Maritime Safety Victoria has encouraged boaters to prepare their vessels to head back out on the water after a delayed start to the 2020-21 boating season.
Recreational boating safety manager, Gareth Johnson, said that preparing now would allow keen boaters to safely head out onto the water during summer.
For marine businesses with COVIDSafe Plans, changes to pandemic restrictions mean that boat maintenance is now permitted with marine and specialist mechanics able to operate as required, for the safe operation of boats for scheduled and logbook services and inspections.
“Following the extension of the State of Emergency in April, we noticed an increase in call-outs to respond to broken down boats in May, June and July,” Johnson said.
“Most of these call-outs were due to old fuel, lack of fuel and batteries running flat, so we’re encouraging people to check their vessels and safety equipment before heading out on the water.”
Mr Johnson said boaters could check the Knowledge Hub section of MSV’s Boating Vic website or app for the latest in safety advice, tutorials and tips – from servicing lifejackets, to maintenance checklists and advice on what to look out for when buying a second-hand vessel.
Boating Vic also provides users with real-time weather forecasts and warnings for more than 400 Victorian boat ramps and launching facilities.
“Boating Vic has boat ramp cameras around Port Phillip and Western Port to help boaters choose which launching location they want to go to before making the trip,” Mr Johnson said.
Details: boating.vic.gov.au or download the Boating Vic app.
