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Welcome to 2023! We trust that everyone had an enjoyable and safe Christmas and New Year. There has been a mixed bag of weather conditions over the Christmas / New Year holiday period ranging from 35 knot winds and 3 metre (or more) swells to amazingly delightful calm and sunny days. Hopefully all boaties have had an opportunity to get out on the water and explore our amazing coastline.
Saturday, 21 January 2023 was a beautiful and busy day with the Jurien Marina Carpark full. At 0800 hours Rescue 2 was deployed with Mike Cockburn, Chrissy Heu and Graham Latter on board for a tow in, located west of Cervantes. This was followed by another tow-in of a vessel located 5.5km west of Jurien and then one in the Marina after delivering the second tow-in. A huge thank you to our tower radio operators Suzie Troup (0600 hours) and Allan Franke (1100 hours) who were kept “on their toes”!!
Later, during the evening at 2110 hours a red parachute flare was sighted west of Jurien – nothing eventuated. You may think it is “fun” setting off flares, but it is not!! There are severe penalties for the improper use of flares. Flares have a very serious purpose. Falsely indicating distress rightly carries a severe penalty, but it also wastes a lot of time and resources – possibly weakening the ability to respond to a genuine emergency. Do not leave flares in your vessel when it is not in use and keep them away from children.
A big shout out to Bob Bridgeman at the Jurien Bay Waste Facility who handed in packets of Flares and EPIRBS found in the area. They are still live until they are disposed of correctly. We would not like them to be handled by young hands and irresponsible people. Do not discard unserviceable or out of date EPIRBs or Flares in general rubbish or land fill. Hand them in to Marine Rescue Jurien Bay and we will organise correct disposal for you. We are located in Breakwater Drive – head down to the Marina past the car park and launching ramps and drive to the end of the road.
Thanks again Bob.
All Boaties:
Have your safety gear easily accessible in case of an emergency! It takes less than 30 seconds for a boat to capsize or sink and it happens without warning. Skippers are responsible for the safety of their vessel and passengers at all times. Safety starts with you!
To Prevent the Theft of your Vessel or Property:
There are some basic steps that we can all take to protect our property from theft as follows:
record all details of your boat and equipment – including serial numbers – and keep this list in a safe place.
Engrave any valuable items – you can use your driver’s licence number.
Mark your dinghy with an identifying feature, such as your driver’s licence number.
Fit an anti-theft device to your trailer.
Fit a quality lock to your boat.
Remove valuable items from your boat when you leave it unattended. If you have to leave valuables on board, ensure they are out-of-sight.
If you are leaving your vehicle parked on shore while you go boating, please make certain that you leave NO valuables behind and that you secure your vehicle properly.
Consider fitting a quality alarm to your boat.
Don’t leave alcohol on the vessel or in sight.
Don’t leave keys on your boat. Take them with you.
What to do if your vessel is broken into, stolen or damaged:
Contact the Police Assistance Centre (PAC) on Telephone 131 444 or Jurien Bay Police on 9652 0600 to make a report. When a crime is happening or in a life-threatening situation dial 000.
Do not touch anything unless it’s absolutely essential. If the surfaces on your vessel are suitable and a forensics officer is available, they will attend to “dust” for finger prints. You can assist by:
Preserving areas for forensic examination for DNA and fingerprints from weather or contamination, where possible.
Noting any changes or disturbance of equipment on board for forensic examination.
Inquiring with neighbours / club members / other vessel users regarding similar offences or suspicious activities and informing the attending Police of the details.
Source: WA Water Police – “Marine Watch, a Guide to a more secure and a safe boating experience”. The full brochure is available from the Marine Rescue Tower.
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