Between November and April, the Central Queensland Region traditionally experiences some bad weather that poses dangers for boat owners. Since the weather over the next few months looks like it might be challenging, we thought this might be a good time to briefly look...

Many people complete a boating course, obtain a boat licence, and buy a boat, never considering that in many cases every boat trip begins and ends with a road trip. There is a lot to know and a lot to consider if you will be towing your boat to the water and back. We...

Summer is here and the holidays are fast approaching. This means many people will be taking their boats out for the first time in quite a while. To ensure your boat is ready to go, we have put together a simple list of important things you should consider checking....

Ropes (lines if you want to be pedantic) of various types, but generally natural fibre and synthetic, are ubiquitous to recreational boats and are used for all sorts of purposes. However, they are also rarely given any consideration at all. When was the last time you...

We’ve seen previously that two of the key reasons to abandon ship are fires and the uncontrollable ingress of water. While flooding can occur as a result of a sudden structural failure, it is far more likely to be a result of a collision or a grounding so this week we...

Last time we introduced a question that sparks much conversation and confusion among boat owners, “what equipment am I actually required to carry on my boat?” We looked at Marine Safety Queensland’s (MSQ’s) official guidance on this topic, which is broken down into...

One of the most common questions Marine Rescue Squadrons across Queensland, and probably Australia, encounter is, “what equipment am I actually required to carry on my boat?” In many cases the unsettling subtext of this question is, “what is the minimum safety...

Last time we examined what you need to consider before, and while, abandoning ship. It was noted that one of the two main reasons to abandon ship was a fire. In order to truly understand why it is so important to always be prepared to abandon ship, it’s worth looking...

Over the last few weeks, we have talked about using a radio, including how to make an emergency call. While uncommon, some emergencies can lead to the loss of a vessel and the need to abandon ship. The emergencies that can lead to this can broadly be grouped into two...

Over the last few weeks, we have talked about the different types of marine radios, how to contact Marine Rescue to ask for a radio check and how to use a marine radio to talk to another boat or shore-based radio. There is one final situation in which you will need to...

All boat owners understand that there are high tides and low tides, and most understand that having some idea of what the tides are doing is important. Not being aware of the water depth can cause boats to become stranded until the next high tide and in extreme cases...

Last time we spoke about different types of marine radios and how to contact Marine Rescue to ask for a radio check to make sure that your radio is working. Now that you know your radio is working, how do you use your radio to talk with someone else? The first step is...

Marine radios are crucial pieces of safety equipment on all boats, yet many boat owners have never used their radio. Surprisingly, many people are not actually even sure how to use their radio! Needless to say though, this is not something you want to learn during a...

All boats with engines need fuel. This means as a boat owner you will often have to refuel your boat; but many boat owners are unaware of everything they should do to make this as straightforward and safe as possible. As a minimum, depending on your boat specific boat...