Winter is traditionally a quieter time on the water, sao it’s a great opportunity for boaters to brush up on boating rules and regulations and advice for staying safe on the water.
Victoria’s boating rules are outlined in the Boating Safety handbook, which is available as a convenient web-based app or a downloadable PDF.
Boaters can easily download the Boating safety handbook to their phone and stay informed about boating rules, emergency procedures, and more.
In addition to knowing the regulations, it is important boaters are prepared in case of bad weather, accidents or falling overboard.
Whatever the boating activity and wherever the waterway, the Boating safety handbook has a wealth of advice on how to prepare for going out on the water and staying safe.
Follow three simple safety rules to help stay safe if something goes wrong out on the water:
- Wear, maintain and service a lifejacket.
Wearing a correctly fitted lifejacket gives someone who falls into the water time to save their life by allowing them to get back on board or call for help. - Carry at least two waterproof communications devices.
A waterproof communications device is needed to raise the alarm once someone is in the water or if the boat capsizes. - Check the weather before and after setting out.
It’s important to always keep an eye on the weather forecast as conditions can change quickly. Download your favourite weather app to check the forecast.
See the demo below for how easy it is to download the app: