Marine breakdown service launches in WA

Boat owners in Perth can now call on a new marine breakdown assistance, recovery and maintenance service, with River Coastal Rescue (RCR) recently launching in the western capital.

The service covers the busy Perth metro waterway, from Hillarys to Rockingham and Swan River to Rottnest Island.

The first international offshoot of long-established British service, River Canal Rescue, RCR in Perth offers around-the-clock backup for boat owners from $65 a month.

Membership covers:
• The attendance of a marine engineer in the event of an issue
• Recovery to a home berth or safe haven if the issue can’t be resolved
• Home start support
• Telephone assistance
• Crisis coordination
• Message relay service
• Provisional pick-up service
• Dedicated app for raising call-outs, tracking engineers’ progress and pinpointing locations

RCR says it places no restrictions on the age or type of vessel and there are no call-out or hourly charges. Members are covered for up to four call-outs per year.

The business says it chose Perth as its first international offshoot because of its high percentage of boating owners and the relatively compact geographic area in which they commonly operate. In the UK, the service has over 20,000 members and attends to over 4000 call-outs each year.

RCR says it will work closely with local service Sea Rescue, and is also a member and supporter of the Boating Industry Association.

Operating in the UK for over 20 years, RCR in Perth will initially be overseen by UK directors Stephanie Horton and Jay Forman, while CEO/Director Paul Stenton (pictured, below) will support business operations and drive day-to-day running alongside three full-time engineers.

The company says it aims to attend to call-outs within four hours, with an average response time of two hours and 45 minutes. The initial ETA will be updated within 45 minutes and customers will also receive a courtesy follow-up call within 24 hours of the call-out.

“Motorists have had breakdown cover for their vehicles for years so it’s about time Australian boat owners had the same luxury,” said Mr Forman.

“Sea Rescue, contractors and other stakeholders welcome the benefits we’ll bring to their community. We’ll set national service standards, make cruising more cost effective and introduce new products and services to this sector.”

Mr Stenton said the RCR team was standing by to bring its long-honed expertise and back-up to the Perth boating community.

“Whenever a breakdown occurs, the RCR team is here, ready to help and get you moving again,” he said.

“The UK team has plenty of experience in delivering a quality service over a much larger area so this is a cost-effective solution for boaters requiring breakdown, recovery or maintenance support.”

For more information click here.