No images? Click here
December 2021
SAFE BOATING OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
With Christmas almost here, the Marine Safety SA team would like to wish all recreational boaters and our eNewsletter subscribers a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy new year. We hope you have enjoyed our monthly newsletters and have found all the information you need to boat safely via our Marine Safety SA website which launched this year.
Our waters and boat ramps will get very busy during the summer holidays. Please prepare before taking your vessel out on the water.
- Check your boat is maintained and running properly.
- Check and pack all the right safety gear.
- Pack your lifejackets and make sure they fit and have been serviced.
- Go to BOM to get the latest weather updates.
- Always let someone know when and where you are going out and when you expect to be back.
Marine Safety Officers will be out on water in patrol boats and visiting boat ramps across the state over the December and January period. Feel free to ask them all your boating safety questions.
SAFETY
Photo credit - SA Water
Happy Valley Reservoir open to kayakers and canoeists
It was fantastic to see so many kayakers and canoeists on the water when the Happy Valley Reservoir opened to the public for the first time.
Marine Safety Officers attended the opening to remind the public about the requirement to wear a lifejacket while kayaking or canoeing.
If you plan to visit the reservoir in the future to kayak or canoe please remember the following:
- your vessel must comply with ISO-6185 and carry the appropriate badge.
- you must wear a level 50S / 50 lifejacket or higher.
- you will need to carry a suitable bailer (generally a bucket attached to a rope) for removing water in your canoe or kayak (unless the hull is permanently enclosed).
We also recommend wearing brightly coloured clothes suitable for the conditions and carrying a way of communicating i.e. – mobile phone. Further useful safety information if canoeing or kayaking is available here.
Please note motorised craft, dinghies, row and sailing boats are also not permitted, along with electric or fuel-powered motors and sails fitted to canoes and kayaks.
More information about visiting Happy Valley Reservoir is available here.
COMPLIANCE
New home for Marine Safety patrol boat
One of our Marine Safety boats has a new, permanent home at Outer Harbor following installation of a boat lift.
Having the vessel on water ready to go means Marine Safety Officers can provide a quicker response to get out on the water, board safely, increase on water compliance and education opportunities, increase response times to oil spills, provide ongoing maintenance to the vessel and reduce damage to the vessel as it can be dry docked in inclement weather.
Keep a look out for the patrol boat launching from Outer Harbor.
SAFETY
Service your inflatable lifejacket
Do you know where you can get your inflatable lifejacket serviced? Visit the Australian New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group - Boating Industry Australia Lifejacket Portal to find a local store that can service your lifejacket.
You can also service them yourself in line with manufacturer's instructions. Watch our video for tips on servicing your inflatable lifejacket.
Remember most inflatable lifejackets need to be serviced every 12 months.
Murray River etiquette - please share the river safely
With an expected influx of people to the Murray River in the school holidays we would like to remind all users to take care and share the river safely.
If you are operating a powered vessel including ski boats, personal watercraft like a jet ski or any other powered vessel on the river you must keep to the 4-knot speed limit:
- 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
Former wakeboarding world champion Bec Gange has some tips on reducing wake wash on the Murray River. Watch the video above.
Please remember - keep your distance from the shore, stay to the right side of the middle of the river and share the water safely with all river users including other boats, paddle craft like kayaks and canoes, paddle boards, swimmers, houseboats and dock areas.
The river is everyone’s playground. Stay safe on the water.
#MurrayRiverLife
SAFETY
Flinders Ports reminds boaties to share the water safely
With the summer boating season underway, Flinders Ports would like to remind recreational boaters to stay safe on the water.
While fishing is welcomed on the Port River in Adelaide, small boats should keep well clear of the Port River channel and its approaches when large ships are manoeuvring. This same rule applies for the smaller regional ports dotted up and down our coastline.
Ships that are 300 metres long, weighing over 100,000 tonnes are now common around Port Adelaide. Fishing in and around the vicinity of these massive ships can have many hidden dangers.
If you would like more information about Flinders Ports check out their new website here.
SAFETY
Live to tell the tale - wear a lifejacket
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) have produced this video about how wearing a lifejacket increases your chances of survival if you fall overboard.
Listen to Medical Advisor and Survival Expert Dr Paul Luckin explain how being a strong recreational swimmer will not save your life in a man overboard situation, whereas wearing a lifejacket will.
Dredging - know which side to pass on
Have you seen a dredge in operation while out boating? Dredges operate with a large amount of piping on one side of the dredge making it dangerous to pass on the side the dredging is taking place.
When dredges are operating during the day (as pictured above) you will see either two black diamonds (shown circled in green) indicating it is safe to pass on this side of the dredge. The other side will show two black circles (shown circled in red above) indicating dredging is taking place on this side and it is unsafe to pass.
At night two green lights will show the safe side to pass and two red lights will show dredging is taking place this side and it is unsafe to pass.
The black circle, diamond and circle day mark (circled in orange above) show that the dredge is restricted in its ability to manoeuvre. See the other day marks that can be used on a dredge.
Take care when operating near dredges and follow the speed restrictions in the area.
SAFETY
Paddle safety
A recent tragic drowning of a kayaker is a stark reminder of how treacherous our coastal and inland waters can be.
All paddle craft users (kayakers and canoeists) must wear a lifejacket at all times when out on the water. The lifejacket level you wear depends on the waters you are operating in. Use our lifejacket checker to make sure you have the right lifejacket on.
Always let someone know where you are paddling and when they should expect you to return. They can then raise the alarm if you do not return by this time.
Please take care on the water and check the weather conditions before you go out.
Watch this Australian New Zealand Safe Boating Education Group Paddle Safe video for paddling tips.
Other safety information and tips for paddle craft users are available here.
SAFETY
Safety tip - Falling overboard
If you are unlucky enough to fall overboard it might not be that easy to get back on board with your vessel bobbing around in the water.
That is why it is always safer to wear a lifejacket. Falling overboard can lead to cold water shock, even in summer.
The safest place to get back on the boat is the stern (back of the boat) as long as the engine has been turned off. A boarding ladder on the back of your boat may help a person overboard more easily climb back into the boat.
Speak to your local marine dealership to get a suitable boarding ladder correctly installed.
Helpful Links
Contact us | Forward to a friend | Privacy
© 2021 www.marinesafety.sa.gov.au | Government of South Australia