Logging on with VMR or Coastguard

[Scalem]

I have only visited a coastguard tower once, spent a couple of hours with them but it was an eye opener

If everyone who subscribed to this post so far did the same, the vote would be entirely different i am certain. No arguement from me, the volunteers do a fantastic job, need to be supported and encouraged, and personally that is motivation enough for me to pick up a microphone and radio in, which takes maybe 30 seconds out of my day on the water. How inconvenient is that? I am a creature of habit, if I start saying "no need to log in because I am fishing the estuary today", and next week is different going to Tangalooma for the day, and maybe I will think about it some more if I go further round to cape moreton... Noop. On the water, that's it, no thinking about it, just do it. I have both 27mhz and VHF so I will always be able to speak to someone if I need help, VMR came to rescue me in the old boat when the motor clapped out at the 4 beacons. Long tow home to Manly, but I was greatful to be back.

Scalem

[Rapson]

I always log on, regardless. Would have to be an idiot not to, regardless of how smick your boat is.

When I started my trade and thought I was bullet proof my old man said, you like listening to music? Put the muffs on. You like looking at pretty girls? Put the goggles on.

If there is safety gear there, USE IT!!

[justlovefishing]

not sure about other areas but at yeppoon we have trip sheets for people to fill out and drop in if you are going out when station isnot maned. Also we hand over to gladstone harbour control for radio watch o/nite. They monitor emergency channel 16 and if there is a emergency they will contact us and we will be on the water as soon as possible. Always mointer channel 16 if you are out also for yeppoon channel 21 and 22 for coast gaurd.
A while back we had a wife of a bloke who went out fishing going right off because her hubby was 5 hours overdue and wanted us to go and get him. problem was that he told no one where he was fishing because it was a secert spot. The point is we had no idea of where to start looking. It is a big ocean out there and we need a point of reference to start. As it turned out he had decided to stay out longer but had turnrd off his phone and radio reason given to keep his spot a secert??? If anything had happened would he have had time to notify anyone ??

[blueline]

up here we fill in trip sheet's so it doesnt matter if its to early or not to log in, and i'm a member which i think is a big thing as they need our suport.
you can log in by radio too.

[Ozie_3]

voted sometimes...

I dont take my boat outside the bay (as yet) and as i fish mostly mid week and earlier than 5am and later than 6pm, i tend not to log on much but do if there are kids aboard.

Phill said...What annoys me is the ferets that cannot use the phonetic alfabet to log on with and it takes forever to get a simple message across.
while out there listening to the vhf i hear all the time boaties replying with 'ROGER'....Roger is a mate i take fishing some times....Romeo is the word for understood (not just a prissy dude from a shakespear play).....but 80% reply 'roger' what delta india charlie kilo sierra

60 bucks a year to be a member....not much but it helps them (vmr or cg)... and if you need to be towed you could be several hundred in front....join your local one..

[xxxxhornet]

dont forget if you need help outside of normal vmr hours, brisbane water police monitor VHF 16 and 63 and the Port monitors VHF 12. Although you cant log on with them they are only a radio call away.

The VMR and coastguard units have standby units (on call and still volunteers) so if its non lifethreatening they will come and tow you, otherwise the waterpolice will respond

cheers

[blueline]

voted sometimes...

I dont take my boat outside the bay (as yet) and as i fish mostly mid week and earlier than 5am and later than 6pm, i tend not to log on much but do if there are kids aboard.

Phill said...What annoys me is the ferets that cannot use the phonetic alfabet to log on with and it takes forever to get a simple message across.
while out there listening to the vhf i hear all the time boaties replying with 'ROGER'....Roger is a mate i take fishing some times....Romeo is the word for understood (not just a prissy dude from a shakespear play).....but 80% reply 'roger' what delta india charlie kilo sierra

60 bucks a year to be a member....not much but it helps them (vmr or cg)... and if you need to be towed you could be several hundred in front....join your local one..

i allways under stood that roger was from an american movie, but it should be" RIGHT YOU ARE", thats were you get roger from? romeo is for R not copy that,. would be nice for someone to clear it up?.

[waterbouy]

Dont have a radio and don't know how. BUT am getting a radio put in and am doing a course!

[lethal098]

ROMEO is the accepted terminology for aknowledging something being told to you.

Cheers and keep the responses coming.

[sleepygreg]

Good move Waterbouy, the course will be the best money you have ever spent. Like Scalem did, spend some time in the radio room on a busy day just to see what these guys(and gals) do, and what they have to put up with. You will never NOT login again.

They only have one goal in mind.....YOUR SAFETY.

Cheers
Greg

[PinHead]

Good move Waterbouy, the course will be the best money you have ever spent. Like Scalem did, spend some time in the radio room on a busy day just to see what these guys(and gals) do, and what they have to put up with. You will never NOT login again.

They only have one goal in mind.....YOUR SAFETY.

Cheers
Greg

exactly..hence the reason I have never logged on..they don't need another idiot to contend with...lol

[lethal098]

Greg, i am sure we wouldnt mind talking to you.....just briefly of course!LOL

In all seriousness you would be surprised how much quicker that VMR can respond when we have your details, For the sake of a minute out of your day, LOG ON its not that hard, IF you dont want to broadcast over the radio, phone us or come for a walk up and log in in person.

We all Volunteer because we want the water to be a safer place,

Cheers Lee

[markbxy]

I suggest that we all should log in as the more times we log in the more funding these groups like vmw get from the goverment as the goverment does an orditt every year to see how many peolpe have loged in and then there funding budget from the gov. is worked out on that,
so the more we log in the more funding these groups get which equals safer boating for us all.

[grammel]

Allways log on and off when going offshore and also a member, just seems like common sense to me.

[darrend65]

This will probably not go down well, but we only fish out of 1770, and twice have tried to logon with Round Hill and it's taken numerous calls to be acknowleged. First time we were at the Wides before we received a reply, and the last time I logged on with Bundaberg as I couldn't get a response from Round Hill, but they did take over from Bundaberg when we tried to logon with them.

Please don't take this as bagging Round Hill as I really appreciate what they do and there work load, and I will always try and logon. But I do see how some people could get complacent and just not bother.

Just my experience.