Trip preparation & planning

When planning a trip, you should have on board the contact details of emergency personnel such as Transport Safety Victoria, Vic Water Police, Marine Rescue Victoria, local marinas etc. This is essential as in the height of an emergency you don’t need to be fumbling around with outdated or ineffective communication personnel. Have these details at your fingertips to lessen the impact of the emergency.

Some important contact details are:

• Emergency Help: 000
• Marine Rescue Victoria (number dependant on location)
• Vic Water Police: (03) 9399 7500
• Transport Safety Victoria: 1800 223 022

We’ve deliberately left out more resources here because we want you to make your own list. Write them down or put them in your phone.

Letting someone know where you’re going

It’s important to let someone know when you go boating, where you go boating and how long you’ll be gone. If you don’t return, this contact can then raise an alarm in case of emergency. This will also help rescue personnel avoid an unnecessary search in areas where you won’t be.

Your plan that you give to your contact should outline your boating itinerary including your time of departure and time of expected return. It should also have a time to contact authorities should you fail to return. Once you return, ensure this person is made aware of your status.

Preparing for a trip

All boaters should create a checklist that is customised to their vessel, the conditions and the location of their activity.

Before your first trip out, you should create a checklist similar to the one below to ensure you depart and arrive back home safely.