Logging on with VMR or Coastguard

[Fiction]

If going out by myself i always log on whether in bay or offshore dont genrally worry in bay if travelling with another boat. If leaving from Bribie i use Bribie VMR . If leaving from Shorncliffe . I use VMR Sandgate . Mooloolaba i use Coastguard . All are on channel 73 and Vmr,s kick off at 6am. Generally only Coastguards are 24 hours and 7 days most VMRS are 6 to 5 and week ends or public holidays. Easy safety precaution i have had them ring me or contact me if i have lost track of time.

[Mr Squiggles]

I've always made a point of logging on & advising my destination. If I move - I advise. A few years ago a couple of young blokes in a 14ft tinny decided to venture onto Moreton Bay from the western Beach of Moreton Is. They got about a klm out & SPLASHO. Luckily someone (on the beach I think) saw what happened & contacted authorities. Coast Guard Redcliffe knew I was in the area & asked me to assist the blokes. As it turned out, someone got there before me but, to me, if VMR know where you are, it's not only your on backside you're covering.

[PinHead]

I suggest that we all should log in as the more times we log in the more funding these groups like vmw get from the goverment as the goverment does an orditt every year to see how many peolpe have loged in and then there funding budget from the gov. is worked out on that,
so the more we log in the more funding these groups get which equals safer boating for us all.

funding? what funding? the poor buggers are still running chook raffles in pubs to get their money.

I doubtr numbers of log ons would be any form of measure..it that occurred they could have someone just sit on a radio and up the numbers dramatically

[lethal098]

Greg, Some funding does come from the government but it has to be justified by all of that information, if you received no calls then why would they give you money??

Come down one weekend and see what goes on,

Cheers Lee

[Dave_H]

I always log-on. It stems from the 10 years I spent doing duty at AVCGA Cottage Point (NF3) and for a short while at Southport in the early 90's. Eventually my work took me awy from the marine environment and life kinda got in the way ever since.

Funding? Most of the funding is for the purchase/replacement and partial upkeep of the vessels as they in themselves have to be top knotch mechanically to be dependable enough to take a crew offshore in some trully horrendous conditions from time to time. One of the reasons I walked away in the end was more to do with the attitude/perception of many members of the public that all volunteers are like the NRMA/RACQ etc of the waterways and as such at everyone elses beck and call.

A bit of a read, however well worth it for those who feel that any government funding to volunteer organisation/s should mean that any service to the public should be free.... http://www.maritime.nsw.gov.au/docs/...ine_rescue.pdf It is more to do with NSW, however has far reaching effects across the country.

Sure, if everyone logged-on the radio stats for each base increase, and if you don't then they'll decrease. What you might not realise is that part of the formula for dispersing of the funding is to be where it is most utilised (ie; which stations are being used the most?).

Hope that helps those who wont or don't use them on principle, however it costs you nothing, so why not? The rubbish I read earlier about the bases not being staffed earlier is just that - rubbish. Why should a person who volunteers their time (and incidentally pays to belong to these organisations to help YOU) get out of bed and arrive at a radio room at 4am just to satisfy the whim of some goose who feels the world owes him a living? Nothing states you have to log-on the moment you move away from the ramp so why not just give your closest station a call when they come online at whatever time and just tell them where you are and when you'll be back? If you are going to be a long way offshore and you don't think you'll have VHF radio coverage then why are you going so far away without the proper communications for the type of fishing you'll be doing.... ie; a HF?

Sorry. A bit emotive I know but having read some of the earlier comments in this thread I cannot believe some of the attitudes that are still around.

Regards,

Dave.

[lethal098]

Well Said Dave.

[MEG-A-BITE]

I do as its a good option to let somone know where you are.

