Rocky start to boating season

Labour weekend kicked off with the Coastal Classic on October 22. Hibiscus Rescue One went out to the southern end of Tiri and stood by in case it was needed. Previous years have seen dismastings and other various mishaps requiring our rapid assistance into Gulf Harbour; this year however with a calm sea and 20 knot SW winds the race all went smoothly and no Coastguard assistance was needed so our crew were able to sit and enjoy a grandstand view of the race.

Despite this positive start, both of our vessels have seen a big increase in callouts to mechanical breakdowns since Labour weekend. Other incidents include a jetskier who came off his jetski 1.5 nautical miles off Hatfields Beach and could not swim as fast as his jetski was blowing offshore. Together with the Police Eagle helicopter and the Westpac Rescue helicopter, crew on our Sealegs found him and his jetski and returned them both safely to Wenderholm.

We also rescued two fishermen at night from Mahurangi Island off Waiwera. After they were trapped by the tide, our amphibious vessel managed to land on the island to pick them up: our larger vessel, Hibiscus Rescue One, could not have got close to them. We attend a lot of jobs close to rocks on the northern side of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and our Sealegs has consistently proved to be the ideal rescue vessel for this type of job, being able to get in very close to rocks and even drive onto the rocky outcrop on this occasion.

Now is a good time for all boaties to check safety gear. In particular, check the condition of lifejackets, and if there are any tears, or signs of excessive wear, replace them immediately. Service gas inflatable PFDs annually and replace any expired flares. Run your EPIRB in test mode to check it’s working, and upgrade to a 406mHZ model where possible (this model is far more accurate in its position fix than older models – therefore you will be found much faster). If you have not used the boat for a while, check that your VHF radio is working – you can call Coastguard Radio on channels 80 and 82 for a radio transmission check. Also check that your waterproof torch is working and has spare batteries and look at the condition of all other safety gear and consider whether it needs replacing.

Coastguard Hibiscus is looking for new crew. If interested contact our recruitment officer David Bradley on recruitment@hibiscus.org.nz or phone 021 175 6066.