Dodgy fuel, dud batteries catching out boaties early, rescue services warn

Victoria’s marine rescue services are warning boaters to tick off their pre-season checks before heading out on the water, with an early start to the season already catching out some unwary owners.

The state’s volunteer coast guard usually experiences a spike on on-water calls for help after the AFL grand final, the traditional time that recreational boaters turn their thoughts from footy to fishing.

However, Western Port Coast Guard flotilla commander Jeremy West told boatsales.com.au that the first calls for help from stranded boaties had started to come about a month early this year, and were mainly down to two key causes: stale fuel and faulty batteries.

“This [last] Saturday was prime,” West said.

“We did six jobs on Saturday alone, which is considerably early for us in the season – it doesn’t normally start doing that until snapper season [in late September]. All of them were either fuel-related or battery-related.

“We usually mark the grand final as the start of the season because the footy is over, the weather is warmer and the fish are back on. But this year it seems to have started a month early.”

West said batteries and fuel were two of the three main maintenance triggers that rescue services reminded boaties about at the start of each season.

The problem with fuel is that it goes stale, losing some of its ‘spark’ after months in storage. Stale fuel can make a boat motor difficult to restart – so the best advice is to empty the tank and replace it with fresh fuel before heading out.

Batteries, meanwhile, can lose charge and in turn, the ability to hold charge, as they get older.

“People don’t take into consideration that in colder climates, batteries don’t hold charge as long as they do in warmer conditions,” West said.

“It’s still quite cold out there.”

It was even more important for boaties with back-up battery systems to ensure they were working.

“People also need to understand what their emergency parallel battery does as well, because a lot of people don’t understand how to use them,” he said.

“A lot of them don’t understand what the [battery isolator] system does.”

West also recommended that boat owners have their craft’s engine(s) serviced before heading out for the first time, particularly after along lay-up. Using a reputable marine mechanic is recommended, as they will use spare parts and fluids optimised for the marine environment.

He said rescue services usually did not experience a spike in the number of boat owners with engine problems until summer, and usually because of owners who had neglected to service them earlier in the year. There is also a marked rise in the number of boat owners running out of fuel while out on the water.

Heading out for the first time is also a good reminder to service inflatable lifejackets, ensure flares are up to date (expired ones attract a big penalty, don't forget) and replace batteries in torches.

West also recommended boat owners perform a radio check to test that if they ever did need to make a call for help, rescuers could hear them.