HomeMarine Safety SA   Marine Safety SA May 2025 Newsletter

Marine Safety SA May 2025 Newsletter

You can subscribe to receive the Marine Safety SA eNewsletter monthly here.

That's a wrap on the peak boating season

Collage of all special moments within our boating season 2024-2025. Pictured is StayAfloat Clinics, Rippers program, our Marine new Marine Safety patrol vessel and media coverage with Channel7.
Photo (above):   Collage of memorable activities completed in 2024 - 2025 peak boating season

Now we have passed the April school holidays, the official peak boating season has wrapped up – we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Between October 2024 and April 2025 the Marine Safety SA team:

  • launched SA’s Recreational Boating Safety Strategy to help improve boating safety over the next five years
  • checked more than 400 lifejackets and welcomed over 800 visitors to our new Stay Afloat lifejacket maintenance clinics
  • completed over 3,300 vessel safety checks
  • attended a range of events across the State, including the Eyre Peninsula Field Days (Cleve), Riverland Field Days (Barmera), Club Marine Boat Show, Dockside Festival (Port Adelaide), South-East Field Days (Lucindale), Little Rippers program (River Murray) and the Goolwa Wooden Boat Festival
  • shared boating safety messages via our Ship Shape campaign, media interviews, monthly newsletters and regular posts to our Marine Safety SA Facebook page.

Over the winter months the Marine Safety SA team will continue to share boating safety messages via this newsletter and our Facebook page, conduct vessel checks and run Stay Afloat clinics at boating clubs.

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Education

Book a Stay Afloat clinic at your club

Pictured is our Marine Safety Stay Afloat Trailer where we conduct our Stay Afloat clinics for general public located in different areas across the state. Pictured is our trailer opened up with view of the tv hung from the back wall with key safety messages. Brochures are in the image alongside our Marine Safety drink bottles and lifejacketsPhoto (above): Marine Safety SA Stay Afloat clinics can visit your local boating club

As the weather cools downs our popular Stay Afloat lifejacket maintenance clinics will move indoors.

Are you a member of a boating club or association? You can request a Stay Afloat clinic!

We can run a session for your members about maintaining and wearing lifejackets, and answer any other boating safety questions.

When booking a Stay Afloat clinic you'll need:

  • a minimum of 15 attendees
  • to be responsible for organising the event, including registrations of people attending and the venue for the clinic.

Register your interest here.

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Safety

Marine Patrol vessel 1 (MP1) has launched

Video (above): MP1 build over 15 months

Have you seen our brand-new vessel Marine Patrol 1 (MP1)?

The purpose-built vessel has launched after a 15 month build by local Adelaide boat builder Nautic Star. MP1 incorporates the latest in marine engineering. It offers state-of-the-art navigation, surveillance and communication systems.

This vessel will be used across coastal waters and represents a significant step forward in strengthening our fleet’s overall capabilities to better protect public and environmental safety.

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Tips for staying safe if your vessel catches fire

Photo of a fire extinguisher to remind people if their vessel catches firePhoto (above):  Make sure you have your fire extinguisher on board

You must carry a fire extinguisher and fire bucket on board – but would you know what to do if a fire started? It’s not as simple as using the fire extinguisher or throwing water with your bucket…

If a fire starts, follow these important steps:

  • let passengers know and make a distress call
  • shut off fuel and gas lines
  • use your extinguisher or bucket
  • toss burning objects overboard if safe to do so
  • close any hatches to cut oxygen
  • cool LPG cylinders or abandon ship if the flames are too close.

If abandoning ship, move upwind to avoid fuel spreading, stay clear of other vessels and, most importantly, wear your lifejacket.

And remember, fire extinguisher size requirements and standards apply.

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Grab bag for your safety equipment

In this image is a photo of a safety grab bag which should have most of your safety equipment that you require on board your vessel. Grab bag is yellow and background is the blue ocean and blue sky

Photo (above): A grab bag is the ideal place to store all your safety gear

Can you get to all of your safety gear quickly on the water? Would you know exactly where everything is?

Safety equipment should be stored close together in an easy access location on your vessel.  Many people use a grab bag to store their key safety gear so it’s all together and ready to use in an emergency.

Key safety equipment for all boaters includes:

  • lifejackets (accessible or wearing them as required)
  • in date flares
  • emergency communications – EPIRB, PLB, marine radio, mobile phone
  • fire extinguisher
  • waterproof torch
  • bucket with rope attached
  • paddles.

Make sure you have the right safety equipment here.

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Licensing

Digitalising boat transactions

Boat transfers can now be completed online. Pictured is a 3D image of a vessel on the screen of a mobile phone.

Photo above: Boat registrations can now be transferred online

Did you know you can now transfer both an expired or current boat registration online with a mySAGOV account.

The time saving online option is similar to transferring a vehicle registration and a convenient alternative for the boating community. It will save time by removing the need to visit a Service SA centre, and allowing boaties to enjoy the water faster.

Read more about re-registering a boat.

Find other online boating transactions.

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