If you cannot call for help, you cannot be rescued. That is the message Bay of Plenty Regional Council is reinforcing throughout Safer Boating Week on October 13-20.
Bay of Plenty Harbourmaster Peter Buell said about 80 per cent of boaties had lifejackets on their boats and 76 per cent wore lifejackets all or most of the time on the water.
However, only 38 per cent of boaties take two waterproof ways to call for help - and the most common device was a cellphone. Mr Buell said boaties need at least two reliable ways to call for help on the water that will work when wet as well as a lifejacket.
"A lifejacket helps you float and they have saved many lives, but if you can't call for help then there's no way to know you need rescuing," he said.
"Whether it is a marine VHF radio or cellphone in a waterproof bag - it is not good enough to simply chuck your cell in your pocket and hope for the best."
Mr Buell advised boaties to prepare their boat, check their gear and know the rules before heading out on the water at Labour Weekend and during summer.
He said the must-haves for a boat under 6 metres included enough lifejackets for everyone onboard, two waterproof ways to call for help, more than enough fuel for the trip, navigation equipment and an anchor.
Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard unit manager Steve Russell said the volunteer coastguard has spent 4740 hours, or 600 eight-hour days' work, keeping boaties safe at sea.
He said they had attended 157 separate incidents which took 1387 hours - the equivalent of 174 eight hour days work - and 335 people were thankful to Tauranga Coastguard for rescuing them.
Mr Russell said Coastguard had two vessels on hand 24/7, 365 days of the year. He said the coastguard also helped boaties with damaged propeller and engine problems and kite surfers and jet-skiers unable to get back to the beach.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is hosting a safer boating workshop in Tauranga, weather dependent, at Sulphur Point boat ramp between 8am-2pm on October 14 and 19.
Workshops will also be held at Whakatane boat ramp, mid-morning on October 15 and mid-morning at Bowentown and Omokoroa on October 21.
Radio used to navigate rescue
A Maketu boatie's son helped to navigate a helicopter to his rescue from his sinking kayak.
Steen Hurlock, 26, launched his kayak off Matata and was about 2 kilometres from shore when his kayak began to fill with water.
His father, Ian Hurlock, said his son launched in the early afternoon in good conditions to go fishing.
"A hole appeared in his kayak and his kayak filled with water," Mr Hurlock said. "He pulled the anchor away and tried to paddle in but the water went to the back and the kayak went down backwards."
Mr Hurlock said his son then tried to swim ashore but could not make progress. "It would have been dark by the time he got in," he said.
Steen Hurlock made a mayday call to Tauranga Coastguard from the kayak with a VHF radio his father had bought him for Christmas.
Mr Hurlock said his son guided Maketu and Whakatane coastguard and a TECT Rescue Helicopter to his position. "He did all of that from the boat," Mr Hurlock said.
He said his son suffered mild hypothermia while in the water despite wearing a wetsuit and lifejacket and was sent to Whakatane Hospital.
Following the incident, Mr Hurlock has joined the Maketu Coastguard as a volunteer.
Maketu Coastguard's Shane Beech said Maketu Coastguard had received a lot more callouts for sea kayaks.
"About eight to 10 years ago we were looking at two incidents a year involving those, but it is about 80 per cent now."
BOAT SAFETY - THE DOS AND DONT'S:
DO:
- Maintain your boat to a high standard and well equipped
- Check the weather before you go
- Make sure someone knows where you're going
- File a trip report with Coastguard
- Wear your life jacket
- Call in before AND after you cross a bar
- Do a Bar Crossing Course to gain confidence
- An education course, know the rules of the road at sea, and how to navigate.
- Have at least two forms of (VHF Radio/Mobile)
- EPIRP and GPS
- Have flares
- Have good navigation lights
- Have distress flags
DON'T:
- Go beyond the capabilities of your vessel
- Drink excess alcohol - (Especially the skipper)
- Source: Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard