Radio Use
Don't become a fatal statistic of the sea. Log On and Log Off....
Geographe Bay marine radio coverage is provided by Australian Coastal Radio Monitors (WA) based in Capel and Busselton. When using marine radio, your call sign should be your boat registration number or if you join ACRM as a social member, you will be issued with a "call sign".
The information needed when you log on is:
- Where you launched from
- How many people on board
- General destination; and
- Estimated time of return (ETR).
If you change destination or ETR, please advise ACRM Base accordingly.
Should you get into trouble and are unable to communicate, ACRM will commence calling you shortly after your ETR has expired. If unsuccessful, they will contact Police who will check out the location you launched (departed) from and if your vehicle/trailer is still there, we will activate a crew to commence a search & recovery procedure. It's a large expanse of ocean and our search starting point is of necessity, based on your last advised destination.
If you are in the water, Hypothermia becomes a serious problem. Because water is such a good conductor of heat, immersion in water can cause hypothermia quickly. Survival time for a swimmer in the water at 10°C, for instance, is about two hours. By the time we are in the search area given earliest possible alert being raised, two hours can easily have lapsed.... Can you afford to take the risk? Log on/Log Off.
ACRM is a volunteer group operating an expensive service for your safety at sea. Please consider joining them as a "social member" at a very moderate annual fee to help them help you and all other recreational boaties.
When on the water, rely on communications that won't let you down. Marine Radio is for your safety.