Safety Equipment

[Bugatti]

Safety Equipment can take many forms:

2-3 years back here in SA. A Bloke and his Dad (both experienced Boaties) went fishing on a mild day, mild sea conditions, in metro waters. The boat was found capsized and the father had unfortunately drowned.

They were fishing, one of them went to the other persons side of the boat to see a fish that was being landed , , , , quick as a flash, the boat listed/rolled, both ended in the water before they knew it.

Two bits of Plastic would have save their lives , , , , the forgotten Bungplugs.


I have never put my boat in the water without the Bungplugs in BUT I have come very close to it. Since that story I have my bung plugs in only two locations/positions. In the Boat where they should be (plugging the Boat) or in a little cloth string pull bag hanging on the key/ignition (key is always in the ignition).


In my Boat, I carry/stow away spares of everything I think is beneficial , , , , even a replacement fuel connector, which is a "piece of safety equipment", , , , unless you think discovering a leaky connector out at sea is OK.

Cheers, Bugatti
Best way to handle an emergency , , , , is to try and avoid them

[smile0784]

I forgot the bungs twice in 5years mainly from distraction as mates pull up at ramp. Remembered just after launched and just jumped over and put them in.

[Wolly Bugger]

Just check expiry date before you buy then

I’ll rephrase that...where is the best place to buy flares (high turnover, best price etc)

Whitworths, CH Smith, generally have the best prices, and high turnover.

BCF will price match

My fifth or sixth set of flares are due to expire in Oct.

[Wolly Bugger]

I hate to imagine the amount of flares and epirbs I bought of the years and never used lol

So do I, smile.

When I was in my mid 20s, a mate and I were moaning about having to replace flares every third year. My Dad pipes up and said "Better to update your Flares every three years, than have to replace them after 2". We knew straight away what he meant , , , , better to update every three years (without incident) rather than be in an emergency where you need to use them.

Still stings though

Cheers, Bugatti
Happy to have unused Flares and EPIRB

So true, it is better to replace expired equipment than to have to replace equipment used.

Years ago I was in my little tinnie up at Eildon trolling a few lures down Big river arm, when I saw a smoke flare being let off near a big fibreglass boat.

Firstly I puzzled, why are they doing that, then I thought maybe they are trying to attract my attention, so I pulled in the lures and motored over to see what the issues was and as it turned out, they couldn't start the motor and there was no mobile or radio reception, so they asked me if i would tow them back until they got mobile reception.

My little 2 stroke 15 hp Merc pulled its little heart towing a bigger heavier boat that had 3 or 4 people on board. I actually wound towing them all the way back to the boat ramp, By then I was stuffed and called it a day.

[Wolly Bugger]

Fines;

A few years ago boating off Frankston, meet an old bloke who got done by the water police for a number of infringements which was very costly of around $1500.

My cousin last year got caught with;
No bailer bucket with a rope attached
Non serviced inflatable life jacket
Fire extinguisher not charged.

Sure the fines hurt, but the point is that the safety equipment must be there and be usable because in an emergency you need it to work straight away.

[Wolly Bugger]

Decades ago, Yes it was acceptable to only have a dolphin torch, and it wasn't necessary if your boat was less than 4.8 metres to wear a life jacket.

Over the years when there is a boating fatality, laws and rules get changed in an effort to make this activity safer. It is a high-risk activity and PPB has claimed more than it's fair share of lives. I suspect more lives have been lost on PPB than any other bay in Australia.(It would be an interesting research subject.)

PPB is often referred to in some circles as the Gay Bay, but in reality, has the potential to be extremely dangerous.

Many lives have been lost, some through inexperience and ignorance.

When inclement weather events happen, do you know how your boat will handle it?
How to safely handle the oncoming waves and on PPB they can be up to 2.5 metres high and steep. (I know from experience)
Boating in glass like conditions teaches the boater very little.

[Wolly Bugger]

Gear and Safety Regulations.

Each state seems to have slightly different rules and regulations.

For example Port McDonnell in SA a boater needs to have 2 parachute flares.

Even venturing on PPB or WPB I take safety seriously, and have all the safety equipment with me that I take offshore.

EPRIB even though are not required for PPB or WPB, if for example, the boater has a heart attack, switch it on and help is on it's way.

27 meg Radio, whilst the rules state that you must have a licence to use, in an emergency no licence is required.

Fire Extinguishers, the size must match the fuel capacity of the boat, I have 2.

Safety cell, whilst not legally required, I bought one anyway, in it, it has the flares, the mirror, the torch and the V sheet.

The idea of the Safety cell is that it floats so if the boat suddenly sinks the Safety Cell will float with all the gear you need, there is even a space to mount the EPIRB. So it needs to be mounted outside the cabin area.

Bilge pump, that works

Life jackets, inflatables must be serviced generally on a yearly basis. The regulations state that life jackets must be worn, for bar crossings, PPB heads, at night etc;

https://transportsafety.vic.gov.au/__da ... 8-Ch-1.pdf

For disposal of expired flares, the nearest Police Station is perhaps the most convenient.

[sturgeon]

My fire extinguisher is 2 years now. I checked it and it’s still charged and good. How do I go and get it stamped or checked that it’s still ok? Don’t want to get into trouble with water police. Thanks.

[re-tyred]

My fire extinguisher is 2 years now. I checked it and it’s still charged and good. How do I go and get it stamped or checked that it’s still ok? Don’t want to get into trouble with water police. Thanks.

If it is charged and in good physical condition , then it is good in Vic on a recreational vessel. Commercial vessels have to have theirs re-certified every year. You could get it certified again at the local fires station but they would probably charge you something. I just get a new one every 3-4 years.