Marine Rescue liken themselves to being the NRMA of the water - who to call when your vessel breaks down or you need help while out boating.
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But unlike the roadside assist service, when you can wait for help in the one, relatively safe and easy spot to find, a bad boating situation can quickly get worse and Marine Rescue could mean the difference between life and death.
Marine Rescue Lemon Tree Passage unit commander Steve Vautier said the bulk of their callouts was to assist boaters whose engines, batteries and fuel levels had failed them while out on the water. But as the unit members have seen countless times, escalation can happen very quickly.
"What we see regularly is a situation where someone hasn't used their boat for a long time and then take it out without making the proper checks first," Mr Vautier said.
"The boat starts and you head out fishing for the day okay. But when you want to come back in, the engine won't start or the outboard motor will fall off. This is where the situation can quickly escalate. When one thing goes wrong, it all starts going wrong.
"We've had people in this situation, dead on the water, who haven't logged on to say they're out on the water, without phone battery dead or their phone has been in their pocket and has fallen into the water. We've seen a situation where an outboard motor has fallen off and the boat has drifted out to sea.
"Or people not checking the weather and getting caught unprepared in storms. If we don't tow these people back into shore, lots can go wrong. That's why we're always telling people to log on and off with us when they're heading out on the water, so we can help you if anything goes wrong."
The Marine Rescue unit based in Lemon Tree Passage is one of two in Port Stephens. The Port Stephens Marine Rescue unit is located in Nelson Bay. The 24-hour water rescue service is volunteer run. Lemon Tree Passage Marine Rescue is 47 members strong - all volunteers who dedicate their time to assisting boaters in trouble. Volunteers work on the rescue vessels or as radio operators in the unit base, logging radio communication, monitoring vessel movements and weather.
Mr Vautier said the unit is prepared for what they believe will be a busy summer, coming off the back of a fairly busy past 12 months in which volunteers had been involved in 58 incidents.
"We're a really popular boating destination for Sydney visitors," Mr Vautier said. "The boat ramp car park is regularly full of cars and trailers. We expect it to be very busy over summer."
NSW Maritime is also predicting that the waterways across the state will be busy this summer with acting executive director Darren Wood saying "we've seen an increase in the number of people applying for new boating licences over the past year and more people on paddle craft".
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said around two thirds of all calls to Marine Rescue relate to problems with engines, batteries and fuel. He was reminding boaters to ensure their vessel was seaworthy before launching it.
"Simple things such as changing the fuel, oil and oil filter, checking the engine, gearbox and propeller; charging the battery, testing the electronics and making sure you have the required safety equipment can mean the difference between a safe and enjoyable day on the water and a potentially life-threatening situation," Mr Tannos said.
"Water users are also reminded in an emergency, every second counts. Boaters should log on with Marine Rescue on VHF Channel 16 or the Marine Rescue app before heading out. Marine Rescue volunteers will watch out for your safe return and if you don't log off as planned, start searching for you."
As a volunteer organisation, Marine Rescue relies on fundraising, donations and sponsorship.
The Lemon Tree Passage unit recently received a $5000 grant from Club Lemon Tree to put towards its operating costs, including servicing and fuel for its rescue vessel. Unit members will be fund-raising through Bunnings barbecues at Taylors Beach on January 1 and January 30.
The unit is seeking new radio operators. Training is provided and volunteers are asked to complete at least one six hour shift on the radio a week. For more information or to sign up call 4982 4981.
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