Yacht and Boat Team hand out free Boating Safety Packs this Australia Day

Yacht and Boat Team – handing out free “Boating Safety Packs” this Australia Day long weekend.

Australia’s Boating Lifestyle web site www.YachtAndBoat.com.au will be handing out boating safety packs to boaters on The Hawkesbury, Pittwater, Middle Harbour and Sydney Harbour this Australia Day long weekend.

The safety packs are a collective initiative from NSW Maritime, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), National Marine Safety Committee (NMSC), the Boating Industry Association (BIA) NSW, The Haines Group and YachtAndBoat.com.au

Hundreds of waterproof ‘zip-lock’ packs, provided by NSW Maritime, give boaters information on when to wear a lifejacket or pfd.  The packs themselves are ideal for keeping boat licences, keys, wallets, phones and other important items dry whilst out boating on our beautiful waterways.

Ben Gaze, Director of Yacht and Boat said that bringing the message of safe boating directly to those actually out on the water has been a concept well received by the sponsors of this initiative.   “Safety is a strong focus of the Yacht and Boat web site.” Mr Gaze said, “We feel a responsibility to reinforce the message that the boating lifestyle is more enjoyable when safety is a priority.”

The packs contain boating safety NMSC brochures – including “Make the Switch to a 406”, which highlights the requirement to switch to a new digital EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Rescue Beacon) before the end of January.  The old analogue beacons will not be detected from the 1st February.

There is also a handy floating key ring from AMSA and the new 2009 NSW Marine Directory supplied by BIA NSW.

The Haines Group have donated a Walker Bay Genesis Console RIB Deluxe complete with Suzuki 4 stroke 15hp motor for the exercise.

According to Mr Gaze, “The Walker Bay RIB is ideal for coming along side other boats in a safe manner.”  He goes on to say “The steering console makes her extremely manoeuvrable in tight conditions amongst moorings and allows us to get close to other boats without damaging them. She’s also a breeze to launch and retrieve at the boat ramp.”

The Suzuki 4 stroke 15ph motor is a real “pocket rocket” says Mr Gaze.  “The Suzuki really packs some power and is incredibly fuel efficient.”

The Yacht and Boat team will be out and about in the Walker Bay Inflatable this weekend.  Keep an eye out for them and visit www.YachtAndBoat.com.au for more boating safety information.

Further Information:    
Yacht and Boat –  www.yachtandboat.com.au
NSW Maritime – www.maritime.nsw.gov.au
Australian Maritime Safety Authority – www.amsa.gov.au
National Marine Safety Committee – www.nmsc.gov.au
Boating Industry Association of NSW – www.bia.org.au
The Haines Group – www.thehainesgroup.com