Take a weather app with you
While boaties may not actually be able to take the weather with them, having the MetService Marine app might be the next best thing.
MetService Marine opens with today’s recreational marine forecast for the default location of your choice, and includes forecasts for all New Zealand coastal and recreational marine areas, plus severe weather, tide, rain radar and other information.
The app is a hit with boaties and is now being used on average more than 250,000 times a month. It has been downloaded more than 210,000 times and on average has nearly 5,000 new users each month.
‘‘These results are great news,’’ Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch says.
‘‘Check the marine weather forecast is a safer boating key message, and it’s great to see such an increase in people doing that.
‘‘Boaties have to be sure it is a marine forecast they are using. Land forecasts are different and will not help you on a boat.’’
Land and general forecasts do not take into account wind speed over water (which is double thatover land) or the waves or swell. If a land forecast does give wind speed, it is in km/hr and that is an indicator that you are listening to the wrong forecast.
‘‘Bad weather makes the environment on board a boat extremely hazardous. Too many recreational boating fatalities happen because of bad weather. Add to that weather-related injuries, boats sinking, damage and the cost of rescue, and then you see why checking the marine forecast is so important,’’ Mr
‘‘Boaties have to be sure it is a marine forecast they are using. Land forecasts are different and will not help you on a boat’’
Manch says.
MetService General Manager Corporate Affairs, Jacqui Bridges, says the beauty of MetService Marine is its simplicity.
‘‘It is a great way to bring the marine forecast to life in an easy to use way.’’
It works hand-in- hand with Maritime NZ’s ‘‘MarineMate’’ app. MarineMate uses your location to provide local bylaws about lifejackets, speed limits, boat ramp locations, towing access lanes, fishing rules and much more.
Both apps are available free from the App Store and Google Play. MetService Marine and MarineMate.
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