January 2022

Marine Safety Officer checking a boat at the boat ramp

SAFE BOATING - AUSTRALIA DAY

With many people taking the opportunity of a mid-week Australia Day public holiday to have an extended long weekend, our coastal and river waters will be flat out. Please stay safe on the water during this busy time and remember to:

Wear the right lifejacket. Watch this video for tips on servicing your inflatable lifejacket.
Stick to the speed limit on the water.
Is your boating knowledge seaworthy? Complete this short quiz to find out.
Don't mix alcohol or drugs with boating.
Carry the right safety equipment for where you are operating. Marine Safety Officers check safety equipment at boat ramps (pictured above) and out on the water.
Before you leave home maintain your boat and check it is seaworthy
Be patient at boat ramps - they will be busy. Remember boats returning have right of way over boats launching. Have your boat ready to go before you launch so you don't hold up the queue.

Everyone can enjoy a safe day of boating by following the rules and preparing before heading out. Remember to practice safe boating for life.

COMPLIANCE

Marine Safety Officer's Checking a recreational boat on the waterboat

Marine Safety Officers carrying out a vessel check on water.

Marine Safety Officers helping to keep our waters safe

December and January have been very busy months for our Marine Safety Officers (MSOs). The MSOs have been undertaking education and compliance activities across the state with a particular focus on metropolitan waters, the Murray River, Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula regions.

The key issues they have found over this period is people carrying expired flares and not wearing lifejackets.

43% of vessels checked during December and January were not compliant with the required safety standards. These vessel operators received either a fine, caution, were sent ashore or stopped from launching.

Do the right thing - don't risk a fine.

SAFETY

Infographic of boating related drownings 2004 - 2021

Life saving life jackets

A Coastal Safety Brief on Lifejacket wearing from Surf Life Saving Australia between July 2004 and July 2021 revealed 57 deaths from drowning related to boating in South Australia.

Sadly this figure has risen since this report came out.

In South Australia 58% of the people who died during this period were not wearing the most important piece of safety equipment on a boat - a life jacket.

Check which lifejacket is right for you and wear it - it could save your life.

Video Murray River Life - Personal water craft location

Murray River etiquette - Personal water craft (PWC)

With Australia Day almost here the Murray River will be very busy.

PWC's more commonly known by the name Jet skis are super popular on the river. They can be great fun but are powerful and can cause serious injury to operators and other river users if not used safely.

Follow the tips on the video above to keep all users safe on the river. Remember you must hold a boat licence to operate a PWC, you must always wear a level 50 or 50S lifejacket and you must have a Ride Smart sticker displayed on your PWC.

Remember there is a 4 knot speed limit for PWC's and motorised boats:

within 50 metres of any person in the water i.e – adults and children swimming or playing in the water
within 50 metres of any person in the water on a small unpowered vessel like a canoe, kayak, paddleboard or similar unpowered vessel
within 30 metres of any other vessel, whether stationary or underway that may be impacted by your wash
within 100 metres of a ferry crossing on the River Murray
within 200 metres of the metropolitan coastline
other designated areas, always check to see what might apply in the area you operate

The river is everyone’s playground. Stay safe on the water.

#MurrayRiverLife

SAFETY

Which Lifejacket see what's right for you promotion

Lifejacket fit is important

Wearing a lifejacket is the number one factor in helping you survive a boating incident. Make sure you have the right type for the activity you are undertaking and where you are operating. It is vital that it fits correctly. Check these things:

Try it on before you buy it.
Choose one for your weight range.
It should fit snugly without being confining or riding on your body.
Make sure the neck section does not ride up around your head.
Use the crotch strap, it stops the lifejacket riding up around your neck. This is vital for children
Try it on at home, or in a pool before heading out on the water to get a feel for the lifejacket.
Make sure it meets a current standard for boating

SAFETY

Life jacket requirements for larger boats

Everyone on a smaller boat up to 4.8 metres long must wear a life jacket at all times.

What about bigger boats?

In boats over 4.8 metres and up to 12 metres children aged 12 and under must wear a lifejacket at all times when on the open deck, underway or at anchor.

Anyone 13 and over must wear a lifejacket under the following circumstances of heightened risk:

when operating alone (please note you must be 16 years or older and hold a boat licence to operate a vessel over 4.8 metres and up to 12 metres long)
when operating at night (after sunset and before sunrise)
when the boat is disabled
when crossing an ocean bar
at times of restricted visibility
when the area is subject to gale, storm force, hurricane force, thunderstorm or severe weather warning from the Bureau of Meteorology
when reasonably directed to do so by the master of the vessel.

Remember it is always safest for everyone to wear a lifejacket - it could save your life.

Old Rapid Bay Jetty collapsed in one section

Old Rapid Bay jetty partial collapse - please keep clear

Boat operators, scuba divers and swimmers are prohibited from waters in the immediate vicinity of Old Rapid Bay Jetty after a partial collapse of the closed jetty was discovered.

Although there has been no pedestrian access to the jetty since it was closed in late 2004, the site is popular with scuba divers due to the area’s rich marine life.

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport has conducted an initial inspection of the damage, with works to follow soon.

Department for Infrastructure and Transport Marine Safety Officers have set up buoys around the area to help alert users of the danger. A temporary digital sign has been erected to warn visitors of the dangers.

For safety reasons scuba divers, swimmers and boat operators are prohibited from navigating beneath or within 15 metres on either side of the Old Rapid Bay Jetty until this work is complete.

SAFETY

Paringa bridge structure on the River Murray

Slow down on the river

Reports of ski boats speeding under the historic Paringa Bridge are concerning and are putting operators and their passengers at risk.

Vessel operators undertaking this risky behaviour should be operating at a slower speed and only passing under the bridge in the marked navigation channel as signposted.

International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREG) apply on these river waters. They require vessels proceeding at a safe speed so that the operator can take proper and effective action to avoid collision. Speeding through this bridge crossing is clearly breaking the regulations.

Department for Infrastructure and Transport Marine Safety Officers will continue to patrol the area to ensure boaters are operating safely.

SAFETY

Blood alcohol concentration breathalyzer held in someone's hand

Alcohol and drugs don't mix with boating

If you are planning to consume alcohol or drugs avoid boating or recreating in the water to keep yourself and others safe.

There are penalties when drugs or a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or over are detected in the:

operator of a motorboat
essential members of the crew
water skiers
observers
those towed in any manner behind a boat.

The penalties can include large fines and/or imprisonment. The court may impose an additional penalty and suspend or cancel a certificate of competency, including a boat operator's licence.

Penalties can also apply for refusal to submit to a drug screening test or blood test.

SAPOL water operations officers undertake random drug and BAC testing of boaters. Do the right thing or risk a penalty.

Before and after shot of the wave energy generator structure in the waters off the coast of Carrickalinga

Wave energy generator top removed

A wave energy generator structure sank 1.5 km off the coast of Carrickalinga in 2014, when it was being transported between Port Adelaide to its intended new home in Port MacDonnell by a private company.

Most of the structure sank under the water although there was a top section visible from the shoreline. Due to the size and location of the structure it was decided to remove the visible section so the public could no longer see it.

This work has recently been completed. A navigational light and an isolated danger mark and signs have been installed at the site to ensure mariners know the structure lies below the water. There is also a 100-metre exclusion zone around the structure.

We understand there are many aquatic species which have also made the remaining structure under the water their home over the last seven years.