Marine Rescue has busy start to season

"We knew we'd be heading into a busy boating season with holiday makers keen to get out on the water especially after lockdowns, but we hadn't predicted it would start so soon" said unit commander Sonia Teston.

"There have been lots of vessels which have remained idle and unused for many months and many vessels purchased during the lockdown with skipper's having varying level of skills on the water," Ms Teston said.

Expecting it to be a busy season Marine Rescue Merimbula has used the quieter months to conduct training, resulting in several members qualifying as radio operators and crew members.

Ms Teston said that while they were "in good stead for the summer boating season" it would be of great help if boaters used the free service to logg on and off.

"By logging on and off with Marine Rescue the qualified radio operators keep a watch over boaters and record where they're going, how many people on board and when to expect their return. If boaters do not log off when due, the radio operator will take the next steps to locate the vessel.

"The alternative to logging on and off via marine radio is to use our free MarineRescue App which can be downloaded from the Marine Rescue NSW website." Ms Teston said.

"This app provides skippers with an alternative to speaking on their marine radio, but it is still good practice to do a radio check with us to ensure your radio is transmitting clearly."

Ms Teston cautioned against relying solely on mobile telephone coverage in an emergency out at sea.

Ms Teston said volunteers can provide advice about the rescue service, and "you can find us at the base in Spencer Park, selling fundraising raffle tickets at various markets, or at bingo at the RSL Merimbula each Thursday". In addition, rescue vessels will be open for inspection during the Sea Change Expo on Sunday, January 23 between 10am-1pm at Spencer Park.