Shaun Hollis, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

One third of South Australian boats checked by marine authorities across the summer did not comply with safety regulations, seemingly throwing caution to the wind.

Marine Safety SA conducted close to 2200 checks across the state in December, January and February, including more than 400 in Yorke Peninsula coastal waters.

Of those checked, only about 66 per cent were fully compliant with safety laws such as carrying flares, lifejackets, anchors and other compulsory equipment.

Officers issued more than 260 fines for safety violations, about 190 boats were turned away from ramps before they launched, 100 vessels were instructed to return to shore for corrections and about 20 boats were redirected to safer waters.

Commodore Graham Johnson is one of the 20 Port Victoria Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol members who see first-hand what happens when safety regulations are not strictly followed.

The group rescues an average of two or three boaties a month who get into trouble due to a range of issues, including flat batteries, electrical faults, lack of petrol and running aground.

“We had one that was 24 kilometres out the other day, it was a long tow back,” Mr Johnson, a former Navy officer, said.

With the boat’s electrical system failing, there was no working radio, so the boat driver rang his wife on his mobile phone, who then rang the coastal patrol.

The man was lucky he had a working phone and coverage, or he would have been letting off flares and hoping someone saw them, Mr Johnson said.

“The number of rescues is often dependent on the time of year and can be up to two or three a week in summer,” he said.

“Being a rescue volunteer is a rewarding pastime, and a lot of people are very happy to see us.”

The squadron runs a range of safety classes for interested boaties, including flare demonstrations, boat licence courses and how to use a boat radio.

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 26 March 2024.