go to http://www.lifejacketwearit.com.au
Marine Rescue NSW South Coast radio upgrade
boosts boating safety
was a vital piece of infrastructure for
recreational and commercial boaters.
“Many of our members pass through
the operational boundaries of the
network, whether racing or cruising, and the Trustees of the
CYCA SOLAS Trusts view the investment support provided
as a natural fit to the objectives of the Trusts,” Mr Allen said.
MRNSW Operational Communications Manager Ian Brown
said the repeater was accessible to all vessels equipped with
a marine VHF radio by selecting channel 81.
“To check if you are able to access the repeater, press the
push-to-talk button on your microphone and if you can hear
and audible signal being transmitted after you have released
the switch, then you are within the repeater’s footprint,” Mr
Brown said.
“Because you can be heard over a large area, it is important
to limit your conversation to about a minute – especially if it
is between two boats.
“If you can see the boat you are
talking to, then use a simplex channel
like 72 or 77.
“We’d ask boaters not to use the
repeater for a chat because they can
be heard over a long way and others
might be waiting to use it.”
18 - March 2012 BIA of NSW LOGBOOK