Boaties take up offer to replace old lifejackets
About 60 South Canterbury boaties took advantage of an offer to update their lifejackets as part of a nationwide campaign that touched down in Timaru on Saturday.
Community ambassador for Coastguard New Zealand and Hutchwilco Sue Tucker was in Timaru on Saturday to raise public awareness about a trade-in scheme which offers boaties an incentive to trade in their old lifejackets for a discount on a range of new, modern purpose lifejackets.
Tucker said there was a continued concern about old and worn lifejackets being used on the water.
She was surprised at the number of older lifejackets that had been presented for trade at the Mr Boats store on King St, Timaru, some as old as 40 years, she said.
‘‘We upgraded about 50 jackets in Timaru which was a great outcome.
‘‘A lot of people are still holding on to jackets thinking they are fit for purpose.’’
The mission statement was to fit-for- upgrade old lifejackets and get something that was going to work and give people positive buoyancy in the water, Tucker said.
‘‘It’s about people taking responsibility at the end of the day.’’
The Old4New Lifejacket upgrade campaign is in its second year as a boating safety initiative with the Old4New van, visiting boat ramps and key locations from the far north to the deep south.
Coastguard New Zealand chief executive Patrick Holmes said the message was simple.
‘‘Lifejackets save lives, it’s as simple as that.
‘‘Two-thirds of recreational boating fatalities would likely be prevented if lifejackets were worn, a lifejacket has never ruined a day on the water.
More than 7,000 lifejackets had been traded in during the campaign, he said.
For those who were not able to come to attend Saturday’s event, there was online support through www.old4new.nz,Tucker said.
In New Zealand, skippers must ensure they are carrying enough correctly-sized lifejackets for everyone on board - but there is no single law to require those jackets to be worn at all times. Instead, it’s up to the skipper. Lifejackets must be worn at times of greater risk, such as crossing a bar or in bad weather, and individual councils have different bylaws on their use.
The Safer Boating Forum, a marine safety group made up of 23 organisations including Maritime NZ, councils, the Coastguard, Surf Lifesaving NZ, Waka Ama NZ and the police, takes the position ‘that all persons on recreational vessels of six metres or less in length wear lifejackets at all times while the vessel is underway’.