Stay safe on the water by planning ahead. Know the boating rules, understand safety requirements for children, be prepared for emergencies, and recognise when heightened risk conditions apply. Avoid alcohol and drugs while boating to help keep yourself and others safe.
What to do in an emergency
Most emergencies on the water can be avoided by good seamanship. However, they can happen on even the best maintained vessels, so you need to be equipped to handle them.
- Be aware of how to signal distress using flares, marine radio and distress beacons.
- Always call triple zero (000) if you are involved in or witness an emergency.
- If an incident has occurred but you are not in immediate danger, report it to Victoria Police on 1800 135 729.
Good preparation and calm decision-making save lives. Know your emergency contacts and procedures.
Marine incidents include:
- loss or presumed loss of a vessel
- collision with another vessel or object
- grounding, sinking or flooding
- capsized vessel
- fire
- structural failure or loss of stability
- close quarter
- person overboard
- vessel becoming disabled and requiring assistance
- fouling or damaging of any pipeline, submarine cable, lighthouse, lightship, beacon, buoy or marine mark.
Masters’ responsibilities:
Under the Marine Safety Act, a master is the person in charge of a vessel. If the master is involved in a reportable incident, they are required to:
- immediately stop and secure the vessel
- immediately provide whatever assistance you can
- provide their contact details and the vessel owner’s name and address, in addition to the registration or survey number to:
- any injured person
- the owner of any property which has been damaged
- the representative of these people
- the police present at the scene
- report in person to the most accessible police station if a person is injured or property damaged, and the police or owner of the property are not present.
The Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic) requires the master to provide the following details to the police present at the scene:
- the name and address of the master
- the name and address of the owner of the vessel
- the registration or survey number of the vessel.
If a person is injured and no police members are present, the master must report full details at the nearest police station as soon as possible.
If any property is damaged or destroyed, and the owner, the owner’s representative or police are not present, the master must report full details at the nearest police station as soon as possible.
Boating with children
If your children enjoy boating and water activities, it’s important to take steps to increase their confidence and ensure their safety.
By following the below, you can help your children stay safe while enjoying their favourite water activities.
Before heading out on the water, invest some time in training and education – this can include teaching your children about stability, getting on and off the boat safely, and how to distribute the load evenly.
Show them where to find safety gear, the first-aid kit, and other equipment on the vessel.
Teach them emergency procedures, including what to do if the boat capsizes. Make sure they understand that everyone should stay with the boat or a visible floating object.
Keep a close eye on your children whenever they are around water. Never leave them unsupervised, and don’t take infants on board a recreational boat.
Children under 12 are required to wear a lifejacket at all times when on a vessel that’s moving. Lifejackets with crotch straps are crucial – especially for children – as they prevent the lifejacket from slipping off and ensure it stays securely in place, offering reliable buoyancy and protection in water activities.
Children must wear a Level 100 Lifejacket on enclosed waters, which includes Port Phillip Bay, Westernport, Gippsland Lakes and Mallacoota.
A sole adult boating with children less than 12 years old is considered boating alone, and must comply with the heightened risk provisions that apply to boating alone. Mandatory lifejacket wear applies in times of heightened risk.
Encourage your children to learn to swim and practice positions for cold water immersion.
If your children are old enough, show them how to use distress signalling equipment in case of an emergency.
Alcohol and drugs
Stay sober to stay safe. Alcohol and drugs reduce your ability to make decisions and respond to hazards in real time.
It’s important to adhere to these regulations to ensure safe boating practices and protect the well-being of everyone on the water.
Please note that the specific details on alcohol and drug-related offences in boating can be found in the Marine (Drug, Alcohol, and Pollution Control) Act 1988 (Vic).
Alcohol and drugs can impair boating skills, resulting in decreased judgment, coordination, and reaction time, which can lead to an inability to respond appropriately to dangerous situations on the water.
Drinking alcohol can make it harder to stay warm in the water, which is tough for survival.
Alcohol and drugs can speed up your heart, and that can make you tired fast when things are tough.
These things can affect how you see, keep your balance, think clearly, and move well. So, it’s really important to avoid them when you’re near the water to keep yourself safe.
In Victoria, people under 21 who operate a vessel or are in charge of a vessel, including one at anchor, must not have any alcohol present in their blood or breath; that is, a blood-alcohol reading of 0.00 per cent.
People over 21 operating or in charge of a vessel must not have a blood or breath-alcohol reading over 0.05 per cent.
Heightened risk
Heightened risk in terms of boating refers to an increased level of danger or potential for accidents, incidents, or hazardous situations while operating a boat or being on the water. Several factors can contribute to heightened risk in boating.
Situations and activities defined as heightened risk
- Operating alone
- Operating at night (one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise)
- Crossing an ocean bar
- Boating in restricted visibility
- When the vessel is disabled
- When the vessel is operating in an area with a weather warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, including gale or storm force-wind, hurricane-force wind, severe thunderstorm and severe weather warnings.
- When operating in a designated hazardous area.