Coastguard / VMR, yes or no?

[kind_cir]

As an asocciate member of my local Coastguard I did not hesitate in calling for assistance from them recently when my throttle broke. At $50 a year for membership I find it cheap insurance in case something goes wrong.
What I would like to know is how many Ausfishers are members and support their local resue group.
These guys are all volenteers and recieve little or no funding from the government and IMO need our support. So as a little thankyou I'd like to spread the word.

[TheRealAndy]

I am a full member of VMR Brisbane, and have been for many years. After a bit of to and fro recently I have decided that I am going to become an active member soon.

[Vindicator]

Bloody oath, Mooloolaba for me, 50 bucks is cheap at twice the price. You'd be mad not to join. Its worth it even just for the fact that when you radio in on heading out you can give your member number and not go through the rigmorole of giving all your details. I would be glad to pay it and not have to use them for the year, those blokes (and ladies) do an awesome job. Money well spent in my books.

Cheers
Kezza

[PADDLES]

yep, $55 goes to redcliffe coast guard each year. reminds me it's due now. we bought our boat from john crawford marine and they threw membership in as part of the purchase, good on them i reckon, i just keep paying it. it's probably the cheapest boat related bill we have.

[BaitThrower]

Member of Vic Pt VMR. Havent had to use em yet but happy to pay :)

[Benno1]

when we live on the Gold Coast yup...VMR...now in Gladstone...same deal...money well spent imo...if we ever need them...they're there...peace of mind...

Mrs Benno1

[mangomick]

Yep
I had to get a tow home from 17 miles out the other day when water impeller threw it in. First time in all the years I've been in it and I've got to say beats having to paddle a 5.6 haines all that way home.:-[
Even if I had a boat with two donks I still reckon I'd be in it just for peace of mind

[goldfish]

Yep i'm in VMR Beenleigh (jacobs well) have been for ever i think. however they used to have the gold membership which covered you all over qld but now only covers the broardwater. i would like to see this coverage come back again as if you go for a drive from say southport to bribi you would need to be in about 6 or so which starts to get a bit expencive espicelly if you do trips further north.
in short i would like to see them all join together so when your in 1 vmr your in them all. dose this sound too simple???
but they do a great job none the less.
cheers
rick

[blueboy]

Yep i'm in VMR Beenleigh (jacobs well) have been for ever i think. however they used to have the gold membership which covered you all over qld but now only covers the broardwater. i would like to see this coverage come back again as if you go for a drive from say southport to bribi you would need to be in about 6 or so which starts to get a bit expencive espicelly if you do trips further north.
in short i would like to see them all join together so when your in 1 vmr your in them all. dose this sound too simple???
but they do a great job none the less.
cheers
rick

Hi Rick, I am a member of Jacob's Well also. I was speaking to them a couple of weeks ago and they told me that we are now covered from Southport to Bribie. The news is also on their website if you want any more info. Good news eh!!!

Cheers, Greg

[Hornet Rider]

You may need to join both to get full coverage for a free tow. I'm a member of CG Redcliffe but CG does not offer tow fee coverage by VMR units. That's not the primary motivation for joining but it's worth knowing.

[Noelm]

I guess all us NSW Boaties have got it good, the Coastgaurd/Coastal Patrol is free for us, if your in strife, you just radio into anyone of the Bases that can hear you, tell them where you are and they come and get you, now this is not to say that when you get towed in or assisted in some way, that you should not "donate" some cash to cover Fuel and so on, most do, but I am sure some don't, they get their operating revenue entirely from fund raising and donations/sponsership.

[BaitThrower]

Yeah most of the VMRs in Brisbane/Goldy now have reciprocal rights with each other. That means if you are a member of Vic Pt VMR (for example) and you get a tow from, say, Jacobs Well VMR, the Vic Pt VMR will cover the cost of the tow for you, and vice versa.

But I believe your membership is only good for 1 free tow per calendar year, which is fair enough I say. Hopefully you never need it, but good to know it's there if you do!

[Local_Guy]

i think you'd be mad not to join the coastguard or VMR. For the small price of $66 up here we get 2 free tow's / year ontop of other benefits.

