Campaign to aid boat owners

Press, 29 June 1983, Page 17

Campaign to aid boat owners

PA Wellington A publicity campaign will be launched this summer to give boat owners more information about local sea conditions, says the Minister of Transport, Mr Gair. The campaign, organised by the Small Boat Safety Committee and the Water Safety Council, would also encourage boat owners to fill in a form giving details of planned trips, he said. Advertisements would give details of the difficulties boat owners were most likely to encounter, Mr Gair said. “The nature of predominant on-shore and off-shore wjnds, the likelihood big breakers, the strength of

rips and undertows — this is the sort of knowledge which is basic to boat safety and which is all too often left to chance, particularly by holi-day-makers who are boating in unfamiliar waters,” he said. Beaches used by a lot of people or with a bad safety record would be covered by the campaign, Mr Gair said. He said that the forms for boaties to fill in would include details of safety equipment and the type of radio carried, and would be available from boating clubs or at beaches. The information would greatly help search and'Vescue teams, he said.