A HISTORY OF THE WATERSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

[Mudcrab]

What broke the back of the entire scheme was that every single rescue unit in Queensland being both Coastguard and VMR were to pool all their present members into one big basket that would be administered by RACQ who would handle all the plastic card issues, payments, renewals and place advertising in their Road Ahead magazine that goes to well over 1/4 million readers. The potential for literally a 100,000 or more members right across Queensland was obvious to all...... or so we thought!!! Multiply that by sixty odd bucks a year as income.....! The RACQ Directors, their accountants, directors and legal eagles - not exactly dummies - analyzed the project from top to bottom and gave it their blessing as a not only brilliant idea but also a means of bringing in seriously huge amounts of $$$$$$ for the fifty odd squadrons who now nett the old age pension each week to run their Bases. Anyhow, when RACQ support a scheme and offer virtually FREE administration of it, you have to believe the entire concept is very solid and will sell to the Boaties! The weakness soon become very evident that many of the very large rescue units who already had 1-2000 members paying some sort of yearly "insurance" became very twitchy about handing over their members to a state wide concept. In most cases these units were very wealthy and well funded by their local community and income from the scheme. Like 1-2,000 members multiplied by $60+ a year is pretty good bikkies! I am not knocking this decision to abstain from the scheme as giving up that number of members to a totally new and yet-to-be-proven concept is certainly of some concern. Sometimes however you just have to make the tuff decisions and listen to the real experts of the industry and look outside your own little patch of turf to see what is best for the Boaties of Queensland and not just your own bank account! Having been on the original committee for some years to help get it all together, some of the objections and assumptions were so petty it even got down to how much a stamp would cost on an envelope the cost of a phone call. Then the home grown accountants, solicitors and lawyers also got into the act and said their figures were better than RACQ and that the joint AVCVG/VMR research and development team (highly experienced) really had no idea.......! Without the support of these bigger and wealthier rescue units, the system was doomed to failure. RACQ quite correctly said "all or nothing guys". It turned out to be nothing! So then the splinter groups began to form and they in turn then began to argue amongst themselves and in turn disintegrated with everyone doing their own thing, this being a proven and guaranteed way to whiteant the project even further. So after three years of nothing happening, someone stirred the pot again and in Moreton Bay we decided to try to resurrect something from the ashes. At Vicky Point we launched a very successfull club costing $50 a year with lots of assistance, courses and use of facilities. This generated some action with one of our sister Units even going to the papers and complaining about us! Geeeez! And the Northern end of the Bay wants nothing to do with the Southern end of the Bay and the Gold Coast want nothing to do with .......... etc. etc. etc and on it goes. So basically at our Unit, we have VMR Southport, and Raby Bay officially "with us" but nobody else has even bothered to respond to our expressions of interest in reciprocal rights as yet. The Achille's Heel of every volunteer organization in existance is the the presence of the non believers, experts-in-everything- and sadly to say quite often the "old guard" who, when in positons of authority, play a huge role in whether or not a scheme or project is successful or not! And of course, whilst the childishness of AVCG vs VMR is slowly being battered down, it does still exist beteen some of the "long serving" members who invariably are in a position of authority to influence the entire membership! We got rid of most of them and now all function as a team within and amongst our neighbours! But I digress, at the moment the best advice is to join that rescue unit from where you normally launch and recover your vessel! But it does then get worse guys, because as nobody wants to talk to nobody in this business, we three squadrons also have totally different conditions and services to offer. Raby Bay offer two hours free towing I believe, out and back....... we have unlimited coverage (conditions apply!) The good news is that we have agreed that no matter what the differences are, the Boaties comes first, first and first and we will sort out the money issues between ourselves. Our committee has endorsed the policy whereby we will absorb any losses simply to help you out! Raby Bay is an excellent squadron and we both work extremely well together, utilize each other resources when necessary and between us, cover a huge part of the Bay with us prepared to go to the Pin if necessary and, not speaking for them, Raby Bay towards Tangalooma maybe? We don't filchh members off each other and have already written to some of our "Raby Bay based members" suggesting they swap over to them as a better alternative. Most Boaties are very territorial insofar as where they dump their boats in and it is highly unlikely you will launch from Victoria Point to say go to Hutchisons!! If you were a member with us in this example, we would go ourselves and get you back no matter what and possibly "have a talk" about cost but in actual fact would class it as a training run for our crews and to retain your support, write off the extra cost if you dug your toes in and said you would not pay for the extra costs involved. To summarize, AVCG and VMR have no agreement whatsoever that I know of to assist either organizations members were you have to call on them for help. Of course don't forget, they will all unselfishingly help you out without a moment's hesiatation, but costs remain unresolved! We have meeting No. 1857/blue-1/345.6 coming up yet again in Southern Moreton Bay to try to sort something out, but you know what? Most of us have had a gutful of the whole thing and will just keep on crawling about like a mindless stream of caterpillars looking for a leader! But don't forgert, YOU GUYS can help out by going to your local rescue unit and demanding answers!! Write to the Secretary and express your feelings in no uncertain terms!! They believe you are all happy chappies with the present system! To qualify, EVERY SINGLE RESCUE UNIT DOES A GREAT JOB AND PROVIDES TREMENDOUS SERVICE TO THE BOATIES. When it comes to helping a Boatie in distress, differences are dropped and everybody works together to get the job done! Anybody says a bad word in our Unit about Coastguard or other VMR units and they will be very bluntly told to belt up!! The "jpg" file attachment is an example of our rules and conditions! I'm outa here!

[caveman]

ok say i go out off the seaway(goldcoast) and break down and i am a member of the VWR at jacobs well who do i call for help,

or go across the bar at the pin into the offshore just curious thats all, it seems a bit rough that if you fish in 5 different areas its going to cost about $250 to be a member of all 5 VMR's i know you can't put a price on saftey but it all adds up in the end

[s-pac]

Does this also mean you would have 5 different call signs???

Andrew

[caveman]

???