I more of less use it for logging trips, but it's good to know support is there if i need help.

[charleville]

I am a member of both VMR Jacobs Well and the Brisbane Coastguard.

Now that VMR Jacobs Well have extended their effective coverage to Bribie Island, i know that I don't need to be a member of both but I take comfort in seeing those bloody big powerful boats that they have to rescue me if I need it and when the Brisbane Coastguard told me at a boat show that they will come out at any time even though they may not be manning the airwaves after hours, I reckoned that the least that I can do is to stay a member of both.

[Kendall249]

I'm assocaiate member of QF8, money well spent and I hope I'll will not need their assistance. Even if I knew I wouldn't never need their help I would happy to keep membership.

[kind_cir]

I look at it purely as helping them out financally. Anything above and beonde that is a bonus. It is good to see an overwelming majority on this site are members and support them. And a few more will be looking at joining after reading this thread. If you look at the poll results, one could assume it is trendy to be a member.:o

[samson]

Member at noosa, mooloolabah,southport and tweed heads wish they were resiprical as it costs me over $200 every year and some only offer one tow, which sometimes i've avoided to waste as i was worried about a bigger cost next time so have limped in dangerously.

[onerabbit]

To echo NoelM's comment,

Ballina VMR Ballina is only $27.50 p.a, which I believe entitles us to 2 free tows anywhere out to 25miles offshore.
Been a member since 2000, not needed them yet, but it's good to know they are there.

Muzz

[jtpython]

Always will support the guys in all they do volunteer organisation and with their organised fishing competition that started this year the company i work for gave a good donation towards their new boat.
They deserve way more for their work they do and the extra hours they put in
Been a member for years and will always be
JT

[Bros]

Posters put a lot on the "free tow" but someone pays. The State Government has increased their funding by $2000 in the past 10 years but has increased the amount of training qualifications needed. A large number of the VMR's & Coastguard's consist of dad's army people as there is an ever increasing shortage of younger people wanting to volunteer.

With the "Free Tows" I don't suppose anyone thinks that if they are towed back from a considerable distance they still have the fuel left that they would have to return home with.

There have been cases of people breaking down calling for free tow and saying later that it was the cheapest trip they ever had. Larger VMR's and Coastguards can absorb some of the costs but the smaller ones can't.

So if you get a free tow over a long distance consider yourself lucky as it can't continue much longer as there are some VMR's & Coastguard's charging for excess distance.

[mangomick]

I guess all us NSW Boaties have got it good, the Coastgaurd/Coastal Patrol is free for us, .

Geez
Must be the only thing that is free in NSW;D

[tinman42]

I understand VMR Raby Bay at Cleveland offer reciprocating rights all through Queensland.
As an associate member there if you need assistance in say Weipa (or whereever you may be), you pay the bill in Weipa and then Raby Bay will reimburse you when you present your invoice to them.
Very cheap insurance not to mention helping out a great bunch of people who volunteer their time in case we need them.

[Chamelion]

Will be joining the Mooloolaba branch pretty soon.

Matt.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hey guys
Question-- Seeing I live at Beachmere which should we join-- Bribie or redcliffe. Passage and moreton so should we join both..
Ronnie

[kind_cir]

Hey guys
Question-- Seeing I live at Beachmere which should we join-- Bribie or redcliffe. Passage and moreton so should we join both..
Ronnie
I would think Bribie would be more likely to service the passage rather than Redcliffe. Bribie would also do the top end of the bay and offshore aswell. Best off to give them both a call and see who does what, and what reciptical rights they offer.

[Mac1952]

Crazy not to join!

[QF3 MROCP]

I look at it purely as helping them out financally. Anything above and beonde that is a bonus. It is good to see an overwelming majority on this site are members and support them. And a few more will be looking at joining after reading this thread. If you look at the poll results, one could assume it is trendy to be a member.:o

Noboat

You are spot on with the financial attitude. All the VMR & CGs's treat the money as a donation more than a "Fee for Service" we are all volunteers not a commercial business.

At the end of the day - No one is every refused help, regardless of the time of day 24 x 7 x 365 - Yes I'm on duty Xmas Day at 06:00 - 18:00..

