Safety & Log On
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Logging On with Marine Rescue is the single best free safety decision you can make before any trip on the water.
Two ways to Log On
📱 The Marine Rescue NSW app
Free on iOS and Android. Enter your vessel, crew count, destination and return time, then Log Off with one tap when you’re back. The app records your trip details and last known position, giving rescuers a head start if something goes wrong.
📶 VHF radio: Channel 16
Call “Marine Rescue Newcastle” on VHF Ch 16 with your vessel name, number of people on board, where you’re headed and your ETA back. Our radio operators do the rest.
Why it matters
When you’re Logged On, someone is expecting you back. If your return time passes and we can’t raise you, Marine Rescue starts the search, first by phone and radio, then on the water. Without a Log On, it can be hours before anyone knows you’re missing, and nobody knows where to look.
It’s free, it’s not a booking, and there’s no cost if we do come to help you.
Before you head out: quick checklist
- Lifejackets for everyone on board, worn rather than stowed when crossing the bar or boating alone
- Check the weather, swell and tides (see Boating & Port Info)
- Enough fuel: a third out, a third back, a third in reserve
- Radio check on VHF, and carry a charged mobile in a waterproof pouch
- EPIRB or PLB if heading offshore, registered and in date
- Tell us: Log On via the app or VHF Ch 16
More safety resources
- Marine Rescue NSW boating safety
- Transport for NSW boating handbook
- Emergency+ app — pinpoints your location for Triple Zero calls
Never boated before? Neither had half our crew.
Our radio operators and boat crews all started as beginners. Come learn the skills that keep boaters safe.