[Mundi-itis]

Couple of points of view,
I never log on usually get a very early start or mid week and going a long way off shore but have no problem with VMR great organisation and when the chips are down bloody good to know they are around.
I do always check my radio and EPIRB and safety gear and am very careful to have it in a grab bag, figure that if the worst happens and I can't get a mayday off, I still have the EPIRB.
Also, like to remind everyone to have their Radio on and monitor VHF Ch 16 or UHF 28 one day the call for help I hear may be yours!!

[ThePinkPanther]

I did some eight years as Commodore of VMR Victoria Point and as we opened the doors on Saturday morning, we lost our first $1,000!!
Sunday another grand!!
Government assistance? Yeh ..........................!
About $22,000 a year to cover EVERYTHING!
Fuel, training, maintenance, operating costs, uniforms, new vessels - you name it and we have to pay for it out of that twenty odd grand!
Insurance alone takes about $6,000 annually and you can imagine the fuel costs.
Those rersponsible Boaties who become Associate members with VMR and AVCG for around sixty bucks a year do help with an income but now the morons in Government are thinking, "oh goody, they now have their own income. Why don't we take our subsidy off them seeing as how they are dowing so well!"
Probably hurt somebody's feelings but if you (can) log on with a marine unit and intentionally don't then you should'nt be out on the water!
If you believe your mobile phone is all you need, think again! Certainly worth having on board but totally useless when you want a dedicated channel to put out a help call in an immdeiate emergency - and nobody else hears you anyway!

[ThePinkPanther]

Quote: "Sure, if everyone logged-on the radio stats for each base increase, and if you don't then they'll decrease. What you might not realise is that part of the formula for dispersing of the funding is to be where it is most utilised (ie; which stations are being used the most?)"

Not in Queensland!

The biggest units get exactly the same as the smaller ones i.e Southport who probably drag in hundreds of boats per year get the same as Weipa up in the Gulf who might only do one or two a
year.

And the Lifesavers who have Pokies, clubs and untold income from massive sponsorship and support get exactly the same as VMR and AVCG!

Fair isn't it?

[honda900]

Obviously a few comments are directed at my original post, to which I assumed the coastguard was funded publicly. well after Mikes response I did some checking and admitted my mistake. My statement was made in error.

I have been a fully funded member of Vicky point VMR for 6 years or so. however I do not leave from that location so do not log on with them, they have on a couple of occasions relayed my information to the appropriate people, to which I am more than grateful and am comforted by the fact that one day I may need assistance.

I am still conscious of my responsibilities of being a boat owner and ensure I have better than required safety equipment for my crew and myself.

I still see that there is a problem with coverage in the early hours of the morning and late in the evening where a service needs to be put in place to cover the gaps, government funding is truly the only solution to the issue.

Regards
Honda.

[lethal098]

Honda, are you talking midweek or Weekends??

[honda900]

I was thinking about this isse today;

So how about a simple cheap non high tech solution, these are solutions that most people are familiar with, that I would bet could be funded through a sponsorship deal from one of the telco's so no direct costs to any of the rescue organisations;

1. voicemail : get the VMR offices a voice mailbox, you can logon any time outside hours. When staff arrive they check the voice mailbox, the person logging on must provide a time at which they will call the vmr when they are operational, say 9:00am, to let VMR know your ok. Logoff as normal on your way home. VMR give you a call if they havent heard from you by your nominated contact time.
2. Drop box at the VMR building; fill in a piece of paper and put it in the box. when vmr staff arrive they check the box. Again person logging on must call vmr at a nominated time to confirm they are Ok.
3. Email address: (this may be a little high tech for some operations staff, Maybe not.) email your logon details, again must call vmr at nominated time to say you are well.

I think any of these three options could assist, in gaining valuable coverage outside VMR hours of operation.


Regards
Honda.

[honda900]

Lethal,

both, anytime outside the normal coverage hours. More so from the perspective of me crossing the bar at 5:00 am, where I havent been able to logon due to coverage hours.

Regards
Honda.

[Marlin_Mike]

VMR Jacobs Well is manned 24/7