Just remember the tow is not a fee, it's a partial donation to our running costs which the Govt's of the day do contribute towards to in different ways.

Another point to consider is that a donation to a charity is a tax deduction! and in some cases your marine insurance will cover the donation you make.

Peter

[Dave_H]

Noboat

You are spot on with the financial attitude. All the VMR & CGs's treat the money as a donation more than a "Fee for Service" we are all volunteers not a commercial business.

At the end of the day - No one is every refused help, regardless of the time of day 24 x 7 x 365 - Yes I'm on duty Xmas Day at 06:00 - 18:00..

Just remember the tow is not a fee, it's a partial donation to our running costs which the Govt's of the day do contribute towards to in different ways.

Another point to consider is that a donation to a charity is a tax deduction! and in some cases your marine insurance will cover the donation you make.

Peter

QF3, you are absolutely spot on.

The other person who likened the AVCGA etc to Dad's army (or any of you for that matter who may not know), there are many many young people do join these organisations however what may well influence many from continuing their full membership of any of the organisations - AVCGA, AVCP, VMR Marine Rescue etc has been the continued moving of the goal posts by successive governments in so far as training and red tape - the price that these governments have put on their funding packages. It can become very disillusioning to see a qualification that you have worked hard for over a couple of years be pulled just before or just after you qualify for it. So, to a point one might be correct in associating the older members to a Dad's Army, but in reality nothing could be further from the truth.

What is really stopping any of you from giving something back to your past-time(ie becoming a full member)? You never know, you might just learn something new - better boat handling skills, meet some like minded people, help others and have a blast doing all of the above. All it really takes is a day or so of your time each month, and the odd evening to help out with PIC courses etc.

How do I know this?

I joined NF3 Cottage Point in around 1993. When I moved to the Gold Coast later that year I did the odd duty with QF1 at Southport, where I learnt to handle their sharkcats in testing conditions, a skill I took back with me when I moved back down south and when NF3 bought it's first cat (MMI - a Cougarcat).

What has AVCGA done for me in the 10 years I was a member?

Many things, but not complete or in any order are...

* Taught me how to confidently handle vessels and crew in what may well be called "difficult" conditions.
* Allowed me to give something back to the community.
* A certificateIV in workplace training and assessment,
* I got to be part of an organisation that was doing its best to help the community and (for the most part) a great group of people to boot!

.... I also met my (now) wife through the organisation (Major Bonus!), yeah.... the happily ever after thing these days.

It doesn't take much to help your local VMR/AVCP/AVCGA etc but they really do need your support as for the most part financially they are constantly teetering on the edge of an abyss. Those larger (safer) offshore capable rescue vessels need a lot of $$ and goodwill to keep them operational, they don't just operate them to showboat - they are there for a reason and are many boaties last line of defence.

Now that the reason has passed that caused me to relinquish my full time membership (I moved accross the country many times in the past 7 years and there are not many uses for a marine rescue unit in Central Australia) I have recently become an Associate Member of NF11 here in Port Stephens.

I know it may read as a rant, it isn't meant to.

Regards,

Dave.

[BigAllan]

VMR Point Danger - wouldn't be without them.

[gr hilly]

i was a member of beenliegh air sea rescue (vmr jacobs well) for many yrs,an active member each week end and stood on the road at traffic lights for a long time raising a dollar a brick to build the building they now have,however i left due to my temper having to tow fools who ran out of fuel and other silly things to tow some boats would cost 200 in fuel and back in the early 80s we didnt charge which drove me crazy having to raise doe to wast on fools yes some people had a genuine need like a over t in the bar but still got few donations i do still sponser care flight and the coast guard and if i got a tow would for sure show my gratitude they do a top job.
hilly

[PWCDad]

I have been a member of VMR for 18 yrs and will continue for many more.

[joe 09]

I really don't care about the drama between the two but i have been a member of VMR Sandgate (Brisbane) since before i brought my boat and now of recent have joined CC redcliffe.If had to i would pay both to come get me as long as i get home, as i see it you can never have to many people watching over you.

Joe