Redcliffe II Boat Ready to Save Lives

After a 7 month transformation process and a lot of hard work in fundraising from volunteers, Redcliffe Coast Guard refurbished their 11.9m Noosa cat; ‘Redcliffe Leagues II’ vessel, which was officially relaunched in July. The refurbishment was a very thought out process, which included cabin and stern modifications, to included a specially designed QAS stretcher, which can fit straight into any ambulance in Queensland.

Amyee Rhodes from the Redcliffe Volunteer Coast Guard said that members have been very excited since the return of the vessel. “She is now a state of the art rescue vessel, specifically designed for our needs”, she said.

Australian Volunteer Coast Guard is a 100% voluntary organisation, formed to promote safety in the operation of small craft. It is $44 per year including GST for a regular member, $70 per year including GST for an Associate membership.

Recent activations have underlined the importance of having an EPIRB – locator beacon on board, which allows for the team to pinpoint the exact location of a distress call and respond quickly.

Unfortunately, in recent incidents near Moreton Island, boat owners who found themselves suddenly in the water were not wearing life jackets, and so relied on floating items like esky lids, which is not ideal. A life jacket also helps you be seen on dusk and has a whistle. Any person serious about boating or jet-skiing, should know the importance of having the correct safety equipment onboard and know how to use them in an emergency.